From alertslist at firearmscoalition.com Mon Jan 17 21:54:58 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.com (Firearms Coalition Alerts List) Date: Mon Jan 17 22:01:02 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Neal Knox Message-ID: <41EC96A2.9020109@firearmscoalition.com> From the Desk of Neal Knox The Firearms Coalition PO Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 5 January 2005 Dear Friends, I?ve always made it a point to deliver the news to you straight - good or bad. Now I?m afraid I have some unpleasant news. As you?re aware, I have been fighting colon cancer for the past year. The doctors tell me that my fight is almost over. I believe in miracles. I believe in God?s healing power and eternal life through Jesus Christ. I know it will take nothing short of a miracle for me to win this battle. Should that miracle be granted, I will rejoice; but I rejoice nonetheless, for I?ve been blessed with a wonderful life, a great family, work that I love, and many wonderful friends. Most of all, I thank God for my long-suffering wife Jay Janen who not only put up with me, but has actively supported my efforts for the Second Amendment for nearly forty-nine years. It?s been a great run! I had always assumed that long life was my birthright. My father passed away just this past fall at the age of ninety-two. I counted on the same sort of life-span and was planning accordingly. We?ve barely settled into that house in the country that I?ve been promising Jay for so long. I started rebuilding her classic Mustang convertible and have it in pieces in the basement garage. I?ve laid out a 100- yard range next to the house, and was looking forward to having my dear friend Ken Oehler help me set up a ballistics lab in the basement. Time for those projects was budgeted into the next generation of the Firearms Coalition. The plan was to have sons, Chris and Jeff take more prominent roles in the fight, freeing me up to do other things like shooting and writing books. Jeff moved out here for that purpose over a year ago but my illness sidetracked those plans. I have long wanted to evolve the Firearms Coalition into a resource for grassroots activists and organizations. The goals of the Coalition would be to provide activists with the resources, training, and technology they need to be more effective in the fight. Now, I hope you will help Jay and the boys as it looks like they will be taking on this important task without me. There will be more details in the weeks and months to come, including a new book that Chris, Jeff and I have been collaborating on. I regret that I am unlikely to see it in print, but I am confident in their ability to see it through. I am thankful for you and the many other friends that have blessed my life making me a truly wealthy man. There have been disagreements, even fights, but the goal of freedom has been a unifying force. I ask your prayers, both for me and for my family, especially for Jay who never expected to see me go first. I urge you to continue the fight. Continue your support of the ongoing efforts of the Firearms Coalition and keep the grass roots growing. Thank you for keeping me in the fight for all these years. As always: Yours for the Second Amendment, Neal ============================================================================== Neal passed away early this morning, January 17. He was surrounded by our children and his brothers and went quickly without pain. A memorial service has been scheduled for Thursday, January 20, at the Manassas Church of Christ, 8110 Signal Hill Road in Manassas, Virginia. The service will begin at 10:30 AM with a luncheon to follow. It was Neal?s wish that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Firearms Coalition or to Rainbow Children?s Home in Gainesville, VA. Firearms Coalition P.O. Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 Rainbow Christian Services 6004 Artemus Rd. Gainesville, VA Neal?s condition deteriorated so rapidly that there wasn?t time to get the letter above out before his death. He very much wanted to let his friends and supporters know what was going on. We will post more information on the web site, www.NealKnox.com. I can?t tell you how much Neal has loved the difficult work to which he dedicated his life. It has cost us much while at the same time being extremely rewarding in so many ways. The greatest reward has been the love and friendship that we have found along the way. You?re an important part of that. Thank you so much, Jay Janen Knox Obituary: http://www.nealknox.com/Obituary.html From archivesay at montego-sys.com Wed Jan 12 02:46:53 2005 From: archivesay at montego-sys.com (=?utf-8?q?Jane Ntax?=) Date: Wed Jan 19 00:12:43 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Each medication at 0.93$ per dose Message-ID: <20050112123404.C2EF55ED725@mbe0.msomt.modwest.com> Have you at any time ruminate how much a normal man hires for his drugs? Pain pills, medicine to improve the choice of life, weight cut down tablets, and much more. I lead you the same tablets, the generic reading - the equal class, the equal recipe at a greatly sensible monetary value. http://zcveaxwr.aflmbgif.info/?vf1712wM0z6mb_veafq -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://mailapp.modwest.com/pipermail/fcalerts-list/attachments/20050112/23b82485/attachment.htm From chris at knoxcomm.com Fri Feb 25 01:05:08 2005 From: chris at knoxcomm.com (Chris Knox) Date: Fri Feb 25 01:05:48 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] What now? Message-ID: <421EDC34.7010903@knoxcomm.com> It's been a long couple of months. If you've visited http://www.nealknox.com or http://www.firearmscoalition.com, you've seen Neal Knox's announcement of the final word on his condition, his obituary, Jay Knox's announcement of her intent to continue the fight, plus a PDF of the latest Hard Corps Report. The site has been recently updated to include Jay's NRA Board of Director picks. As we have mentioned, there will be changes. None of us -- not Jay, Chris, Shan, Jeff, or Stacey -- expects to replace Neal Knox. We cannot continue in the same fashion that Neal operated. But we can be what Neal envisioned: A coalition of clubs, associations and individual activists bound around the idea that freedom of arms is the beginning of all other freedoms. To that end, we expect to be very busy over the coming year. We will be improving the web site to include adding interactive features and resources for activists, including confidential communications channels. Our friends at Shotgun News continue to carry the Knox report. Chris is busy assembling an anthology of Neal's writing from years past which we hope have available for you by the end of this year. As we move forward we will be holding seminars and workshops around the country to bring local and regional activists together to swap ideas and strategies. Neal Knox made an impact on the gun rights movement. We aim to preserve and further his legacy with the next phase of the Firearms Coalition. We look forward to your help in this continuing endeavor. For the Second Amendment, The Knox Family From robertgh_3 at bellsouth.net Sun Feb 27 15:37:16 2005 From: robertgh_3 at bellsouth.net (robertgh_3@bellsouth.net) Date: Sun Feb 27 15:37:33 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Re: fcalerts-list Digest, Vol 7, Issue 1 Message-ID: <20050227223716.YHZV2033.imf24aec.mail.bellsouth.net@mail.bellsouth.net> > I have been reading Neal Knox report for some years and it turly saddens to hear about the passing of one our best Second Amendment supporters I wish that I would have done or could do more to aid our cause rather than sitting back and letting Neal Knox and the rest of those who do the actual grunt work ,but the most I can do is just aid you with some money now and then . I hope that there will be some one who can fill in Neal Knox 's shoes but if not we will have to stand together and stand up to those who would place us all under their Thumb and try to control the people thru Disarmment. thank you for all the work that you have done for the Second Amendment and the Rights of Americans.....Robert Hinds > From: fcalerts-list-request@nealknox.com > Date: 2005/02/25 Fri PM 02:00:19 EST > To: fcalerts-list@nealknox.com > Subject: fcalerts-list Digest, Vol 7, Issue 1 > > Send fcalerts-list mailing list submissions to > fcalerts-list@nealknox.com > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mailapp.modwest.com/mailman/listinfo/fcalerts-list > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > fcalerts-list-request@nealknox.com > > You can reach the person managing the list at > fcalerts-list-owner@nealknox.com > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of fcalerts-list digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. What now? (Chris Knox) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2005 01:05:08 -0700 > From: Chris Knox > Subject: [Fcalerts-list] What now? > To: fcalerts-list@nealknox.com > Message-ID: <421EDC34.7010903@knoxcomm.