A recent Zogby
International poll commissioned by the Second Amendment Foundation shows an overwhelming majority of American voters (75%) support the BUSH/ASHCROFT Department
of Justice’s accurate view that the Second Amendment protects an individual
right to keep and bear arms.
The poll showed that, while Republicans were most likely
to share this view (84%), a solid majority
of Democrats (65%)
also supported the BUSH administration’s policy.
Zogby asked respondents, “Do
you agree or disagree with the current Justice Department’s position that
the Second Amendment guarantees you the individual right to keep and bear arms?”
The poll included 1,015 likely voters and had a margin
of error of plus-or-minus 3.2 percentage points.
The CLINTON
administration’s position that the Second Amendment protects only a “collective” right of states to maintain militias
has now been repudiated not only by the BUSH Justice Department, but also by a majority of the electorate, according to the poll results.
“Even among Democrats, senior citizens and the middle
class, large majorities do not accept the so-called ‘collective right’ theory promoted by the most ardent gun grabbers,”
said ALAN GOTTLIEB, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation. “This poll indicates that anti-gunners are not
even in-step with their traditional core groups.”
The Zogby
poll explains why numerous Democrats are trying to distance themselves from the perception that the
Democratic Party is synonymous with gun control,
some honestly, others purely to gain undeserved votes.
Even as anti-gun extremism continues to fall out of favor
with the general public, the most visible and vocal Democrats -- including Senate Majority Leader TOM DASCHLE (SD),
House Minority Leader DICK GEPHARDT (MO), U.S. Senators HILLARY CLINTON (NY), DIANNE FEINSTEIN (CA), TED KENNEDY
(MA), and CHARLES SCHUMER (NY), and U.S. Representatives DAVID BONIOR (MI) and JOHN CONYERS (MI) -- are among the
most strident advocates of gun control.
However, long-time pro-gun Democrats in Congress -- including
Senator ZELL MILLER (GA), Representatives JOHN DINGELL (MI), IKE SKELTON
(MO), CHARLES STENHOLM (TX), COLLIN PETERSON (MN), and TED STRICKLAND (OH), to name just a few -- may be poised
to take a greater role in directing
the course of their party when
it comes to firearms.
With public agreement on the individual right to keep
and bear arms, we are likely to see increasing
numbers of candidates faking “pro-gun” positions
and scurrying to disguise their
anti-gun records.
The example of former Philadelphia mayor ED RENDELL in his run for Pennsylvania Governor is instructive. A blatantly anti-gun advocate who pioneered the current anti-firearms
industry lawsuit campaign, RENDELL now says he’s “pro-gun.” Few believe his sudden conversion.
Gun rights supporters need to be informed before going to the polls.
CINCINNATI’S ANTI-INDUSTRY LAWSUIT MAY COST TAXPAYERS A BUNDLE
LAWRENCE G. KEANE, general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, recently told the Cincinnati City Council that its lawsuit against gun makers may come at a “staggering”
cost.
The city has a $27 million
budget deficit, yet authorized the payment of up to $100,000 in expenses, including $25,000 to the anti-gun Brady Center.
The total cost of the lawsuit could be over $1 million.
Councilman CHRIS MONZEL made a motion to kill
the 3-year-old lawsuit, but the
Law and Public Safety Committee did not pass it.
A 4-3 Ohio Supreme Court decision last month reversed lower court rulings dismissing the city’s case. Now the lawsuit can continue to the evidence gathering phase. The
city’s chances of winning are seen as poor, given the record of most other municipal lawsuits against the firearms
industry.
U.S. SUPREME COURT DECLINES TO HEAR GUN RIGHTS CASES
Without commenting on the issue, the Supreme Court recently
refused to review two appellate court rulings: one, the Emerson case, asserting
that “the right to keep and bear arms” specified in the Second Amendment is an individual right; the other, the
Haney case, denying there is any personal right to own guns.
Last October the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based
in New Orleans declared in the Emerson case that the right to have guns is not confined to the militia,
but is a “right of individuals to possess and bear their own arms.”
