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Clive Crook's blog: I went to my first gun show recently - part of my ongoing remedial education in American cultural literacy, which my (American) wife has lately taken in hand - and I have been turning the experience over in my mind these past few days. As a Brit, of course, I was conditioned to expect that the first time I saw an unholstered pistol would be when a mugger stuck one in my face. That is how it works in a civilised country. So for me it was passing strange to see many hundreds of pistols - not...

Hartford police officers recovered about 400 illegally acquired firearms last year. Those weapons didn't pop up out of thin air. People who owned or had access to legal firearms either lost them or sold them to convicted criminals, the mentally ill and other people who were unauthorized to own guns. Many violent urban crimes and college campus shootings could be prevented if Congress would pass laws to impose foolproof methods of stopping legal guns from getting into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, efforts to pass such laws are often thwarted by the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby on grounds that...

The Cow Palace has hosted some of the biggest musical acts in the past half-century, from the Beatles in 1964 to Metallica in 2004, and it was at the Daly City venue that John F. Kennedy gave his 1960 speech that first outlined his idea for the Peace Corps. Though it is one of the Bay Area's historic venues for concerts and events, the Cow Palace may soon go the way of other old structures - like New York's Polo Grounds and San Francisco's Playland at the Beach- that are torn down to make way for redevelopment. State Sen. Leland...

LADSON, S.C., Nov. 24 — Joe McCormick, a burly man over six feet tall, a World War II-era Mauser rifle at his side, said he was frightened. “Giuliani scares me,” Mr. McCormick said of Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination. “What does a mayor of New York know about guns?” Fred D. Thompson, who was about 30 yards away — just past the “Confederate Cutlery” collection of knives, fingering an M-1 rifle at the Land of Sky Gun Show here Saturday — was more his kind of candidate. Mr....

LADSON, S.C. (AP) — White House hopeful Fred Thompson called his trip down an aisle of rifles, shotguns and pistols at a gun show "a day in paradise," while criticizing his leading opponents for past positions on gun control and abortion. Talking to reporters later, Thompson singled out former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Giuliani "never met a gun-control bill he didn't like until he started to run for president and now I understand he very much approves of the Supreme Court taking jurisdiction of this Washington, D.C., case which most Second Amendment advocates...

Thompson Strolls Through S.C. Gun Show By JIM DAVENPORT – 2 hours agoLADSON, S.C. (AP) — White House hopeful Fred Thompson called his trip down aisle of rifles, shotguns and pistols at a gun show "a day in paradise," and said he wished he could come back to spend more time and money.It was the former Tennessee senator and "Law and Order" actor's second trip to a gun show since launching his late bid for the GOP nomination in September.He reached out and picked up an old M-1 Garand rifle and raised an over-and-under Winchester shotgun suitable for the...

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads: "A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." www.Dictionary.com informs us that "infringe" means "to commit a breach or infraction of; violate or transgress ... " and further refers us to _Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law_: "to encroach upon in a way that violates law or the rights of another." The latter specifically cites the Second Amendment as an example of the word's usage. The word "infringe" also carries a connotation of sneaking up,...

HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. -- An auxiliary officer for a local police department was killed when a machine gun discharged at a private gun show in Blair County...

LAKELAND | It's not the big sit-down dinner and speech at the Yacht Club that local Republican Party planners had hoped for, but the former U.S. senator from Tennessee and now presidential candidate, Fred Thompson, will be in Lakeland at 11 a.m. Saturday to speak to those attending a gun show at The Lakeland Center. Supporters said they hope he will return for a longer visit later in the campaign. But for now, Thompson, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president, is on a three-day, whirlwind tour of the state beginning today and ending Saturday... Thompson will be met...

Each weekend in America, vast arsenals of weapons are bought and sold. Critics say those buyers include criminals. Advocates insist it’s all legal. Assault rifles were displayed for sale at a gun show March 12 at the 3 Trails Expo Center in Kansas City. While legal, such shows worry law enforcement officials. AK-47s. SKS sniper rifles. Armor-piercing bullets. Machine gun displays. It’s just another weekend at a Kansas City gun show, where there is so much firepower at your fingertips that even some gun enthusiasts shake their heads in wonder. But the shows — which gained popularity in the 1990s...

