Free Republic

TAMPA, Fla. -- A Florida man shot at an alligator to free his dog from its jaws. Tom Martino says he and his Jack Russell terrier Lizabeth were walking along the Hillsborough River in Tampa on Thursday when the alligator wrestled the 15-pound dog into the water. Martino started shooting into the water around the alligator to scare it into releasing the 9-year-old dog. He performed CPR on the dog until it coughed up water and started breathing again. Lizabeth is now being treated for alligator bits and lung injuries from being underwater. A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission...

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - It has now been just about two weeks since a new Virginia law went into effect allowing concealed weapons in bars and restaurants. Now, both sides of the issue are already weighing in on its impact. Today we get the opinions of people directly connected to the new law. Phillip Van Cleave is the President of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a group that fought to get the law passed.

PHOENIX (AP) -- Republican Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed into law a bill making Arizona the third state allowing people without a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The bill she signed Friday afternoon takes effect 90 days after the current legislative session ends. That likely will put the effective date in July or August...

Concealed weapons should be allowed on college campuses and other public gatherings, a lawmaker told a House committee on Friday, while opponents to a bill that would loosen gun restrictions say it could have violent, unintended consequences. North Dakota bars bringing permitted concealed weapons to public gatherings and places such as universities, but a measure introduced by Rep. Duane DeKrey, R-Pettibone, would change that. The bill would still prohibit concealed weapons on K-12 campuses. "We always have people that seem to be mentally ill or have other problems," said DeKrey, adding he introduced the measure in light of the 2007...

One minute, Suzanne was eating lunch with her mother and father. The next, the happy hubbub of the restaurant was silenced when a pickup truck crashed through the brick, mortar, and glass. How could that happen? The driver emerged, but Suzanne noticed he wasn’t dazed or drunk; he was angry and purposeful. Then, she saw the guns. He stepped over the debris and began to shoot patrons. She must be dreaming. Her father leaped to his feet, charged the gunman, was shot, and fell to the floor. When the gunman turned his back to shoot others, she remembered: she had...

Freshly unemployed, former business executive Bruce J. Colburn flew to the far northwest corner of Montana in search of a place to die. In early October, he paid a hotel clerk to drive him into Glacier National Park. He spent the night in a campground and then made his way on foot to a valley between two deep glacial lakes. On a forested slope not far from the trail, he shot himself in the chest with a handgun, according to park officials.

“A Sheriff revoked the concealed handgun permit of a woman who insisted on open carrying her gun to her daughter’s soccer games”. Is the Open Carry movement making matters worse for legal gun owners?

Wayne Rausch says Moscow - not to mention UI campus - would be safer places if more qualified people were packing MOSCOW - With 540 persons carrying concealed weapons permits in Latah County, Sheriff Wayne Rausch said Tuesday he wouldn't mind if more applied and qualified to carry guns. That includes on the campus of the University of Idaho. "In my opinion, if there were more students with CPWs, the world would be safer," Rausch said. He pointed out virtually anyone can carry a weapon in plain sight. People who seek concealed weapons permits, the sheriff said, are rarely a...

Here's a hypothetical for FReepers to bat around. With the ubiquity of backpacks these days, what is the feasability and advisability of carrying one of the many high capacity, short barreled rifles as a concealed weapon. For our purposes, assume NFA compliance and fees are no object.

7/17/07Interest In Concealed Handguns Is On The Rise Recent violence in Lubbock appears to have sparked a larger interest in concealed handgun licenses, so NewsChannel 11 taking a closer look into what it takes to receive one of those permits."The object of carrying a weapon is to prevent things from happening," Beverly Ellis, owner of Gun Shak in southwest Lubbock County said.  Ellis is also a concealed handgun license instructor.  Before you can get a conceal-carry license from the Department of Public Safety, you'll have to spend hours of class time with her, or at least another instructor like Ellis, and...

DENVER -- When lawmakers allowed Coloradans to obtain permits for concealed weapons four years ago, part of the package included a statewide database that tracks who gets them. That database is supposed to expire this year, and at least four bills are floating in the Colorado General Assembly regarding its future. State Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, is carrying a bill that would eliminate the database altogether. Other lawmakers have offered bills to the opposite effect. Another Republican testified this week about a bill that would extend its life. State Rep. Al White, R-Winter Park, told the House Judiciary Committee he...