The ruling cleared the way for trial of a San Angelo, Texas doctor, TIMOTHY JOE
EMERSON, on charges that he had a pistol while under a court order barring him from threatening his estranged wife
and their daughter. The appeals court recognized EMERSON’s personal right,
but said the amendment was not
violated in his case because there
was a clear need to keep guns away from those who pose a “credible threat” to others. EMERSON was cleared of the
threat charge in state court.
The EMERSON case has yet to go back
to trial in the lower federal court.
In the case of JOHN LEE HANEY, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals based in Denver, ruled that a gun control law does not violate the Second
Amendment “unless it impairs the state’s ability to maintain a well-regulated militia.” The court added that the militia is “a government organization,” not individuals possessing
their own guns.
By letting the EMERSON case stand, the Supreme Court has given powerful support to the original meaning of the Second Amendment as an
individual right.
TOUGHER SENTENCES APPROVED FOR GUN CRIMES
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that judges can lengthen
the prison sentences of defendants who
use guns while committing other crimes,
even if not convicted of any charge specifically involving the firearm.
The 5-4 decision avoided overturning prison sentences
of thousands of inmates.
MOTHER OF SHOOTING VICTIM SUES GUN MAKER BUT NOT SHOOTERS
JOAN
TRUMAN SMITH, mother of ANITA SMITH, a murder victim in a Wendy’s shooting two years ago, has sued BRUCE JENNINGS,
whose family owns the company that made the Bryco/Jennings
Model J-38 .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol used by the murderers. SMITH did not file any legal action against
convicted murderer GRAIG GODINEAUX
or murder suspect JOHN TAYLOR, awaiting trial in the SMITH case.
HOUSE GETS BILL TO ARM 250 AIRLINE PILOTS
A House bill has been reported for floor vote that would
allow 250 airline pilots to carry guns during a two-year experimental program,
far fewer than originally planned.
The plan is a compromise reached to address the concerns
of some members of Congress that arming pilots might endanger passengers or other crew members.
Airline pilot unions have lobbied aggressively for the right to have guns in the cockpit since the September 11 terrorist hijackings.
The compromise measure would create a two-year program to arm an initial 250 pilots and direct the Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) to develop a training program
for pilots similar to the federal air marshal program.
Several House Democrats who originally opposed arming
pilots now support the House bill because it would arm a small number of pilots and requires a study of the risks
if a bullet hit the aircraft’s electrical systems.
TSA chief JOHN W. MAGAW and the White House
oppose the idea of arming pilots, saying they should focus on flying the airplane.
Polls show 75 percent of Americans are in favor of arming
pilots, but some media mouths will say anything to knock guns. ABC News senior
analyst COKIE ROBERTS
was quoted by the Media Research Center as saying, “Having some pilot who’s gone off his nut for some reason running around with a
gun does not make me feel safe.”
Columnist PETER BRONSON retorted, “The media lives in
Cokieland, where pilots are all teetering on the dime’s edge of
lunacy, ready to go tower-shooter berserk if they get near a gun.”
Similar legislation in the Senate is awaiting action.
BATF NOT PART OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY PROPOSAL
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the agency
responsible for tracking the country’s guns and explosives, isn’t included
in the White House plan to create a Cabinet agency for homeland security.
GORDON JOHNDROE,
a spokesman for the White House’s Office of Homeland Security, said, “BATF’s primary role of a law enforcement agency didn’t meet threshold requirements. Their functions
were not considered primarily a homeland security mission.
The BATF will
stay at its current home within the Treasury Department, even though it has participated in high-profile investigations
involving terrorist attacks in recent years.
Two other Treasury units, the Customs Service and the
United States Secret Service, would be moved out of Treasury and folded into the new Homeland Security Department.
Congress may still shift BATF into the new Homeland Security Department, or even to the Justice Department. Such a big proposal could have unexpected results.
The nation’s largest intelligence operations, including
the FBI, CIA and the National Security Agency, would remain separate.
SEN. JOHN McCAIN PLANS
TO FORCE GUN SHOW VOTE
Sen. JOHN McCAIN and
Sen. JOE LIEBERMAN want their gun show bill, S. 890, to go to a vote
as soon as possible, touting it as a way to help control terrorism.
