Category: Safety

This will leave North Dakota as the only state where only residents can carry concealed without a permit.

WYOMING TO ALLOW NONRESIDENTS TO CONCEAL CARRY WITHOUT A PERMIT STARTING JULY 1

CASPER, Wyo. — Starting July 1, both residents and nonresidents alike will be able to conceal carry in Wyoming without obtaining a special permit, provided they can legally possess a hand gun in the United States.

Governor Mark Gordon signed House Bill 116 into law on Tuesday which will give nonresidents the ability to conceal carry without a special permit once the new law goes into effect July 1, 2021.

Wyoming residents are already able to conceal carry without a permit if they are legally allowed to possess a firearm.

In Colorado, They’re Cracking the Code on Gun Control: It Doesn’t Work

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Writing over the weekend in the Denver Post, George H. Brauchler—former district attorney for the Centennial State’s 18th Judicial District—wrote something that might be considered blasphemy among anti-gun politicians and gun prohibition lobbying groups.

Brauchler was discussing mass shootings in Colorado in a story headlined, “Gun laws may prevent some crimes, but mass shootings isn’t one of them.” He mentioned shootings dating all the way back to Columbine High School and included the carnage at the Aurora theater in 2012. His summation boiled down to this:

“But linking current federal and state legislation to preventing horrors like Boulder is mere political opportunism. We must continue to work to keep firearms out of the wrong hands, but we must also recognize that we cannot legislate away evil.”

Almost simultaneously, CPR was reporting that gun owners in the state “are gearing up to oppose any new proposed restrictions, despite the fact that the most controversial proposal has not yet been introduced.” The story quotes Mario Acevedo, a Denver novelist “who is both a Democrat and a gun owner.”

“Acevedo does not think new gun laws provide the solution,” the story reveals. “He said data has convinced him that gangs, drug trafficking and mental illness are the drivers of gun deaths, not firearms.”

Perhaps this excerpt from the story says it best, quoting Acevedo:

“Colorado passed the universal background check and the high capacity magazine ban that was done under the premise that it was going to prevent mass shootings. The state passed the red flag law, the ERPO [Extreme Risk Protection Order] that again was done on the premise of preventing mass shootings. And it didn’t.”

Colorado has seen its share of trouble over the past 20-plus years. But at least some residents are realizing what many in the Second Amendment community have been saying for years is correct:

Gun control doesn’t stop people from committing mayhem because those determined to harm other people will find a way to do it.

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More Guns, Less… Suicides? In 2020, That Was The Case

Majority of voters, including nearly half of Democrats, prefer to live where gun ownership is legal

A  strong majority of U.S. voters in a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen – including nearly half of Democratic voters surveyed – say they would prefer to live in communities where gun ownership is legal.

Sixty-three percent of voters said they would prefer to “live where individuals are allowed to own guns.” Just 26% said they would prefer to reside “where guns are outlawed.”

The remaining 12% was unsure.

When broken down by political party alignment, the overwhelming majority of Republican voters – 83% – said they’d prefer to live in gun-friendly areas. Notably, nearly half of all Democratic respondents – 45% – said the same thing. Democrats have historically been more favorable to gun control than have Republicans.

Gun ownership has been established by the Supreme Court as a broad constitutional right. However, states have enacted restrictions on gun owners, which has resulted in some such as Texas having relatively high rates of gun ownership, while others like Vermont have significantly lower rates.

The survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted by Rasmussen using a mixed-mode approach from March 25-27. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Click here to see the poll’s methodology and sample demographics.

South Dakota: Governor Noem Signs Multiple Pro-Gun Bills into Law

This past week and weekend, Governor Kristi Noem signed multiple pro-gun and self-defense bills into law.  These important measures work to further strengthen and protect the Second Amendment right to self-defense in the Mount Rushmore State.  Those measures enacted are outlined below:

Senate Bill 100 provides protections for gun stores, ranges, or any other entity that engages in the lawful selling or servicing of firearms, components, or accessories. SB 100 also prevents the prohibition, regulation, or seizure of citizens’ Second Amendment rights during a declared State of Emergency.

Senate Bill 111 reduces the cost for some types of concealed carry permits.