Thousands of hapless travelers were trapped Wednesday on the Long Beach Freeway, and a possibly related accident resulted in the death of one man, as police waited out a kidnapping suspect whose getaway car had stalled on the highway. SNIP One hour turned to another, and the stretch of freeway that carries 215,000 vehicles a day remained gridlocked as morning turned to afternoon. More than four hours later, a man in a white T-shirt wanted in the reported kidnapping of a young woman late last year emerged from a maroon Ford minivan in South Gate and gave himself up. SNIP...

VIEWPOINT: THE CONCEALED HANDGUN LAW: TEN YEARS LATER By Hon. Jerry Patterson When the Texas Concealed Handgun Law took effect in 1996, pundits and naysayers predicted anarchy. Any minute, there would surely be mass violence as armed Texas citizens began roving the streets settling arguments with gunfire. Certainly, several proclaimed, within a year there would be blood in the streets as Texas returned to the days of the Wild West. Ten years later the facts paint a different picture. Texas under the Concealed Handgun Law isn’t the Wild West, but the Mild West. No recurrent shootouts at four-way stops, no...

Orange County Leads Area In Concealed Weapons Licenses POSTED: 5:54 pm EST November 7, 2005 UPDATED: 3:14 pm EST November 8, 2005 RESOURCE: Florida's Concealed Weapon Program ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Next time you're out in a crowded place, take a look around. Chances are someone's carrying a handgun and you wouldn't know. Channel 9's Steve Barrett has uncovered just how common concealed weapons are in the places we all go. It might be in a purse, or a pocket, a car, or a briefcase, and you have no way of knowing. In Central Florida, about one in 40 adults...

Guns are dangerous. But myths are dangerous, too. Myths about guns are very dangerous, because they lead to bad laws. And bad laws kill people. "Don't tell me this bill will not make a difference," said President Clinton, who signed the Brady Bill into law. Sorry. Even the federal government can't say it has made a difference. The Centers for Disease Control did an extensive review of various types of gun control: waiting periods, registration and licensing, and bans on certain firearms. It found that the idea that gun control laws have reduced violent crime is simply a myth. I...

JUNEAU, Alaska — Starting Wednesday, a new anti-gun-control law in Alaska will allow handgun owners to carry concealed weapons without a permit in the seven Alaska cities where permits are now required. Gun owners will be allowed to keep their firearms in their vehicle, even if the car is parked on private property where the owner has a no-gun policy. And, some police chiefs say, local ordinances that ban guns from public buildings such as city halls will no longer be enforceable. Alaska’s new law forbids municipalities from passing gun laws that are more restrictive than state law. The National...

It was late when they got home, so late that the cluster of town houses at the top of the hill was dark. Earlier this month, Fred Taylor, a Suffolk native and first-year law student at Mercer University, was returning from a fancy birthday dinner with his girlfriend to his home in Macon, Ga. When the couple went inside, Taylor switched on the lights in the living room, the dining room and kitchen. Ceiling fans whirred. Taylor’s girlfriend, Adrienne Warren, 22, went upstairs, changed clothes and settled downstairs on the couch in front of the TV. Taylor, also 22, was...

I just wanted to alert everybody that the most anti-gun legislator in Virginia is a Republican: Dave Albo, of Springfield, Virginia. He might as well be marching with the Million Mom March. Today he voted against allowing citizens to exercise their constitutional rights and carry concealed weapons on public property. I'm frankly outraged by this. This guy has voted time and again against gun rights. I mean - for gods sake! Even some Democrats support gun rights in Virginia. I can't believe this guy...we've got a 30 vote majority in the House and he can't find the will to support...

Ten years after it became legal to carry a concealed weapon in Arizona with a permit, proponents say the law has been an absolute success, increasing self-defense options for law-abiding adults without a consequential increase in crime. While law enforcement officials still keep a close eye on the process and opponents continue to fight attempts to ease requirements to get the permits, there are no real data to suggest the program has led to more gun crime. Since the state Department of Public Safety began taking applications for the permits in July 1994, more than 120,000 have been issued. As...