CNSNews.com) - Virginia State Police records confirm that at least seven gun show "sting" operations since July of 2004 have targeted gun buyers in the Richmond, Va., area. The documents support allegations that protected information may have been illegally shared with local police and gun buyers' relatives and neighbors. Cybercast News Service previously reported that nearly 500 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents, state troopers, county and city police officers participated in an "ATF Task Force" targeting the Showmasters gun show in Richmond, Va., on Aug. 13 and 14. Following that initial report, Cybercast News Service obtained...

I am planning to attend a gun show in San Jose this weekend and have never been to one. What goes on there? Can you buy a pistol and leave with it? I am completely in the dark about what to expect. Any help would be much appreciated.

This alert is located at: http://www.gunownersalliance.com/OpShiloh-01.htm To freedom lovers everywhere, All those who believe that new terrorist acts similar to 9/11 won't touch them should delete this e-mail. That which I have to say does not apply to you, and I don't want to waste your time. Those of you still reading this know that most recently we have seen how militant radical Islamists swayed the elections in Spain using terror attacks on civilian train commuters. It worked. Spain elected a socialist president that promised to distance himself from America in our fight against terrorism. Never mind 9/11! Earlier in...

PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO YOUR CONTACTS IMMEDIATELY! DO NOT LET THIS ALERT DIE! PASS IT ON! GUN OWNERS ALLIANCE ALERT! Chris W. Stark - Director P.O. Box 16441 Colorado Springs, CO, 80935-6441 Office: 1-719-391-0943 http://www.GunOwnersAlliance.com Director@GunOwnersAlliance.com 13 August 2004 99% Recovery of Previous "Ask the Rabbi" Articles by R. Mermelstein! You are receiving this message because you requested our alerts. Subscribe/UnSubscribe instructions near the bottom of the alert. Copyright © 2004 by Gun Owners Alliance. Republication permitted only if this e-mail alert is left intact in its original state. This alert is located at: http://www.gunownersalliance.com/Mermelstein-Good_Ending-01.htm Good news to all!...

Amongst the thing I've always figured I'd pay to watch, wouled be having a major sort of gunshow in either Arlington or Reston Va. What's happening this weekend is close enough to that; the C&E gunshow, i.e. the big one which you normally find in Richmond about once every three months, will be at the Dulles Expo Center Saturday and Sunday. Anybody living in the Northern Virginia area, if you've never been to a major gunshow and always wanted to, this is your opportunity.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND ENEMIES ALIKE! DO NOT LET THIS ALERT DIE. PASS IT ON! GUN OWNERS ALLIANCE !!ALERT!! Chris W. Stark - Director P.O. Box 16441 Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80935-6441 Ph. 1-719-391-0943 http://www.GunOwnersAlliance.com e-mail: Director@GunOwnersAlliance.com 16 July 2004 Keep Quiet or Walk Out - by Rabbi R. Mermelstein (Subscribe/UnSubscribe instructions at the bottom of this alert) Copyright © 2004 by Rabbi R. Mermelstein. Republication permitted ONLY if this e-mail alert is left intact in its original state. If you have not heard the good news of late, Rabbi R. Mermelstein has agreed to answer a...

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT TO YOUR FRIENDS AND ENEMIES ALIKE! DO NOT LET THIS ALERT DIE - PASS IT ON! GUN OWNERS ALLIANCE !!ALERT!! Chris W. Stark - Director P.O. Box 16441 Colorado Springs, Colorado, 80935-6441 Ph. 1-719-391-0943 http://www.GunOwnersAlliance.com e-mail: Director@GunOwnersAlliance.com 27 June 2004 ++++++++++++++++++ "ASK THE RABBI" by R. Mermelstein IS BACK!!! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (Subscribe/UnSubscribe instructions at the bottom of this alert) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Copyright © 2004 by R. Mermelstein and Gun Owners Alliance. Republication permitted ONLY if this e-mail alert is left intact in its original state. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dear RKBA Friends and supporters, We Welcome an...

NBC11.com SF Supervisors Lead Rally Against Gun Shows At Cow Palace Cow Palace Is Located Close To Districts With Most Homicides POSTED: 7:11 PM PDT April 12, 2004UPDATED: 7:12 PM PDT April 12, 2004 SAN FRANCISCO -- Two supervisors representing the San Francisco districts with the most homicides rallied in support of a state bill that would prohibit gun shows in a local concourse.The supervisors, who don't hold any power over the state-owned Cow Palace, urged the Public Safety Committee of the California State Senate to vote favorably Tuesday upon a bill that would ban the sale of firearms and...

