Outdoor Heritage Preservation Association

Whether you want to admit it or not........

2007-09-02T20:46:00.001-07:00

Weather you want to acknowledge it or not the anti hunter and anti gun organizations have the same ultimate goal... Destruction of Freedom. The premise is that by the anti gun factions getting there way, there is no justification for hunting. The same holds true for the anti hunting factions, if no hunting then there is no justification for firearms ownership.

Like it or not the "hunters" and "shooters" are locked in the same battle, what affects one will affect the other. So even if you care not to partake in a particular aspect of the shooting sports, you damn well better care to know the facts and how they will affect you down the road. Don't relish the thought of killing an animal? Don't, but on the same token know that any money you give to HSUS or PETA does directly affect you in the future. Don't care to own or shoot a so called EBR(Evil Black Rifle)? Don't, but you damn well better care that the NRA, GOA, Second Amendment foundation et al. are defending your right to own your precious 30-06 while at the same time defending my right to own an AR 15.

I would encourage all to really look into where the founders and executive officers of the American Hunters and Shooters Association come from before supporting them in any way. The marketing campaigns of the antis are effective and proactive, we need to be the same way, sooner than they are. If you are not engaging all who you come across on a daily basis, you lead the apathy that will destroy the sport.

Playground Uses Big-Boy Toys

2007-06-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

Posted on Mon, Jun. 18, 2007
Akron Beacon Journal

Playground uses big-boy toys
1,500-acre plot in northeast corner of Portage County is home to Hummers, hunting, guns
By Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer

Ron Gregg, behind the wheel of a canary yellow Hummer, turns down a non-descript dirt road deep in the northeast corner of Portage County.

There is no sign, just a well-worn yellow metal fence pulled to the side and a half-dirt, half-gravel road heading into the bushes and trees. Across the street, there's a similar fence.

Both lead to a sportsman's paradise -- about 1,500 acres of off-road trails, streams, lakes, a campground and a large, open-air shooting range.

Property owner Dale Soinski and Gregg, who manages the land, have turned the former sand quarry into a giant playground for adults and their grown-up toys, whether they be Hummers, Argos, ATVs, sniper rifles or the .50-caliber M2 Heavy Barrel machine gun that Soinski has mounted on top of his former military-owned Hummer.

``It's a raw diamond,'' Gregg says, standing on top of a 40-foot hill that overlooks the shooting range.

Marketing the property

After years of building trails, fighting court battles over the shooting range and extending utilities far into some areas, Soinski and Gregg are now trying to better market the property -- called the Southington Hunt Club -- and attract more sportsmen for special outings and corporate events.

The shooting range already is used for training by police departments and Integrated Tactical Training Systems, a company run by University Heights police Sgt. James Holden that trains both law enforcement and civilians. And a gun manufacturer from Geauga County comes to test its weapons there.

Amazed by the variety of off-road conditions -- steep hills, deep streams, sand and mud -- Central Hummer East in Beachwood also has been holding its ``Hummer Happenings'' there for years. During the events, Hummer owners descend on the property and learn how to drive their expensive status symbols up and down hills, through streams and mud, and around sand dunes.

``That piece of property has everything,'' dealership sales manager John Pituch said.

Soinski, 59, a commercial roofing contractor and builder, bought the property in 1997. It's so expansive, it stretches across two counties, Portage and Trumbull.

``I've always bought all the land I could get. Bought and sold. Bought and sold,'' Soinski said during a recent visit to the the 100-yard shooting range. There's also a 350-yard range. ``I had a dream of getting over 1,000 acres. That was my goal.

``I can work in the city, but if I don't have to be next to somebody, I don't want to be next to somebody.''

Man behind the land

Soinski, a Hiram resident whom his friends describe as eccentric, is building an energy-efficient house on the property, too. The home is being built into the ground, bunker-style, with a 40-foot lighthouse on top. It overlooks a man-made 40-acre lake stocked with fish.

