By Lexie Krell

The Daily

Of The University of Washington

UW senior Stanley Luong has a concealed-pistol permit and carries a handgun.

He has also been robbed on four different occasions.

Luong’s personal experience with robbery and crime in the U-District led him to create the Facebook group “University of Washington Campus Vigilantes,” with the intent to patrol the Ave with other students who had also obtained concealed-pistol permits.

“After something like that happens to you, you get really paranoid … and having a gun helps you move on,” Luong said. “You feel safer … like you’re in control of the situation or have some control if something happens.”

The group had about 15 members join early this month before it was removed by site administrators only 48 hours after its creation due to “a violation of terms.” Even though the group no longer exists, students are continuing to carry concealed weapons in the U-District, citing a need to protect themselves amid what they feel has been an increased level of crime in the U-District during the past years. The UW Police Department (UWPD) has sent notification of 10 assaults and robberies in just the past two months.

“The police will never be there,” Luong said. “It will take them at least, like, three or four minutes before they can get there, and by that time, the robbers are gone. It’s all about taking the law into your own hands and doing the things the police aren’t doing.”

John Vinson, chief of UWPD encourages students to call 911 first in the case of an emergency.

“I would not advocate the student utilizing a weapon without allowing law enforcement to respond to the situation,” Vinson said. “The response time should be relatively quickly; I would not advocate them taking the law into their own hands.”

Some students, however, disagree.

Senior Luis Garcia, a concealed-pistol-permit holder and member of the former Facebook group, said that he contacted authorities after being robbed on Greek Row in August 2008 and waited 20 minutes for an officer to respond.

“I ended up getting the run around over the phone,” Garcia said. “There [seemed] to be a communication issue between the UWPD and the SPD as to whose jurisdiction the Greek system [was] in.”

Garcia said that getting the knowledge to obtain a permit and learning the proper safety procedures associated with the responsibility of concealed-weapon permits would both be benefits of creating a student organization for students who carry concealed weapons.

“As of now, it’s just an idea, but I believe that it has all the necessary components to become a large student organization,” Garcia said. “If they go about it in a legal manner … there’s no reason that anyone should hesitate about getting this permit if they are educated about it.”

When asked about the prohibition of weapons on campus, Luong said he cannot encourage students with permits to carry guns on campus, but he feels that a number of people do.

“I definitely believe that [there are] a lot of people who carry on campus,” Luong said. “People are carrying because … they want to have the responsibility. They like being in control of the situation if something happened.”

Vinson said that the Washington Administrative Code prohibits the possession or use of weapons on campus.

The UW College Republicans held an event calling for concealed carry to be allowed on campus last year. The organization’s president, Justin Bryant, who also holds a concealed pistol permit, said that students with the proper training who carry concealed weapons make the U-District safer.

“Whenever I’m going through high-traffic areas late at night, I carry to protect myself from all the robbers,” Garcia said. “I’ve been jumped twice in the U-District; I think that it’s good for students to be able to protect themselves.”

Reach reporter Lexie Krell at news@dailyuw.com.

By Lucretia Cardenas

The demand for concealed handgun licenses is on the upswing, and a local police department is meeting the need to teach people how to exercise their right responsibly.

Montgomery County is no different than the rest of the state. The state granted 1,892 CHLs to county residents between Sept. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, 2008. For the same period from 2008 to 2009, with two months to go, 2,464 have been granted to residents, which is a 30 percent increase.

 The Oak Ridge North Police Department started receiving questions from residents earlier this year about where they could receive CHL classes. In an effort to help them exercise their right, the ORN City Council gave the Police Department permission to begin classes.

Four residents attended the September class, and 10 completed the October class. The next class runs Nov. 12-14 and costs $10. Students are required to provide their own handgun and be familiar with gun safety, maintenance and operation.

Oak Ridge North Police Chief Andy Walters recognizes that offering the course is not common practice among police departments, but to him, it makes perfect sense.

“I have a deep-seated belief that people should exercise their right responsibly, and who better to help them do it than the police department?” Walters said.

The demand in late 2008 caused Carter’s Country in Spring to begin holding two classes a week instead of just one, said Bruce Gilchrist, who has taught CHL classes for 14 years. The double classes, each with 25-30 people, lasted until May, when attendance began to decrease due to summer vacations. With school back in session, the class remains full, but only one is offered a week.

“I don’t think the interest has died down as much as economics are playing a role now,” Gilchrist said.

