The content of this newsletter is produced by the Second Amendment Project at the Independence Institute, a think tank in Golden, Colorado. The newsletter is electronically distributed by the Second Amendment Foundation in Bellevue, Washington. Thus, the Second Amendment Foundation will be given your e-mail address.
Archive of past issues.
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Project is based at the
Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in
Golden, Colorado.
http://www.independenceinstitute.org
kopel/kopel200409022215.asp
City Council v. NRA. New York City Council is upset that NRA will
attend
Republican Convention.
National Review Online
Aug. 30, 2004
With Paul Blackman.
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment
/kopel_blackman200408300841.asp
Avoiding Genocide. The right to bear arms could have saved Sudan.
National Review Online
Aug. 18, 2004
With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen.
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/
kopel_gallant_eisen200408180824.asp
"Firearms Possession by 'Non-State Actors': the Question of
Sovereignty,"
Texas Review of Law and Politics 8(2004), pp. 373ff.
With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen.
In PDF (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
http://www.davekopel.com/2A/LawRev/Non-state-actors.pdf
Two Cheers for Violence. Pacifists often claim that violence only
begets violence. They are wrong.
Liberty. Sept. 2004.
http://www.davekopel.com/2A/Mags/Two-Cheers-for-Violence.htm
Coming soon: National Review Online article on "assault weapons" as a wedge for gun prohibition.
America's 1st Freedom article on Ambrose E. Burnside, the first
President of the National Rifle Association.
3. Ireland Ends Handgun Prohibition
Dear Tom [Mason]:
For the first time in 32 years we have succeeded in having the first
pistol licensed to a target shooter in the Republic of Ireland.
In 1972 the Minister for Justice issued a 30 day temporary custody
order,
allowed under Irish Firearms Legislation, at the expiry of the order
the
firearms handed up in good faith should have been returned.
The Government and police decided not to issue firearms certificates
for the
firearms handed in under the order, the effect has been to prevent
lawful
owners of the firearms access to them for more than30 years.
Why were the authorities successful in "seizing" the firearms,
"registration"
each legally owned firearm in Ireland is held on an individual
firearms certificate,
renewable annually at a cost of £38 per rifle/pistol and
£25 for a
shotgun £6.00 for
additional shotgun, in 1972 if one did not hand in the legal firearms
the police came to the individuals
home and seized the guns.
Why have we succeeded in getting bask our pistols? We took the
police to the
High Court on several counts, 1) Individuals were prevented from
owning
rifles in excess of .270 calibre 2) No one could legally possess a
pistol
even a BB Gun, we challenged both issues and the State defended
their cases
right until we came to the Court hearings they then conceded each
and every
case we brought.
Quote from our first pistol success!!!
"Just to confirm that at 11.30am today, in Wexford Garda Station, I
received
a Pistol Licence for my .22 Vostok Toz Olympic Freestyle Target
Pistol. This
is the first Pistol Licence to be issued to a private citizen in the
Republic since the one month temporary custody order which was
implemented
on July 31 1972 confiscating all licensed pistols etc, and follows
my High
Court action challenging the refusal of the Garda authorities to
issue such
licences. This brought an end to 32 years of injustice. I now
have in my
possession my previous licence which expired on July31 1972 + the
new
licence issued today. I think its reasonable to say that I
have righted a
32 year old wrong. A good day for democracy."
FB 30th July 2004
Kind Regards
Declan Keogh
PRO
National Rifle and Pistol Association Ireland
archives.php?id=2656&date=2004-08-17
The newly formed Southern African Network on Small Arms (Saansa) has
called
on southern African
governments to agree on having an arms trade treaty in time for the
next UN arms conference in 2006.
Australia:
Gun Control: The Brady Campaign, White Lies, And Damn Lies
By Howard Nemerov
ChronWatch
July 15, 2004
http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=8443
Nemerov refutes a refutation of the NRA's points regarding
Australian gun
prohibition by the 'Brady Campaign.'
Guns and deep remorse in the land Down Under
By John Gleeson
The Winnipeg Sun
August 6, 2004
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Winnipeg/
John_Gleeson/2004/08/06/570539.html
Australians spent at least half a billion dollars to collect and
destroy hundreds of thousands of
legally owned guns, and the result? No decrease in violent crime,
armed robberies up by 166%.
Canada
Gun Registry Problems Not Being Fixed: Information Commissioner
Garry Breitkreuz
Firearms Facts Update
July 21, 2004 (Scroll Down)
http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/Article411.htm
Canadian bureaucracy can find no evidence of efforts to repair the
defects in Canada's national
gun registry despite myriad complaints of errors and vast cost
overruns.
Switzerland
Swiss Stick To Their Guns As Defense Minister Moots End Of Militia
Army
AFP Wire
Space War
Aug 08, 2004
http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040808091736.1cyy1i6t.html
The Swiss Defense Minister triggered an outcry on August 2 when he
raised
the idea of
abolishing conscription, which in Switzerland means several weeks
service a
year
with the militia for each adult male until the age of 30. Swiss militiamen
keep modern infantry rifles in
their homes.
Trinidad
Fishermen Call For Guns
By Richard Charan
Trinidad Express
July 30th, 2004
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_business?id=31528156
Moruga fishermen know who the pirates are and can find them with the
help of
the Coast Guard and with the guns for which they are calling.