Why a lighthouse?

``It's a nice marriage between the house and the lake,'' Soinski said.

Besides being an avid hunter, Soinski, whose skin is tanned from years working outside as a contractor, is a gun enthusiast and collector of all types of all-terrain vehicles. (He owns a former military armored personnel carrier used in the Vietnam War.)

Guns are a special passion.

He's not sure how many weapons he has.

``That's classified,'' Gregg said, laughing.

When Soinski bought the property, it had been targeted as a possible landfill. It also had been the site of illegal dumping for years.

He cleaned it up, hauling out trash and developing wetlands. He also started landscaping the area with 18 miles of trails.

He's getting ready to construct a restroom and bathhouse near the campground.

As he looked over the property initially, one spot jumped out as a perfect setting for a shooting range. The backstop is an 80-foot-high quarry wall, created over the years as the former quarry business dug down into the earth. The wall is to the north -- ideal because the sun doesn't interfere with the shooters.

A pavilion with electricity was built for gatherings.

Two giant mounds of earth were landscaped on both sides to prevent ricochets.

Safety considered

``We tried to make the range the safest in the state,'' Soinski said.

Then there is his .50-caliber machine gun, which lets off booming noises when shot and kicks up dusts of sand as bullets hit the quarry wall. The weapon is his favorite to shoot among his collection because ``it gives you the biggest bang for the buck.''

``There was no place around here to shoot something like that safely,'' he said, pointing to the weapon.

That didn't stop neighbors in the rural area from objecting, though, for safety and noise reasons. He estimates the legal fight lasted six years before he was finally victorious.

``This is a very safe environment to shoot,'' said Holden, a police officer, certified trainer and firearms dealer.

It's also a great place to train. Need to shoot from your butt, go ahead. Need to shoot from a car, go ahead. Need to shoot from a bicycle, go ahead.

You can't do that at indoor ranges, which also frown on automatic weapons, Holden said.

``We like to do realistic training,'' he said.

Then there's the occasional car that they blow up.

The range isn't open to just anybody. People who want to shoot there must know Soinski and make arrangements in advance. As he attempts to promote the range more, he said he's more interested in attracting law enforcement officials -- the safest shooters -- and not weekend cowboys.

On a recent day, Soinski, Holden and friends set up bowling pins on the range and they neatly knocked them down with single shots.

``This is a dream,'' Soinski said.

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.

Greater rights proposed for self-defense shootings

2007-06-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

Full Story Here

DEADLY FORCE

Greater rights proposed for self-defense shootings

Wednesday, June 13, 2007 11:15 PM

Associated Press

Trying to build on success that began in Florida and spread to 17 other states, the National Rifle Association started a push in Ohio today that would give people more authority to use deadly force to defend themselves both in and outside their homes.

People who injure or kill an attacker in self defense no longer would shoulder the burden to prove their actions were justifiable under a bill introduced by Republican lawmakers. The proposal also would protect people who justifiably kill someone in self defense from civil lawsuits that could require them to pay damages.

The first similar law passed in Florida in 2005, and Ohio is one of 16 states where the NRA is currently pushing the legislation. The NRA also was responsible for pushing an Ohio law that enabled concealed carry permits for guns.

The influential gun-rights organization is methodically changing what it sees as laws that give undeserved protection to criminals and place the burden of proof on innocent victims.

Gun-control advocates argue the bill proposes a solution for a nonexistent problem. And they have said the laws hinge on a subjective interpretation of when a person may feel threatened, potentially leading to overreactions and fatal escalations to conflicts that could be defused by retreating.

The NRA-driven change — which was introduced with roughly 50 co-sponsors in the House and Senate, including some Democrats — provides the presumption that a person "acted properly in self defense" if the person "was suffering or was about to suffer an offense of violence that was a felony."