He believes the increase is related to the uncertainty of government policies in relation to gun rights and increases in crime, as well as the media coverage of violent crimes. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office call statistics show that more robbery calls have come in from January to September than came in during the full 12 months of 2008 and 2007. Burglary calls also have increased, averaging 464 calls per month in 2009 compared with 387 per month in 2007 and 369 per month in 2008.

Gilchrist also sees more women and elderly individuals interested in receiving a CHL.

Gun Emporium manager John Shadbolt agrees, saying those who are most vulnerable want to be able to protect themselves.

Gun Emporium, in Conroe, also saw an increase in late 2008 and early 2009, so much so it had a waiting list three weeks out for its weekly class and started requiring a deposit.

“We’re getting a lot more calls from people who want to know about the course and what it entails,” said Emmett Kelly, owner of the Gun Emporium.

On Monday, Magnolia resident Scott Woods was at the shop signing up for a class, feeling it’s time he get his CHL.

“I’ve been wanting to take the C-H course for a long time,” Woods said. “I kept putting it off, but now I want to go ahead and get it scheduled.”

After people finish a certified course, they send their completion certificate and application to DPS, which will conduct a background check and determine whether the person is allowed to receive a CHL.

Walters encourages qualified people to exercise their right to bear arms, saying it’s just like any right and people should take advantage of their rights.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry both support gun ownership rights. They will square off in the GOP primary for governor in March.

Hutchison plans to weigh in on an upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case by helping lead a bipartisan group from Congress in filing a legal brief urging the court to rule gun ownership is an individual right that applies at the state and local levels, in addition to the federal level.

Representatives of both candidates say they own rifles and handguns and that they are hunters.

Perry’s spokesman, Mark Miner, said the governor has a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun. The senator’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Baker, said Hutchison does not.

Miner said the governor has always been a strong defender of the Second Amendment, which addresses the right to bear arms. He said Perry, also a National Rifle Association backer, supported the legislation allowing Texans to carry concealed handguns and in 2007 signed the state’s so-called castle doctrine law allowing individuals more legal rights to shoot to kill if someone breaks into their home, car or business. It was the first bill Perry signed into law that year.

Perry also signed a law in 2007 closing off public access to records showing who has concealed handgun licenses – something open government advocates fought. Hutchison said she agrees with that law blocking the records from public view.

The trend is widespread across Texas, and most people are attributing the increase to the presidential election of Barack Obama because people started fearing their right to bear arms may be limited under the new administration.

Beginning in December 2008, the Texas Department of Public Safety started receiving an unprecedented number of applications of concealed handgun permits, said Tom Vinger, assistant chief of DPS media relations. During the first six months of 2009, DPS received an average of 12,700 applications per month, which is 46 percent more than the average for the first six months of 2008, which was 8,700.

By:  TheTimesandDemocrat.com

ISSUE: 2nd Amendment case

OUR VIEW: High court likely to make clear that guns cannot be banned

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

It’s safe to say the American Bar Association is correct in assessing the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as being the subject of more disagreement and less understanding than any issue regarding the Constitution.

The 2nd Amendment is commonly known as the law of the land guaranteeing citizens the right to bear arms – the right to own and possess weapons. The amendment references “militia,” and gun-control advocates have contended the amendment should be interpreted in terms of possessing weapons as part of such.

The Supreme Court last year put new teeth into the 2nd Amendment by overturning a District of Columbia law that all but forbid possession of weapons and gun ownership in the nation’s capital. Now the court is poised to enter the fray again, agreeing to hear a challenge to Chicago’s ban on handguns.

A decision will be significant as it would extend the court’s ruling to state and local gun laws. The D.C. ruling was unique since the capital has unique federal status.

An Associated Press report concludes that even gun-control supporters believe the court will rule similarly to the D.C. decision and strike down Chicago’s ban.

The court has said that most rights laid out in the Bill of Rights serve as checks on state as well as federal restrictions. Forty-four state constitutions already guarantee gun rights.

With Congress unlikely to weigh in on gun control amid so many pressing issues, it will again fall to the high court to provide direction on just how far gun control can go. Look for the decision to make clear that while governments have the right to regulate gun ownership, they do not have the right to prohibit it.

I know, I know, everyone is champing at the bit to get out in a deer stand in the woods of East Texas overlooking a feeder that you have been filling periodically with deer corn at $5.99 a bag for a month or better.

Of course there is always the hill country hunter that has his stand overlooking a deer run and for good luck a feeder will also be there and show all of the signs of being well tended for a few months.