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed > > It's been a long couple of months. > > If you've visited http://www.nealknox.com or > http://www.firearmscoalition.com, you've seen Neal Knox's announcement > of the final word on his condition, his obituary, Jay Knox's > announcement of her intent to continue the fight, plus a PDF of the > latest Hard Corps Report. > > The site has been recently updated to include Jay's NRA Board of > Director picks. > > As we have mentioned, there will be changes. None of us -- not Jay, > Chris, Shan, Jeff, or Stacey -- expects to replace Neal Knox. We cannot > continue in the same fashion that Neal operated. But we can be what > Neal envisioned: A coalition of clubs, associations and individual > activists bound around the idea that freedom of arms is the beginning > of all other freedoms. > > To that end, we expect to be very busy over the coming year. We will be > improving the web site to include adding interactive features and > resources for activists, including confidential communications channels. > Our friends at Shotgun News continue to carry the Knox report. Chris is > busy assembling an anthology of Neal's writing from years past which we > hope have available for you by the end of this year. > > As we move forward we will be holding seminars and workshops around the > country to bring local and regional activists together to swap ideas and > strategies. > > Neal Knox made an impact on the gun rights movement. We aim to preserve > and further his legacy with the next phase of the Firearms Coalition. > > We look forward to your help in this continuing endeavor. > > > For the Second Amendment, > > > The Knox Family > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > fcalerts-list mailing list > fcalerts-list@nealknox.com > http://mailapp.modwest.com/mailman/listinfo/fcalerts-list > > > End of fcalerts-list Digest, Vol 7, Issue 1 > ******************************************* > From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Sat Mar 19 23:05:03 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition Alerts List) Date: Sat Mar 19 23:05:07 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Long Overdue Update Message-ID: <423D128F.80200@firearmscoalition.org> First some housekeeping. My apologies for the spam that slipped through our security perimeter last month. It was not a matter of the list being hijacked or anything so dramatic, but was a simple matter of a door being left open. It's also what allowed a comment from a friendly" to be transmitted to this one-way list. I've long steered clear of running a "chat" list, having moderated lists at work and in other capacities. It's long hours with short pay and you rarely get to be right. We may do it yet, but it won't be from this list. My second item is to thank the list members and our supporters around the world (quite literally) for the wonderful expressions of sympathy and sharing that have been offered in the weeks since Dad's death. It's a hard time, but we are making it through with the help of God and the wonderful friends He has provided, and I hope that we can show at least some of Dad's gumption as continue his work. Finally, my mother Jay, my brother Jeff, my sister Shan, and I will be in Houston for the NRA convention the weekend of April 15. We look forward to seeing old friends and making some new ones after a trying year. Life goes on and so must we. We'll be in the Member's Meeting on Saturday and on the show floor on Sunday. If you look around the Primedia booth you'll probably run into one or another of us. --Chris Knox ========================================================================= Bush Second Term Forecast: Mixed Historically, second terms, even of presidents whom gun owners helped to elect, have not held good news for gun owners. During Nixon?s abbreviated second term, a "Saturday Night Special" bill was floated that included the Colt Single Action Army. Reagan?s second term was marked by increased foot-dragging on passage and the eventual watering-down of the McClure-Volkmer reform of the 1968 Gun Control Act, along with a restrictive bill ostensibly aimed at "plastic guns" in the wake of the introduction of the polymer-framed Glock, actually a warmed-over version of a "Saturday Night Special" bill from the previous congress. So, it is with some trepidation that activists anticipate the second term of George W. Bush. Presidents typically shuffle their cabinets at the beginning of the second term. Some of Bush?s changes have raised eyebrows among gun owners. The most publicized of those changes is the exit of Attorney General John Ashcroft to be replaced by Alberto Gonzales. During his confirmation Gonzales expressed support for renewal of the Clinton "assault weapon" ban which expired last year. He takes over a Justice Department that had just released an extensive analysis of the Second Amendment as an individual right. How Gonzales will treat the Second Amendment is an open question. Some of our concerns are tempered by the fact that this administration has operated in "stealth" mode on the gun issue. During the campaign Bush said he would sign a reauthorization bill, but went to great lengths to ensure that it never crossed his desk. Gonzales may have been echoing the president?s position. While that back-handed strategy is annoying to gun owners, it beats the approach taken by his father which was to claim support for the Second Amendment while undermining it at every turn. We suggest to our friends and supporters that in this case, as always, they follow the dictum of Firearms Coalition founder Neal Knox: "Pay no attention to what they say, watch what they do!" The bright spot in the new cabinet is the appointment of Condoleezza Rice to Secretary of State. She described herself as a "Second Amendment absolutist" in an August, 2000 interview with columnist George Will. Rice grew up Birmingham, Alabama and had seen her father and other men in the African-American community arm themselves in defense against threats of racists. She has lived the Second Amendment in ways that most of us can only imagine. Flowing from the Rice appointment is another encouraging choice, the appointment of John Bolton as representative to the United Nations. The U.N. post is critical in the light of the much-publicized 2001 "Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Their Aspects." The position of the conference was that governments should have a monopoly on deadly force. Bolton quoted the Second Amendment in his statement to the conference and cited the possible need to assist "an oppressed non-state group defending itself from a genocidal government." In other words, he recognizes the legitimacy of armed self-defense against an oppressive government. The howls against the Bolton nomination, and who is doing the howling, is encouraging to say the least. The replacement of Tom Ridge as Secretary of Homeland Security with former Third Circuit Court Judge Michael Chertoff is a wash at best. Ridge was no friend of the Second Amendment. But neither, apparently, is Chertoff. As an Assistant Attorney General, Chertoff?s name appears on a government brief arguing that the Emerson case should not be heard in the Supreme Court. Emerson was arrested for possessing a pistol while under a restraining order. His indictment was dismissed by District Judge Sam Cummings who, in the dismissal, issued an encyclopedic analysis of the Second Amendment. The government appealed and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the indictment. Emerson has appealed to the Supreme Court which has yet to announce whether they will hear the case. Chertoff and then Solicitor General Theodore Olson argued in their brief that the Supreme Court should decline to hear the Emerson case because, among other things, the Second Amendment only protects state militias. Another cloud over the cabinet is the retention of Norman Mineta as Secretary of Transportation. Mineta did his best to strangle the Federal Flight Deck Officer program to allow pilots to (again) travel armed. The program is now so encrusted in red tape and process, including invasive psychological screenings, and training that can only happen at a remote Artesia, New Mexico site, that few pilots have bothered to wade into the mess. Based on what we?ve seen in both DOT and DHS, it?s unlikely that the armed pilots program will expand unless significant changes happen in both departments. So the forecast for the second Bush term is mixed. As ever, the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Eternal means just that. ========================================================================= "Sixty Minutes" To Bash .50 Cal -- Beware What Is To Come This Sunday (March 20, 2005) "Sixty Minutes" will air another slap at the .50 BMG rifle, this time with Ed Bradley interviewing an arms smuggler who allegedly shipped some 200 rifles to Kosovo The .50 has been kept in the news with a constant drumbeat from the Brady Center and Violence Policy Center. An obliging press has missed publishing few of their press releases, usually verbatim. A similar drumbeat has started against the FN-Herstal "Five-seveN" pistol which is (falsely) alleged to be an armor piercing "assault pistol." Observing similar trends in days gone by, Neal Knox compared the media drumbeat to an artillery barrage softening up a hill before an assault We should expect the ground troops -- legislators with bills aimed at "solving" the "problem" raised in the media over the past few months. We can expect a renewal of the Clinton "assault weapon" ban with these latest "Devil's Guns" thrown in to