House Bill 1212 clarifies the use of force under South Dakota’s Stand Your Ground laws.  The bill enhances your right to self-defense by strengthening and explaining when justifiable force can be used in defense of person and property, so long as the individual is not engaging in an unlawful activity and is in a place they’re allowed to be.

NRA thanks Governor Kristi Noem for signing these important pro-gun bills into law, as well as the sponsors and legislators that worked to usher them over hurdles and through the legislature.  Also, thank you to NRA Members and Second Amendment supporters who continuously contacted their lawmakers, voicing their support of Senate Bill 100, Senate Bill 111, and House Bill 1212.​

The author has it wrong. There are no ‘unintended‘ consequences. The demoncraps want exactly what you get.

Unintended Consequences of More Gun Control

As I watched the Senate hearing on gun control this week, I cringed at some of the gun control proposals promoted in the name of public safety. Many people want to “do something” to stop what some call “gun violence.” I call it violence because I realize that violence is a behavior, not an object.

Guns are used every single day in the United States to protect innocent lives. It is a point often overlooked by gun control proponents who choose to ignore justifiable defensive use of guns to protect innocent lives.

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No matter what SloJoe babbles on about ‘his’ 1994 gun ban, the facts are:

“A large amount of research has been done on the federal assault weapons ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004. It has consistently found no statistically significant impact on mass public shootings or any other type of crime.”

The Data files for the data used below is available here.

A large amount of research has been done on the federal assault weapons ban that was in effect from 1994 to 2004.  It has consistently found no statistically significant impact on mass public shootings or any other type of crime.

This holds true even for research funded by the Clinton administration. Criminology professors Chris Koper and Jeff Roth concluded in a 1997 report for the National Institute of Justice, “The evidence is not strong enough for us to conclude that there was any meaningful effect (i.e., that the effect was different from zero).”  Messrs. Koper and Roth suggested that it might be possible to find a benefit after the ban had been in effect for more years. In 2004, they published a follow-up NIJ study with fellow criminologist Dan Woods. They found: “We cannot clearly credit the ban with any of the nation’s recent drop in gun violence. And, indeed, there has been no discernible reduction in the lethality and injuriousness of gun violence.”

Dr. John Lott and others have done similar research on both state and federal assault weapons bans.  They’ve found no evidence that any such ban reduced the frequency or deadliness of mass public shootings or had a beneficial impact on any other crime rate.  The third edition of “More Guns, Less Crime” (University of Chicago Press, 2010) examined the impact of federal and state assault weapon bans both before, during, and after the federal ban was in effect.

Even a 2014 survey by the left-leaning ProPublica concluded that despite some claims by Democratic politicians, there was no compelling evidence that the federal assault weapons ban had any impact on any type of crime.

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Most Mass Shooters, Including Those With Mental Illness, Obtained Their Firearms After Passing A Background Check. Expanding Background Checks Won’t Stop Them.

There are realities about gun control and the mentally ill that gun control advocates ignore.

The first reality is that the best that any gun control law can do is force buyers into the black market.  While this is a worthy goal, if laws against gun trafficking are not enforced, prohibited persons — including the severely mentally ill — will still be able to purchase firearms.

The second reality is that gun laws do not exist in isolation.  They are dependent upon the enforcement of other laws and the proper functioning of our legal and mental health systems.  This post will focus upon the issue of mental health treatment and how it impacts the background check system.

As this is written we are just learning some details about the King Soopers shooting in Boulder Colorado.  That said, I could have predicted the news before it was reported: The alleged mass murderer had a long history of mental illness (possibly undiagnosed) and had multiple contacts with police.  I will predict now that we will soon learn that this man passed a background check.  This is easy to predict because we have seen it happen over and over again.  Expanding background checks to private sales will not help when the severely mentally ill can pass them!

How can this possibly happen?  Well, as a former paramedic with 10 years EMS experience I know the answer: The mental health system – not gun laws – failed.  This happens at two levels:

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Florida Alert! Poll of Florida Sheriffs by Sheriff Wayne Ivey on Florida’s Church Carry Bill

SB-498 Church Carry by Sen. Joe Gruters and HB-259 Church Carry by Rep. Jayer Williamson & Rep. Cord Byrd have collectively been heard in five different Legislative Committee hearings in the Florida Senate and Florida House.