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38726 Tuesday, June 1, 2004 WEAPONS OF CHOICE Pizza man saved by gun, but fired for packin' heat Prosecutors call it 'clear case of self-defense,' yet national chain prohibits carrying firearms Posted: June 1, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com A pizza deliveryman won't face charges for fatally shooting a would-be robber several times when he was approached in a high-crime area, but his employer, Pizza Hut, has fired him for violating a company policy against carrying firearms. Ronald B. Honeycutt, 38,...

Lawmakers trying to make 3-year-old measure consistent with DNR rules CORRECTION (April 27, 2004): Because of a reporting error Monday, the hometown of state Sen. Ron Jelinek was incorrect. He is from Three Oaks. The Tribune regrets the error. LANSING -- Legislators are again trying to tweak Michigan's 3-year-old concealed weapons law, attempting to clarify its limitations. A Senate bill that would allow people licensed to carry concealed weapons to have them in hunting areas has passed the conservation and outdoor recreation committee. The Senate approved the bill and it is awaiting action in the House. Sens. Michelle McManus, R-Lake...

<p>A woman shot an armed man to death Tuesday after he attacked her as she was entering her east-side Detroit home, police said.</p> <p>The woman, who owns a car dealership, was at the side door of her home in the 15200 block of Troester at 7:45 p.m. when a man ran up behind her brandishing a nickel-plated handgun, Officer Derek Jones said.</p>

Right now as we our right to chose to defend ourselves MAY return to WI. Despite Doyle's veto we are just a few votes shy of gaining CCW. The assembly is in partisan caucaus. Both Gary Sherman and Amy Sue Vruwink are two that can be swayed. Sherman is sitting on the fence and needs a reminder that he works FOR the people not the other way around. rep.vruwink@legis.state.wi.us(608)266-8366 or (888) 534-0070.rep.sherman@legis.state.wi.us (608) 266-7690 or (888) 534-0074.rep.schneider@legis.state.wi.usrep.woodw@legis.state.wi.usrep.steinbrink@legis.state.wi.usrep.vanakkeren@legis.state.wi.usrep.gronemus@legis.state.wi.usrep.kreuser@legis.state.wi.us Just thought I would remind everyone who hasn't freeped that now would be a time which your call,email,fax, WILL matter. Watch livehttp://www.legis.state.wi.us/insession/assembly/index.htm

Close vote expected today on veto override With a historic veto override and Gov. Jim Doyle's political credibility on the line Tuesday, pro- and anti-gun forces raised their voices Monday to try to swing a close Assembly vote in their favor. Concealed Weapons Bill Doyle stood with uniformed law officers in Cudahy on Monday and denounced the measure that would allow residents to carry concealed weapons. He plans to reiterate that message in an appearance today in the Capitol before the Assembly tries to override his veto, as the Senate did late week. Meanwhile Monday, bill supporters also were out...

Carrying weapons brings fear, security Views on law are still mixed after two years By Stacey Range Lansing State Journal A Haslett mother of four feels safer with her loaded Glock pistol, while an Okemos woman is so scared by the influx of guns she's stopped confronting strangers for fear they'll shoot her. Meanwhile, a Lansing beat cop worries that every driver he pulls over is armed and an Ingham County prosecutor is busy awarding more permits for people to carry guns and taking permits away from some after they broke the law. While Michigan communities haven't become the Dodge...

Round One of the court fight over concealed weapons went to gun opponents Friday when a St. Louis judge ruled that the law violated the Missouri Constitution.Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer ruled that a 10-word phrase in the state constitution's Bill of Rights banned the carrying of concealed weapons.The section at issue says that people have the right to bear arms “but this shall not justify the wearing of concealed weapons.”“This is a direct limitation on the inherent power of the legislature to regulate the manner, time and place of the citizens' right to bear arms,” Ohmer wrote. “To read the...