"At the end of the day what we're trying to do is make sure that people feel safer in their home, safer in their community, and take the affirmative steps necessary to protect themselves and their families," said sponsoring Sen. Steve Buehrer, a Republican from Delta.

Buehrer presented the bill saying it would only make changes to self-defense law for those protecting their home, which he said was his primary concern. But the NRA said language in the bill would also apply outside the home.

"Whether that ought to apply in other physical places is something we ought to debate," Buehrer said.

Supporters of the bill provide anecdotes illustrating the need for the change, but mainly argue that it doesn't make sense to place the burden of proof on people trying to defend themselves.

In a case "where a guy purely, clearly has the right to use self defense, we've had judges say, ‘No, the guy with a broken leg should have jumped out the second-story window,"' said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association.

NRA regional lobbyist John Hohenwarter predicted the issue will pass easily in the GOP-controlled Legislature.

"You don't have to be 100 percent on NRA issues to agree that people have a right to defend themselves," he said.

Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland supports the legislation.

"The governor is a strong defender of Second Amendment rights and he supports the rights of individuals to defend themselves," spokesman Keith Dailey said.

Supporters believe the change would enable people to better make decisions about how to respond in a dangerous situation, free of fear they will be prosecuted.

But a problem with the bill is that people in disputes can "take the law into their own hands," said Toby Hoover, director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence.

"The big fear is that people with deadly weapons will now assume they are capable of making a decision of when that can be used, wherever they are," Hoover said.

Hohenwarter said gun-control advocates sounded the same alarm when concealed carry permits became law in many states. The "Wild West" prediction never materialized, he said.

Just before a 2005 Florida law went into effect to remove residents' duty to retreat from conflict in public places, a group that supports restrictions on guns handed out fliers in Florida airports warning tourists not to argue with locals because of what they called the "Shoot First" law.

Under the Florida law protecting people who are attacked, no one has used the new defense successfully to have murder charges dropped or to win acquittal from a jury. However, charges often are not filed in such self-defense cases.

Run-in changes lawmaker's stance

2007-05-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Article Here

Run-in changes lawmaker's stance
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Phillip Morris
Plain Dealer Columnist

It's funny how a gun can in stantly change your perspec tive on things, make you wish you could rewrite history.

State Rep. Michael DeBose, a southside Cleveland Democrat, discovered this lesson the night of May 1, when he thought he was going to die. That's the night he wished he had that gun vote back.

DeBose, who had just returned from Columbus, where he had spent the day in committee hearings, decided to take a short walk up Holly Hill, the street where he has lived with his wife for the past 27 years.

It was late, but DeBose, 51, was restless. The ordained Baptist minister knew his Lee-Harvard neighborhood was changing, but he wasn't scared. The idle, young men who sometimes hang out on his and adjacent streets didn't threaten him.

He is a big man and, besides, he had run the same streets before he found Jesus - and a wife. That night, he just needed a walk.

The loud muffler on a car that slowly passed as he was finishing the walk caught his attention, though. When the car stopped directly in front of his house - three houses from where he stood - he knew there was going to be a problem.

"There was a tall one and a short one," DeBose said, sipping on a McDonald's milkshake and recounting the experience Friday.

"The tall one reached in his pocket and pulled out a silver gun. And they both started running towards me."

"At first I just backed up, but then I turned around and started running and screaming."

"When I started running, the short boy stopped chasing and went back to the car. But the tall boy with the gun kept following me. I ran to the corner house and started banging on Mrs. Jones' door."
It was at that point that the would-be robbers realized that their prey wasn't worth the trouble. Besides, Cheryl, DeBose's wife, and a daughter had heard his screams and had raced out to investigate. Other porch lights began to flicker on.

The loud muffler sped off, and DeBose started rethinking his gun vote.

DeBose twice voted against a measure to allow Ohioans to carry concealed weapons. It became law in 2004.

