CULTURE & POLICY (from "The Patriot Post")

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CULTURE & POLICY
Around the Nation: Guns, Crime and Prison Population
According to new data released by the FBI, violent crime in America continued its downward trend in 2008, proving once again that criminals -- not more guns -- are the problem. While murder, manslaughter and rape have all been on the decline since an all-time high in the early '90s, killings dropped 3.9 percent between 2007 and 2008 alone, even with millions of guns purchased during that time -- especially those scary "assault rifles" that give liberals such heartburn. "These are rates we haven't seen since the 1960's, even though the change from year to year has been rather small," said Alfred Blumstein, a criminal justice professor at Carnegie-Mellon University.

Of course, despite the drop in crime (or the fact that none of these crimes even require a gun), liberals continue to push for stricter gun control laws in the interests of our "safety," and the Leftmedia (expectantly) points out that crime usually rises during recessions and that the bulk of this data was gathered before the height of the economic crisis.

While government is trying to deprive us of our Second Amendment rights, courts are advancing the rights of criminals. When presented with a class-action suit brought by California inmates, a three-judge district court panel found that prison overcrowding is robbing them of their constitutional rights and decided to free 46,000 criminals in order to make incarceration more comfortable. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay on the ruling, arguing that the safety of Californians would be at risk if the prisoners are released, but the Supremes refused.

So, if the Left has its way, we should all turn in our firearms and pray that Big Brother will protect us from the thousands of newly released criminals prowling the streets. Another attempt to pay lip service to the Constitution while trampling it.

Action Pistol IDPA September 12 Results

Results are posted HERE for all to see!

1,000,000+ Guns Added to American Homes in August

Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,074,757 checks in August 2009, a 12.3 percent increase from the 956,872 reported in August 2008.

So far that is roughly 9,076,205 guns bought this year! The total is probably more as, NICS background checks may cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time.

Full Article HERE

Thanks Gene

Who Needs a Gun in the Forest?

A confrontation with a bear had a happy ending for a man in Alaska but one with a violent criminal had a tragic ending for two Virginia Tech students.

Greg Brush of Alaska used his .454 Casull to stop an angry 900-pound bear from ripping him to shreds.

Fortunately, Brush put a couple well-placed rounds in the right places to stop the bear from tearing him to pieces.

Guns do in fact save lives. That is why police carry them and why law-abiding Virginians should not be disarmed in criminal safe zones.

Of course, Sarah Brady doesn’t want you to have the ability to protect yourself in the wild. According to her and the rest of the gun control lobby, you surrender your right to life when you enter a National Park or other “gun-free” zones.

She’s probably crying at a memorial service for the bear.

FULL ARTICLE HERE

Thanks Gene for the TIP!!

August 29, 2009 Rifle Sportsman's Club 3-Gun Match Scores

Scores Here!!!

The hunt is on for more ammunition U.S. Supply can't keep up with demand, a trend that began after election

A NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER (From the review journal dot com)

The scarcity of ammunition is part of a trend that began immediately after the presidential election, retailers say.

Gun enthusiasts, concerned with perceptions that Barack Obama and a Democrat-controlled Congress would increase gun control measures, began buying firearms and ammunition at an astounding rate.

According to the Department of the Treasury's most recent Firearms and Ammunitions Excise Tax Collection Report, firearm and ammunition manufacturers paid $109.8 million in excise taxes in the first quarter of 2009, up 43 percent from the same quarter in 2008.

All manufacturers are required to pay a 10 or 11 percent excise tax on firearms and ammunition produced, which makes the tax one of the most reliable ways to track firearm and ammunition sales in the United States, Novin said.

A second key indicator is the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS Checks.

In November, NICS checks were up 41.6 percent versus November 2008, and have been up month-to-month since the election, indicating that firearm sales are still booming.

"Those numbers are beyond outrageous when you consider the recession," Novin said.

A TEMPORARY PROBLEM

Although demand is extraordinarily high, and manufacturers are running at full capacity, more plants haven't been opened to supplement the need.

The reason, analysts say, is because manufacturers don't believe the demand is being driven by natural economic need, but something else.

"It's customer paranoia," Rainey said, "in our new president."

SECOND AMENDMENT COSTS

Even with a nationwide shortage, retailers and manufacturers say they haven't seen a drastic increase in prices.

Lowrie and Rainey said prices in their stores have remained stable over the past eight or nine months, and Russo said Remington hasn't raised prices.

The only place costs have skyrocketed have been at gun shows, where sellers have jacked up prices to take advantage of the paranoia, said Robert Smith, president of the Nevada State Rifle & Pistol Association.