raise the fear factor. Be ready. ========================================================================= Atlanta Shooting Stirs Bid For Sci-Fi Gun Chicago personal injury trial lawyer Robert Kreisman claimed that the Atlanta court house shooting, which was committed using a gun forced from a jail guard, could have "easily" been prevented through the use of "Smart Gun" technology which would only allow authorized users to fire a weapon. The lawyer has taken to sending out press releases that indicate he has the firearms industry in his sights. Firearms experts noted that mental telepathy could "easily" have been used to detect the perpetrator's plan and so prevent the incident, and that time travel technology will "easily" be used to undo the crime in the past. Neither of those technologies presently exists either. ========================================================================= DEA Footshot A Drug Enforcement Administration undercover officer who gave a gun safety lecture before a youth group in Orlando ended up giving a more graphic lesson than he intended. The unnamed agent flashes a Glock .40 and then claims that he is the only person in the room "professional" enough to carry the piece. He racks the slide, displays it for the fourth-grade class to see, and then drops it to his side. The weapon is pointed in a relatively safe direction for most of the time the agent handles it up until he pulls the trigger and shoots himself in the foot. According to Orlando news outlets, the agent has been suspended. Video of this remarkable lesson in gun safety is available at http://www.firearmscoalition.org/special/. Look under the Multimedia heading. ========================================================================= Jay Knox To Speak At Women's Conference Jay Knox will be a featured speaker at the National Conference for Women Shooters in Phoenix, Arizona, March 31 - April 3, 2005. The conference, which touches on many aspects of shooting from competition to personal defense, is expected to draw women from all over the country. More information at http://www.shootingforwomenalliance.com/. ========================================================================= Portrait of Neal Knox Shan Knox has applied her creative talents to a montage of personal photographs of Neal Knox. It's a multi-faceted portrait of a complex man that shows him as a father, a husband, a sportsman, a brother, a friend, and a man full of life and fantastically rich in the only things that really matter in this life. It's at http://www.nealknox.com/multimedia/dad.wmv. We miss him terribly, but we know that he lives on through God's grace, and in the legacy that we preserve in our efforts here. We hope you'll enjoy it. -- Chris Knox From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Wed Apr 20 15:09:10 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition Alerts List) Date: Wed Apr 20 15:08:25 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] (Arizona interest) SB 1363 the "Restaurant Carry Bill" Message-ID: <4266C4F6.9070004@firearmscoalition.org> Forwarding a good note. As you may know, current law in Arizona prohibits CCW holders from even entering "licensed premises" which definitely includes a restaurant, even with a beer/wine license. And it could be stretched to include a hotel lobby. Under SB 1363 those legally carrying would be prohibited from drinking. The bill is opposed by the restauranteurs and tourist industry. No word has been received from them as to how those who presently carry illegally are prevented from drinking. Democrat Janet Napolitano has never been particularly friendly to gun owners, however she has made a few overtures in the past couple of years, including shielding Ben Avery Range north of Phoenix from encroaching development. Politically, there is little to be gained by vetoing the bill. She is unlikely to face any primary opposition. On the other side, she has a chance to at least blunt opposition from gun rights supporters. Few likely Republican challengers would be able to overcome her current standing without a wedge issue to peel off gun voters. This could well be it. If she signs or lets it pass, it will certainly give Republicans something to think about as they address the gun issue. If you live in Arizona, or come out here to visit, please call. Chris Knox ========================================================================== Dear Arizona Gun Owner, It is absolutely critical for you to act on this *_TODAY_*. Please do not expect anyone else to do it for you. We need calls to Governor Janet Napolitano's office *_TODAY _*there is a good chance that the Governor will sign *SB 1363* the */"Restaurant Carry Bill"/* which is extremely important to law abiding gun owners. But don't allow her to say "nobody called my office about this, so they must not be interested, so I vetoed it". *Please call the Governor's Office today at (602) 542-4331 or email her at azgov@az.gov. Respectfully request that she sign SB 1363 into law.* *After you call please forward this email to your friends and family and ask them to call as well.* It is time for Arizona to join the 33 other states that allow the carry of firearms into restaurants that serve alcohol! Thank you!! Todd Rathner, Member, NRA Board of Directors =================================== SB 1363, legislation allowing law-abiding citizens to carry self-defense firearms into restaurants and other establishments that sell alcohol, has passed the Senate by a vote of 17-12. *The legislation prohibits a citizen who is carrying a firearm in these establishments from consuming alcohol. In recognition of private property rights, it also allows property owners to post a notice prohibiting firearms in their establishments*. *The bill is now headed to Governor Janet Napolitano for her consideration. It is absolutely essential that the Governor hear from law-abiding gun owners like you. Please call the Governor's Office today at (602) 542-4331 or email her at azgov@az.gov. Respectfully request that she sign SB 1363 into law.* There are currently 33 states with laws similar to what is proposed in SB 1363. These include the Arizona border states of California, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. None of these 33 states have realized any problems, as evidenced by the fact that there have been no attempts to amend or repeal their laws. This is an extraordinary record of law-abiding, responsible conduct in light of the fact that citizens carry firearms into these establishments tens of millions of times each year. Establishments that serve alcohol are not immune from life-threatening violence. Citizens deserve the opportunity to defend themselves and their families when they dine out. Under current law, firearms must be stored in unattended vehicles. If vehicles are stolen or broken into, these firearms fall into criminal hands. Arizona's exceptionally high rate of auto theft makes this an especially critical matter. The passage of SB 1363 is essential in order to allow law-abiding Arizonans to defend themselves and to ensure the safekeeping of firearms by authorizing citizens to maintain custody. The opponents of this legislation have made emotional claims that SB 1363 will endanger the public. They have had over three years to find evidence supporting their claims. Their silence speaks volumes. They have also claimed that there will be increased insurance premiums for property owners and dangers to law enforcement personnel. They have found no evidence of this in any of the 33 states. One thing is certain -- criminals and others intent on violence are already illegally carrying firearms in these establishments. SB 1363 returns private property rights to these establishment owners by empowering them with the ability to allow law-abiding gun owners to carry self-defense firearms on their property. Please contact Governor Napolitano today and request that she sign SB 1363 into law! From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Fri Apr 22 01:10:05 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition Alerts List) Date: Fri Apr 22 02:05:16 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Hard Corps Report Available Online Message-ID: <4268A34D.7060201@firearmscoalition.org> The latest Hard Corps Report is up at http://www.firearmscoalition.org/. Look for the link at the top of the navigation bar on the left. ======================================================================== As noted in the last (and garbled on my part) alert, Arizona governor Janet Napolitano is sitting on what the anti's call the "guns in bars bill" and what "Gun Owner's Guide" author Alan Korwin calls the "breakfast at Denny's bill." Arizona law prohibits CCW on the premises of anyplace with a liquor license. S.B. 1363 reforms the law to permit to allow carry as long as the CCW permittee does not drink. One wag on the AZRKBA list referred to it as the "designated shooter" law. The tourism industry doesn't like the bill and, according to some reports is running scare ads on radio urging listeners to call the governor and ask her to veto the bill. Her number is (602) 542-4331 if you have a message you might want to pass on. ======================================================================== It was good to see old friends and make some new ones at the NRA