Old Ironsights
07-15-2008, 11:23 AM
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Newsletter
July 14, 2008
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Project is based at the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Golden, Colorado.
http://www.independenceinstitute.org
Please visit Dave Kopel's website, containing articles on the Second Amendment and other freedom topics.
http://www.davekopel.org
To subscribe to this free e-mail newsletter, please send a request to:
kopelnewsletter@liberty.seanet.com
Table of Contents
1. Kopel on Heller, Victory Statement; Articles; Audio/Video; The Decision
2. Kopel on the Presidential Race: Hillary and the RKBA; the Democrats' True Records
3. Other Views on Heller: Barnett cites Kopel; NYC Gun Rights; Froman
4. International: Africa; Australia; Canada; Jamaica; Kenya; South Africa; U.K.; E.U.; U.N./IANSA
5. Culture and Crime: D.C. Armed Criminals; Baltimore Maps; Prairie Dogs; Public Housing and Crime; Gun Manufacturers; Jolie armed; 'No-Knock' tragedy
6. Self-Defense and Carrying: Guns in Church; Guns Barred in Lousiana Academe; Wackos not disarmed; Armed Virginians; Disarming Disney
7. Politics: GOP and NRA to Target Obama; Brady Campaign on McCain
8. Judiciary: NRA files Post Heller Suits; State Laws Upheld; Missouri Landowners; Bloomberg's suit dismissed again; Philadelphia Pre-Empted
9. The States: New Jersey; New York; Ohio; Rhode Island; South Carolina
10. Research: Local Background Checks; Brady Campaign abuses data; Restraining Orders; Micro-stamping; Racializing Heller; Restrictions fail Down Under
________________________________
New by Kopel
Kopel on Heller: A Statement
In 1974, after President Gerald Ford took the Oath of Office, he spoke to the American people: "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule."
His words are apt today. The 32-year nightmare of the law-abiding citizens of Washington, D.C., is over. They can legally use firearms in defense of their homes against violent predators. Soon, the good citizens of Washington will be able to purchase handguns for lawful defense.
For nearly seven decades the U.S. Supreme Court stood idle while lower federal courts nullified the Second Amendment. This year, our Independence Day celebrations were especially joyful, as the Supreme Court finally vindicated America's first freedom.
It was wonderful to have the opportunity to play a part in one of the most important Supreme Court cases in American history. On the morning of Thursday, June 26, I felt like Sam Gamgee, in The Lord of the Rings, when he finally saw the evil ring falling to its destruction in the volcano at Mount Doom. And now, the foundations of Barad Dûr are beginning to crack, with the end of the handgun bans in Morton Grove and Wilmette.
Everyone who played a role in Second Amendment activism over the last 35 years can feel proud of what we have accomplished together.
There is still much to be done to restore Second Amendment rights in the United States. And those rights will never be secure as long as the United Nations continues its relentless attacks. Those attacks will stop when enough governments in other nations change their policies, and demand that they stop. So over the long term, American human rights advocates need to help their friends in other nations begin to change the political culture in those nations, as we have changed the political culture in the United States in the last decade-and-a-half. Justice Scalia's opinion reminds us the the right to arms and the right of self-defense are not granted to Americans by the Second Amendment. Rather, they are inherent natural rights which belong to everyone.
A new chapter has opened in the story of mankind's struggle for freedom. Working with groups like the Second Amendment Foundation, the Independence Institute, and the National Rifle Association, together we can seize the historic opportunity in the early 21st century to protect and to advance in our nation and in our world the eternal truths of the Declaration of Independence.
District of Columbia v. Heller. 554 U.S.-- (2008).
Associate Justice Antonin Scalia
Supreme Court of the United States
June 26, 2008
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.
Here is the complete text, with syllabus, of the decision and the dissents.
________________________________
Kopel on Heller: Articles
Heller's Kitchen
David B. Kopel
The New York Sun
June 30, 2008
http://www.nysun.com/opinion/hellers-kitchen/80928/
Despite the claims of NYC Mayor Bloomberg, Dave is rather certain that Heller will have a considerable effect upon gun laws in the Big Apple.