Click in the above excerpts to go the the full article ar the The Review Journal. com

Former cop not guilty in gun store shooting

Bacher initially faced three charges, including misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, prohibited use of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

Dean pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana in the incident and was sentenced to a one year of probation and 10 days in jail. According to a search warrant affidavit, police discovered marijuana in the cab of his vehicle after the shooting.

Click in the above text to see the entire article in the Daily Sentinel.

Louisiana holds a sales tax holiday for guns

Reporting from Atlanta - Happy 2nd Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday, everyone!

An observance of that name is underway this weekend in Louisiana, thanks to a law signed by Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal in July. It decrees that each year, on the first Friday through Sunday in September, shoppers in the Bayou State shall be exempt from paying state or local taxes on firearms, ammunition or hunting supplies.

The law was sponsored by state Sen. Robert Marionneaux Jr., who said in a statement that it will "save families money, boost retailers' sales, and help our economy in this worldwide recession where every little bit helps."

A click in the story will take you to the original article in the Los Angeles Times

"We are from the Government . . .
we are here to collect your guns."

NEXT ACTION PISTOL GROUP IDPA MATCH

Shooters:

SEPTEMBER 12, 2009
Signups start at 8:30 a.m.
On the range by 9:00 a.m.

Bring the Girls out. They need to show us a thing or two and still get the
practice they need to safely and effectively carry their last resort.

The shoot for September will not be on Labor Day Weekend. It will be on the
following weekend,

Shooters!

Another month, another chance to be challenged by some great stages
Saturday, JULY 11th at the Action Pistol Group IDPA Whitewater Range match.
Here we go with the details:
* Four stages with a $20.00 entry fee
* Sign-ups at 8:30 am; match starts at 8:30 am with a brief safety
meeting. (Please come early enough so we get everyone signed up by 9:00 am)
* Bring proof of current IDPA membership. (Does not apply to
first-time shooters.)
* Bring a concealment garment. You will be required to use it.
* It is also expected you will bring gear appropriate for an IDPA
match. Check your rule books. After all, this is an IDPA match!
* Bring insect repellant. The gnats are still a bit "gnasty."
Sunscreen would be a good idea too.
Start your presses! Roll yourself some serious target punchers and clean up
the old magazines and speed loaders. We expect great weather and a super
stage foursome.

REMEMBER: "HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN!"

September 12, Char Stuart will offer a classification match in the event at
least six people sign up, for those who want or need to shoot it. You are
greatly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity if you are not IDPA
classified, or if you are ready to move up in classification. You must be an
IDPA member to shoot it.

The cost to shoot the classifier is $20.00, and you will not be able to
shoot the regular match if you opt to shoot the classifier. Char is the
"Queen of the Classification Match" and really enjoys helping you through
it. So, if you want to be counted in the classifier Saturday September 12,
email her and let her know you want to shoot it. Her email is
iskater@rof.net. Notifying her now will be a great help in planning! When
she receives your $20.00 payment she will set you up for the classifier.

Keepin' 'em all in the Zero

JOLT

Joseph W. Olt, Jr., Director
Action Pistol Group IDPA
P.O. Box 1421
Grand Junction CO 81502

(970) 243-1155
(970) 243-1177 FAX

joltlaw@fone.net E-mail

Alon Stivi’s Night Shooting Course

Direct Measures International, Inc.
The New Security Standard
Alon Stivi’s Night Shooting Course

The Night Fight program will teach you how to use darkness as an ally and your light as a weapon. This intense course teaches the most direct and effective skills to survive a close quarter confrontation in low light conditions.

You will learn:

• Use of typical lighting conditions and dominating with light
• Less than ideal and alternative shooting positions
• Weapon transition and retention
• Dynamic room entry and room extraction tactics
• Engagement tactics for teams and partners
• Low-light shooting and tactical illumination
• Target isolation and weapons identification
• Negligent discharge avoidance and safety
• Engaging multiple and moving targets
• Communication in low-light conditions
• Stealth movement and vision control
• Tactical reload and stoppage drills
• Shoot/No shoot decision making
• Shooting on the move
• Failure to stop drills

This course is scheduled for September 13, 2009 in Durango, Colorado. Call Linn Armstrong at (970) 234-0444 now to schedule your place in this course. This class is only open to Phase l Instinctive Shooting Class graduates, Please do not ask any one else to join this course unless they completed Phase l. Fee is $350.00. Send check to:

DMI
839 Rapid Creek Rd.
Palisade, CO 81526

For more information about Alon Stivi and his courses, visit www.directmeasures.com on the Internet.

