In this issue:
1. Annapolis home invasion
2. More college students as victims
3. The presidential candidate double-speak
4. Criminals for gun control
5. Armed citizens network
6. Being a farmer
1. Annapolis home invasion
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/09_23-36/TOP
"The burglar probably didn't expect the Hillsmere residents to be awake at 3:30 a.m. yesterday.
But when he broke into the home on Cedar Lane, he was in for a surprise. The two elderly sisters who lived there, ages 80 and 89, fought him off, hitting him in the head with a metal stick."
"Although there were no issues with this incident, we would prefer an individual immediately contact the police if they're able to in a similar situation," said Sgt. John Gilmer, a county police spokesman. "Fortunately no one was injured."
Fortunately for these two sisters, the attacker did not show much resolve in his efforts to rob them. Kudos to Theresa Octavec for refusing to allow this coward to follow through on his crime unchallenged. The telling part of this article is the statement from Sgt. Gilmer that the appropriate course of action is to simply call the police. Yes, Sgt. Gilmer it IS fortunate that in this case that no one was injured. However, that is oftentimes not the case. We respect the dedication and professionalism of our law enforcement officers and thank you for your work. The reality is that when seconds count, the police are only a few minutes away.
What would have happened if the two sisters, being robbed in their home, had shot and killed the robber? In a justice system that can only be described as Bizarro Land, they could be subject to civil litigation that could leave them broke if the family of the robber decided to sue. Currently, the state of Maryland has a so-called Castle Doctrine law that protects a homeowner from criminal prosecution if they defend themselves in their homes. However, there is no such protection from civil action.
Delegate William Frank (R), District 42 (Baltimore County) and 38 cosponsors introduced HB1060 during the 2008 General Assembly session and it was subsequently passed 136-0. That's right, a pro-self-defense bill passed the House of Delegates unanimously. Unfortunately, the bill never had the opportunity to be heard in the Senate as it was given a "desk drawer veto" by Senator Brian Frosh (D), District 16 (Montgomery County), Chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee. Senator Frosh allowed his personal anti-gun ideology to trump the unanimous will of the House of Delegates and deny your duly elected representatives in the Senate the opportunity to debate and vote on the bill. This is the same Brian Frosh who thinks that you and I are nuts for wanting to legally exercise our rights enumerated under The Constitution.
2. More college students as victims
http://www.nbc4.com/news/17555467/detail.html
Three men have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery that took place Thursday morning inside an apartment on the University of Maryland's campus.
This incident further echoes our position that college students are a population ripe for the picking by criminals who know that university campuses are victim rich environments. This is particularly true here in Maryland as everyone has been put into the position of being defenseless. Sadly though, it is not an incident that is unique to the University of Maryland.
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus is working to provide for the safety of students on campus in those states where permits to carry a firearm are issued.
3. The presidential candidate double-speak
Press release from CCRKBA
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden was trying to convince rural Virginians the other day that he's a devoted gun owner who will not allow presidential nominee Barack Obama to "fool with my Beretta."
"Senator Biden must think America's gun owners are dumber than rocks," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. "Here is a man who has supported every restrictive gun control and gun ban law that ever landed on his desk, suddenly telling Virginia residents that he's a gun owner, and very pro-gun."
Dumber than rocks indeed. The presidential candidate has carefully used words like "hunting rifles", "sporting arms" and "sportsmen" to continue the laughable charade that he is not anti-gun and will not seek to ban entire classes of firearms. Out of one side of his mouth he says:
“If you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it,’’ Obama said. But the Illinois senator could still see skeptics in the crowd, particularly on the faces of several men at the back of the room.
So he tried again. “Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’ he said. “This can’t be the reason not to vote for me.
...meaning that, for now, he would recognize your right to possess a firearm in your home and that "sporting purposes" would be allowed, but forget transporting the firearm to the range or being able to have a concealed carry permit.
Out of the other side of his mouth he says:
Address Gun Violence in Cities: As president, Barack Obama would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals who shouldn't have them. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, as such weapons belong on foreign battlefields and not on our streets.
Make no mistake about it, Barack Obama is a grave threat to the 2nd amendment regardless of his double speak and splitting hairs on the sporting arms talking point. Let us not forget the language of the bills we faced in the Maryland General Assembly that used this same sort of language in order to drive a wedge between the "brown rifle" and "black rifle" crowds. Once you got past the Brady Campaign buzzwords, it became clear that they were leaving the language broad enough that they could ban the ammunition for just about any firearm in existence.
