Tennessee House Votes To Repeal Firearms Ban In Public Facilities: In a surprise move, a House panel voted Wednesday to repeal a state law that forbids the carrying of handguns on property and buildings owned by state, county and city governments - including parks and playgrounds. "I think the recent Virginia disaster - or catastrophe or nightmare or whatever you want to call it - has woken up a lot of people to the need for having guns available to law-abiding citizens," said Rep. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains. "I hope that is what this vote reflects." As amended, the legislation still wouldn't allow guns on school property, however. http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/article/0%2C1406%2CKNS_348_5492294%2C00.html --- Kennesaw GA vs. Morton Grove IL: In March 1982, 25 years ago, the small town of Kennesaw - responding to a handgun ban in Morton Grove, Ill. - unanimously passed an ordinance requiring each head of household to own and maintain a gun. Since then, despite dire predictions of "Wild West" showdowns and increased violence and accidents, not a single resident has been involved in a fatal shooting - as a victim, attacker or defender... http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55288 --- Illinois Rejects Guns For Judges, Prosecutors: A majority of Illinois House members voted Wednesday to allow judges and prosecutors to carry guns but the measure failed. The proposal, sponsored by Murphysboro Republican Rep. Mike Bost, got 61 "yes" votes, with 51 against. But Democrats, who control the chamber, ruled before the vote that the bill needed a three-fifths majority in favor, or 71 votes, because it would have overruled local communities' gun-control laws. (I find it hard to shed many tears over an effort to increase elitism in a state that won't even allow its own retired cops to carry firearms.) http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_109090709.html --- Only In America?: In response to the horrible mass shooting at Virginia Tech on Monday, overseas leaders as well as many Americans have condemned the "gun culture" of the United States. Perhaps these overseas leaders and American citizens would be less hard on our country if we discuss what has been happening in other countries... (You will need to look for this specific article, dated April 20, 2007, on the linked page) http://techcentralstation.com/ --- John Lott Speaks To Australia: "...Within hours of the Virginia attack, publications such as The New York Times and leaders of gun-control groups were calling for more gun-control regulation. But perhaps it is time for a different approach. After all, following the Luby's massacre, Texas and many other states began allowing their citizens to carry concealed hand guns...Virginia Tech has rigorously enforced its gun-free zone policy and suspended students with concealed hand-gun permits who have tried to bring hand guns on to school property. But whether it is the three-year prison terms that can await those who take guns on to property of K-12 schools in most states, or the suspensions and expulsions at universities, these penalties are completely meaningless for someone intent on killing..." http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21580530-7583,00.html --- "Gun Control" Isn't The Answer: ...If we want to guess by how much the U.S. murder rate would fall if civilians had no guns, we should begin by realizing - as criminologists Franklin Zimring and Gordon Hawkins have shown - that the non-gun homicide rate in this country is three times higher than the non-gun homicide rate in England. For historical and cultural reasons, Americans are a more violent people than the English, even when they can't use a gun. This fact sets a floor below which the murder rate won't be reduced even if, by some constitutional or political miracle, we became gun-free... http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-wilson20apr20,0,4514008.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail --- An Israeli Solution For US Campuses?: American universities and colleges should consider using students, faculty and staff who have security backgrounds to provide a "first line of defense" for their campuses in the event of a terror attacks or other emergencies, a counter-terrorism expert in Jerusalem said. (Note that Israel has become increasingly restrictive over the RKBA in the last couple of decades.) http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200704/INT20070420b.html --- Disparity Cited Between Virginia And Federal Mental-Health Rules: An employee of Roanoke Firearms, where Seung-Hui Cho purchased his weapon, told ABC news that Cho "answered no" to the question regarding his mental history. Under state law he told the truth, but under federal law he lied. (I would expect eventual federal legislation, tied to receipt of federal funds by the states, requiring uniform state database standards.) http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/04/a_danger_to_him.html http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/4/19/214808.shtml?s=lh FBI Statement: http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/nics041907.htm --- Experts Shy From Instant Diagnoses Of Gunman's Mental Illness: While it's not likely that we will see any debates over legislation to outlaw mental illness, article offers a glimpse into some of the terminology. