Sandy Hook Elementary shooting

While this shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary today in Connecticut is tragic, I'd like to stress something again. IT WAS A GUN FREE ZONE. Oh look a tango went into a school, a gun free zone, with allegedly two firearms and attacked children. You anti-gun nuts, this is not an excuse to take firearms away, this is an excuse to relax laws so that firearms can be carried by staff in schools to protect students, carried by parents (I'm seeing reports of at least one parent killed at the school) so they can protect themselves and their children etc. Thank you.

Portland Shooting

My commentary on this is a few days late, however I wanted to point out that in the Portland, Oregon mall shooting, again was a gun free zone... and guess what, a bad guy brought a firearm into this idiotic gun free zone and opened up... had law-abiding citizens been allowed by the mall to carry personal protection in the form of a firearm then there is a chance this could have stopped sooner. BANNING FIREARMS IN A PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT, BUSINESS, SCHOOL, HOSPITAL, RELIGIOUS CENTER etc... does NOT stop gun violence. CRIMINALS DON'T CARE ABOUT LAWS BY THEIR NATURE, NOR DO THEY CARE ABOUT YOUR SIGNAGE!

 

First, I urge everyone to go to http://www.gunfacts.info/ before believing any anti-firearm propaganda.

Second, I'd like to recommend the following books to both firearm owners and those that may have questions or concerns about firearms. Please I urge you to educate yourself before joining the anti-gun movement.

 

And if this makes you want to start carrying to protect yourself and your family, I urge you to seek proper training in your area as well as reading the book  Gun Laws By State - Reciprocity and Gun Laws Quick Reference Guide - 2014 Edition

Empire State Building Shooting

Two people were killed and at least eight wounded in a shooting outside New York City's Empire State Building on Friday, creating chaos and shocking tourists and commuters who witnessed the bloody scene outside the tourist attraction.

But it's not what it seems... guy shot former co worker and killed them, police returned fire killed him and injured 8 bystanders. The police did more damage than the active shooter.

A 53-year-old fashion accessories designer, disgruntled over being fired a year ago, shot and killed a 41-year-old former co-worker three times with a .45 caliber handgun on a sidewalk near the landmark building, officials said.

Police returned fire, killing the shooter and wounding several bystanders, all of whom were expected to survive, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a news conference.

Guy shot former co worker and killed them, police returned fire killed him and injured 8 bystanders. The police did more damage than the active shooter.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/24/us-usa-shooting-empirestate-idUSBRE87N0M220120824

 

I want to see how gun control handles this. This proves that firearms aren't dangerous, that only the people holding them are. I still support the right to bear arms 100% and I personally believe every household should have at least one firearm and one person confident and trained in it's use.

 

Mexican Drug Cartel Used "Fast and Furious" Gun in Failed Assassination Plot

Just when you think the news about the disastrous "Fast and Furious" gun-walking operation can't possibly get any worse, a U.S. government report has disclosed that Mexican drug cartel operatives used a firearm from the infamous scheme in a failed attempt to assassinate a high-ranking Mexican law enforcement official. 

According to a recent Daily Caller article, the gun "was seized in Tijuana in connection with a drug cartel's conspiracy to kill the police chief of Tijuana, Baja California, who later became the Juárez police chief."

An August 6, El Paso Times article gives further details:

The firearm was found Feb. 25, 2010, during an arrest of a criminal cell associated with Teodoro "El Teo" García Simental and Raydel "El Muletas" López Uriarte, allies of the Sinaloa cartel.

Tijuana police said they arrested four suspects in March 2010 in connection with a failed attempt to take out Julián Leyzaola, and that the suspects allegedly confessed to conspiring to assassinate the police chief on orders from Tijuana cartel leaders.

The firearm in question was traced back to the "Fast and Furious" operation.

Late last month, U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), and Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released a nearly 2,400-page report--"Fast and Furious: The Anatomy of a Failed Operation"--based on interviews from hearings and reviews of thousands of pages of documents.

The Daily Caller article also notes that, in addition to this latest revelation, the congressional report also revealed new evidence that Obama administration BATFE officials sought to cover up the "Fast and Furious" connection to a death other than that of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.

The article reports that Mario Gonzalez, the brother of then-Mexican prosecutor Patricia Gonzalez, was killed in early November 2010.  And according to the congressional report, two of the firearms found at Mario Gonzalez's murder scene were tied to "Fast and Furious."

Governor Mitch Daniels Signs Into Law Charity Gaming Bill Benefitting Friends of NRA Banquets

Please Thank Governor Daniels for Supporting this Important Legislation

Today, Governor Mitch Daniels signed into law legislation that clarifies and simplifies the licensing and reporting process for charity gaming events, including “Friends of NRA” banquets.  Senate Bill 315 passed in the Senate unanimously and passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming, 76-19 vote.

This legislation, authored by state Senator Randy Head (R-18) and sponsored by state Representative Mark Messmer (R-63), will streamline the licensing and reporting process for charity gaming events, such as “Friends of NRA” banquets, by:

  1. Establishing one comprehensive charity gaming license for national organizations and foundations for use by their local affiliates;
  2. Removing the current six-to-nine week application process and requiring in its place a 21-day notification to the Indiana Gaming Commission prior to an event; and
  3. Allowing qualified organizations and foundations to "police their own" by removing requirements to turn over volunteers' personal information to the Indiana Gaming Commission.

These policy changes will greatly improve the ability of “Friends of NRA” committees to comply with Indiana charitable gaming laws in a timely and less cumbersome fashion, while protecting the personal information of “Friends of NRA” volunteers.