Rifle Sportsmans Club August 15th IDPA Match Scores

Shooters:

This link will take you to the results from Saturday's (August 15th IDPA match. Only stages One through Three are scored in the total. Once again, no one successfully completed Stage Four - the "House of Death." Greg and Shawn seem to be taking an extra degree of delight in the twisted stuff they throw at us. (The giggling and dancing are probably not necessary, guys.) However, it is extremely instructive (while humbling) and is making better shooters of us overall.

Scores are listed by division and classification, with top scores in each division/class highlighted in bold.

Thanks Ken for your timely notice!
A click in the above verbiage will take you to the posting.

Still at it in the District of Columbia

Lawsuit seeks right to carry guns in public

The man whose Supreme Court challenge secured the right of D.C. residents to keep guns in their homes is back in court, this time filing a lawsuit on behalf of a group seeking the right of registered gun owners to carry their guns in public.

Four individuals and a gun-rights advocacy group joined lawyer Alan Gura on Thursday in filing the lawsuit in U.S. District Court. It was an earlier lawsuit by Mr. Gura that forced the District to end its 30-year-old gun ban, the strictest in the United States

Lawsuit Seeks Right to Carry Concealed Weapons in the District

The lawsuit seeks to afford the right to carry a gun to non-District residents who have gun permits issued elsewhere. The fourth person in the complaint, Edward Raymond, a law school student who lives in New Hampshire, was arrested in the District in 2007 for carrying a loaded handgun in his car when he was stopped for speeding. Raymond had a permit to carry the gun in Maryland and Florida. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor unregistered gun.

Click in the individual paragraphs to go the the original articles.

AND this from Mark Udall

Dear M Dean,

Thank you for contacting me regarding my recent vote (vote #237; S.Amdt. 1618 to S.1390) in favor of an amendment concerning concealed firearm permits. I appreciate your taking the time to express your specific views on this important issue.

This vote involved a fundamental Constitutional right, and thereby required carefully balancing states' and individual interests, especially in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent holding that individuals have the right to keep and bear arms under federal law.

During the consideration of this proposal, it was argued that since states have different laws governing concealed firearms, it would have swept away Colorado's concealed firearms law and thereby opened the door to illegal activity and created unsafe conditions for our citizens. These were not trivial concerns, and I considered them carefully.

My final judgment was influenced by our experience in Colorado. Colorado passed a law in 2003 that allows Colorado to recognize out-of-state permits from other states that recognize Colorado's law and only requires permit holders to be at least 21 years old. That's it. There are no additional restrictions. Since this law was passed, Colorado has established reciprocity with 27 states - including some states that have less restrictive guidelines and standards for issuing permits. If there were any data suggesting Colorado's law has resulted in an increase in criminal activity or endangered public safety, I might have been concerned. But there is no such evidence, and, surprisingly, Colorado does not keep data on whether crimes have involved the use of firearms secured with out-of-state concealed-carry permits.

This legislation would not have affected any restrictions related to acquiring a firearm or any other law related to firearms and illegal use. Even if a state has a different concealed-carry law, the amendment would not have blocked any fines or penalties - or enforcement against - anyone who might use their firearm illegally or carelessly. It was further suggested that Colorado should not be required to accept out-state permits by 18-year-olds. But federal law restricts the sale of hand guns to individuals who are at least 21 years of age and also restricts possession in cases of mental instability and a host of other categories. There is an exemption in federal law for 18-year-olds who are on active duty or honorably discharged military personnel or law enforcement officers. States that allow concealed-carry permits for 18-year-olds do so in accordance with this federal exemption.

Balancing all these factors and considering my responsibility to give voice to Colorado's own experience, I voted in favor of this amendment, which failed to gain enough support for final passage, and therefore, was not adopted. Looking forward, I will continue to carefully examine each piece of legislation and ask that you continue to share your thoughts and concerns with me.

I will continue to listen closely to what you and other Coloradans have to say about matters before Congress, the concerns of our communities, and the issues facing Colorado and the nation. My job is not about merely supporting or opposing legislation; it is also about bridging the divide that has paralyzed our nation's politics. For more information about my positions and to learn how my office can assist you, please visit my website at www.markudall.senate.gov.

Warm Regards,

Mark Udall
United States Senator, Colorado

MEU/jpw

IDPA--Rifle Sportsmans Club August 15th 2009

Shooters:

Here we go again...start planning for another great day on the range at the Rifle Sportsmen's Club, Saturday, August 15th for the monthly IDPA match.

