About once a month, Dave Kopel produces a free e-mail Newsletter containing short summaries and links to important new research and writing involving the Second Amendment and firearms policy. The newsletter also reports on Kopel's latest writing.
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 Newsletter. March 21, 2003.
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Project is based at the
Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in
Golden, Colorado.
http://www.independenceinstitute.org
1. New by Kopel: Amicus brief in case of student censored for
wearing NRA shooting sports t-shirt. Analysis of Treasury v.
Chicago Supreme Court case. Backgrounder on Colorado's
new preemption law.
2. Law: Irrational college bans on concealed carry.
3. International: Canadian registry fiasco.
4. Terrorism: Citizen safety tips.
5. States: DC lawsuit against city's handgun ban.
6. Research: Philosophy prof explains the right to own a gun.
7. History and Culture: Why Condaleeza Rice supports the Second Amendment
and much more.
1. New by Kopel
Amicus brief in Newsom v. Albermarle
Middle school threatens to punish a student for wearing an NRA
shooting sports camp t-shirt.
Motion for a preliminary injunction was denied by federal district
court and is currently on appeal to the Fourth Circuit Court of
Appeals. Independence Institute amicus brief argues that
shooting sports are wholesome and promote good character,
and that speech promoting shooting sports cannot rationally be
censored in a public school.
http://www.davekopel.com/2A/Briefs/Newsum-v-Albermarle-amicus-brief.htm
Treasury v. Chicago
The City of Chicago won a case before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals
arguing that the Freedom of Information Act gave Chicago the
right to the full BATFE databases of multiple handgun purchasers
and of firearms traces. The Treasury Department appealed to the U.S.
Supreme Court. The case and its legal arguments are outlined in:
"When Must the Government Disclose Gun Owners' Names and Addresses?"
http://www.davekopel.com/2A/Mags/Treasury-versus-Chicago.pdf
In February, Congress passed an appropriation bill explicitly forbidding
BATFE from spending money on disclosures such as those which Chicago
would compel. The Supreme Court returned the case to the 7th Circuit
to determine the appropriations rider's effect on the case.
On March 18, Colorado Governor Bill Owens signed SB 24,
creating a uniform statewide Shall Issue CCW system. He also
signed SB 25, which preempts some abusive anti-rights local laws.
SB 24 prohibits police lists of law-abiding gun owners, forbids
local gun bans of arms allowed by federal and state law, forbids
local laws against carrying guns in cars for protection or for hunting,
and requires localities to post signs in areas where open carry
is forbidden. An Independence Institute issue backgrounder
details the provisions.
Limited Preemption of Firearms Laws: A Good Step for Civil Rights.
http://www.davekopel.com/2A/IB/Limited-Preemption.htm
In 2000, the Colorado legislature passed and the Governor signed the
toughest law in the country against frivolous anti-gun lawsuits.
Except in requiring background checks on private sales at gun shows,
efforts to exploit the Columbine murders to infringe the rights of
law-abiding gun owners have failed. Twelve of the 27 Democrats
in the Colorado House voted for SB 24, as did all Republicans.
Coming soon on National Review Online:
How the administration continues to obstruct the armed pilots program, and
why the program needs to be expanded to cover cargo planes.
Coming soon (really) from the National Center for Policy Analysis:
Monograph with Sterling Burnett on the problems with laws
mandating ballistic imaging for non-crime guns.
In progress:
Major article on the numerous falsehoods in Michael Moore's movie
"Bowling for Columbine"
2. Law
Why A Recent Supreme Court Copyright Ruling May
Have Important Implications for Second Amendment
Gun Rights As Well
By Michael C. Dorft
Find Law
February 5, 2003
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dorf/20030205.html
Guns on
Campus:
Irrational Fears Limit Concealed Carry
Brian Schwartz
Colorado Freedom Report
http://www.co-freedom.com/2003/02/cuccw.html
Note: Colorado's new SB 24 abolishes all criminal safe zones
where concealed carry is not allowed, except K-12 public schools,
government buildings with full-time metal detectors, and private
property.
Justice for Gun Victims
http://www.justiceforgunvictims.org
New organization promotes anti-gun lawsuits.
3. International
Guns and Economics
By Pierre Lemieux
Tech Central Station
2/11/03
http://techcentralstation.com/1051/techwrapper.jsp?PID=1051-250&CID=1051-021103C
An analysis of the soaring costs of Canada's registry of legal guns and gun owners.