The First Dominos Fall: Morton Grove and Wilmette Handgun Bans
David B. Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
June 29, 2008
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_06_29-2008_07_05.shtml#1214788657
"The Mayor of Morton Grove has announced that he will propose repeal of the handgun ban. (Note that the linked NPR story misspells the name of Second Amendment attorney Stephen Halbrook.) Wilmette, meanwhile, has suspended enforcement of its handgun ban."
Miller, Colt .45s and Natural Law
David B. Kopel
SCOTUSBlog
June 27th, 2008
http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/heller-discussion-board-miller-colt-45s-and-natural-law/
Dave herein analyzes the mechanics of the Heller decision and its implication for the very important doctrine of Natural Law Self-defense.
The Second Amendment Goes to Court: Civil Libertarians Respond to D.C. v. Heller
By Glenn Reynolds, Sanford Levinson, Jacob Sullum, Joyce Lee Malcolm, Randy Barnett, Alan Gura, Brian Doherty and David B. Kopel Reason Magazine Online June 27, 2008 http://reason.com/news/show/127201.html
A lineup of heavy hitters in the cause of freedom do their best to examine the repercussions of the Heller decision, Dave among them.
Conservative Activists Key to DC Handgun Decision
David B. Kopel
Human Events
June 27, 2008
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=27229
Dave congratulates Human Events and other determined conservatives upon their vital roles in achieving the Heller victory.
Constitution Is Big Winner in D.C. Gun Case
David B. Kopel
Pajamas Media
June 26, 2008
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/constitution-is-big-winner-in-dc-gun-case/
Dave runs down previous SCOTUS decisions on the RKBA and puts the Heller decision in its proper context.
Ringside at the Supreme Court
David B. Kopel
America's First Freedom
June, 2008
http://davekopel.org/2A/Mags/Ringside-at-the-Supreme-Court.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.
Dave provides a verbal blow by blow account of what it was like to be at the plaintiff's table during the actual presentation of the Heler arguments.
________________________________
Kopel on Heller: Audio/Video
David Kopel on the Mike Rosen Show
Dave Kopel with Mike Rosen
850 KOA (Denver)
June 27, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/68lyq4
http://tinyurl.com/6a8s3b
Morning talk show host Mike Rosen kept Dave for a second hour discussing the Heller decision and its implications for past and future RKBA legislation. These links will take a bit of time to load, as the software does not stream the audio.
Kopel on Downrange Radio
David B. Kopel
Down Range Radio
June 27, 2008
http://www.downrange.tv/mp3s/mbspecial-062708-4.mp3
Down Range Radio here interviews Dave for 24 discussing the decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. This link will take a bit of time to load, as the software does not stream the audio.
Supco Ruling a Big Victory, but Many Fights Ahead
David B. Kopel
West Virginia Outdoor News
June 27, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5d965s
http://tinyurl.com/56c7me
An article with a companion audio. Dave suggests that continued efforts in the aftermath of the Heller decision are likely to lead to still more gains for the 2nd Amendment.
Dave Kopel on the Jon Caldara Show
David B. Kopel with Jon Caldara
850 KOA (Denver)
June 26, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/67nkhp
Independence Institute President and Radio Host Jon Caldara interviews Dave for a half hour immediately after the Heller decision. This link will take a bit of time to load, as the software does not stream the audio.
Podcast on the Heller Decision
David B. Kopel and Jon Caldara
iVoices.Org
June 26, 2008
http://audio.iVoices.org/mp3/iipodcast206.mp3
Dave shares his thoughts with Jon on Heller in the immediate aftermath of the decision. This is a 15 minute MP3 audio recording.
Dave Kopel on the Caplis and Silverman Show.
David B. Kopel, Dan Caplis, and Craig Silverman
630 KHOW (Denver)
June 26, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/56w7pn
Dave here talks with these two lawyer/talk-show hosts about Heller, three different points of view.