In every hearing, these bills have been met with a barrage of anti-church-carry questions and debate by Democrat members of these committees.

Why Democrats don’t want religious institutions to be able to make their own decisions about their private property and about protecting their own houses of worship and worshipers, is a question that defies a logical answer.

In one committee hearing, a prominent Democrat wanted to know what the sheriffs in the sponsor’s district thought about the bill.  The sponsor had not asked his local sheriffs but said that he would find out.

In the meantime, Sheriff Wayne Ivey of Brevard County decided to find out how all sheriffs viewed the bill and conducted a poll. The results are very profound.

On Monday 3/15/21 I received the following email from Sheriff Ivey:

Mon, Mar 15, 2021 7:15 pm

Dear Marion,

With the outcome of the Church Carry bill, SB-498 and HB-259 moving through the Florida Legislature, I took it upon myself to individually talk to and poll 64 of our Florida Sheriffs on how they feel about this important piece of legislation, designed to protect our citizens and houses of worship.  While there are actually 67 Sheriffs in Florida I was unable to reach 3 of them after leaving messages in an effort to speak to them on the matter.

Not surprisingly, of the 64 Florida Sheriffs that I personally spoke with, 62 of them overwhelmingly SUPPORT the bill and 2 Sheriffs had not had a chance to review the bill, so were undecided in their support or opposition.

The poll without question sends a clear and profound message that our Florida Sheriffs support the private property rights of religious institutions and the self-defense rights of law-abiding gun owners.

Sheriff Wayne Ivey,

Brevard County

 

Atlanta Shootings, Too Close To Home, Gun Owners … Stay Dangerous

Mark Wallace:
The killings in “Atlanta” didn’t start in Atlanta but began on the dividing line between two relatively small towns in southern Cherokee County, GA, Acworth, and Woodstock. I know the area well.

How?

I live 5 minutes from that intersection. I shopped in the Woodstock Market, The Woodstock Antique and Consignment Shops, and the Woodstock Furniture Outlet, within eyesight of the Asian Spa where the killings occurred, as late as last weekend as I searched for unique items for the newly constructed AAR Studios. I passed the spa and another one nearby on the other side of the auto repair shop that separates them. You get the idea, but it gets worse.

Turns out the murderer purchased his handgun, after passing a background check, at one of two local gun shops less than a mile (as the crow flies) from the AAR Ranch and Studios. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve bought, sold, and traded firearms from them since the day they opened. I know the owner well and they’re great folks. Straight up, real, law-abiding Americans who did nothing wrong. (more proof background checks do not stop crime and never will)

The point I’m trying to make here, and it won’t take long, is what I’ve been saying on-air for years. Evil exists.

It’s real and it’s here and it walks among us. In this case, it may very well have delivered my family a pizza, shopped at the same grocery store, or for that matter, my son may have bagged his groceries while at work. He may have stood behind me in line at a convenience store, restaurant, pharmacy. He attended the same high school my niece and nephew graduated from and it is likely in this area we have passed each other and never knew it.

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Nothing in any of the current proposed legislation – even the ‘Covid Hate Act, whatever that is supposed to cover – would have done anything to stop this. The demoncraps know that, but ………..

What Gun Control Proposal Would Have Prevented Georgia Shootings?

Never let a good crisis go to waste. That’s the Washington, D.C. mantra, it seems, especially among the left. They’ll latch onto anything and everything that happens as a way to advance an agenda, no matter how much reality interferes with their efforts.

Take the shooting in Atlanta. Let’s face it, it’s awful. Any time someone takes human life so indiscriminately, it’s just awful. There really aren’t enough words in the English language to describe just how terrible that is.

But almost as terrible is the fascination among some people to try and twist events. That’s what’s happening in the wake of Atlanta.

The U.S. House member whose district includes the first massage parlor targeted by a gunman Tuesday night said he was grateful the suspect was quickly apprehended and praying for those affected.

“My staff members and I are horrified by the violent shootings that took place at businesses in Woodstock and Atlanta this afternoon,” U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, wrote on Twitter late Tuesday. Our prayers are with the families of the victims this evening, and for healing for those injured.”