We cannot overlook South Texas, the Boone and Crockett producer of the state, and picture the hunter in his/her stand that looks down a couple senderos, watching feeders and the chance that a big buck will walk out and offer you a clear and doable shot.

However folks this year with the bumper crop of acorns across the state you may have a long wait in your hunting stand and that presents another problem; you can either sit in your stand and wait or you can get out of your stand and in a stealthful manner after the fashion of Daniel Boone and hunt your deer down. Of course there is also the option of relocating your stand to a live oak area and try your chances there.

 Neither seems fool-proof because if you get out of your stand and go gliding through the woods, hills, or whatever the terrain you might be taking a chance of getting shot by some other hunter who mistakes you for a deer, or feral hog if you are like me and have grown a little stout through the years. I am quite proud of myself for dodging the negativity of using the word fat.

Back to the hunting fields; if you intend getting out of your stand and practicing your stealthful prowess at creeping up on a deer let me wholeheartedly recommend you wear Blaze Camouflage so you can be seen at a country mile by other hunters and not mistaken for a deer or ………. feral hog.

Of course the odds are with you if you do decide to get out of your stand and go tromping, excuse me, exercising your stealthful prowess as you stalk the trophy deer of your dreams because since the Hunter Education program was introduced in our great country the hunting accidents involving firearms has dropped by 98 percent.

Not bad at all and it sounds like your chances of getting shot in one of our country’s major cities is far greater than walking around in the woods occupied by a bunch of hunters all carrying high powered, centerfire, scoped rifles most of which have the power to turn over a Chevrolet pickup with one shot. It is a marvel what benefits can come from education.

There are a number of points that the 21st Century deer hunter must be aware of and one is the antler spread. You see in some counties, and Montgomery County is one, there must be a 13-inch spread in the antlers. Upon hearing this new law I foolishly mentioned to game warden Alan Biggerstaff that measuring the spread prior to shooting a deer presented a problem that I could see no way of overcoming.

He patiently told me that the spread of the ears is usually a good indicator and if the horns spread surpassed the ears the buck is likely to be legal. Here again I must admit that it is a marvel what benefits can come from education.

For the folks who wish to try their hand with a crossbow this archery season I would like to point out a couple items and the first is the bow draw weight must be a minimum of 125 pounds. The crossbow must have a mechanical safety and the stock must be no less than 25 inches long. And the TPWD Annual also addresses Arrows and Bolts – crossbows do not use arrows they use bolts – and the broadhead hunting tips must be a minimum of seven-eighths inches wide and have a minimum of two cutting edges.

Now true to the code of Texas the TPWD Annual states in bold type and underlined that you cannot carry a firearm while hunting during archery only season, BUT you can carry a concealed handgun if you have a Concealed Handgun License (CHL).

Our state is a CHL state, one of many, and the state government backs our Second Amendment rights in every arena of life. If your state Government Congressmen and Senators are pro-hunting and pro-CHL you really need to contact them and let them know you appreciate their stand on both subjects. If your elected officials are not pro-CHL and hunting then I suggest you fire them next year at the election.

Back to the archery season and CHL, if you happen to wound a deer I would recommend that when you find it if it is still alive that you not follow the temptation to draw your CHL legal handgun and finish the animal. Leave your handgun in the holster and go to plan B, whatever that may be.

The purpose of your CHL handgun is to allow you the means to protect yourself and family, therefore unless you anger a deer and it follows you home seeking revenge and is a threat to you or your family leave the handgun in your holster during archery season.

Larry J. LeBlanc is executive director of the Texas Outdoor Writers Association and a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Check out his web site at www.larryjleblanc.com.

By John Diedrich of the Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin needs tougher laws to keep guns away from felons, Milwaukee police Chief Edward Flynn said Wednesday.

Among the changes Flynn called for was to make straw buying a state felony, tougher penalties for carrying a concealed weapon, making it a crime not to report a stolen gun, requiring felons to stay away from gun stores and minimum sentences for certain gun offenses.

Appearing before the Common Council’s Public Safety Committee, Flynn said his agenda was intended to target illegal guns without arousing the concern of gun rights advocates.

District Attorney John Chisholm agreed with all the suggestions, except for mandatory minimum sentences. Chisholm said there currently is enough exposure for criminals, especially with the option of taking cases into federal court.

Adam Allan, owner Badger Guns, which has been under fire by Flynn and Chisholm for its high number of crime-gun sales, said he supports the changes.