________________________________
Kopel on the 2008 Election
Gun Owners for Hillary?
David B. Kopel
Townhall.com
May 9, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/65lde7
Kopel examines how in the Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton became the choice of many pro-gun voters.
The Democrats and Gun Control.
David B. Kopel
Wall Street Journal
April 17, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/4flefr
"Civil libertarians who supported such a candidate because of his alleged love for the First Amendment would be foolish. Civil libertarians who support Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton because of their purported fealty to the Second Amendment may be bitterly disappointed."
________________________________
Other Heller Commentary
News Flash: The Constitution Means What It Says
Randy E. Barnett
The Wall Street Journal
June 27, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/3fhwts
"Justice Antonin Scalia's majority opinion in yesterday's Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller is historic in its implications and exemplary in its reasoning."
Why Not Here?
House Editorial
The New York Sun
June 30, 2008
http://www.nysun.com/editorials/why-not-here/80930/
The editorial board of the New York Sun cite Dave's 'Heller's Kitchen' article (above) in arguing that New York City's gun laws ought to reflect the jurisprudence contained in the Heller decision.
Gun Rights Avoided Setback with High Court's 5-4 Ruling
Sandy Froman
The Arizona Republic
June 28, 2008
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0628froman28.html#
"The Supreme Court's decision in D.C. vs. Heller is a landmark. It will shape gun rights for decades to come, and could determine the outcome of the presidential election."
________________________________
International
Africa
The Horrific Results of Gun-Free Zones
World Net Daily
June 4, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5lhwnw
Unarmed villages are prime targets for attackers seeking rape, murder, and child soldiers to be coerced into their ranks.
________________________________
Australia
Moves to Ease Handgun Laws for Juniors
ABC News
June 17, 2008
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/17/2276729.htm?section=australia
"The Shooters Party has defended its push to allow minors as young as 12 to use high-calibre handguns in shooting competitions."
________________________________
Canada
T.O.'s handgun ban defies logic
Lorne Gunter
The Edmonton Journal (Canada)
May 30, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5f658r
A Canadian pundit wonders grimly how the Mayor of Toronto's planned additional restrictions upon the law-abiding would do anything more to reduce crime.
Council pulls trigger on gun clubs
Jeff Gray and Jennifer Lewington
The Toronto Globe and Mail (Canada)
June 24, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6ytofn
"...Mr. Miller and his allies cited police reports that show legal handguns are often stolen and used in crimes. In 2007, the Toronto Police Service said that 178 of 368 traceable crime guns seized by authorities were stolen from owners with a permit."
Feds Reject Ontario's Call for Handgun Ban
The Canadian Press
June 13 2008
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/443230
"The federal Conservative government has rejected Ontario's call for a ban on handguns."
Quebec Man Acquitted in Police Officer's Death
The Canadian Press
March 22, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/4oooum
"A Quebec man who claimed he fatally shot a police officer because he mistook a drug raid for a home invasion has been acquitted of first-degree murder in the death."
________________________________
Jamaica
Gun control an urgent priority for Jamaica
Press Release
UNICEF
June 5, 2008
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_44383.html
http://tinyurl.com/3bndxn
Gun prohibition has been a catastrophic failure in Jamaica, but UNICEF refuses to consider allowing the good citizens of Jamaica to protect themselves.
This is hardly the only instance of UNICEF diverting money from children in order to push a political agenda. See Dave Kopel, Tricked by UNICEF: Financing of Palestinian terrorism makes for one scary Halloween. National Review Online, October 26, 2007, here: http://tinyurl.com/3bndxn
________________________________
Kenya
Law Should Be Changed to Free Guns
Ng'ang'a Mbugua
The Nation (Nairobi)
April 25, 2008
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200804251276.html
"If Kenya is to achieve long-lasting stability, it ought to borrow a leaf from the US, whose constitution gives the people the right to bear arms and form militias for their own defence should the armed forces fail them, as happened in Kenya after the December elections."