U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams represents the Atlanta neighborhood where two spas were attacked. She said the shooter must be held accountable but the wider issue of violence against Asian American people and Pacific Islanders, which has increased during the coronavirus pandemic, must also be addressed.

She noted that the House Judiciary Committee already had a hearing scheduled for Thursday to discuss this issue. And Williams supports a bill two Asian American lawmakers filed last week that would direct the Department of Justice to assign a point person to review COVID-19-related hate crimes. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act would also provide additional support for state and local law enforcement agencies in responding to hate crimes.

“Those are immediate steps that we can take in Congress beyond thoughts and prayers,” she said.

…

President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer were also among those who released statements condemning the violence that appeared to have roots in misogyny. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said the news of the shootings gripped her attention and she hoped that her colleagues and people at home are watching, too.

“We still know that this risk of gun violence is out there in a big way,” the Minnesota Democrat said. “And that’s what you saw, sadly, in Atlanta.”

Klobuchar said she was happy Georgia voters recently elected Democratic U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, who she said are poised to support gun control measures.

About those gun control measures…  I’d be interested to know which of the plethora of gun control bills currently in Congress would have stopped this atrocity. He used a handgun, so no assault weapon ban. The killer purchased the gun legally, which means that even if he didn’t buy it at a gun store, he could have, so universal background checks would have done jack squat. There’s been no mention of “red flags” before his attack, so no red flag law would have stopped it.

So what which bill would have?

None. None would have. There’s no evidence that even a waiting period would have done a damn thing except delay him.

But for Democrats, it’s never really about addressing the incident, it’s about advancing an agenda and using the bodies of slain individuals as the soapbox from which they pontificate from. They don’t give a damn about the lives lost. They care about taking your guns. That’s it.

And they’re not going to let a good crisis go to waste.

Guns-in-schools bill passes [Idaho] House on 52-18 vote…

The Idaho House backed Rep. Chad Christensen’s guns-in-schools bill on a 52-18 vote this morning, sending it to senators for consideration. The bill, HB 122, allows school employees who have enhanced concealed-carry permits to carry concealed guns at school, whether or not the local school board approves. “I know in the past this has been an issue about local control,” Christensen, R-Iona, told the House. “This is a 2nd Amendment issue, and for me, the 2nd Amendment doesn’t stop at the door of a school.”

He noted that the Idaho Sheriffs Association, state chiefs of police, and schools all oppose the bill, but said one sheriff from Caribou County, which is in his district, “fully supports” it. “This is a bill about school safety and our children,” Christensen said. “The firearm is a tool, simple as that, and the fear of this tool is, I don’t get it, it’s just a tool, to help our children, to save lives.”

This bill also would forbid schools from posting “Gun-Free School Zone” signs. House Education Chair Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, asked Christensen if the bill would allow the general public to carry guns at schools; Christensen said no. So Clow questioned including that provision. “To me, that’s a sign that we’re telling the public, ‘Don’t bring your guns in to the school,’” he said.

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Arkansas Gov. Hutchinson signs “Stand Your Ground Bill

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT & AP) – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has signed into law a measure that eases the state’s restrictions on the use of deadly force in self-defense.

The Republican governor signed the measure Wednesday that removes the duty to retreat before deadly force can be used, despite past concerns he’s raised about changing the state’s self-defense law.

A similar measure stalled in the Legislature two years ago, but the bill this year moved more easily after groups such as the state’s sheriffs’ and prosecutors’ associations that previously opposed it said they’re neutral to the latest version.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bob Ballinger (R-Ozark) and Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R-Knoxville) received overwhelming support in the legislature by a 72-23 margin in the House and 27-7 in the Senate.

Just me, but I remember ‘Concealed Means Concealed‘, I figured out what was meant.

Criminals Know Rideshare Drivers Are Disarmed And They Are Targeting Them

It appears as if the word has gotten out in the criminal underworld; if you’re looking for an easy target to rob, rape, or carjack, finding a victim is as easy as pulling out your phone.

We’ve been covering the rise in carjackings and other violent crimes committed against Uber and Lyft drivers for some time now, including the story of Cynthia Norman, a Cleveland woman and driver for Lyft who was cut loose by the company because she dared to defend herself against a pair of attackers with her legally owned and lawfully carried firearm.