Convention in Houston. My sister Shan and I spent much of our time passing out copies of the Hard Corps Report along with promotional information for the upcoming anthology of Neal Knox's writing. Work on that is continuing apace. Check back on the web site for a way to reserve your copy. We're shooting for a fall release. Another item we were handing out is the Firearms Coalition CCW Courtesy Card. The concept is pretty straightforward. Hand that card to merchants who post "No Firearms" signs on their premises. It's a fine little conversation starter. We spoke with some a couple who walked into their bank in a little town west of Houston. They saw the sign posted and, after confirming with the manager that the intent was indeed to create a "No Legal Guns Zone", withdrew some $87,000 and took it over to another nearby town where the bank was decorated with mounted deer heads. I've asked them to send me the complete story and hope to post it. Send us your story. Have you had an interesting conversation with a merchant? Send it to ccw@firearmscoalition.com. ======================================================================== Brother Jeff reports in the latest *Shotgun News* Knox Report (http://www.shotgunnews.com/knox), that NRA made history in Houston. Or rather, they re-made it in the Orwellian sense. According to the official NRA version, Neal Knox had little or nothing to do with passage of the McClure-Volkmer Firearms Owner Protection Act which reformed the Gun Control Act of 1968. The opening ceremony included a very nice review of the "Heroes of the Gun Rights Movement" of the past 25 years that somehow failed to even mention the name Neal Knox. According to the NRA story, Knox had nothing to do with taking NRA into the political arena in 1978. Nor with cutting the budget of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. Nor with outlining the worst of the problems with the 1968 Gun Control Act and enlisting pro-gun Senator Jim McClure of Idaho and Congressman Harold Volkmer to draft and carry forward a reform bill. Nor, for that matter, with hiring Wayne LaPierre. We're sure it was simply an oversight. After his death, it seems petty not to at least acknowledge the accomplishments he made while with the organization. But as I'm learning as I compile the book, it seems that Dad was at his best when he was working on the outside. -- For the Second Amendment, Chris Knox From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Wed Apr 27 00:40:58 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Wed Apr 27 00:41:35 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Gun Rights Alert - Supreme Court Watch... Message-ID: <426F33FA.6000702@firearmscoalition.org> Supreme Court Says Foreign Felonies Don?t Count By Jeff Knox (Washington, DC, Tuesday, April 26) Conviction of a felony in a foreign court no longer disqualifies a person from purchasing, owning, or possessing a firearm in the United States according to a Supreme Court ruling today. The Court split 5-3 over the question of exactly what the phrase ?any court? means in the context of Section 922(g) of Title 18 of the U.S. Code which says that ?a person is not allowed to ship, transport, possess or receive firearms or ammunition that affects interstate or foreign commerce if he has been convicted in any court of a crime that is punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.? The basics of the case were simple: Gary Small was convicted in Japan of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. After returning to the U.S., Small purchased a handgun from a Pennsylvania dealer and answered ?No? on the 4473. Somehow the Japanese conviction coupled with the gun purchase came to the attention of the Feds and Small was indicted for lying on the 4473 and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Small contended that the question of being convicted in ?any court? meant any court in the United States. The Bush Justice Department held that ?any court? meant any court anywhere. The interesting aspect of this decision is that while it should and will be celebrated by firearms rights supporters, the split of the court was along unexpected lines and the Justices motives and reasoning will require careful study. Like the Attorney General?s Office, Justices Scalia, Thomas, and Kennedy held that ?any court? meant any court anywhere, while Justices Ginsurg, O?Connor, Stevens, Souter, and Breyer contended that foreign courts hold to different standards than U.S. courts and often don?t offer the protections for the rights of the accused afforded by the U.S. Constitution. In the majority opinion, Justice Bryer opined that if Congress wanted foreign convictions to apply, they could rewrite the law to specifically say so. And that is exactly what will happen next: In the name of homeland security, Congress will declare that emergency ?anti-terrorist? legislation must be passed immediately and the President will have his pen ready. Gun groups are likely to take a drubbing from the media and public opinion when they try to find ways to stop this legislation from being enacted. The more practical question will be how to build into the legislation protections for U.S. citizens caught in confusing and/or unfair foreign laws and courts. While violent criminals from "any court" should probably be treated like any U.S. felon, a Texas rancher caught in Mexico with a couple of shotgun shells under the seat of his pickup deserves some consideration. Gun rights activists must ensure that a streamlined remedy process is built into this inevitable legislation. A reasonably simple means by which a person who has lost their firearms rights through conviction in a foreign court is able to have those rights permanently restored without excessive time, hassle, or expense. This ruling and the legislation that will follow might also open a window of opportunity to create a more streamlined system for non-violent felons and those convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors in U.S. courts to regain their firearms rights as well. For the immediate, that Texas rancher has the right to go buy a gun? but expect that right to be short lived unless gun groups and gun-rights activists rally round to make sure that he has a way to keep it for the long run. For the Second Amendment, Jeff Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Thu Apr 28 23:23:42 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Apr 28 23:23:54 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Gun Rights Alert - The 2A Case? Message-ID: <4271C4DE.1080406@firearmscoalition.org> Calaveras County Safe Again By Jeff Knox (Manassas, VA, April 27) The people of Calaveras County ? the remote central California mining region made famous by the gold rush of 1849 and the jumping frogs of Mark Twain ? can breath easier now that Richard Wilmshurst has been brought to justice. Wilmshurst was convicted last month of illegal possession of a machinegun and illegal possession of ?Assault Weapons? in California. The judge sentenced Wilmshurst to three years probation and ordered that he dispose of his ?arsenal?. Wilmshurst, by the way, is a car dealer and land speculator with a law degree, a federal firearms import license, and a class 3 license. This could be the Second Amendment case we?ve been waiting for or it could be another case of a white-hat taking a fall because white-hats are easier targets than black-hats. Wilmshurst?s troubles began in January of 2003 when an ATF agent performing a routine inspection of his import inventory mentioned that a couple of the guns were not legal for Californians to own. Wilmshurst wasn?t worried; the guns were within the umbrella of his import business and were intended for distribution outside the state of California for sale to law enforcement. In February, officers from the California Department of Justice Firearms Enforcement Division, using information obtained from ATF, staged raids on Wilmshurst?s home and Angel Camp car dealership. The raids were conducted in full ?storm-trooper? fashion with black ?ninja? suits, heavy body armor, and true assault weapons. This being ?people friendly? California, the assault force included a medic to monitor 69-year old, stroke survivor, Wilmshurst?s blood pressure as they dumped the contents of his safe and confiscated every gun he or his businesses owned. Even though it is a violation of federal law for information obtained from records generated in compliance with import license regulations to be used directly or indirectly as evidence against the licensee, the judge refused to hear arguments that the warrants were illegal and that all evidence seized was inadmissible. Instead, he barred any mention of federal law in the courtroom and instructed the jury that if the prosecutor proved that Wilmshurst was in possession of the firearms in question (something that Wilmshurst never denied), that the jury must return a guilty verdict. The guilty verdict was summarily returned and last week, Wilmshurst was sentenced to three years probation and, as a convicted felon, ordered to dispose of all of his firearms. The judge in the case ? who happens to be the same judge that ruled against Wilmshurst in a property case currently on appeal ? expressed dismay that Wilmshurst is showing no remorse for his crimes? Wilmshurst is planning to appeal the conviction and has filed suit against the Attorney General of California for violating federal law in conducting the raid and for violating Wilmshurst?s civil rights under the Second Amendment. The Firearms Coalition is bringing the Wilmshurst case to the attention of Second Amendment scholars and firearms civil rights organizations in hopes of generating ?friend of the court? briefs and perhaps getting Mr. Wilmshurst the specialized legal assistance this case clearly deserves. We will keep you posted as the case develops. In the meantime, let this be a reminder: Your white hat is no defense against aggressive police, prosecutors, and judges. There are many things that Richard Wilmshurst would rather be doing with his time, money and midnight oil. Cross your T?s and dot your i?s? Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Tue May 17 22:32:57 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Tue May 17 22:33:05 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Gun Rights Alert - 2nd Not Individual Right Message-ID: <428AC579.4020404@firearmscoalition.org> *Second Amendment is Not an Individual Right* So says a judge of the Northern District of New York and last week his ruling was supported by a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The Northern District judge, Norman Mordue, went out of his way to state that , based on Supreme Court precedent and lower court interpretation of those precedents, the Second Amendment does not protect a fundamental individual right. In contrast, the Second Circuit panel avoided any interpretation of the meaning or intent of the Second Amendment by saying that ?Although the sweep of the Second Amendment has become the focus of a national legal dialogue, we see no need to enter into that debate. Instead, we hold that the Second Amendment?s ?right to keep and bear arms? imposes a limitation on only federal, not state, legislative efforts.? The Northern District Court relied primarily on /United States v. Miller/ in it?s conclusion that the Second Amendment does not guarantee an individual right even while admitting that it wasn?t clear as to what the Court was trying to say in it?s decision in that case. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals based it?s conclusion that the Second Amendment applies only to federal law and does not limit the actions of the states, was based upon the case of /Presser v. Illinois/. In that decision from the 1880?s, the High Court cited /United States v. Cruikshank/ as its ruling precedent. The 1875 /Cruikshank/ decision is one of the historical lows of the United States Supreme Court in which the Court abandoned freed slaves to the racist whims of their local government and constabulary. The 2nd Circuit did admit that there was much criticism of the /Presser/ decision but said, in essence, that its hands were tied and that it was up to the Supreme Court to overturn the /Presser/ decision if it was to be overturned. With such decisions and such a direct challenge, it would be difficult for the Supreme Court to avoid a review of this case and most of the Second Amendment precedents currently in effect. I am not an attorney, but it looks to me like this is a very good case with a stellar plaintiff and that this is one that will likely land in the Supreme Court. I am a little concerned that this case is as far-reaching as it is. I fear that, if the Court has the guts to hear it, they will feel compelled to ?nuance? their decision into oblivion rather than come right out and declare that the Second Amendment secures an individual right that may not be abridged by the states or the federal government. I don?t believe the current court has the cajones for such a declaration, which reiterates the importance of pending judicial appointments. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition www.FirearmsCoalition.org P.S. I will have more about this case in the next */Hard Corps Report/* which will be mailed out this month and will put an article about it in Shotgun News soon. If you don?t currently receive the /*Hard Corps Report*/, drop us a donation - Box 3313, Manassas, VA 20108 - and we?ll add you to our mailing list. Please share these alerts with your friends and post them to your favorite Blogs. Information is power. Share the power. From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Thu Jul 21 23:00:24 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Thu Jul 21 23:00:43 2005 Subject: [FCalerts-list] Gun Rights Alert - Senate to Take Up Industry Protection Message-ID: <42E07D68.3020200@firearmscoalition.org> Gun Rights Alert from the Firearms Coalition * Senate to Debate Manufacturer Liability Next Week * (Washington, D.C., 22 July, 2005) Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has said that the Senate will take up the issue of firearms industry liability protection before the August recess. ?*I am hopeful that with the cooperation of members, we can complete all action on this legislation before the recess."* Said Frist yesterday. That means it must come to the floor in the next few days. Currently there are a total of 57 sponsors on the bill in the Senate and all have promised to vote for a ?clean? bill with no souring amendments such as those that caused Senator Larry Craig (R, Idaho), the primary sponsor, to pull the bill last year. Craig recently commented that if ?poison pill? amendments are attached this year, he will continue to push for passage with a strategy of removing the unpalatable portions during the House/Senate Conference Committee process. While that is not an unreasonable strategy, it is a bit disconcerting that Senator Craig felt compelled to reveal that bit of information prior to the floor debate. Such prior knowledge of this possibility could give some Senators a sense of cover to vote for bad amendments. Expect John McCain (R, Arizona) to lead off the amendment parade by trying to attach ?gun show loophole? language. The Brady Campaign against Gun Owners and the Violence Policy Left-of-Center have been widely circulating quotes from Illinois State Rifle Association press releases calling for closing of the ?gun show loophole? in their state to keep guns out of the hands of ?drug lords, terrorists, and gang-bangers.? (and ISRA wonders why I?m mad at them?) Also on the poison pill menu: Assault weapons ban, .50 cal. ban, and a call to bar people on the federal ?No-Fly List? and ?Terrorist Watch Lists? from legally purchasing firearms (which doesn?t sound bad until you realize just how easy it is to get on those lists and how hard it is to get back off). In your communications with Senators over the next couple of days, be sure to remind them that it?s the votes that count not the end result. Let them know that if they vote for bad amendments ? even if those amendments are eventually stripped out in committee ? that the bad vote will be remembered and held against them. * Industry Petitions Supreme Court * A coalition of firearms manufacturers has petitioned the Supreme Court to review a Washington, D.C. law which holds the industry to ?strict liability? for any harm that comes from their products. Under the D.C. law, a police officer wounded with his own gun during a struggle with a criminal could sue the manufacturer for damages. The law has been upheld once in the D.C. Court of Appeals so now the industry is seeking relief from the Supreme Court. * Latest Hard Corps Report in the Mail * The latest Hard Corps Report should be in mailboxes today or tomorrow. With this issue we introduce a new look and a new format which offers more space for information. If you do not already receive the Hard Corps Report ? the bi-monthly newsletter from the Firearms Coalition ? subscribe today by sending your mailing address and a contribution to help us stay in business to: The Firearms Coalition Box 3313 Manassas, VA 20108 As always, we will do our best to keep you informed with timely reports and insights into the gun-rights news you need to know about. Along with these e-mail alerts and the Hard Corps Report, we are regular columnists for Shotgun News and maintain links to useful information on our web site at www.FirearmsCoalition.org . Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition www.FirearmsCoalition.org P.S. If you have not made a contribution to the Firearms Coalition recently, please consider making one now. We operate solely on contributions from our supporters. Without you, there is no Firearms Coalition. On-line contributions can be made through our web site at www.FirearmsCoalition.org Please share these alerts with your friends and post them to your favorite forums. Information is power. Share the power. _______________________________________________ This is the Firearms Coalition Alerts list. It is never sent without a subscription and confirmation. To unsubscribe, follow the link below. To change your address, unsubscribe your existing address and resubscribe from the new one. http://mailapp.modwest.com/mailman/listinfo/fcalerts-list From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Thu Jul 28 13:37:10 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition Alerts List) Date: Thu Jul 28 13:37:33 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Senate Moving on S. 397, Firearms Industry Liability Message-ID: <42E933E6.2080908@firearmscoalition.org> As I write this, the Senate has just voted 62 - 37 to table or set aside an amendment from Carl Levin (D, MI) which would essentially gut the bill by allowing anti-gun lawyers to force gun dealers that they could not have known that a gun would be misused. Proving a negative is a tough go under the best of circumstances. It looks right now like the motion to set aside the amendment will carry, killing the amendment. A previous amendment, one introducecd by Herb Kohl (D, WI) which would require trigger locks be sold with all handguns, passed 70 - 30. The net effect is nil since guns are already routinely sold with trigger locks. Hardly a poison pill amendment. There are other amendments in the chamber, most of them hostile. Larry Craig (R, ID) has said he will take the bill forward even if hostile amendments are hung on it. That piece of information should not have leaked, but it's now out there and there's no calling it back. There is already a fair amount of hand-wringing and bluster in the various email lists and blogs that NRA is selling out or that the Senate leadership is preparing to screw gun owners again. While I'm not naive enough to say that's never happened, I don't think it's happening now. What's being presented, and what has very real chance of passage, is a viable bill that improves our overall position. Some of our brethren seem to be taking the view that anything short of a touchdown pass on every play is a weak-kneed compromise. A year and a half ago, Neal Knox sent out an alert in much the same situation on much the same bill, but with a more-hostile congress. Here is what he said: March 1, 2004 Neal Knox Update -- The anti-gun crowd?s sole focus right now is killing [the] gun industry liability protection bill. So why on Earth are so many panicky gun rights defenders (or people claiming to be) doing everything they can to help the enemy? Yes, [the bill] is in danger of being loaded up with anti-gun amendments in the Senate. But anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows that the Senate is overloaded with anti-gunners and has been for several years. The only way to get the bill passed is to get it back to the House, where it can be cleaned up or killed. No bad amendments have yet passed. Even if they do, we do not have a uni-cameral legislature. For those who were asleep during civics class, that means that we have both a Senate and a House and legislation has to pass through both of those bodies. Larry Craig is a proven friend and a capable legislator. Let's let him run his bill. Meanwhile, you can help by calling your senator and urging him or her to support a clean bill. It can't hurt to mention that you will consider a vote for an anti-gun amendment to be the equivalent of an anti-gun vote on final passage. From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Fri Jul 29 16:35:00 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition Alerts List) Date: Fri Jul 29 16:35:11 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Senate Passes Firearms Liability Reform Message-ID: <42EAAF14.8090707@firearmscoalition.org> As I write this, the Senate has voted 65-31 in favor of S. 397, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. The bill sailed through today on rails that have been admirably greased by Larry Craig. Except for a requirement that dealer sales of handguns include a trigger lock, the bill that passed is clean. Absent are truly harmful amendments such as the McCain gun show language, a reinstatement of the bogus "assault weapons" ban, or expansions of gun laws such as bans of the Herstal-FN Five-seveN and of .50 BMG rifles. The bill is not completely without controversy. I had a friendly discussion with one reader who sent a link to an article on the Cato Institute (http://www.cato.org/dailys/05-27-02.html) web site by Constitutional scholar Robert A. Levy. Levy correctly points out that not every problem is a federal problem. The fundamental principle is this: No matter how worthwhile an end may be, if there is no constitutional authority to pursue it, then the federal government must step aside and leave the matter to the states or to private parties. The president and Congress can proceed only from constitutional authority, not from good intentions alone. I have to confess that I agree, but the fact of the matter is that the principle has already been violated in spades. It's all well and good to operate in a mode of Constitutional and ideological purity but it's also a good way to get steam-rolled. A court system that appropriatly enforces the Ninth and Tenth Amendments will likely also enforce the Second. Until then, we have to fight with the tools and tactics at hand. Congratulations to Senator Larry Craig of Idaho for spearheading this effort and to NRA-ILA staff as well as to NSSF for all their hard work. Finally, I commend to you a useful web site, http://www.gunlawnews.org/. We have no connection with gunlawnews.org, however I've found it to be useful and reliable. Check in on it as the Protection in Lawful Commerce in Arms Act moves on to the House. Chris Knox From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Wed Aug 24 09:33:27 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Wed Aug 24 11:27:47 2005 Subject: [FCalerts-list] ATF at it Again Message-ID: <430C9347.2030404@firearmscoalition.org> ATF at it Again (Manassas, VA, August 24, 2005) In 1978, Neal Knox took over as Executive Director of NRA-ILA and declared war on the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Gun Control Act of 1968. ATF was using the provisions of GCA ?68 to harass and abuse gun owners and Neal did much to put a stop to that. Now, 27 years later, ATF is at it again. The following story from Jeff Johnson of CNS News gives the details. Our friends at the Virginia Citizens Defense League are riding this closely since it happened in their back yard. A little noise made to lawmakers would not be inappropriate. JAK ------------------------------ ATF, Virginia Police Accused of 'Persecuting' Gun Shows By Jeff Johnson CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer August 23, 2005 (CNSNews.com) - The federal agency that regulates U.S. gun dealers stands accused, along with at least three Virginia law enforcement agencies, of trying to shut down legal gun shows through alleged intimidation of gun buyers and sellers. The law enforcement organizations also allegedly broke the law by sharing gun buyers' information with members of the public. Annette Gelles, owner of gun show sponsor Showmasters.us, told Cybercast News Service that at least 30 agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) along with nearly 500 Virginia State Police, Henrico County Police and Richmond City Police officers were assigned to the ATF operation targeting her gun show on Aug. 13 and 14 at the Richmond International Raceway and Fairground Complex, outside Richmond, Va. Gelles said four marked police cars were stationed at the main entrance to the raceway parking lot and more than 50 marked and unlabeled but obvious law enforcement vehicles were positioned just outside the public entrance to the building. The officers' presence, Gelles said, was intended to intimidate her customers. "It's just a persecution thing. It's not really an attempt to solve crimes or stop them," Gelles said. "It's their way of trying to get rid of gun shows. That's the only way you can explain that large a police presence at the gun shows." Gelles said ATF Resident Agent in Charge Brian Swann told her that the officers were part of a "Virginia State Police, ATF task force" and represented the "same amount of force that we've used in all the shows." The only difference in Gelles' case, Swann told her, was that the command post was established at the site of her gun show. Virginia State Police (VSP) spokeswoman Corinne Geller told Cybercast News Service that her agency does participate in a task force with ATF and other Virginia law enforcement agencies. As part of the agreement that created the task force, Geller said, VSP agreed to refer questions regarding its operations to ATF. Richmond Police spokeswoman Kirsten Nelson e-mailed her response to questions about the apparent sting operation. "I have done some checking and as I said on the phone, the gun show was not in our jurisdiction," Nelson wrote, "so I have no record of our officers' participation." Gelles said the participation of Richmond Police officers in the operation has already been documented, by Richmond Police officers. "My own Richmond City Police officers that are there, that I hire for my security purposes, told me that they saw 14 (Richmond City Police officers) on Saturday in plain clothes," Gelles said. Lt. Doug Perry with Henrico County Police acknowledged that his department's officers took part in the operation, but he would not say how many participated. "We wouldn't normally release that anyway. That's part of our operational plan, the number of officers involved," Perry said. "We're not on overtime when we're doing that so it wouldn't be public information." One gun show exhibitor said he counted 72 uniformed and plainclothes officers and agents in and around the vehicles near the entrance to the building. Gelles claimed that an unidentified officer tried to stop the exhibitor from counting the number of law enforcement personnel present, but walked away when the exhibitor refused. While normal attendance at her two-day show is nearly 4,000, Gelles said she attracted approximately 2,300 the weekend of Aug. 13 and 14, costing Showmasters.us more than $7,000. 