Why Herders Won't Surrender Their Firearms Just Yet
Paul Letiwa
The Nation (Kenya)
April 30, 2008
http://allafrica.com/stories/200804300138.html
" 'How can the Government ask us to surrender our guns when we know very well that there is no security for us? If we give out our firearms, say today, who will protect us when the neighbouring tribes strike? How about our stolen livestock? Who is going to return them to us?" Mr Lengilikwai talks with bitterness.' "
________________________________
South Africa
A Gun-Toting Heritage
Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya
Mail & Guardian Online
April 29, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6lgp4q
"Given everything we have seen, show us why shooting the ******** cannot make the situation any better than it is now. Perhaps then we will think of more humane ways to deal with them."
________________________________
United Kingdom
Britain Faces Growing Knife-Crime Culture
Mark Rice-Oxley
The Christian Science Monitor
June 11, 2008
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0612/p07s01-woeu.html <http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0612/p07s01-woeu.html>
"Britain is redoubling its efforts to stop young people carrying knives, after a volley of fatal teenage stabbings and headlines warning that the country is in the grip of a knife-crime epidemic."
MacAskill Vows to Raise Concerns over Scotland's 500,000 Air Weapons
Michael Howie
The Scotsman
May 8, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6lh769
"Recorded firearms casualties in Scotland rose by a quarter in 2006-7 – one in three of the victims were children and 58 per cent of the incidents involved air weapons. Cases of attempted murder involving firearms were almost three times that of a decade ago."
Anger over Relaxing of Gun Law for Olympics
Jenny Percival
Scotland on Sunday
May 4, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6pemvw
"Anti-gun campaigners have warned the Government not to relax firearms legislation in the run-up to the London Olympics, saying: 'A child's life is not worth a medal' "
Disarming Britain: Channel 4 Promotes Anti-Gun Season
Mark Sweney
The Guardian (UK)
May 30, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5jltn3
Britain's Channel 4 is producing a series in apparent partnership with the British government aimed at disarming Britain's youth, who the series will show as increasingly armed with knives and guns. The series will include dramas and factual material.
-----------------------------------------------------
more...
July 14, 2008
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Project is based at the Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Golden, Colorado.
http://www.independenceinstitute.org
Please visit Dave Kopel's website, containing articles on the Second Amendment and other freedom topics.
http://www.davekopel.org
To subscribe to this free e-mail newsletter, please send a request to:
kopelnewsletter@liberty.seanet.com
Table of Contents
1. Kopel on Heller, Victory Statement; Articles; Audio/Video; The Decision
2. Kopel on the Presidential Race: Hillary and the RKBA; the Democrats' True Records
3. Other Views on Heller: Barnett cites Kopel; NYC Gun Rights; Froman
4. International: Africa; Australia; Canada; Jamaica; Kenya; South Africa; U.K.; E.U.; U.N./IANSA
5. Culture and Crime: D.C. Armed Criminals; Baltimore Maps; Prairie Dogs; Public Housing and Crime; Gun Manufacturers; Jolie armed; 'No-Knock' tragedy
6. Self-Defense and Carrying: Guns in Church; Guns Barred in Lousiana Academe; Wackos not disarmed; Armed Virginians; Disarming Disney
7. Politics: GOP and NRA to Target Obama; Brady Campaign on McCain
8. Judiciary: NRA files Post Heller Suits; State Laws Upheld; Missouri Landowners; Bloomberg's suit dismissed again; Philadelphia Pre-Empted
9. The States: New Jersey; New York; Ohio; Rhode Island; South Carolina
10. Research: Local Background Checks; Brady Campaign abuses data; Restraining Orders; Micro-stamping; Racializing Heller; Restrictions fail Down Under
________________________________
New by Kopel
Kopel on Heller: A Statement
In 1974, after President Gerald Ford took the Oath of Office, he spoke to the American people: "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule."
His words are apt today. The 32-year nightmare of the law-abiding citizens of Washington, D.C., is over. They can legally use firearms in defense of their homes against violent predators. Soon, the good citizens of Washington will be able to purchase handguns for lawful defense.