Both Uber and Lyft have policies that require drivers be unarmed, and most of the folks contracting to drive for the companies abide by those restrictions (though clearly not all of them do).

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Requiring Training Before Owning A Gun is a Threat To The Second Amendment

A question I get a lot is do I believe everyone should be required by law to get some form of firearm training before they can own a gun?

I deeply believe that anyone who owns a gun or plans to buy a gun should to some degree get some training on how to use and operate the gun not only safely but more effectively.

But the question still remains, do I agree with government mandated training before owning a gun? Absolutely NOT and here is why.

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Noop. Even after they learn this, they don’t get to lecture anyone.

14 Things Everyone Should Understand About Guns
Guns aren’t that complicated. Learn a little bit about them before lecturing other people about gun safety.

Guns can be dangerous in the wrong hands. But so are articles about guns written by people who don’t understand anything about them.

There’s sadly no excuse to be ignorant about firearms. They’ve been around for hundreds of years. They’re owned and operated safely by tens of millions of Americans each year. Our Constitution guarantees our individual right to possess guns so that we might be able to defend ourselves from those who would violently take away our freedom. Many gun controllers, however — some of whom have bylines for major media organizations — don’t actually know the first thing about firearms.

Here’s a good example of the kind of self-inflicted injury that can result from weaponizing an ill-informed opinion about guns and gun-related paraphernalia, courtesy of Ryan J. Reilly of Huffington Post:

Unfortunately, Reilly is hardly alone in his complete ignorance of how guns work. Our nation is facing an epidemic of gun-related misreporting. As a public service to those who have opinions about guns but don’t really want to spend much time learning anything about them, I’ve compiled a simple list of 14 basic things everyone should understand before writing or talking about guns.

1) Don’t Lecture Anyone On Gun Safety Until You Understand The Basic Rules

These are rules literally every person should understand, because you never know when you might be in a situation that requires you to handle a firearm. To seasoned gun owners, these basic gun safety rules are gospel. If faithfully followed, they will prevent the likelihood of you ever shooting someone who did not pose an immediate and mortal threat to an innocent person.

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Arkansas lawmakers give final OK to ‘Stand Your Ground’ bill

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers have sent Gov. Asa Hutchinson legislation that loosens the state’s restrictions on using lethal force in self-defense.

The House on Wednesday voted 72 to 23 for the bill, which removes the state’s duty to retreat before using deadly force.

The Senate approved the measure last month. A similar bill stalled in the Legislature two years ago, but the measure this year has moved more easily after groups that opposed it said they were neutral to the latest version.

The governor has not said whether he supports the legislation.

“As I watched the video I definitely don’t want to blame the victim here, but it’s important that we have a perception of the elements in our immediate environment and make sure that we are aware of surroundings, alert to potential threats as well as being ready and able to react to actualized threats,”—Kofi Kenyatta
(In other words; If you’re going to open carry, a lack of situational awareness can come up and kick you right in the head.)

Suspect who stole gun from man open carrying at Detroit gas station arrested for unrelated crime

DETROIT (FOX 2) – Caught on camera – a bold thief steals a gun from a man open-carrying at a gas station. The crime happened in January, but Detroit police has just released the video of the incident hoping to get the gun and the perpetrator – off the streets.

Detroit police say the thief has been arrested and linked to other crimes including a non-fatal shooting. Continue reading “”

Home Defense Firearms: A Newly Relevant Blast from the Past.

Well, it’s started. The new administration (hack. spit) is calling for yet more “gun control”, leading the charge for an “assault weapon” ban, magazine size limits, universal background checks (which requires a complete gun registry to be enforceable), and so on.

Today I’m bringing forward a post addressing that so-called “assault weapon” issue. The definition of “assault weapon” is slippery. It mimics the term “assault rifle” but doesn’t meet the definition of one (an assault rifle is a rifle of intermediate power with “select fire”, meaning that it has a full-auto or “burst” capability–that is one trigger operation fires the rifle multiple times). Generally, “assault weapon is a semi-automatic (fires once for each trigger operation) rifle or carbine (overall length being the main difference there, or intermediate power (not the uber-high-power that the media would have you believe), and some various ergonomic and cosmetic features. It is this definition that I address in the post below.

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