As many NRA members well know, “Friends of NRA” banquets play a critical role in raising grant money to support education, safety, and training programs in communities across the Hoosier State, such as the Boy Scouts, 4H clubs, and local law enforcement groups. Unfortunately, some “Friends of NRA” chapters had difficulties holding banquets in 2011, which resulted in a net loss of approximately $100,000 in money that cannot be used for these Indiana groups.

The NRA appreciates Governor Mitch Daniels’ support of SB 315.  Please contact the Governor to thank him for signing SB 315 into law. You can e-mail the governor by clicking here.

Indiana: NRA-Backed Pro-Hunting Legislation Dies

Last week, the NRA-backed legislation legalizing the use of suppressors for hunting was amended into another bill, due to a missed deadline by the House Public Policy Committee.  Senate Bill 243, previously reported here, was unable to survive last week’s committee report deadline and is now considered a dead bill.

The “hunting with suppressors” language was then resurrected, thanks to the efforts of state Representative Sean Eberhart (R-57) and state Senators Ryan Mishler (R-9) and Travis Holdman (R-19).  These legislators worked together to add the language from SB 243 to Representative Eberhart’s Natural Resources Omnibus bill, House Bill 1279.  Yesterday, the Senate voted 49 to 0 to pass HB 1279 with the “hunting with suppressors” language included.  It was then sent back to the state House for a concurrence vote in conference committee.

However, due to new rules adopted by the House of Representatives for this legislative session, if a bill does not get a hearing in a House committee, it cannot be accepted into another House bill. Unfortunately, this means that the pro-hunting language from SB 243 will be removed from HB 1279 in conference committee, and will not be allowed to move forward this session.

The National Rifle Association appreciates the efforts by state Representative Sean Eberhart and state Senators Ryan Mishler and Travis Holdman to keep the suppressor language alive.

 

Your NRA will continue to work on behalf of our members to ensure that hunting is treated the same way as other shooting activities with respect to the use of suppressors, and allow hunters to reap the many benefits suppressor use provides.

For more information on the benefits of using suppressors, please click here.

Indiana: Senate Votes Unanimously to Pass Charity Gaming Legislation Crucial to Friends of NRA Events!

Yesterday, the Indiana Senate voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 315, authored by state Senator Randy Head (R-18).  Following the vote, this bill was sent to the state House.  SB 315 will streamline the licensing and reporting process for charity gaming events, such as Friends of NRA banquets, by:

1.  Establishing one comprehensive charity gaming license for national organizations and foundations for use by their local affiliates;

2.  Removing the current six to nine week application process and requiring in its place a 21-day notification to the Indiana Gaming Commission prior to an event; and

3.  Allowing qualified organizations and foundations to "police their own" by removing requirements to turn over volunteers' personal information to the Indiana Gaming Commission.

These policy changes would greatly improve the ability of Friends of NRA committees to comply with Indiana charitable gaming laws in a timely and less cumbersome fashion, while protecting the personal information of Friends of NRA volunteers.

As many NRA members well know, Friends of NRA banquets play a critical role in raising grant money to support education, safety, and training programs in communities across the Hoosier State, such as the Boy Scouts, 4H clubs, and local law enforcement groups. Unfortunately, some Friends of NRA chapters had difficulties holding banquets in 2011, which resulted in a net loss of approximately $100,000 in money that cannot be used for these Indiana groups.

Your NRA will keep you updated on the status of SB 315 as it moves through the House.

Please remember to send a note of thanks to Senator Randy Head for authoring this important bill, and to thank your senator for his or her support!

To contact Senator Randy Head, please click here.

 

Contact information for your senator can be found by clicking here.

Silencers for hunting one step closer in Indiana

Indiana: NRA-Backed Pro-Hunting Legislation Passes Committee and Goes to the Senate Floor!

Please Contact Your State Senator Today!

 

Today, NRA-backed Senate Bill 243 passed in the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 7 to 1 vote!  This bill will now head to the full Senate for a floor vote.  SB 243, authored by state Senators Ron Grooms (R-46), Travis Holdman (R-19) and John Waterman (R-39), would allow Hoosiers to use lawfully-possessed suppressors (also referred to as silencers) on firearms for hunting.  Currently, Indiana law permits use of suppressors for all shooting activities except for the taking of game. Enactment of SB 243 would ensure that hunting is treated the same way as other shooting activities with respect to the use of suppressors, and allow hunters to reap the many benefits suppressor use provides.

In order to acquire a suppressor, a purchaser must submit the appropriate paperwork to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives where long wait times for approval are unfortunately common (4-6 months), undergo a background check by the FBI, find a licensed dealer authorized to conduct the transaction and pay a one-time $200 tax for each device. While suppressors do not eliminate the sound of a firearm, they do reduce the muzzle report in a manner similar to the way that a muffler reduces exhaust noise from a vehicle.  The benefits associated with suppressor use include increased accuracy due to reduced recoil and muzzle blast, protection from hearing damage and reduced noise pollution. 

Noise complaints are being used more frequently as an excuse to close shooting ranges, informal shooting areas, and hunting lands throughout the country.  Increased use of suppressors will help to eliminate many of these complaints and protect hunting and shooting areas well into the future.  For more information on firearms and suppressors, click here.

Please call AND e-mail your state Senator and respectfully urge him or her to support SB 243!  To reach the senators by phone, please call (317) 232-9400.  Senate contact information can be found here.