For nearly seven decades the U.S. Supreme Court stood idle while lower federal courts nullified the Second Amendment. This year, our Independence Day celebrations were especially joyful, as the Supreme Court finally vindicated America's first freedom.
It was wonderful to have the opportunity to play a part in one of the most important Supreme Court cases in American history. On the morning of Thursday, June 26, I felt like Sam Gamgee, in The Lord of the Rings, when he finally saw the evil ring falling to its destruction in the volcano at Mount Doom. And now, the foundations of Barad Dûr are beginning to crack, with the end of the handgun bans in Morton Grove and Wilmette.
Everyone who played a role in Second Amendment activism over the last 35 years can feel proud of what we have accomplished together.
There is still much to be done to restore Second Amendment rights in the United States. And those rights will never be secure as long as the United Nations continues its relentless attacks. Those attacks will stop when enough governments in other nations change their policies, and demand that they stop. So over the long term, American human rights advocates need to help their friends in other nations begin to change the political culture in those nations, as we have changed the political culture in the United States in the last decade-and-a-half. Justice Scalia's opinion reminds us the the right to arms and the right of self-defense are not granted to Americans by the Second Amendment. Rather, they are inherent natural rights which belong to everyone.
A new chapter has opened in the story of mankind's struggle for freedom. Working with groups like the Second Amendment Foundation, the Independence Institute, and the National Rifle Association, together we can seize the historic opportunity in the early 21st century to protect and to advance in our nation and in our world the eternal truths of the Declaration of Independence.
District of Columbia v. Heller. 554 U.S.-- (2008).
Associate Justice Antonin Scalia
Supreme Court of the United States
June 26, 2008
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.
Here is the complete text, with syllabus, of the decision and the dissents.
________________________________
Kopel on Heller: Articles
Heller's Kitchen
David B. Kopel
The New York Sun
June 30, 2008
http://www.nysun.com/opinion/hellers-kitchen/80928/
Despite the claims of NYC Mayor Bloomberg, Dave is rather certain that Heller will have a considerable effect upon gun laws in the Big Apple.
The First Dominos Fall: Morton Grove and Wilmette Handgun Bans
David B. Kopel
The Volokh Conspiracy
June 29, 2008
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_06_29-2008_07_05.shtml#1214788657
"The Mayor of Morton Grove has announced that he will propose repeal of the handgun ban. (Note that the linked NPR story misspells the name of Second Amendment attorney Stephen Halbrook.) Wilmette, meanwhile, has suspended enforcement of its handgun ban."
Miller, Colt .45s and Natural Law
David B. Kopel
SCOTUSBlog
June 27th, 2008
http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/heller-discussion-board-miller-colt-45s-and-natural-law/
Dave herein analyzes the mechanics of the Heller decision and its implication for the very important doctrine of Natural Law Self-defense.
The Second Amendment Goes to Court: Civil Libertarians Respond to D.C. v. Heller
By Glenn Reynolds, Sanford Levinson, Jacob Sullum, Joyce Lee Malcolm, Randy Barnett, Alan Gura, Brian Doherty and David B. Kopel Reason Magazine Online June 27, 2008 http://reason.com/news/show/127201.html
A lineup of heavy hitters in the cause of freedom do their best to examine the repercussions of the Heller decision, Dave among them.
Conservative Activists Key to DC Handgun Decision
David B. Kopel
Human Events
June 27, 2008
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=27229
Dave congratulates Human Events and other determined conservatives upon their vital roles in achieving the Heller victory.
Constitution Is Big Winner in D.C. Gun Case
David B. Kopel
Pajamas Media
June 26, 2008
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/constitution-is-big-winner-in-dc-gun-case/
Dave runs down previous SCOTUS decisions on the RKBA and puts the Heller decision in its proper context.
Ringside at the Supreme Court
David B. Kopel
America's First Freedom
June, 2008
http://davekopel.org/2A/Mags/Ringside-at-the-Supreme-Court.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software.
Dave provides a verbal blow by blow account of what it was like to be at the plaintiff's table during the actual presentation of the Heler arguments.