With President BUSH’s Department of Homeland Security bill on the front burner, McCAIN and LIEBERMAN may even be thinking about amending it with their S. 890 -- there’s nothing much
else on the schedule they could attach their bill to.
The Democrats don’t want any gun votes before the election,
given poll results on the Second Amendment
as an individual right and on arming pilots.
According
to MSNBC, the BUSH administration opposes the bill and practically dares the Democrats to make it an issue in the
fall. Most of the key Senate races are in rural states where gun control does not play well.
ARIZONA COURT DEALS BLOW TO GUN
OWNERS
Division Two of the Arizona Court of Appeals has authorized
the City of Tucson to regulate the private transfer of firearms at gun shows on private property, contrary to the state’s preemption statute prohibiting
cities and counties from regulating the sale of firearms. The decision overturns a well-reasoned finding by the
Pima County Superior Court earlier this year that prohibited such local regulation.
CALIFORNIA BULLET TAX PASSES
SENATE COMMITTEE
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee has passed
California State Constitutional Amendment 12, a measure that would levy a five cent tax on every bullet sold in the state.
The measure is unlikely to become law, since a constitutional
amendment must not only pass both houses of the legislature by two-thirds majorities, but must also face a vote
of the people. Even in California, that’s a long shot.
Also on the legislative docket are Senate Bill 682 (introduced
by Sen. DON PERATA (D-09), who also introduced the bullet tax amendment)
and Assembly Bill 496 (PAUL KORETZ, D-24), bills that would strip firearms manufacturers of current protection in state law granting
them limited immunity from being sued. The limited immunity law has been on the books since 1983.
DELAWARE GUN LOCK BILL TABLED
A proposed law requiring gun dealers to include locking
devices in all handgun sales was
recently tabled in Delaware’s state Senate amid criticism that it would do little to increase gun safety.
Sen. GARY SIMPSON (R-Milford) characterized the bill as “feel-good legislation” that would give
people a false sense of security.
KAREN FISCHER of the Million Mom March was disappointed
that senators didn’t vote on the measure.
NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN DROPS “GUN-FREE ZONE” PLAN
The City of Laconia
has decided to abandon the concept of creating a “gun-free zone” during an upcoming celebration called “Bike Week.”
Laconia City Manager EILEEN CABANEL said the decision was made after the city’s attorney, WALTER L. MITCHELL, conducted research
and found that such a zone could be struck down as preemptive of state law.
Police Chief BILL BAKER, who had suggested the ban, said
he received hundreds of calls,
letters and e-mails from those opposed to any restrictions on Second amendment rights during the annual event which draws 350,000 to the state.
He said his hope was that a “gun-free zone” would reduce the risk of violence at this year’s
events, particularly between rival biker organizations who have backed away from a standing truce, and have resorted
to bloodshed across the nation.
NEW MEXICO HIGH COURT UPHOLDS PREEMPTION
The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled that allowing localities to deny state Right To Carry (RTC) permits is
a violation of the state Constitution and the right to keep and bear arms. The ruling overthrew a 2001 law allowing
concealed carry, but permitting cities and counties the option of banning concealed weapons
in their jurisdictions. The high court ruled that only the local option was unconstitutional, but threw out the entire law. State legislators are expected to rewrite the concealed carry law
without the faulty provisions.
Pennsylvania city restricts gun sales
The
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, City Council has approved 6-2 a zoning code amendment outlawing gun sales in retail areas nearest residential neighborhoods. Sporting goods stores may refuse to locate facilities
in the newly restricted areas because they would not be allowed to sell firearms.
CYPRUS COPS ISSUE GUNS
In Nicosia, Cyprus, getting a gun is as simple as going
down to your local police station and being
sworn in as a “special constable.”
But maybe not for long. Attorney-General ALECOS MARKIDES
says it’s an abuse of power that has gone on for decades. “It should stop
being applied and all appointments of special
constable should be revoked.”
Cyprus President GLAFCOS
CLERIDES has made it clear he wants police to curb the practice,
since it gives people ranging from businessmen to pimps not only a police pistol, but also the authority to arrest
and detain others on the pretext that their lives are at risk.