More on Obama's double speak (emphasis is ours):
Obama has been criticized for previously supporting a total ban on handguns, but refusing to make a firm stand about the Supreme Court's ruling declaring the D.C. gun ban unconstitutional. He faced a similar firestorm of criticisms in April, when he received the endorsement of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA). Sen. HillaryClinton (D-NY) and the Republican National Committee (RNC) pointed toa 1996 questionnaire submitted by Obama as a candidate for the state legislature wherein he indicated his support for a ban on handguns.
4. Criminals for gun control
Good parodies with a lot of poignant truths mixed in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L3kMuN8sjk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krq34URvk6s
5. Armed citizens network
FYI. Given the lack of protection from civil litigation in a self-defense shooting, this might be a worthwhile organization to investigate.
Do You Worry About the Aftermath of a Self-Defense Shooting?
Many others share your concerns. Like-minded armed citizens all across the nation are joining together as members of the newly-formed Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC (the Network), to protect their legal rights if ever they are compelled to use deadly force in self-defense.
6. Being a farmer
Anyone who has lived in an agricultural community can tell you that the quality of a farmer's crop is oftentimes determined by how much work and planning is done when the fields are bare. Whether it is planting cover crops, repairing equipment or working the soil with fertilizer, a smart farmer sees the correlation between the amount of work done in the off season and the results of the next year's crops.
We propose that 2nd amendment activists would be well-advised to take that philosophy to heart. There is great value in supporting pro-2nd amendment legislation and attacking anti-gun legislation as they occur during the General Assembly session. There is even greater value on laying the ground work now for the 2009 session.
Call or write your delegates and senator and tell them where you stand on the 2nd amendment. Demand that they join the 35+ other states in the U.S. that recognize the fundamental right to self-defense. Remind them of the ineffectiveness and inherent immorality of gun bans and prohibitions. Hold them accountable for their actions on votes important to our issues.
You can find your state delegates and senators by going to the General Assembly home page.
1. Annapolis home invasion
2. More college students as victims
3. The presidential candidate double-speak
4. Criminals for gun control
5. Armed citizens network
6. Being a farmer
1. Annapolis home invasion
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/09_23-36/TOP
"The burglar probably didn't expect the Hillsmere residents to be awake at 3:30 a.m. yesterday.
But when he broke into the home on Cedar Lane, he was in for a surprise. The two elderly sisters who lived there, ages 80 and 89, fought him off, hitting him in the head with a metal stick."
"Although there were no issues with this incident, we would prefer an individual immediately contact the police if they're able to in a similar situation," said Sgt. John Gilmer, a county police spokesman. "Fortunately no one was injured."
Fortunately for these two sisters, the attacker did not show much resolve in his efforts to rob them. Kudos to Theresa Octavec for refusing to allow this coward to follow through on his crime unchallenged. The telling part of this article is the statement from Sgt. Gilmer that the appropriate course of action is to simply call the police. Yes, Sgt. Gilmer it IS fortunate that in this case that no one was injured. However, that is oftentimes not the case. We respect the dedication and professionalism of our law enforcement officers and thank you for your work. The reality is that when seconds count, the police are only a few minutes away.
What would have happened if the two sisters, being robbed in their home, had shot and killed the robber? In a justice system that can only be described as Bizarro Land, they could be subject to civil litigation that could leave them broke if the family of the robber decided to sue. Currently, the state of Maryland has a so-called Castle Doctrine law that protects a homeowner from criminal prosecution if they defend themselves in their homes. However, there is no such protection from civil action.
Delegate William Frank (R), District 42 (Baltimore County) and 38 cosponsors introduced HB1060 during the 2008 General Assembly session and it was subsequently passed 136-0. That's right, a pro-self-defense bill passed the House of Delegates unanimously. Unfortunately, the bill never had the opportunity to be heard in the Senate as it was given a "desk drawer veto" by Senator Brian Frosh (D), District 16 (Montgomery County), Chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee. Senator Frosh allowed his personal anti-gun ideology to trump the unanimous will of the House of Delegates and deny your duly elected representatives in the Senate the opportunity to debate and vote on the bill. This is the same Brian Frosh who thinks that you and I are nuts for wanting to legally exercise our rights enumerated under The Constitution.