Swan reviews 'Shooters: Myths and Realities of America's Gun
Culture,' by
Abigail A. Kohn, which
examines the media myths which obscure the truth about American gun
owners and shooters.
index.ssf?/base/news/109126635774571.xml
Officials in Arcanum, Ohio changed an ordinance that had banned the
carrying
of concealed handguns in parks after supporters of the state's new
concealed-weapons law
challenged it.
A Collective Sigh: Area Sheriff Departments See No Problems With New
Concealed-Carry Law
By Stephanie Corbin
The Times Reporter (New Philadelphia, OH)
July 19, 2004
http://www.timesreporter.com/left.php?ID=31775&r=0
"Ohio's implementation of a concealed-carry weapons law in April
caused some
concern, but sheriff departments in the area say that they haven't
seen any problems."
Concealed Weapons Opponents Find Optimism In Dismissal
Associated Press (OH)
The Newark (OH) Advocate
July 15, 2004
http://www.2ndamendment.com/Content/News/20040716-07.htm
Opponents of Ohio's concealed carry reform vow to keep trying to
overturn
the law in court.
CCW Permit Listings Hurt The Innocent
Commentary by Phillip Morris, Associate Editor
August 10, 2004
http://www.cleveland.com/news/
plaindealer/phillip_morris/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1092130307262051.xml
A newspaperman blames the legislature, not the newspaper, for the
harms
caused by newspapers
printing the names of permit holders.
Be Extremely Careful In Ohio: Problems with the Ohio Concealed Carry
Law
Press Release
Kentucky Coalition to Carry Concealed
http://www.kc3.com/editorial/oh_warning.htm
A Kentucky Concealed Carry Reform advocacy group warns of the perils
involved in accepting
Ohio's proffer of reciprocal carry rights for out of state gun
owners.
Virginia
Gun Expo Held In Fairfax After Local Ordinances Overturned
Associated Press Wire
ABC 7 News (WJLA TV)
August 1, 2004
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0804/163148.html
The Virginia General Assembly overturned local gun ordinances,
invalidating
the Fairfax County requirement for a three day waiting period on
firearms purchases at gun
shows.
Virginia Tops Nation In New Pro-Gun Laws
By Michael N. Graff
The Winchester (VA) Star
July 16, 2004
http://www.winchesterstar.com/
TheWinchesterStar/040716/Area_VIRgin.asp
Fifteen in a single legislative session!
NRA hit bull's-eye with Va. lawmakers
Editorial
The Virginian-Pilot
August 8, 2004
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=74045&ran=43797
A newspaper editorial board offers a jaundiced assessment of the new
reforms.
Guns Worn In Open Legal, But Alarm Va.: 'Exercising Right'
Called 'Unreasonable' by Some
By Tom Jackman
The Washington Post
July 15, 2004
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/articles/A50416-2004Jul14.html
Open carry of sidearms is now legal in Virginia, but recent cases
have
provoked a worried reaction by police and onlookers.
Gun Rights Advocates Defend Open-Carry Law
By Christina Bellantoni
The Washington Times
July 20, 2004
http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20040719-102254-3826r.htm
Supporters of Virginia's 'Open Carry' law point out the deterrent
value
implicit in the law.
register/2004/Jul/23/43892A.pdf
Finally, the illegal perversion of the instant check into a gun
registration
system has ended.
John Kerry's Votes On Guns
Fact Sheet
The Sight: M1911A1
http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/rkba/kerry_votes.htm
A listing of Senator John Kerrey's votes on firearms legislation and
an
illustrative captioned photo.
tribune-review/opinion/archive/s_206995.html
The editorial board feels that Senator Kerry's efforts to portray
himself as
a supporter of the 2nd
Amendment are belied by his voting record.
Gun Owners Shot Down Missouri Gov's Reelection Bid
Cybercast News Service.
August 25, 2004
http://www.townhall.com/news/
politics/200408/CUL20040805a.shtml
"Missouri Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, is one of the few sitting
governors
ever
to lose a primary election. But Holden should have seen it coming
because of
his anti-gun stand, a Second Amendment group said on Wednesday."
law_review_articles/suing.pdf
(This article requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Halbrook examines the constitutional and legal issues involved in
lawsuits
alleging the liability of manufacturers for the misuse of their
products.
Association Between Youth-Focused Firearm Laws And Youth Suicides
By Daniel W. Webster, Jon S. Vernick, April M. Zeoli, and Jennifer
A.
Manganello
The Journal of the American Medical Association
Vol. 292 No. 5, August 4, 2004
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/292/5/594
"There is evidence that CAP [Child Access Prevention] laws are
associated
with a modest reduction in suicide
rates among youth aged 14 to 17 years. As currently implemented,
minimum age restrictions for the purchase and possession of firearms
do
not appear to reduce overall rates of suicide among youth."
Weapons in the Lives of Battered Women
By Susan B. Sorenson and Douglas J. Wiebe
American Journal of Public Health, Volume 94; Issue8; p. 1412
August 2004
Words, hands/fists, and feet were the most common weapons used
against and
by battered women. About one
third of the battered women had a firearm in the home.
Inspections of Firearms Dealers by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms
and Explosives
U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General
Report Number I-2004-005
July 2004
http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/inspection/ATF/0405/
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) assessed the effectiveness
of
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (BATFE)
program
for inspecting Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to ensure that they
are complying with federal firearms laws and regulations. They
found
wide variations in the ATF inspection program's productivity and
implementation among the ATF Field Divisions.
