Harvard Paper Calls For Repeal Of Second Amendment: Written in an age in which minutemen rose to dress and fight at a moment's notice, the Second Amendment was no doubt motivated by a young nation's concern for its own safety and stability. But now, when the United States is protected by the most powerful security forces on the globe, the Second Amendment is neither relevant nor useful. Rather, it has become an impediment to vital public policy, and it should be repealed and replaced with nuanced federal legislation. http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=521013 --- Seattle Mayor's Summit All For Show: Finding viable solutions to violent crime is everyone's business and in everybody's best interest, so it is not simply disappointing but indicative of a myopic predisposition on the part of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and the Harborview Medical Center's Injury and Research Prevention Center that their much-touted "summit" on Monday on crimes involving firearms has a gaping hole in the program: No participants from the firearms community were invited to attend, much less participate in the panel discussions. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/341673_guns30.html --- One Law Did This?: To consider this crime surge, look no further than the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986. This act did several things that combine about as well as ammonia and bleach. First, the law made it illegal to transfer guns from legal owners to unauthorized persons while expanding the definition of "prohibited" citizens. Second, it shielded gun owners and dealers from submitting records of who purchased firearms or ammunition. Third, it slackened restrictions on transporting firearms between state borders. Fourth, it decreased the amounts of searches that could be performed by the government without a warrant. Finally, it outlawed all fully automatic weapons made after 1986...The Supreme Court must recognize that the extreme views for and against gun control are destructive. Therefore, a middle of the road verdict is critical. There are fair policies in gun control, but any act of banning firearms or protecting secrecy of ownership will allow for higher crime rates in the country. If history is any indicator of the future, the Supreme Court will side with the government's ability to legislate against firearms. On the bright side, if heavier gun restraints go against gun owners, it might be time for everyone to get a militia license. Hopefully, the Supreme Court knows better. http://media.www.dailycampus.com/media/storage/paper340/news/2007/11/30/Commentary/Strive.For.Balance.In.Gun.Control-3125225.shtml --- Campus-Carry Debate Continues: Not even a year after the most horrific school shooting in this country's history, the debate has been brought back to college campuses. The debate as to whether students should be allowed to carry a concealed firearm into a college classroom has been a prevalent topic among special-interest groups, university administrators, lawmakers and students alike since that fateful April 16th morning in Blacksburg, Va. The heart of the debate focuses on whether allowing concealed weapons in a classroom setting can save lives if a catastrophe such as the one at Virginia Tech happens again. http://media.www.tcudailyskiff.com/media/storage/paper792/news/2007/11/30/News/Campuses.Debate.Gun.Control.Issues-3125316.shtml --- Oops, Wrong House: Around 1:30pm, property owner Gary Southworth called 911 and said that he'd shot a man who was stealing from him and that he needed help. Paramedics rushed the suspected thief to Kingwood Hospital, but he died from his wounds. Paramedics had to also take Southworth to the hospital after the shooting because the 60-year-old was having chest pains. Meanwhile, his wife, Alberta Southworth, says thieves had hit them several times recently...It's important to note that the deputy told us that when Southworth called 911, he was requesting help for the man he just shot. http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=5793118 --- A Time To Kill?: When I think about the Houston area resident who shot and killed 2 men after they burglarized his neighbor's home, I have mixed emotions. On the one hand, I want to praise him for having the courage to risk his life to stop the criminals from escaping. On the other hand, I wish he could have done so without killing them...We'll never know if that Houston area man saved future lives because he refused to sit by and watch his neighbors home being violated. Hence, we're left with a dilemma; should we be our brother's keeper, or should we merely protect our own home and turn a blind eye to the security of those around us? http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/12/a_time_to_kill.html --- NRA-ILA Alerts: Alerts for the various states are posted on the NRA-ILA website. http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/State/ -- Stephen P. Wenger Firearm safety - It's a matter for education, not legislation. http://www.spw-duf.info