2. More college students as victims
http://www.nbc4.com/news/17555467/detail.html
Three men have been arrested in connection with an armed robbery that took place Thursday morning inside an apartment on the University of Maryland's campus.
This incident further echoes our position that college students are a population ripe for the picking by criminals who know that university campuses are victim rich environments. This is particularly true here in Maryland as everyone has been put into the position of being defenseless. Sadly though, it is not an incident that is unique to the University of Maryland.
Students for Concealed Carry on Campus is working to provide for the safety of students on campus in those states where permits to carry a firearm are issued.
3. The presidential candidate double-speak
Press release from CCRKBA
Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden was trying to convince rural Virginians the other day that he's a devoted gun owner who will not allow presidential nominee Barack Obama to "fool with my Beretta."
"Senator Biden must think America's gun owners are dumber than rocks," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. "Here is a man who has supported every restrictive gun control and gun ban law that ever landed on his desk, suddenly telling Virginia residents that he's a gun owner, and very pro-gun."
Dumber than rocks indeed. The presidential candidate has carefully used words like "hunting rifles", "sporting arms" and "sportsmen" to continue the laughable charade that he is not anti-gun and will not seek to ban entire classes of firearms. Out of one side of his mouth he says:
“If you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it,’’ Obama said. But the Illinois senator could still see skeptics in the crowd, particularly on the faces of several men at the back of the room.
So he tried again. “Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’ he said. “This can’t be the reason not to vote for me.
...meaning that, for now, he would recognize your right to possess a firearm in your home and that "sporting purposes" would be allowed, but forget transporting the firearm to the range or being able to have a concealed carry permit.
Out of the other side of his mouth he says:
Address Gun Violence in Cities: As president, Barack Obama would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals who shouldn't have them. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, as such weapons belong on foreign battlefields and not on our streets.
Make no mistake about it, Barack Obama is a grave threat to the 2nd amendment regardless of his double speak and splitting hairs on the sporting arms talking point. Let us not forget the language of the bills we faced in the Maryland General Assembly that used this same sort of language in order to drive a wedge between the "brown rifle" and "black rifle" crowds. Once you got past the Brady Campaign buzzwords, it became clear that they were leaving the language broad enough that they could ban the ammunition for just about any firearm in existence.
More on Obama's double speak (emphasis is ours):
Obama has been criticized for previously supporting a total ban on handguns, but refusing to make a firm stand about the Supreme Court's ruling declaring the D.C. gun ban unconstitutional. He faced a similar firestorm of criticisms in April, when he received the endorsement of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA). Sen. HillaryClinton (D-NY) and the Republican National Committee (RNC) pointed toa 1996 questionnaire submitted by Obama as a candidate for the state legislature wherein he indicated his support for a ban on handguns.
4. Criminals for gun control
Good parodies with a lot of poignant truths mixed in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L3kMuN8sjk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krq34URvk6s
5. Armed citizens network
FYI. Given the lack of protection from civil litigation in a self-defense shooting, this might be a worthwhile organization to investigate.
Do You Worry About the Aftermath of a Self-Defense Shooting?
Many others share your concerns. Like-minded armed citizens all across the nation are joining together as members of the newly-formed Armed Citizens’ Legal Defense Network, LLC (the Network), to protect their legal rights if ever they are compelled to use deadly force in self-defense.
6. Being a farmer
Anyone who has lived in an agricultural community can tell you that the quality of a farmer's crop is oftentimes determined by how much work and planning is done when the fields are bare. Whether it is planting cover crops, repairing equipment or working the soil with fertilizer, a smart farmer sees the correlation between the amount of work done in the off season and the results of the next year's crops.
We propose that 2nd amendment activists would be well-advised to take that philosophy to heart. There is great value in supporting pro-2nd amendment legislation and attacking anti-gun legislation as they occur during the General Assembly session. There is even greater value on laying the ground work now for the 2009 session.
Call or write your delegates and senator and tell them where you stand on the 2nd amendment. Demand that they join the 35+ other states in the U.S. that recognize the fundamental right to self-defense. Remind them of the ineffectiveness and inherent immorality of gun bans and prohibitions. Hold them accountable for their actions on votes important to our issues.
You can find your state delegates and senators by going to the General Assembly home page.
Maryland Shall Issue