________________________________
Kopel on Heller: Audio/Video
David Kopel on the Mike Rosen Show
Dave Kopel with Mike Rosen
850 KOA (Denver)
June 27, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/68lyq4
http://tinyurl.com/6a8s3b
Morning talk show host Mike Rosen kept Dave for a second hour discussing the Heller decision and its implications for past and future RKBA legislation. These links will take a bit of time to load, as the software does not stream the audio.
Kopel on Downrange Radio
David B. Kopel
Down Range Radio
June 27, 2008
http://www.downrange.tv/mp3s/mbspecial-062708-4.mp3
Down Range Radio here interviews Dave for 24 discussing the decision in District of Columbia v. Heller. This link will take a bit of time to load, as the software does not stream the audio.
Supco Ruling a Big Victory, but Many Fights Ahead
David B. Kopel
West Virginia Outdoor News
June 27, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5d965s
http://tinyurl.com/56c7me
An article with a companion audio. Dave suggests that continued efforts in the aftermath of the Heller decision are likely to lead to still more gains for the 2nd Amendment.
Dave Kopel on the Jon Caldara Show
David B. Kopel with Jon Caldara
850 KOA (Denver)
June 26, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/67nkhp
Independence Institute President and Radio Host Jon Caldara interviews Dave for a half hour immediately after the Heller decision. This link will take a bit of time to load, as the software does not stream the audio.
Podcast on the Heller Decision
David B. Kopel and Jon Caldara
iVoices.Org
June 26, 2008
http://audio.iVoices.org/mp3/iipodcast206.mp3
Dave shares his thoughts with Jon on Heller in the immediate aftermath of the decision. This is a 15 minute MP3 audio recording.
Dave Kopel on the Caplis and Silverman Show.
David B. Kopel, Dan Caplis, and Craig Silverman
630 KHOW (Denver)
June 26, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/56w7pn
Dave here talks with these two lawyer/talk-show hosts about Heller, three different points of view.
________________________________
Kopel on the 2008 Election
Gun Owners for Hillary?
David B. Kopel
Townhall.com
May 9, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/65lde7
Kopel examines how in the Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton became the choice of many pro-gun voters.
The Democrats and Gun Control.
David B. Kopel
Wall Street Journal
April 17, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/4flefr
"Civil libertarians who supported such a candidate because of his alleged love for the First Amendment would be foolish. Civil libertarians who support Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton because of their purported fealty to the Second Amendment may be bitterly disappointed."
________________________________
Other Heller Commentary
News Flash: The Constitution Means What It Says
Randy E. Barnett
The Wall Street Journal
June 27, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/3fhwts
"Justice Antonin Scalia's majority opinion in yesterday's Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia v. Heller is historic in its implications and exemplary in its reasoning."
Why Not Here?
House Editorial
The New York Sun
June 30, 2008
http://www.nysun.com/editorials/why-not-here/80930/
The editorial board of the New York Sun cite Dave's 'Heller's Kitchen' article (above) in arguing that New York City's gun laws ought to reflect the jurisprudence contained in the Heller decision.
Gun Rights Avoided Setback with High Court's 5-4 Ruling
Sandy Froman
The Arizona Republic
June 28, 2008
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0628froman28.html#
"The Supreme Court's decision in D.C. vs. Heller is a landmark. It will shape gun rights for decades to come, and could determine the outcome of the presidential election."
________________________________
International
Africa
The Horrific Results of Gun-Free Zones
World Net Daily
June 4, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5lhwnw
Unarmed villages are prime targets for attackers seeking rape, murder, and child soldiers to be coerced into their ranks.
________________________________
Australia
Moves to Ease Handgun Laws for Juniors
ABC News
June 17, 2008
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/17/2276729.htm?section=australia
"The Shooters Party has defended its push to allow minors as young as 12 to use high-calibre handguns in shooting competitions."