But he added he thinks Badger is being unfairly targeted by Flynn, who ordered an undercover mission after two officers were shot in the head in June with a gun bought at Badger by a straw buyer.

Allan also said he would be willing to meet with Chisholm, Flynn and others to discuss sale practices at his store. Allan insisted he has never been invited to meet with the officials. However, Mayor Tom Barrett said Allan didn’t show last year when he was invited to a meeting with top leaders.

By Peter Moss

The Richmark  Sentinel

President Zuma’s recent claims that too many guns are a “problem” and his sabre rattling antics of declaring war on guns, is misleading the public into believing the ANC government is doing the best it can to fight crime. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While some choose to believe the emotionally charged graphic descriptions and overly lurid presentations of gun control amplified by the mainstream media’s sensationalist reporting of all crimes involving firearms, one seldom reads of the many successful encounters by armed citizens when criminals with evil intent are driven away or prevented from committing crime.

Law-abiding citizens with firearms, justifiably seldom report such matters in fear that it will invoke a great deal of unreasonable suspicion and harassment from the police. There is a very real concern that the police will apply some unnecessary bureaucratic reason to remove or confiscate their firearm, leaving them defenceless in the face of rampant and uncontrolled criminality.

Good citizens have been convinced by the persuasive nature of such one-sided gun control propaganda, sensationalist reporting by the media, the unsupported utterances of government minions and the political commissars of the South African Police, that firearms are to blame and thus are the cause of the problem. The illogical conclusion and promise is therefore that legal firearm ownership must be strictly controlled and discouraged to the point of eradication if crime is to be reduced. Those who believe that enacting strict control measures or even a complete ban will be sorely disillusioned.

Examination of anti-firearm legislation shows that such measures not only fail to stop violent criminals from committing crimes, it also fails to prevent the flow of legal firearms into the illegal arms pool. Restrictive firearm legislation and bans unjustifiably deny law-abiding adults a vital and critical means of self-defence.

Even if the illegal arms pool fails to meet criminal demands, criminals who already smuggle in drugs by the ton will find no problem in adding a few hundred or even thousands of guns to any illegal shipment. The ANC, in operation Overland managed in a short time to smuggle into South Africa 40 tons of war arms and munitions. Specialised weapons, not easily available will -as they are now- simply be obtained from state resources either by theft, hire or purchase from the many criminally corrupt state officials.

Great Britain banned handguns more than 10 years ago and has had very stringent gun control laws since 1968, yet their criminal violence has escalated since then and not reduced due to the stricter measures. As early as 1971 the study by Chief Inspector Colin Greenwood of the West Yorkshire Constabulary concluded that there was no direct correlation between gun laws and violent crime. Greenwood’s study discovered that previously Britain had a very low crime rate with effectively no gun laws. Even convicted criminals could legally purchase firearms. The social circumstances at the time prevented violent crime. Since then, that restraint has faded.

The study by King´s College of London in 2002 concluded the same. Social and cultural mores affect the level of crime. Don Kates a graduate of Yale’s law school and author of “Restricting Handguns – The Liberal Sceptics Speak Out” and “Firearms and Violence: Issues of Public Policy” states that blaming guns and the gun lobby is an easy political solution. Those laws don’t impact aberrants in our society. The long-term solution, even though more difficult, is to identify those variables in society that create violent people and affect changes.

But for the sake of argument let us imagine that the gun control lobby and government policy are correct, that a complete ban therefore should eliminate or at the very least impact heavily on violent confrontational crime. What would be the result of such a ban, that no law-abiding citizen would be armed and how would criminals with violent natures react to this situation?

• Would violent criminals as the gun lobby claims now be deprived of firearms? Greenwood’s study has already found that the pool of illegal firearms is more than sufficient to continue the supply for many years.

• Would criminals already enticed by easy money, low risk of prosecution and an expensive life-style from the massive proceeds of crime suddenly develop a social conscious and seek menial low paid work? Few would think there was even a vague chance of such lofty ideals.

• Would unarmed citizens now dissuade criminals – and aspirant criminals – not quite so brave enough to risk life and limb with confrontation of an armed citizen, in a safe work place and no risk of serious injury or even death, from committing crime?

• Would government’s gift of unarmed victims to criminals be seen as an act of friendship and aid or a reason to rehabilitate themselves into becoming law-abiding model citizens?

• Would all citizens suffer higher crime rates and increased risk of injury, even death, because of this ban or would we be living in the promised land of safety and security?