SENATE TO VOTE ON GUN BAN & ENDING GUN SHOWS TOMORROW!!!! Last Chance For You To Make Your Voice Heard!! At noon on Monday, the U.S. Senate resumed debate on S. 1805-the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act" (formerly referred to as S. 659/S. 1806). On the only vote of the day, the Senate defeated the NRA-opposed Bingaman Amendment on a vote of 28-59. The Bingaman Amendment sought to gut S. 1805 by allowing anti-gun lawyers and activist judges to determine a firearm was "defective" simply because it could be "reasonably foreseen" it could be used in a crime-a...

I'm trying to figure out exactly what they mean by the "gun show loophole." I've been to a few gun shows in CA and I have not seen the loophole. It appears that ALL of the sellers here are licensed to sell-- and therefore require you to go through with the waiting period, etc. As I understand it, other states or other gun shows MAY NOT require sellers to be licensed, and therefore, person-to-person sales may be accomplished on the gun show premises. Is this the "loophole?" Or are ALL of the gunshows the same as the ones here in...

A BILL To require criminal background checks on all firearms transactions occurring at events that provide a venue for the sale, offer for sale, transfer, or exchange of firearms, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the `Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2003'. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: `(36) SPECIAL FIREARMS EVENT- The term `special firearms event'-- `(A)...

. Shooting Sports Fair Three days of hands-on shooting fun June 6th, 7th, 8thCome experience three full days of hands-on shooting fun and information from the industry's leading firearms manufacturers. Bring the whole family to try out the newest and best in outdoor and sporting equipment. Enjoy free admission when you join the NRA at the entrance. Other scheduled events include game and varmint calling, dog training, shooting demonstrations by some of the nation's top competitors, personal protection, archery, conservation, and numerous industry exhibitors. Try your hand at sporting clays or five-stand games, shoot the Gatling gun, and enter to...

It took just 15 minutes for KIRO Team 7 Investigators to buy a sniper's rifle. We show you how easy it is to skirt the law and walk away with a loaded gun.....

DENVER, NOV. 11, 2002 (CBS News) - They look innocent enough, and the names sound like things you might find in a baker's pantry or a chemistry set. But when they're mixed the result is a compound called flash powder that can cause a powerful explosion. This isn't the work of terrorists using sophisticated materials. The ingredients and the know how to build extremely powerful explosives are easy to come by. A joint investigation by CBS News and affiliate KCNC found the chemicals needed to build a bomb right out in the open at a Denver-area gun show, along with...

The Nordyke v. Alameda Gun Show Ban case History: The County of Alameda passed an ordinance that prohibited possession of firearms on county property, in a thus-far successful effort to close down the T&S Gun Show formerly operated by Russ & Sally Nordyke at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. The county was sued by the Nordykes in the Ninth Circuit Federal Court on equal protection and other grounds, and that court eventually sent the case to the California Supreme Court to answer questions regarding state gun law preemption. In a disappointing decision, the California Supreme Court disregarded the concept...

Alabama boy, 13, shot at Gwinnett gun showBy RICK BADIE Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer Gun show patrons line up to return to the center following Sunday's shooting. A 13-year-old boy was in critical condition after he was shot in the head at a Gwinnett County gun show Sunday. Gwinnett police spokesman Ray Dunlap said the shooting apparently was an accident. It was unclear how the shooting occurred or who fired the gun. The boy, from Montgomery, Ala., was taken to Scottish Rite Children's Hospital where he underwent surgery, Dunlap says. The Eastman Gun Show, at the North Atlanta Trade Center,...

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) brims with confidence when he talks about the gun-control proposal he introduced in the House on March 20. At a press conference to unveil the measure, he predicted that the Gun Show Background Check Act of 2002 (HR4034) will not be an issue in the November elections because it already will have passed. His confidence in this major expansion of gun control stems from the willingness of many Americans to accept infringements on constitutional proscriptions after Sept. 11. "Now we've got the terrorist issue," Conyers says in response to a question from Insight. "There are...