Law officers oppose concealed weapons Some hope county opts out if bill passes By SCOTT WILLIAMSswilliams@journalsentinel.com Last Updated: Nov. 6, 2003 Waukesha - Citing fears of increased gun violence, many police chiefs and other officials in Waukesha County said Thursday they oppose legalizing concealed weapons in Wisconsin. "We're opening the door to problems," Big Bend Police Chief John Hefley said as state lawmakers edged closer permitting residents to carry weapons. Earlier Thursday, the Assembly had followed the Senate's lead in approving a bill requiring county sheriffs to issue permits allowing qualified applicants to carry concealed handguns or other weapons. Gov....

In 30 days the Boone County Sheriff’s Department could begin issuing right-to-conceal handgun permits for the first time since the 19th century. On Thursday, the Missouri Senate voted to override Gov. Bob Holden’s veto of legislation that will allow Missourians to carry a concealed handgun. Since 1879, Missouri has had a law on the books making it illegal to carry a concealed weapon. Columbia Police Chief Randy Boehm is opposed to the new legislation. “More concealed handguns is not positive,” he said. “It means more potential for problems,” But he said the new law does have some good components, such...

Posted on Mon, Sep. 01, 2003 Law lets firearms in more placesBy Anna M. TinsleyStar-Telegram Staff Writer STAR-TELEGRAM DEWUAN X. DAVIS CONCEALED WEAPONS Starting today, firearms go public.For years, local governments have been able to ban concealed handguns from many city halls, police stations, libraries, recreation centers, city and county parks and many other governmental facilities.No more.Today, a new state law takes effect allowing Texans with concealed-handgun permits to take their firearms into many public facilities.And that has rankled some city officials."I support the right to bear arms -- I'm a lifetime member of the NRA [National Rifle Association],"...

WASHINGTON -- Since the Sept. 11 hijackings, an FBI lab here has been compiling a database of easily concealable knives -- including long, fixed blades hidden in canes, retractable short blades hidden in keys and lipstick tubes, and others made of nonmetal composites that can escape detection by airport magnetometers and X-ray machines. Most of the nearly 90 samples photographed in the extensive database of concealable weapons are commercially available for less than $20, the FBI says. "These knives should be treated as potentially dangerous weapons," warns the "FBI Guide to Concealable Weapons 2003." The booklet, put together by the...

<p>COLUMBUS - Gov. Bob Taft angered anti-gun activists and some of the most ardent gun-rights groups yesterday by agreeing to sign a controversial bill allowing Ohioans to carry hidden handguns.</p> <p>The Senate today is expected to send the bill back to the House, where some of its earlier supporters are bristling over changes made to restrict how guns are carried in a car. The concessions won the neutrality of the Ohio Highway Patrol yesterday, key to Mr. Taft’s change of position.</p>

PHOENIX - The Arizona House narrowly voted yesterday to reduce the penalty for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. The bill (HB2321) was sent to the Senate on a vote of 32-27 - one more than the minimum 31 needed for House passage. Under the bill, violations would be a petty offense punishable by a fine of $50 or less. They now are misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in jail. Supporters said the change would help responsible citizens who carry guns and inadvertently break Arizona's concealed weapons law. Opponents said it would encourage some people who carry...

One of the most interesting and entertaining combatants in the forty-year war over gun rights is the Violence Policy Center of Washington, D. C. A recent VPC "study" on the topic of concealed handguns in the state of Texas reveals much about this unique organization. But first a little background on concealed carry laws.Thirty-four states now have laws that guarantee a concealed handgun permit to citizens who have passed a criminal background check and completed appropriate training. None of these laws has ever been repealed, because they have been universally successful. Each time another state considers a concealed carry law...

"Ready on the right? Ready on the left? Line ready? Fire!" The voice of the instructor at the Mid-Carolina Rifle Club in West Columbia is drowned out by the pop-pop-pop of bullets being fired at targets. The South Carolinians firing the handguns believe the best way to fight crime is to carry a gun -legally- and learn how to use it. They're completing the final phase of the class required to get a concealed weapons permit. If you're at least 21 years old, have no criminal record, get the required training and pass a background check, you can get a...

<p>A state appeals court on Wednesday declared Ohio's decades-old ban on carrying concealed weapons unconstitutional because it violates the right to self defense.</p> <p>The framers of the Ohio constitution "put the citizens' rights up front," said Mark Painter, presiding judge of the 1st Ohio District Court of Appeals. "We believe they meant what they said."</p>