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/us/20psych.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin --- Michael Reagan Finally Gets It Right: "...Had just one student or faculty member on the Virginia Tech campus under assault by the killer been armed last Monday, the death toll would have been much lower..." (I had a very frustrating on-air conversation with Mike in which I argued in favor of authorizing armed teachers in lower-grade schools. The gist of his argument was that he doesn't feel that his daughter, currently a student-teacher, should need to carry a gun to work.) http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20349 --- Q. How Can You Tell When A Politician Is Lying?: Republican presidential candidate John McCain declared Wednesday he believes in "no gun control," making the strongest affirmation of support for gun rights in the GOP field since the Virginia Tech massacre...GOP rival Rudy Giuliani, too, voiced his support for the Second Amendment on Wednesday, but not in such absolute terms. Once an advocate of strong federal gun controls, the former New York mayor said "this tragedy does not alter the Second Amendment" while indicating he favors the right of states to pass their own restrictions. (A. When his lips are moving.) http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/4/19/72253.shtml?s=us --- What About Fred Thompson?: "...Whenever I've seen one of those "Gun-free Zone" signs, especially outside of a school filled with our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, I've always wondered exactly who these signs are directed at. Obviously, they don't mean much to the sort of man who murdered 32 people just a few days ago." http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OTIwYzMyZmQ1YzQ1MDNmZTMyYzQ1Y2U3YTU4YzNmNGE= --- And What About Bill O'Reilly?: JPFO points out that "conservative" commentator Bill O'Reilly took to the airwaves the following day to claim that Virginia's gun laws are not strict enough. O'Reilly urged that a 7-day waiting period is necessary, that the instant background check is not enough. http://www.jpfo.org/alert20070418.htm --- Well Summarized: The Patriot Post offers a very well reasoned response to the Cho incident. (Free subscription is available by clicking the tab in the column on the left.) http://archive.patriotpost.us/pub/07-16_Digest/ --- Watch Out For the Smokescreen: Report from Washington DC suggests that despite Democratic verbiage that more restrictions on the RKBA are not the correct response to the Cho incident, two such bills are gaining momentum in the House. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) has urged House leadership to take up her bill upgrading the national criminal-background database that gun dealers use to check on buyers' records... http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dems-ponder-bills-on-guns-and-abortion-2007-04-19.html --- A Refreshing Opinion From NYC: Here's a woman who understands that a gun in the home is a better defense against criminals than feel-good laws and court orders. http://www.nysun.com/article/52897 --- Oops, Wrong Apartment: A six-foot, 308-pound Virginia man was fatally shot after he persisted in trying to break into an apartment, after being warned by one of the residents. The shooter will not face criminal charges. http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=123226&ran=60183 --- Sharps Rifles Stolen Following NRA Convention: A Montana rifle manufacturer returning from the National Rifle Association's annual convention in St. Louis reported that his truck and rifles were stolen from a Kansas City, Kan., hotel...The thief or thieves took the company's burgundy 2006 Ford F-350 with Montana license plates along with 13 1874 Sharps rifles valued at $70,000 and a handgun, according to a police report...In a posting on the company's Web site, the company asked people who placed orders at the show and provided credit cards or checks for a deposit to contact the company. The company advised customers to cancel their credit card numbers as soon as possible. http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/75922.html --- Useful Product?: I recently received samples of Gun Butter, a premium liquid lubricant for firearms. While I have not yet had the opportunity to try it on a firearm, on the advice of Teddy Jacobson, I tried it on the pivot of a Benchmade Axis knife that had had its screws tightened when it was returned to Benchmade for sharpening; the stuff allowed the blade to swing freely again. Teddy recommends using a drop of the contact points in pistol actions. (To paraphrase an