Category: Gun Rights

Castle Doctrine Bill in Wisconsin

I just saw this come over the NRA-ILA site this morning. A bill has been presented in Wisconsin that would enact castle doctrine.

Currently the bill, AB 193, is sitting in the Assembly Rules Committee. I know little about Wisconsin politics but those of you living there may want to find out who’s on that committee and urge them to vote yes on this bill so it can get out to a vote by the state representatives.

In case you’re new to the self defense terminology castle doctrine means you are able to defend your home from invaders without fear of legal repercussions. In states without castle doctrine (such as Wisconsin and Minnesota) if a criminal breaks into your home and you injure him (in other words you defended your home) the invader can take legal action against you (although it’s not a guarantee that the invader will win it’s still legal headaches for the home owner regardless).

Apparently The UN Believes It’s The ATF

Snowflakes in Hell brings a story that is rather interesting. Yesterday the National Shooting Sports Foundation posted a news item brining to light that the United Nations is filing firearm trace requests. They posted a trace request originating from the United Nations [Be forewarned it’s a PDF document].

This is troubling because of two facts. First of all the United Nations is all for disarming civilian populations. That shouldn’t be a surprise when you stop to realize the United Nations is composed of multiple world governments, most of which either severely restrict or outright ban civilians from owning firearms. Second the United Nations apparently believe they have the same authority in this country as the ATF.

The trace request is for a H&K P7 that the French apparently found (more likely surrendered). What’s funny is the request states the company should cooperate due to a United Nations resolution. These resolutions are binding to signing government bodies not the civilian population. That means if the United Nations wants a trace performed they need to go to our federal government not the private company that manufactures the pistol. I hope H&K decides the UN sucks and that H&K hates them. The United Nations is the last organization we want to give an inch to because they’ll take at least a light year.

Because It’s Worked So Well Before

An unsurprising story from Africa appeared on the BBC today. Apparently there’s violence in South Sudan. I know what a shocker right? Of course this next part doesn’t make sense:

This is why the south’s semi-autonomous government has launched an ambitious initiative to control the violence.

In Jonglei, the biggest and most violent state in the south, teams of officials have been touring remote areas for the past three months, telling cattle-herders to hand in their guns.

So there’s massive violence and the solution is to… disarm the cattle herders. Yeah because disarmament has worked so well in other countries to curb violence. Wait a minute that’s a complete crock. Disarmament only makes live easier on the lawless who refuse to turn in their arms. That does beg the question why would any of the cattle herder turn in their means of self defense against the lawless? Well because:

Those who refuse face five years in prison or a fine of 20 cows.

The classic government mechanism for disarmament. Give us your guns or we’ll take them and either send you to jail or steal even more of your property. Of course:

“We found people were already fed up with these arms, so they co-operated with the civil authorities,” said Jonglei State Governor Kuol Manyang.

I’m guessing the reason you’ve found co-operative people isn’t because those people are sick of their guns but because you’re forcing them to turn in their guns. When citizens do this in place of government it’s called theft.

I Never Thought I’d Say This But Go Iowa

Good news citizens of the state south of Minnesota. It seems that the shall-issue concealed carry bill is moving through your legislation. According to the NRA-ILA all that is left is for your governor to sign it. So get on the horn and tell him to sign it when it comes across his desk. It’s about time another state gains shall-issue status instead of “politically-well-connected-issue” status.

Some Scary Stuff Going Down in Wisconsin

The NRA just threw out an alert for those of you in Wisconsin. Two anti-gun pieces of legislation have been introduced. I haven’t read through them as of now but here is what they apparently cover:

* Require that all firearm transfers be conducted through a federally licensed dealer except to family members. That means if you wanted to sell your firearm to a friend, you would have to find an FFL and pay whatever transfer fees they felt appropriate.

* Go WAY beyond federal restrictions for firearm possession and prohibit individuals convicted of misdemeanors. This provision is a blatant constitutional violation. In Heller v. D.C., the ruling states that only felony convictions are justified in restricting this constitutionally guaranteed right.

* Also require that all firearms transfers be reported and all guns registered into a centralized database.

* Establish no limitations on who would have access to this database.

So those of you across the Mississippi from me may want to get on the horn with your representatives.

Second Amendment Rights For Sale

Sebastian at Snowflakes in Hell points out an Arizona training company called Insight Firearms Training Development (Not to be mistaken for InSight Firearms of Seattle) is writing customers to oppose Arizona’s House Bill 2347 and Senate Bill 1108. These bills are the ones on the table that would allow Arizona citizens to carry without having to obtain a permit.

Apparently Insight Firearms Training Development make enough money off of permit training that they want to ensure Arizona doesn’t becomes a true right to carry state. I find this sickening to a degree that I can’t put into words. These are the type of people who aren’t helping the cause and those of us for the second amendment should boycott such companies into bankruptcy.

Paymar’s Private Property Elimination Bill Shut Down in Committee

Good news fellow Minnesotans! Representative Paymar’s bill to eliminate your right to sell your personal firearms without begging the government for permission was shut down with a five to three vote by the Crime Victims/Criminal Records Sub-Committee. Of course HF1396 was able to move through.

Now we get to wait yet again for Paymar to get a bug up his ass about Minnesotans have the right to private property. He’ll try to get his bill through again one way or another. Unless of course he gets voted out which will hopefully happen this election.

I Liked It Better When I Didn’t Have Anything to Report On

Usually the gun rights front here in Minnesota is relatively quiet. That is until Mr. Paymar gets a bug up his butt and decides to introduce anti-gun legislation. This is more of a heads up than anything since I just got NRA-ILA alert today (Sorry I’ve been busy). The two previously mentioned anti-gun laws are being heard today by the Crime Victims/Criminal Records Sub-Committee at noon. My last letter writing efforts went out to everybody on all three of the involved committees but phone calls in the next hour certainly won’t hurt. The bills are:

House File 2960 would force private sales at gun shows to go through background checks. Gun prohibitionists, like Representative Paymar, falsely claim that a large number of criminals get their guns from gun shows; however, the most recent federal study on gun shows put the figure at only 0.7 percent. This effort is a stepping stone for gun control advocates seeking to ban all private sales, even among family and friends.

House File 1396 includes a provision that would allow a court that issues a domestic abuse protective order to prohibit the respondent from having any contact with a PET OR COMPANION ANIMAL OWNED, POSSESSED, OR KEPT by a party protected in the order. This new provision could have serious consequences for Minnesotans who exercise their right to keep and bear arms.

The first one is obviously the one I’m most worried about. Minnesota is a pretty leftist state and these kinds of bill do have a chance of getting through. The last thing I want is to be legally required to beg the government for permission to sell my private property. Let’s hope these two get shut down in committee.