At the risk of redundancy...or repeating over and over again...here's the scoop:

• Match starts at 10:00 am with a brief safety meeting; sign-ups at 9:30 am. Please be on site and signed up before 10:00 am so we can get underway in a timely manner.
• Cost is $20.00.
• Three stages are planned along with another run (or stumbling) through the "House of Death." The twisted scenarios will again see if somebody can actually beat the stage.
• Bring a concealment garment. You most probably will need it.
• Bring proof of IDPA membership or proof of application to join. (Does not apply to first-time shooters.)
• Per the rule instituted last month, new or first-time shooters will be required to shoot the Instructional Classification Match. First-time shooters (or others who desire to shoot the Classifier) should contact Char Stuart by Wednesday, August 12th, to reserve a place on her schedule. You can email her at iskater@rof.net or call her at (970) 384-0417. Please do not call her after 8 pm!
• If you are planning to bring a first-time shooter to the match, please have them contact Char about the Classifier. It will be a big help to her.

Regards,

Ken Andrews

More seek concealed weapons permits

From an article in USA Today.

Gun owners are packing heat in record numbers, fearful of stricter gun control under the Obama administration and higher crime in a sour economy.

Some states and counties report a surge in applications for concealed weapons permits since the November election. All states but Illinois and Wisconsin allow concealed weapons, but requirements differ.

Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, fears that violent confrontations will increase as more people carry concealed guns. "When someone's carrying a gun around and they're not fully trained, oftentimes they'll use it just because it's there," he says. (what does he know?)

Click in the article to read the entire article at USA Today.

This from Mike Bennet

Thank you for contacting me regarding the Thune-Vitter Amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill. I appreciate hearing from you.

My philosophy on guns is based on my respect for the Second Amendment to our United States Constitution, which ensures the right to keep and bear arms. I also believe that in order to prevent gun-related crime, we need a healthy respect for firearms and vigorous enforcement of our existing federal, state, and local gun laws.

The Thune-Vitter Amendment to the Defense Authorization Fund (S.AMDT.1618 to S.1390) would have allowed citizens who have concealed carry permits from the state in which they reside to carry concealed firearms in another state that grants concealed carry permits, if the individual complies with the laws of the state. While I voted in support of this amendment, S.AMDT.1618 was subjected to a supermajority requirement. It needed 60 votes but it failed 58-39.

My vote in favor of the Thune Amendment was consistent with existing Colorado law. In our state, law-abiding gun owners have the right to apply for and receive a concealed carry permit. Colorado already recognizes the concealed carry permits from a majority of states, and generally grants reciprocity to states that recognize the permits of Colorado gun owners. Any concealed carry permit holder from another state must follow our criminal statutes, and that would have remained the law if the Thune amendment had passed.

I value the input of fellow Coloradans in considering the wide variety of important issues and legislative initiatives that come before the Senate. I hope you will continue to inform me of your thoughts and concerns.

For more information about my priorities as a U.S. Senator, I invite you to visit my website at http://bennet.senate.gov/. Again, thank you for contacting me.


Sincerely,

Michael Bennet
United States Senator

Palin gives 'stirring' gun rights speech at NRA dinner, says group

She’s gone Twitter-silent since leaving office last week – but former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has spoken out publicly for the first time since her resignation, according to the nation’s largest gun rights group.

FULL ARTICLE HERE at CNN Political Ticker

Looking forward to seeing a transcript (Hope, hope)

Obama Regulatory Czar's Confirmation Held Up by Hunting Rights Proponent

WASHINGTON -- President Obama's nominee for "regulatory czar" has hit a new snag in his Senate confirmation process -- a "hold" by Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who's says he's not convinced that Harvard professor Cass Sunstein won't push a radical animal rights agenda, including new restrictions on agriculture and even hunting.

"Sen. Cornyn finds numerous aspects of Mr. Sunstein's record troubling, specifically the fact that he wants to establish legal 'rights' for livestock, wildlife and pets, which would enable animals to file lawsuits in American courts," the Republican's spokesman, Kevin McLaughlin, said in a statement to FOXNews.com.

In a 2007 speech at Harvard, Sunstein also advocated restricting animal testing for cosmetics, banning hunting and encouraging the general public to eat less meat.

Martosko said there are plenty of ways to pursue a "stealth campaign" on any one of these fronts -- guns or animal rights -- by putting pressure on the regulatory heads of the different agencies.

"He is the gatekeeper between the president and the secretaries," he said, noting that "as a regulatory czar, he won't be a judge or a legislator, so he cannot make laws. ... What he can do is nudge the departments in the direction of his philosophy," which is very much in line with "hard core animal rights zealots."

Click anywhere in the above post to got to the original article at Fox news.

Basic Firearms Instructor

Monday, July 13, 2009

Grand Valley Training Club will offer instruction for candidates to become certified in the following disciplines.

Instructor Basic Pistol
Instructor Basic Personal Protection in the Home

For information on how to enlist in this class Call Linn Armstrong 464-5177

Class Dates are as follows

July 24, 25, 26