Sen. Coburn Takes On VA Over Veterans' Gun Bans: Senator Tom Coburn isn't going to go away quietly. As you know from previous GOA alerts, the Republican Senator from Oklahoma has placed a hold on the noxious legislation that is being pushed by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. Because of his actions, the Veterans Disarmament Act (HR 2640 and S 2084) has been stalled in the Senate for a few weeks. But not content to remain silent, Sen. Coburn sent a pointed letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs, asking them to justify their actions. Coburn states in his letter that the Veterans Affairs continues to send the names of "approximately 1,000 additional veterans" to the Department of Justice every month. According to the Congressional Research Service, Coburn says, this has resulted in "approximately 140,000 Veterans" being added into the NICS background check system. http://www.gunowners.org/a101807.htm --- Texas Land Commissioner Opposes National Park Service: The National Park Service is an ideal candidate to acquire a pristine, undeveloped site adjacent to Big Bend National Park in West Texas, but Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is foolishly opposing such a move. Patterson, a fervent gun rights advocate, opposes selling the park service the 9,269-acre Christmas Mountains site because it would not allow public hunting or possession of firearms on the property. (Kudos to Patterson for calling attention on the foolish NPS ban on firearms for self-defense.) http://www.star-telegram.com/225/story/271793.html --- South Cook County Residents Defend RKBA: On Wednesday, the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) announced that last night Approximately 200 firearm owners packed the Tinley Park American Legion Post so that they could learn what they might do to prevent the spread of "Chicago-style" gun control to south Cook County, where the Tinley Park village council is considering passing legislation to ban nearly every kind of privately owned firearm from the village. "Chicago-style" gun control includes aspects of legislation such as Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's plan to establish 100-mile "gun free" zone around Chicago. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/418437/illinois_state_rifle_association_gathers.html --- Meanwhile, Southwest Of There...: Several Tazewell County Board members voted Wednesday to support gun owners' rights by opposing any legislation that goes against the Second Amendment. Tazewell County Board Chairman Jim Unsicker said members of the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) requested he put forward the resolution, which asks counties to oppose any state legislation that would infringe on gun owners' rights. http://www.pjstar.com/stories/101807/TRI_BEM203MG.046.php --- Oops, Wrong Recycling Center: Two employees of a local recycling center shot and killed a would-be robber Thursday morning, police said. The unidentified workers fatally shot a man in the face as he tried to steal from Geppert Recycling, located on the 4500 block of Wayne Avenue in Philadelphia, just after 9 a.m., police said...According to police, the gunman fired first but he was shooting at two employees who carry guns for protection. http://www.nbc10.com/news/14368082/detail.html?dl=mainclick --- Chicago Man Will Not Be Charged In Shooting: A Hyde Park resident who shot a neighbor in the chest during an altercation in their building Wednesday night acted in self defense and will not be charged, authorities said Thursday. The assailant, who was in critical condition, threatened to hit the neighbor with a vodka bottle and kicked in the man's door, police said. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-hydepark-shot_weboct18,0,7262300.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-utl --- TV Reporter Suspended For "Ambushing" Man Who Shot Two Burglars: "This is her idea of journalism? Ambushing a 70-year-old man who has been through life-and-death twice in three weeks? 'Are you a trigger happy kind of person? Is that what what you wanted to do? Shoot to kill?' Good Lord, I hate the people in this field." http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2007/10/kdfw_suspends_rebecca_aguilar.php --- The Plot Thickens...: ...The burglary suspect said he had just been hit by a shotgun blast that tore through his right bicep and lodged near his ribs when he heard someone urge the gunman to finish him off...Sayers, recalling the moments after he was shot, said he heard the gun being cocked at precisely the same time police arrived with their weapons drawn. The officers ordered merchant Donald Khemraj to drop the shotgun..."The son told his father 'shoot him in the head, shoot him in the head,' " recounted Sayers. "I basically gave up, and you shoot me, so basically the police saved my life." (The Times Union seems more concerned about the legality of the merchant's actions and the burglar's ordeal than the ordeal of the family he victimized.) http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=631087&category=SCHENECTADY&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=10/18/2007 --- Alabama Couple Make Burglar Clean Up Mess: Adrian and Tiffany McKinnon returned to their Centennial Hill home Tuesday after a week away to find that thieves had emptied almost everything the family of five owned, Tiffany McKinnon said through tears..."My husband Adrian caught the thief red-handed in our home," she said. "And what is even crazier, the man even had my husband's hat sitting right on his head. We made this man clean up all the mess he made, piles of stuff, he had thrown out of my drawers and cabi-nets onto the floor," Tiffany McKinnon said. When police arrived, Bullock complained about being forced to clean the home at gunpoint. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,303429,00.html --- Petition To Recall NRA Board Member: A petition drive is under way, seeking the recall of NRA Board member Joaquin Jackson. The drive is motivated by the discovery of an old interview in which Jackson, a former Texas Ranger, spoke out against private ownership of military-style semiautomatic rifles. http://recalljoaquinjackson.blogspot.com/ --- Is This Our Next Generation?: The UConn chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus wishes to hold a protest against the seemingly wise choice of not allowing any weapons on the UConn campus. It comes down to personal safety, they say. You never know when the next massacre may occur, and as such people need to be prepared to defend themselves...However, I think it is quite apparent that had people been allowed to discharge concealed weapons at Virginia Tech at the time of the tragedy, it would have only resulted in more deaths and more chaos. Students, as well as cops and those carrying concealed weapons, would have not been able to reliably discern the criminal from the vigilante... http://media.www.dailycampus.com/media/storage/paper340/news/2007/10/18/Commentary/Allowing.Concealed.Weapons.Poses.Danger.To.Campus-3041238.shtml Students For Concealed Carry On Campus: http://concealedcampus.org/ --- Some Home-Defense Thoughts: ...I've long been an advocate of a "Home Defense Rig" - a sturdy, snug-fitting belt outfitted as sort of a First Response Tool Chest. Just think about this tragicomic scene: You hear that "bump in the night" and rise, whether you're wearing long 'jammies, sleepy-shorts or in the buff, grabbing a pistol, tactical flashlight, and maybe your cell phone. Hey, let's not forget a can of pepper spray! Now, what are you gonna do when you have to use that phone, turn a doorknob, pull a light cord or - throttle some unarmed scumbag? Grapple with a goblin? (Article contains some ideas worth considering, including the "home defense rig," but it's still wisest to remain in your designated safe room whenever possible.) http://www.gunsmagazine.com/Odd1207.html -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info