Costas Doubles Down on Anti-Gun Statements
By now, pretty much everyone has seen (or at least heard about) Bob Costas’ NFL Sunday Night Football gun control diatribe spouted as two families and countless friends mourned the murder/suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs’ Javon Belcher. While this may or may not qualify as a genuine “tragedy,” it is unfortunate that people like Costas take the “never let a tragedy go to waste” cliche to heart and use it as a means to push their own political agendas and viewpoints. It is also unfortunate that such an anti-gun viewpoint was pushed during prime time television on NBC Sports, one of the major sponsors of the upcoming NSSF Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades (SHOT) Show.
For those of you who may not have seen or heard Costas’ anti-gun statements: Continue reading
BREAKING: Streets Continue to NOT Run Red With Blood in Open Carry States
When Oklahoma’s open carry law went into effect earlier this month they became the 15th state to allow licensed gun owners to openly carry firearms. Nearly 30 more states permit anyone not prohibited from owning a weapon to openly carry a firearm. Oklahoma’s new law pushed the open carry movement back into the news and you won’t believe what is happening in those states with laws harkening back to the Wild West…
Nothing.
Nothing out of the ordinary, anyway. The streets aren’t running red with blood (unlike in Chicago – where guns are nearly impossible to get, let alone carry – which is averaging roughly 42 murders per month). We aren’t seeing shootouts in the streets (unless you count New York – where, again, firearms are difficult to legally obtain. Carry permits? Fuggedaboutit! – where police unleash a hail of gunfire on innocent citizens who happen to be standing behind a bad guy). The biggest change will likely be increased 911 call volume to report a MWAG (man with a gun).
What else is business-as-usual? The consternation and hand-wringing from the hoplophobes worried about someone so lowly as a mere subject – er, citizen – carrying a firearm. Continue reading
NRA-ILA: One On One With Governor Mitt Romney
Via NRA-ILA
Chris Cox
Exec. Director
This year’s election is going to define the future of our freedom, perhaps more than any other in our history. For gun owners, there are a number of areas crucial to the survival of our Second Amendment rights. That’s why I took the time to visit with Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee, to find out precisely where he stands on the issues of concern to gun owners.
Chris W. Cox: First, let me start with the most basic question of all. In the 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, and in the 2010 case McDonald v. City of Chicago, the U.S. Supreme Court—by a 5-4 majority—held that the Second Amendment guarantees the fundamental, individual right of all law-abiding Americans to keep and bear arms. Do you agree that the Second Amendment protects a fundamental, individual right to own and use firearms for all lawful purposes?
Governor Mitt Romney: Absolutely, and I was pleased when the Court finally rendered a clear and concise decision on this critical issue. The Second Amendment is essential to our free society. I strongly support the right of all law-abiding Americans to exercise their constitutionally protected right to own Continue reading
United Nations Launches First Small Arms Control “Standards”
Sporting Arms and Manufacturers’ Institute:
In late August, an umbrella organization of 23 separate U.N. agencies known as the Coordinating Action on Small Arms (CASA) adopted the first portion of International Small Arms Control Standards (ISACS). The ISACS text is made up of 33 separate modules, some 800 pages in total. So far, eight modules have been adopted as the result of a process begun in the spring.
An Experts Reference Group (ERG), which included a small number of professionals with firearms experience, including Richard Patterson, managing director of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI), provided constructive criticisms on the first draft text of these modules. A second draft, however, revealed that numerous issues identified by the ERG had not been addressed, a fundamental violation of the legitimate standard-setting process. Continue reading
Make Your Pro-Second Amedment Voice Heard at the Polls in 2012
Online Resources Help Voters Stay Informed
With voter turnout on the rise after a long period of low showings, as well as the current political environment and momentum from recent court rulings, gun rights advocates have a big opportunity this fall. Aside from federal, state and (absent state preemption) local law makers who potentially wield a fair amount of power concerning gun rights, the last two Supreme Court decisions on the Second Amendment have been decided by just one vote. Given the possibility that the next administration will have the opportunity to name replacements for one or more of the Second Amendment-affirming SCOTUS justices, this November’s election could be even more important for firearms owners and enthusiasts than usual. The internet is rife with resources to help voters stay informed.
One of the most well-known resources to find out where candidates stand on firearms issues is the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) grading system. NRA-PVF provides grades on an A+ through F scale for primary and general election candidates. Gun Owners of America’s PVF also offers candidate ratings; however, at the time of this writing, ratings are not yet posted. The #GunVote initiative from NSSF is also a valuable resource for informed voters.
Aside from the above firearms-centric voter resources, there are Continue reading
SWR, SilencerCo, Others Pull Ads from Recoil Magazine Over Comments
The latest “sporting purpose” comments over tactical weapons have sparked renewed new backlash against one firearms publication.
SWR/SilencerCo, in a recent blog posting, announced that they are pulling their ads from Recoil Magazine, stating that the have written to the editor to request that they “discontinue all scheduled advertising for both Silencerco and SWR products.”
The backlash comes after editorial comments by Recoil magazine that SWR/SilencerCo describes as “concerning the illegitimacy of a certain firearm ( and by extension, an entire class of firearms).” The text in question is as follows: Continue reading