old commercial, "a little drop 'll do ya.") http://www.gunbutter.com/ --- From The Firearms Coalition: The Tennessee State House saw the critical lesson of the Virginia Tech tragedy and took immediate action. Let's hope the State Senate follows suite and the Governor will quickly sign this into law. Here is the summary from the Nashville News Sentinel: TN Moves to Allow Guns in Public Buildings By News Sentinel staff April 18, 2007 NASHVILLE -- In a surprise move, a House panel voted today to repeal a state law that forbids the carrying of handguns on property and buildings owned by state, county and city governments -- including parks and playgrounds. "I think the recent Virginia disaster -- or catastrophe or nightmare or whatever you want to call it -- has woken up a lot of people to the need for having guns available to law-abiding citizens," said Rep. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains. "I hope that is what this vote reflects." *************************** A vote like this and comments like those of Rep. Nicely, give hope that not all politicians are blind to reality. Are there similar restrictions in your state that need repealing? Even if your legislature is out of session or beyond the "bill introduction" phase of their session, let your state representatives know that you want these useless restrictions - which do nothing but create safe-zones in which criminals can act with impunity - to be repealed immediately, before the copycats get started in earnest. Remind them that a gun is like a seatbelt. We don't wear seatbelts in hopes of getting into a car wreck or in paranoid fear of an accident. Nor are hopes or paranoia why we carry guns. Both are worn 'just in case' and if all goes well, neither will never be used. Laws that force us to unbuckle our seatbelts need to be repealed. ******************** I just got back from the NRA Convention in St. Louis. It was a good trip and very productive. Thanks to all of you who made it a point to come up and say hello. I spoke with many people about the chances of the Parker case going to the Supreme Court and I am excited about it's prospects. Close court watchers confirmed my belief that Parker is not only likely to be heard by the SCOTUS, but that it is likely to generate a decision favorable to the Second Amendment. I have long held that we have more to gain than to lose with this case and it is reassuring to have my beliefs reinforced by knowledgeable people whom I respect. I am fairly confident that NRA is not going to interfere with the case - though I would still like to see them change the language of their DC gun bill so it would not destroy the Parker case. ******* Chris Cox assured me that NRA's position on gun shows is back to a clear, principled stance and that candidate surveys in future will reflect that. (They had expressed a position of accepting "instant checks" on transactions between non-dealers as long as the process wasn't to cumbersome.) He also promised to look into the NFA language in the surveys and remove any that is not accurate. I'm hoping to have a written statement from him soon. ******** If you did not receive a copy of our Hard Corps Report in the mail this past week, you're not a subscriber. Give us your name and address and we'll send out a complimentary copy for you to review, or just go to our web site and make an on-line contribution and subscription request. Speaking of contributions and the NRA Convention, traveling is expensive and it's looking like I'm going to need to be doing more and more of it as the presidential elections get closer. I can't do that without your help. If you find our occasional e-mails useful, please consider subscribing to the Hard Corpse Report - hard copy or electronic - or making a donation today. We depend on you to help keep us in the fight and every little bit helps. Contributions can be made through our web site at www.FirearmsCoalition.org or via snail-mail at: The Firearms Coalition PO Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 Every day we're following the news, talking with politicians and civic leaders, communicating with grassroots groups around the nation, and keeping you informed to critical events. We don't send out alerts for news you've already heard elsewhere or just to ask for money, and we offer a perspective that you're not likely to find from other sources. Thanks for your support. Please share this with others to help spread the word. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition Neal Knox Associates --- Apologies...: I apologize to those who have sent me links and comments over the past few days and to whom I have not responded or whose material I have not shared. There has obviously been a large amount of material in the media since the Cho incident at Virginia Tech and I have been struggling to sort out the most worthwhile to share. Unfortunately, I still have a day job and this is the first day I have had off work since Sunday. -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info .