Majority (53%) of Canadians Say Gun
Registry Should be Scrapped
Ipsos-Reid Poll
December 13, 2002
http://www.ipsos-reid.com/media/dsp_displaypr_cdn.cfm?id_to_view=1692
What Police Have Said About The Gun Registry
By Garry Breitkreuz
February 19, 2003
http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/policequotes.htm
Top Ten Reasons Why The Liberals' Gun Registry Cost Estimates
Are Incomplete And Inaccurate
By Garry Breitkreuz
http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/firearmsfacts2.htm
Government's Newest Incomplete Forecasts Show Gun Registry
Will Cost MoreThan $1.3 Billion Before It Is Fully Implemented
By Garry Breitkreuz
February 28, 2003
http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/governmentgunforcast.htm
Mercosur: Harmonizing Laws For The Prevention Of Illicit Firearms Transfers
by Carolina Iootty de Paiva Dias
Institute of Peace Conflict Studies (Project Ploughshares)
www.desarme.org/publique/media/mercosur_legislation.pdf
Argues for restrictive anti-gun laws in South America
4. Terrorism
How to be a liberty shield
By Michelle Malkin
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/michellemalkin/mm20030319.shtml
Anti-terrorism tips, including:
"If you are trained and licensed to carry a concealed weapon, don't leave home without it. Remember that it was armed private guards, along with a private citizen, who tackled and killed the last "lone wolf" terrorist on American soil, Hesham Hadayet, at Los Angeles International Airport last July 4th."
Gun Laws A Minefield For Military
By Gordon Dillow
The Orange County Register
February 9, 2003
http://www2.ocregister.com/ocrweb/ocr/article.do?id=24611
Members of the military in need of particular weapons
find their efforts to procure them prevented by California's
firearms legislation.
A Soldier's Viewpoint On Surviving Nuclear,
Chemical And Biological Attacks
By Red Thomas, SFC, Armor Master Gunner
The Sight M1911-A1
http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/other/nbc.htm
5. States
Residents Challenge District's Gun Ban
By Jon Ward
The Washington Times
February 12, 2003
http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20030212-71671916.htm
A group of Washington D.C. citizens are seeking in court to
restore their rights to keep and bear arms.
Cato Legal Scholars File Second Amendment Challenge To Washington, D.C. Gun Ban
Press Release
The Cato Institute
February 10, 2003
http://www.cato.org/new/02-03/02-10-03r.html
District Balks As Taxi Panel Ponders Guns For Cabbies
By David Nakamura
Washington Post
February 5, 2003
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A26812-2003Feb4?language=printer
The Washington D.C. city government dislikes the idea of cab drivers
possessing the means of self-defense.
Illinois very restrictive legislation is moving quickly through the Legislature.
Details on the Illinois State Rifle Association website (www.isra.org):
http://www.isra.org/march_17.pdf
Bleeding Maryland: Chief Moose Boosts Gun Law Efforts
The Star Democrat Online
February 07, 2003
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=6975412&BRD=2101&PAG=461&dept_id=392169&rfi=6
The police chief who failed to capture the Washington, D.C. area snipers
has become a pitchman for firearms legislation.
6. Research and Scholarship
Is There a Right to Own a Gun?
By Professor Michael Huemer
University of Colorado Department of Philosophy
http://home.sprynet.com/~owl1/guncontrol.pdf
Armed Citizen Articles
Archive of NRA magazine "Armed Citizen" entries from the present back to 1958.
Database is searchable by key word and state.
http://www.nraila.org/ArmedCitizen.asp
New Database Allows Performance
Reviews of Federal Prosecutors
Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse
=========================
7. History and Culture
Feb. 27 was the feast day of Saint Gabriel Possenti, the
Patron Saint of Handgunners.
http://www.possentisociety.com/
The Rice Update
By Aubrey Turner
Aubreyturner.org
February 25, 2003
http://www.aubreyturner.org/archives/000236.html#000236
Condoleeza Rice's family employed firearms in self-defense against racist attacks.
Amy Fisher to Keep Kids Safe from Guns
Feb. 26, 2003
1010 WINS radio, New York
http://1010wins.com/siteSearch/local_story_057152210.html
"Amy Fisher, the pistol-packin' Long Islander who set off a frenzy of tabloid
headlines a decade ago when she shot her lover's wife, celebrated the end of her parole on Wednesday by announcing her intention to work for causes aimed at keeping handguns away from minors."
Disputed History Book to Be Reissued
By Hillel Italie
Washington Post
February 19, 2003
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30921-2003Feb19.html
Michael Bellesisles, the discredited author of 'Arming America,' which
has been pulled by his original publisher, has found a new publisher at:
http://www.softskull.com/press/armingamerica_pr.pdf
Al Qaeda delenda est!
Electronic layout of this newsletter was by Dr. Rob S. Rice, no relation to Condoleeza.
Dr. Rice is historian, writer and factotum of matters electronic to David Kopel.
