From The Pages Of The New York Times, No Less: An op-ed piece by Glenn Reynolds explains the benefits of local ordinances that encourage firearm ownership. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/opinion/16reynolds.html?_r=1&oref=slogin --- The War Against Gun Shows: Article warns of potential federal legislation to restrict firearm sales at gun shows, including a bill that would mandate a 72-hour waiting period on any gun-show purchase of a firearm. http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/article3495.html --- Meanwhile, In California...: NRA's Wayne LaPierre points out that while Brady Bunch president Paul Helmke claims that he doesn't want to do anything to make life harder for hunters, collectors or people who want to own a firearm for personal defense, one of his California lieutenants is calling for a restriction on the number of gun shows held at a county fairgrounds. http://www.nranews.com/blogarticle.aspx?blogPostId=121 --- California Forest Shooting Range May Face Closure: US Forest Service officials are reviewing the permits for two shooting ranges in the Los Padres National Forest. One of the two is under attack for trash and lack of supervision of shooters. http://www.ksby.com/home/headlines/5226941.html --- Ten Years Of Kentucky CCW: A TV station gives a friendly review of the first ten years of licensed CCW in Kentucky. (The report is entitled "Under the Gun: Part One"; time will tell what the rest of the series has to say.) http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/5220961.html --- Oops, Wrong Car: A South Carolina couple were approached by a man in a Wal-Mart parking lot. The man stuck a pistol into the husband's belly and demanded their car. The wife was able to reach her own pistol, in the car's glove box, and shoot the carjacker. (If the crime had been of a different nature and not been committed at their vehicle, the gun in the glove box would have been useless. If the carjacker had been able to take the vehicle, he would also have gained the gun in the glove box.) http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5942137 --- Women Celebrities Consider Firearm Purchases: Article cites singer-actress Alicia Keys and actress Renee Zellweger as examples of high-profile women who have stated publicly that they are contemplating purchasing firearms for self-defense. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006141785 --- Gun-Show Reloads: Dean Speir's The Gun Zone provides some graphic evidence of the risks of using reloads of unknown provenance. http://www.thegunzone.com/charterarms_kb.html --- From GOA: Senate Takes Up Legislation To Stymie Grassroots Lobbying Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 http://www.gunowners.org Tuesday, January 16, 2007 When you look at GOA's year-ending report at http://www.gunowners.org/a121406.htm, you can see that your grassroots efforts had a tremendous impact upon the legislative process last year. There is no doubt that you guys have made a difference. That's why GOA is so concerned about legislation currently pending on the Senate floor which would attempt to intimidate organizations like GOA that work with members and friends to pressure Congress to support the Second Amendment. The legislation (S. 1) would regulate "grassroots lobbying" by requiring groups like us to monitor and report the amount of money we spend to exercise our First Amendment rights on behalf of gun ownership. Suffice it to say that a government which can force us to monitor and report on our "grassroots" activity could just as easily force us to provide even more sensitive details of these efforts. This could include demands for our membership list -- that is, attempts to get REGISTRATION lists of gun owners' names -- and the specifics of communications with our friends!!! Thankfully, there is an effort underway to knock out the most egregious parts of this bill, found in Sec. 220. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Robert Bennett (R-UT) are offering an amendment (Senate Amendment #20) -- to be voted on later this week -- that will knock out the S. 1 restrictions on grassroots lobbying. That's why we need your help right now. The best way to keep from sliding down this slippery slope of unconstitutionality is to tell the government -- now -- to keep its nose out of our constitutional rights. Just as the Second Amendment guarantees our right to keep and bear arms, the First Amendment protects our rights to petition the government for redress of grievances. And the power to regulate and monitor our grassroots activities on behalf of gun ownership is, ultimately, the power to destroy those rights. ACTION: Contact your two Senators and ask them to support Senate Amendment #20 to S. 1. You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators a pre-written e-mail message. And, you can call your Senators toll-free at 1-877-762-8762. ---- Pre-written letter to your Senators ---- Dear Senator: S. 1 is an effort to intimidate organizations, like Gun Owners of America, that work with members and friends to encourage Congress to support the Second Amendment. Thankfully, Senators McConnell and Bennett are offering Senate Amendment #20 -- to be voted on later this week -- that will knock Section 220 out of S. 1. I urge you to support that amendment. And if the amendment is defeated, then I would strongly urge you to oppose the underlying bill. Gun Owners of America will be rating both of these votes. Just as the Second Amendment guarantees our right to keep and bear arms, the First Amendment protects our rights to petition the government for redress of grievances. And the power to regulate and monitor our grassroots activities on behalf of gun ownership is, ultimately, the power to destroy those rights. Please know that this is as much a Second Amendment issue as direct efforts to seize our guns from our hands. Sincerely, **************************** "Live Fire" radio with Larry Pratt is broadcast by the Information Radio Network on Saturdays at 12:00 Noon Eastern. "Live Fire" is simulcast on the web at http://inforadionet.com and previous episodes are archived at http://www.soundwaves2000.com/livefire/ with a number of listening formats supported. Podcasts are now available! Recent guests, among many others, have included: * John Lott * Dave Hardy * Bob Arwady * Rick Celata **************************** -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info