________________________________
Canada
T.O.'s handgun ban defies logic
Lorne Gunter
The Edmonton Journal (Canada)
May 30, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5f658r
A Canadian pundit wonders grimly how the Mayor of Toronto's planned additional restrictions upon the law-abiding would do anything more to reduce crime.
Council pulls trigger on gun clubs
Jeff Gray and Jennifer Lewington
The Toronto Globe and Mail (Canada)
June 24, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6ytofn
"...Mr. Miller and his allies cited police reports that show legal handguns are often stolen and used in crimes. In 2007, the Toronto Police Service said that 178 of 368 traceable crime guns seized by authorities were stolen from owners with a permit."
Feds Reject Ontario's Call for Handgun Ban
The Canadian Press
June 13 2008
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/443230
"The federal Conservative government has rejected Ontario's call for a ban on handguns."
Quebec Man Acquitted in Police Officer's Death
The Canadian Press
March 22, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/4oooum
"A Quebec man who claimed he fatally shot a police officer because he mistook a drug raid for a home invasion has been acquitted of first-degree murder in the death."
________________________________
Jamaica
Gun control an urgent priority for Jamaica
Press Release
UNICEF
June 5, 2008
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_44383.html
http://tinyurl.com/3bndxn
Gun prohibition has been a catastrophic failure in Jamaica, but UNICEF refuses to consider allowing the good citizens of Jamaica to protect themselves.
This is hardly the only instance of UNICEF diverting money from children in order to push a political agenda. See Dave Kopel, Tricked by UNICEF: Financing of Palestinian terrorism makes for one scary Halloween. National Review Online, October 26, 2007, here: http://tinyurl.com/3bndxn
________________________________
Kenya
Law Should Be Changed to Free Guns
Ng'ang'a Mbugua
The Nation (Nairobi)
April 25, 2008
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200804251276.html
"If Kenya is to achieve long-lasting stability, it ought to borrow a leaf from the US, whose constitution gives the people the right to bear arms and form militias for their own defence should the armed forces fail them, as happened in Kenya after the December elections."
Why Herders Won't Surrender Their Firearms Just Yet
Paul Letiwa
The Nation (Kenya)
April 30, 2008
http://allafrica.com/stories/200804300138.html
" 'How can the Government ask us to surrender our guns when we know very well that there is no security for us? If we give out our firearms, say today, who will protect us when the neighbouring tribes strike? How about our stolen livestock? Who is going to return them to us?" Mr Lengilikwai talks with bitterness.' "
________________________________
South Africa
A Gun-Toting Heritage
Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya
Mail & Guardian Online
April 29, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6lgp4q
"Given everything we have seen, show us why shooting the ******** cannot make the situation any better than it is now. Perhaps then we will think of more humane ways to deal with them."
________________________________
United Kingdom
Britain Faces Growing Knife-Crime Culture
Mark Rice-Oxley
The Christian Science Monitor
June 11, 2008
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0612/p07s01-woeu.html <http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0612/p07s01-woeu.html>
"Britain is redoubling its efforts to stop young people carrying knives, after a volley of fatal teenage stabbings and headlines warning that the country is in the grip of a knife-crime epidemic."
MacAskill Vows to Raise Concerns over Scotland's 500,000 Air Weapons
Michael Howie
The Scotsman
May 8, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6lh769
"Recorded firearms casualties in Scotland rose by a quarter in 2006-7 – one in three of the victims were children and 58 per cent of the incidents involved air weapons. Cases of attempted murder involving firearms were almost three times that of a decade ago."
Anger over Relaxing of Gun Law for Olympics
Jenny Percival
Scotland on Sunday
May 4, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/6pemvw
"Anti-gun campaigners have warned the Government not to relax firearms legislation in the run-up to the London Olympics, saying: 'A child's life is not worth a medal' "
Disarming Britain: Channel 4 Promotes Anti-Gun Season
Mark Sweney
The Guardian (UK)
May 30, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5jltn3
Britain's Channel 4 is producing a series in apparent partnership with the British government aimed at disarming Britain's youth, who the series will show as increasingly armed with knives and guns. The series will include dramas and factual material.
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