Lies, Damned Lies And Statistics: Chicago and New York are about to 
close out 2007 with the lowest number of homicides in more than 40 
years, while cities such as Baltimore, Atlanta and Miami have seen 
killings go up because of what police say is a surge in guns and gang 
violence...In Miami, authorities say the proliferation of assault 
weapons led to an increase in killings, from 56 in 2005 to 79 in 2006 
and 86 so far in 2007. "You just pull a trigger and 20 or 30 rounds come 
in a second and in those 20 rounds you're sure to hit your intended 
target and some innocent bystanders, totally unlike a firearm that is 
just one bullet every time you pull the trigger," Miami Police spokesman 
Willie Moreno said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071228/ap_on_re_us/big_city_homicides;_ylt=AngRKQsxKsa_edij0vUabU.s0NUE

For Comparison...: This may be a good time to read (or re-read) Don 
Kates' and Gary Mauser's article "Would Banning Firearms Reduce Murder 
and Sucide?".

http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/jlpp/Vol30_No2_KatesMauseronline.pdf
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Brady Bunch Misfires In Call For Ammo Ban: In the wake of two mass 
shootings in Colorado, it is no surprise that the Brady Campaign to 
Prevent Gun Violence is calling for more gun control. They start by 
falsely claiming that the now expired 1994 "Assault Weapons" ban could 
have prevent both shootings...What is of a greater concern to me and to 
ever big-game hunter in the county is the following statement post on 
the Brady Center website: "Perhaps even more shocking, the type of 
bullet many assault weapons fire (7.62mm full metal jacket) can 
penetrate four categories of police body armor [pdf]. There is no 
legitimate reason the public should have this kind of access to 
military-style assault weapons." (First they came for the 
intermediate-power military ammo...)

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/article4113.html
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Idaho Gun Dealer Broadens Fight Against BATFE: The U.S. Bureau of 
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has long been the target of 
whimsical heckles and opinionated challenges on a local gun shop 
dealer's Web site. Now the agency can go there to find heightened 
criticism from a different posse: politicians, including some Republican 
presidential candidates... At least that's what GOP presidential 
candidate Fred Thompson is quoted as saying in an interview with Field & 
Stream's David E. Petzal, excerpted in Horsley's blog. "I would ... 
consider giving (ATF) a wider range of sanctions so that dealers' simple 
paperwork violations do not result in license revocations," Thompson 
told the magazine. "Having a politically accountable (ATF) director, who 
is now subject to Senate confirmation, instead of a career bureaucrat 
should also help change (ATF) priorities and make the agency more 
responsive."

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/12/28/news/local_state/127593.txt
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Ohio Women Increase Interest In CCW: ..."We have a lot of ladies who 
take the class," said Roger Sisco, a shooting instructor who along with 
his wife, Linda, facilitates concealed carry classes in Defiance County. 
"There are more women overall. In some classes I have only women, but 
most of the time it's about 40 percent women and 60 percent men." Chad 
Cleland, shooting instructor at Cleland's Outdoor World in Swanton, said 
the last class he taught included 15 people, six of which were women. 
"We also see a lot of older folks. The class is not just about how to 
pack a handgun, it's also about how to keep yourself safe and be aware 
of your surroundings," Cleland said.

http://www.crescent-news.com/news/article/3063851
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New York County To Revise Pistol-Permit Procedure: Pistol permit 
procedures in Cayuga County are changing Jan. 1 so they fall more in 
line with state laws. The first change is that all applications and 
amendments to permits will be handled by the Sheriff's Office at the 
county Public Safety Building on County House Road. "It's a 
collaborative effort to make it easier for those applying for pistol 
permits or taking care of amendments," said Sue Dwyer, county clerk. (I 
was under the impression that New York pistol permits are to be issued 
by county judges and that the interposition of a law-enforcement agency 
is of questionable legality.)

http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1198836008122750.xml&coll=1
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Ignorance In Indiana: ..."Gun control," I answered. "It's just plain 
stupid to complain about 'crime' and do nothing to reduce the intensity 
of danger. Get guns off the streets. Make it illegal for ordinary 
citizens to buy, sell, own or possess handguns or automatic weapons in 
Indiana...The U.S. Constitution," I said emphatically, "enables a 
militia to exist. We do not have a state militia and therefore the 
Second Amendment of the Constitution does not give each citizen 
unlimited opportunities to kill his or her neighbors and family." (From 
the Indiana State Constitution: The people shall have a right to bear