It should come as no surprise to anyone that violent and even non-violent criminals will react by celebrating the bounty of unarmed victims awarded to them by government in the only way possible, by becoming even more brazen and active in crime. Government will not accept any responsibility for increased crime by paying victims compensation for their decisions, the self-evident results of such legislation could hardly be claimed to be unknown.

Isn’t it obvious that armed citizens provide a protective shield for all citizens by the simple fact that criminals are unaware of who is armed and willing to defend their life and property with a firearm? This is confirmed by the most extensive study ever done in the USA. The Wright, Rossi and Daley survey for the Carter administration of convicted felons found that criminal’s greatest fear was a confrontation with an armed victim, not the police.

Anyone who desires to remain a high-risk element in the criminals mind should not encourage the removal or even a small decrease of this low cost ‘protective shield’. There is much evidence and reason to indicate they do so to their own detriment also that of everyone else.

By Daily Tribute

Mount Pleasant, TX

Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC) will hold a one-day Concealed Handgun Licensure Course on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Criminal Justice Building on the NTCC campus.

The training will include both the classroom and shooting proficiency portions of the license requirements.

In 1995, a law granting Texans the right to carry concealed firearms made Texas the 31st state to legalize carrying concealed weapons. Texas is one of the states having the most stringent requirements for acquiring a concealed handgun license.

According to Richard Jones, Director of the Northeast Police Academy, this course will train participants how to use a gun appropriately to ensure personal safety.

“This Concealed Handgun License allows you to go most places with a handgun on your person. The training is designed to give students tools for dispute resolution as well as a clear understanding about when to use deadly force, when not to use deadly force and the consequences of these actions. With a license, you can make an informed choice to carry your handgun-and stay within the law,” Jones said.

Kenneth and Beverly Amerson will be the instructors for the 10-hour session, which meets or exceeds state requirements to obtain a concealed handgun license. Students must be age 21 or older and the cost of the training is $100 for tuition and a $25 fee. The class is limited to 24 participants, so students are encouraged to enroll early.

“Whether you are an experienced marksman or not, you can gain an understanding of the gun’s parameters and how to handle it in a safe manner,” Jones said. “The proficiency part of the licensure course is the equivalent of your driving test for driving a car.

“It’s designed to be completed successfully – but we would encourage each student to get additional practice and to take more gun safety training after they complete their licensure course.”

To learn more about this course or to sign up, contact the NTCC Continuing Education and Corporate Training office at 903-434-8134. Visit www.ntcc.edu to learn about other learning opportunities at NTCC.

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

By NRA-ILA
National Rifle Association – Institute For Legislative Action

Current members of “Mayors Against Illegal Guns”

Some local mayors have joined “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” (MAIG) which was founded and is funded by activist anti-gun billionaire and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Is your mayor one of them? Click here to find out! You may also look at the list below.

Despite its very misleading name, this national group of anti-gun mayors has lobbied Congress against national reciprocity of state Right-to-Carry permits, against much-needed reform of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), for regulating gun shows out of existence, and for repealing the Tiahrt Amendment that protects the privacy rights of law-abiding gun owners and limits disclosure of sensitive firearm trace data to protect law enforcement personnel and protect lawful gun manufacturers from bogus lawsuits.

Bloomberg created “Mayors Against Illegal Guns” as a front group to lobby Congress to oppose important pro-gun reforms and support new federal gun control restrictions. And some mayors have joined or been duped into joining this anti-gun Bloomberg crusade. If your mayor has joined MAIG, it is critical that he or she resign from this anti-gun group. You can do your part by contacting your mayor`s office today and urging your mayor to withdraw his or her MAIG membership. A number of mayors have already quit the anti-gun Bloomberg coalition and yours should be the next one to do so.

Please call, e-mail and write your mayor today and ask him or her to support law-abiding gun owners by publicly disassociating with Michael Bloomberg and “Mayors Against Illegal Guns.” Help your mayor make the right choice between protecting your Second Amendment rights or continuing to be associated with those who actively oppose and undermine your firearms freedom.

Please click here to see if your mayor is a member of this national gun control group. You may also click on the map below to determine if your mayor is a current or former MAIG member.

If your mayor is a current MAIG member, please use the contact information provided to urge your mayor to resign from this national anti-gun group today. If a former MAIG member, contact your mayor and thank him or her for disassociating from Michael Bloomberg and his national gun control group.

The action that you take today will protect your Second Amendment rights tomorrow.

Members of “Mayors Against Illegal Guns”
as of September 23, 2009