ARMED ISRAELI SHOPKEEPER
KILLS ARAB TERRORIST
An Arab terrorist infiltrated the Israeli community of Shavei Shomron,
throwing grenades and shooting at residents,
including kindergarten children. He ran from the kindergarten and opened fire at several residents and homes before
DAVID ELBAZ, owner of the local mini-market, gave chase and killed
him with gunshots. Officers who responded to the scene found several explosive devices that the terrorist had intended
to detonate during the thwarted attack.
POLAND CRIME RATE SPURS GUN SALES
Applications for firearms licenses in Poland leapt by 40 percent during the past year, according to
government statistics. Observers say the
rise was prompted by soaring crime figures over the whole of Poland. Some 80 percent of Poles have suffered or witnessed
a break-in, pick-pocketing or assault.
At the moment, about 30,000 Poles have a firearms license
and 200,000 can legally carry gas pistols and blank-firing guns. Police believe that another 200,000 people own
firearms illegally.
BRITAIN BLOCKS EXPORT OF BULLETS
TO ISRAEL’S NATIONAL SHOOTING TEAM
Britain’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) refused to grant an export license for 350,000 rounds of .22-caliber sporting ammunition
needed by Israel’s national shooting team, disrupting the squad’s preparations
for the upcoming world shooting championships in Finland.
The DTI wrote in a letter to ammunition maker Eley of Birmingham, “There is a clear risk that the ammunition might be used for internal repression,
external aggression, prolonging the conflict and the risk that the goods might be diverted to an undesirable end
user.”
Israel lodged a protest with the British Embassy, pointing out
that .22-caliber sport shooting bullets are not really combat grade ammunition.
2-PART SMART GUN SYSTEM
DEVELOPED BY BELGIAN ARMS PRODUCER
ROBERT SAUVAGE,
spokesman for FN Herstal, a Belgian firearms company, said recently that his company
has made a prototype of a “smart
gun” that uses an electronic recognition device attached to the owner, which the gun would be able to recognize. He said production could begin in three years. The
cost of such a weapon may be about 20 percent more than conventional guns. FN Herstal said it has received about $20 million from the U.S. Department of Justice to develop the firearm.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT MAKING
UNANNOUNCED HOME SEARCHES FOR ILLEGAL GUNS
Police
in Melbourne, Australia, are conducting “door
knocks” searches for unregistered weapons after the end of the national gun amnesty in March. The amnesty followed the introduction of a repressive licensing regime in the aftermath of a notorious shooting in Port Arthur in 1996. Persons illegally holding firearms can incur fines of up to $24,000 or four years
in prison. “There is no more Mr. Nice Guy,” said police spokesman Senior Constable ROB PUGH. More than 2000 firearms
were surrendered to the government during the amnesty.
HILLARY USED TO BE A HUNTER. YOU BELIEVE THAT, DON’T YOU?
During a Memorial Day campaign swing though upstate New York, Senator HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON announced that she used to be a duck hunter. We’ve heard a
lot of pandering from H, but this story is over the top.
Long Island’s Newsday reported a CLINTON
reception in the tiny village of Fort Ann, N.Y. Resident HOLDEN CLAUS, a
gun owner, asked the Senator why she favored repressive
laws on gun shows. HILLARY replied that it was a logical safety measure to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,
and, just to show these rural voters what a good ol’ country
boy she really was, said she had once hunted.
Newsday said she amplified her remark later, saying, “It was ducks and a long time ago.” The Senator
didn’t expand on what kind of shotgun she used, how many ducks she killed, or any other details of her game fowl
hunting career.
But Carl Limbacher
and the NewsMax.com staff compared this campaign claim to a few others she’s offered over the years:
l She once tried to enlist in the Army but was turned down
because she was too old.
l During her senatorial campaign she magically transformed
into a Jewish New York Yankees fan.
l In 1996 she announced that at the age of 49, she and President
CLINTON were thinking of adopting another child.
l Her parents named her after famed New Zealand mountain
climber Sir Edmund Hilary, even though nobody had heard of him because he didn’t scale Mt. Everest until five years
after she was born.
If she runs for president, maybe she’ll become a vast
right wing conspirator.