'There's no way that's legal' "They did something else, which is highly illegal," Gelles charged. "They did something called a residency check." Gelles explained that, when gun dealers took the paperwork to the Virginia State Police on-site office to complete the background checks on prospective buyers, ATF agents copied the names, home addresses and telephone numbers of the applicants. Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, told Cybercast News Service that he has received numerous complaints alleging that as handgun buyers were waiting for their National Instant Check System (NICS) background investigations to be completed, ATF was secretly conducting the so-called "residency checks." According to the complaints he received, Van Cleave said officers were dispatched to the homes of the prospective gun buyers to speak with family members, asking for example: "Gee, did you know your husband was going to a gun show today? Do you have his cell phone number? Did you know he was buying a gun? "If people weren't home they, in some cases, went to neighbors" to ask the same questions, Van Cleave said. "I'm not an attorney but, I'll tell you what, in my opinion that would be a violation of federal law," Van Cleave said. "To go off on a fishing trip with that information, much less sharing information like that with neighbors, there's no way that's legal." Title 18 Section 923 of the U.S. Code concerns the licensing of gun dealers and appears to support Van Cleave's position. It contains the following restrictions on the information collected during the process of a gun purchase: "(g)(3)(B) Except in the case of forms and contents thereof regarding a purchaser who is prohibited by [federal law] from receipt of a firearm, the department of State police or State law enforcement agency or local law enforcement agency of the local jurisdiction shall not disclose any such form or the contents thereof to any person or entity, and shall destroy each such form and any record of the contents thereof no more than 20 days from the date such form is received." VSP's Geller could not comment on the "residency checks," but said the ATF did not get gun buyers' addresses from her agency. "I can assure you, they weren't getting it from our records," Geller said, "because we don't take addresses." In fact, the "Department of State Police - Virginia Firearms Transaction Record" form asks for the purchaser's name, date of birth, Social Security or driver's license number and citizenship status. No other identifying information, such as addresses or telephone numbers is requested. But ATF Form 4473, the "Firearms Transaction Record Part I - Over-The-Counter," does request the purchaser's address. Those forms are kept together as part of a "buyer's packet" when the VSP form is submitted for the NICS check. Erich Pratt, communications director for Gun Owners of America (GOA), told Cybercast News Service that these types of allegations against ATF are exactly why GOA members opposed the NICS background check when it was initially proposed. "Whenever you force good people to jump through hoops before they exercise their rights, you give rogue bureaucrats a chance to harass decent citizens," Pratt said. "We have a Bill of Rights because government does not always act in our best interest," he continued. "Rather than being spied upon, the American people should be the ones questioning family members and neighbors - not of gun owners - but of these rogue bureaucrats." ATF agent allegedly 'got quite rude' with gun show customer James Lalime, who works part time for a gun dealer, was attending the Richmond show on his own. He had brought two firearms and part of a third from his personal collection to offer for sale at the show, which is legal and does not require a federal firearms license (FFL) or local business license. Lalime claims a man approached him and verbally identified himself as an ATF agent but did not show his credentials or badge. "He was accusing me of running a business and telling me that I needed to get a business license if I was going to sell firearms," Lalime charged. The agent allegedly had state police check Lalime's driver's license and learned that it was suspended. He said he was placed in the back of a police car and questioned by the agent while the suspension was investigated. "He kept asking me all kinds of questions: 'How often do you buy guns? When do you buy guns? When was the last time you bought a gun? How many guns did you buy the last time you bought guns?'" Lalime continued. "All that is irrelevant and I told him that. I said, 'That's my personal business.'" Lalime was released when it was learned that his license was valid and the alleged suspension was caused by a computer error. He went back into the gun show and told Gelles about the encounter and she suggested that Lalime get the agent's name. When he found the agent, who identified himself as Special Agent Brian McComas, Lalime claims McComas tried to intimidate him. "He said, 'You know you're making a big deal about nothing,' and I said, 'No sir, I am not,'" Lalime explained. "Then he got right in my face, almost touching his chest to mine, in real threatening posture, and said, 'You're making a real big mistake.'" Lalime claims Swann interrupted the confrontation and the two federal officers walked away. "Once I got over the initial shock, it really made me angry," Lalime said. ATF is 'out of the residency check business' Gelles and her attorneys were in Washington, D.C., Aug. 15 to meet with ATF officials and seek an explanation for what happened over the weekend. After talking with several people in the ATF headquarters, Gelles said she finally spoke with a supervisor, whom she would not identify, who assured her that ATF "is out of the residency check business, effective immediately." She was hesitant to give further details about the meeting in the event that a lawsuit is filed over the agency's actions. In addition to the $7,000 she said she lost from reduced attendance at the show, Gelles added that she has already spent more than $12,000 in legal fees trying to prevent a repeat of the ATF operation of Aug. 13 and 14 and other previous incidents of what she considers improper agency behavior. Van Cleave said his groups will be "watching in Virginia with a microscope to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. "If they do it again, we'll get active in contacting the ATF, the police and the media," Van Cleave warned. "If they break their word on this and start this crap again, then we will be in touch with the media." After more than a half-dozen calls by Cybercast News Service seeking comment for this article, an ATF spokesman said the agency was "still gathering information" about the events of Aug. 13 and 14 and would not be able to comment until sometime on Tuesday. From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Sat Sep 3 10:24:44 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Sat Sep 3 10:24:53 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] [FCAlerts] Texas Event Needs a Hand Message-ID: <4319CE4C.3070600@firearmscoalition.org> Attention Texas!! Our friend Damaso Torres of Students for the Second Amendment contacted us with news about a fantastic event that is running into a few difficulties. Last year Students for the Second Amendment and their College Firearms Instructor Program hosted a Shooting Sports Camp that drew over 550 parents and children at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio. This year they?re expecting even more participants to show up as well as many from the media. The difficulties I mentioned are Money, Ammo, Clay Birds, and People? It seems that the program is just a little too successful and some of the help they were counting on has backed out or fallen through. The event date is approaching rapidly ? September 24^th ? so the need is now! If you, your club, your company, or your friends in the industry can provide assistance in any form, please contact Damaso immediately. Damaso Torres 210-674-5559 dTorres@sf2a.org Need: Cash (insurance cost over $700), .22 ammo, 20 gauge ammo, and clay birds Damaso estimates they will need about 5000 rounds each of .22 ammo and 20 gauge target loads as well as 5000 clay birds. If you are able to help, or if you have a Scout troop, church youth group or other kids that would like to participate, please let Damaso know immediately and let him know that we sent you. Also, be sure to let us know about your contribution/experience. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Sat Sep 3 21:56:59 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Sat Sep 3 21:57:13 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Chief Justice Rehnquist has Passed Away Message-ID: <431A708B.7050305@firearmscoalition.org> Washington D.C. September 3, 2005 - 11:15pm It has just been announced that Chief Justice William Rehnquist has died at his home in Virginia. Our deepest sympathies go out to Justice Rehnquist's family. Justice Rehnquist was one of the more conservative members of the high court and his passing creates an immediate imbalance on the court and it is likely that the Court will convene with only eight members. That would mean that controversial cases would probably not be heard during the deficit but there is no guarantee of that. Sandra Day O'Connor remains on the Court until her replacement is confirmed by the Senate which could occur in just a couple of weeks. While Justice Rehnquist was expected to retire soon, his death comes as a surprise and raises many questions about the confirmation process of John Roberts, the nomination of a new Chief Justice and nomination of a replacement for Rehnquist. One of the more disturbing suggestions has been nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor to become Chief Justice... We would much prefer to see a more conservative nominee both for the Chief Justice position and the now open seat on the court - both of which will require Senate confirmation hearings. The spin that is immediately obvious is that Rehnquist was so conservative that he shifted the Court from a "moderate" position to a distinctly "conservative court" - suggesting that the 'Rehnquist Court' was way off to the 'Right' and that it needs to be brought back to the center with nominations of 'moderates' for both the open Associate Justice position and the Chief Justice position. The political jousting is going to be interesting to watch and could be some of the most important history to be written during your or my lifetime. As Thomas Jefferson stated in 1821 and we reported in the latest edition of the Hard Corps Report: ?The germ of dissolution of our federal government is in . . . the federal judiciary; an irresponsible body (for impeachment is merely a scare-crow) working like gravity by night and by day, gaining a little today and a little tomorrow, and advancing its noiseless step like a thief, over the field of jurisdiction, until all shall be usurped from the States.? Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Mr. Hammond, 1821. We will of course be monitoring the situation closely and keeping you posted. Yours for the Second Amendment, Jeff Knox From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Tue Sep 27 00:18:51 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Tue Sep 27 00:19:02 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] NO! Never Again Message-ID: <4338E44B.7060104@firearmscoalition.org> What happened in New Orleans must not ever happen again! It must be made clear that local, state, and federal officials do not have the right or authority to prohibit firearms possession or to confiscate legally owned firearms. Immediately after receiving reports of gun confiscations in New Orleans, the Firearms Coalition began working on an initiative to amend the emergency powers laws of all 50 states and at the federal level. These amendments would clearly and explicitly state that citizens may not be disarmed and guns may not be confiscated during times of crisis. We are also working to ensure that the language adopted includes reassertion of the inalienable right of self-defense and the unbreakable connection between the right to self defense and the right to arms which provide the means to effectively exercise that self-defense right. This weekend at the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Los Angeles, Wayne LaPierre announced a similar initiative being launched by NRA. We at the Firearms Coalition strongly support NRA's involvement in this effort and are happy to allow the nation?s largest and wealthiest gun-rights organization to take the lead in this important work. We encourage GrassRoots groups to get closely involved in the process to make sure that language supporting self-defense and firearms ownership as basic rights is included and that no quid pro quo to the detriment of gun owners is attached. We believe that the events in New Orleans have reminded the general public of the importance and value of personal firearms ownership and that it is critical that the gun-rights movement move quickly to maintain this public awareness and use it to our advantage. Elitist politicians, celebrities, and the mainstream media have been very effective in creating a perception that the Second Amendment doesn?t mean what it says and that the right to arms is outmoded. New Orleans shook that perception and we must use the opportunity to enact language which clearly spells out the limitations of government regarding civilian arms and the reasons why those limits are important, thus underpinning the Second Amendment and the constitutional protections of the states. Jeff Knox Director of Operations The Firearms Coalition www.FirearmsCoalition.org From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Thu Oct 20 23:02:19 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (alertslist@firearmscoalition.org) Date: Thu Oct 20 23:02:21 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] House Passes Lawful Commerce Act Message-ID: <47823.130.13.24.160.1129870939.squirrel@webmail.modwest.com> The House of Representatives today passed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act with amendments added by the Senate to require trigger locks be sold with all guns sold by dealers (current law requires trigger locks be sold only with new guns). The bill also redefines armor-piercing ammunition in a manner that amounts to no substantial change, and calls for a study by the Attorney General of performance standards of body armor and ammunition. Such standards already exist (that's where the vest classifications, Type II, Type IIA and so on come from). Some of our friends worked very hard against passage of the bill because they considered the amendments cause for killing the bill. We disagree. While we don't like the amendments, the bill is a net gain for gun owners. This is a case where, as my late, lamented father Neal Knox used to say, "the perfect is the enemy of the good." It is only the most recent example the other side adapting while the pro-gun side has remained stuck. The time has come to take a couple of pages from the anti-rights crowd's playbook: ? Work for strategic incremental changes It isn't hard to spot cases where the other side has grabbed small victories. Amendments to the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act provide only one example. But the important incremental changes are strategic such as separating gun rights from other civil rights by banning gun ownership for certain misdemeanors. There are many opportunities for the pro-rights side to make incremental changes going the other way. Some could be truly far-reaching. One example is a clean-up of the "sporting purposes" language of the 1968 Gun Control Act. According current law, the only justification for civilian ownership of a firearm is if it is "particularly suitable for sporting purposes." Maybe it's time for Federal law to recognize the legitimacy of armed self defense. It would certainly make an interesting debate. ? In politics there is no fourth quarter Once a bill is passed there is nothing to prevent going back for another bite at the apple. The other side did it in 1986 when they attached a machine gun ban to the McClure-Volkmer Gun Owner Protection Act, the first time in American history that any firearm had been banned. No rule says if we've passed one bill that we can't pass another, or that we can't take back next session what we lost in this one. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. The game, God willing, is never over. From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Wed Oct 26 11:00:46 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (Firearms Coalition) Date: Wed Oct 26 11:00:52 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] President Signs Lawful Commerce in Arms Act Message-ID: <435FB63E.6040409@firearmscoalition.org> President Bush has signed the Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Now we can focus attention on repealing silly nuisance laws like the trigger-lock mandate and "one-gun-a-month". More information in the next Hard Corps Report. If you are not on the Hard Corps mailing list, simply give us your address and make a donation to cover postage and we'll get the next edition out to you. From alertslist at firearmscoalition.org Thu Nov 3 23:37:00 2005 From: alertslist at firearmscoalition.org (alertslist@firearmscoalition.org) Date: Thu Nov 3 23:37:03 2005 Subject: [Fcalerts-list] Web Help Needed Message-ID: <42699.130.13.24.160.1131086220.squirrel@webmail.modwest.com> The Firearms Coalition is looking for web help. Our site (http://www.nealknox.com | http://www.firearmscoalition.org) is overdue for a re-work. Qualifications are as follows: o Familiar with operating in a Unix/Linux environment running Apache web server and without root. o Familiar with Content Management Systems (CMS) such as Mambo, PHPWebsite, or Slashcode. o Ability to implement a design using CSS to be made into a CMS template o Familiarity with scripting languages such as PHP, Python, or Perl. VBasic does not count. o Familiar with MySQL. o Security awareness is a must. We may eventually advertise out on the larger Internet, but want to start with our friends and supporters. If you're interested, please send a note to the webmaster address. Replies to this address go straight to the spam filter. Chris Knox