DeBose voted his conscience. He feared that CCW permits would lead to a massive influx of new guns in the streets and a jump in gun violence. He feared that Cleveland would become the O.K. Corral, patrolled by legions of freshly minted permit holders.

"I was wrong," he said Friday.

"I'm going to get a permit and so is my wife.

"I've changed my mind. You need a way to protect yourself and your family.

"I don't want to hurt anyone. But I never again want to be in the position where I'm approached by someone with a gun and I don't have one."

DeBose said he knows that a gun doesn't solve Cleveland's violence problem; it's merely a street equalizer.

"There are too many people who are just evil and mean-spirited. They will hurt you for no reason. If more people were packing guns, it might serve as a deterrent.

"But there obviously are far deeper problems that we need to address," he added, as he suddenly seemed to realize he sounded like a gun enthusiast.

They say the definition of a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged. DeBose's CCW application will bear some witness to that notion.

To reach Phillip Morris:

pfmorris@plaind.com, 216-999-5086

Previous columns online:

cleveland.com/columns

A united front against lawlessness

2007-05-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Plain Dealer Article Here

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.

Consider this a standing ovation.

Steve Loomis, Zack Reed and George Forbes deserve applause for presenting a united front.

Black and white; police, politician and NAACP.

The police union leader, the councilman and the NAACP president are all going to spend the night in the home where Damon Wells lived before vandals shattered the windows.

Talk about your strange bedfellows.

This is big.

HUGE.

The timing makes it even more incredible: The three men announced their unique slumber party the day after Cleveland police shot and killed a black man who had a gun and resisted arrest.

Weeks ago that shooting would have prompted protests.
After two teens tried to rob Wells at gunpoint and he killed 15-year-old Arthur Buford in self-defense, the tide shifted. For the first time, it wasn't just about race.

Why?

Wells is a black man who legally defended himself against two black teens who were on probation for aggravated robbery.

People of all races are fed up with thug behavior. In the last two weeks, I've heard from more than 1,000 readers who said it's time for a change.

This isn't a black problem. It isn't a Cleveland problem. It's everyone's problem - and it's moving to a suburb near you.

The shooting by Wells gave everyone pause. Few see Buford as the victim in this.

Both white and black people can relate to Wells, who is black. They see him solely as a man protecting his life and his home. Race isn't an issue.

We all can relate to Wells. We all want the right to feel safe in our homes, our yards, our neighborhoods.

It's time for anyone on the fence to choose a side. There are only two choices, and there isn't a black side or a white side.

The options are right or wrong. Law and order or lawlessness and chaos.
n the Mount Pleasant area near Wells' home, one out of 100 residents have been robbed or seriously assaulted. Old folks are packing guns for protection.

The leading cause of death for black men 15 to 35 is homicide. Most of them by black males.

In Tuesday's shooting, a dozen witnesses saw the man refuse numerous police orders and struggle. The man had a gun in the car. Some would call that suicide by cop.

A sidewalk shrine is already growing for him. Someone left two Care Bears there.

Care Bears?

Zack Reed has the start of a plan to take back the community. Make the Wells home safe. Get churches to sponsor kids for summer jobs. Set up a hot line to report crimes, which means leaders need to emphasize that callers aren't snitches. They are guardians of the 'hood.

Dozens want to help Damon Wells. A fund was set up at Charter One Bank, 16622 Harvard Ave., Cleveland, OH 44128 for Damon and for Jestina Berry, who leases the home.

Reed, Forbes and Loomis are taking action. What's next?

You tell me.

What steps do we take now?

This is the new civil rights movement. Who's up for it?

Join Regina Brett at 9 a.m. on WCPN FM/90.3, where she hosts "The Sound of Ideas" on Fridays.

To reach Regina Brett:

rbrett@plaind.com, 216-999-6328

Moment Called for Sympathy, Not an Agenda . . .

2007-05-08T11:29:00.000-07:00

Article Here

By DAVID ADAMS
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

As the events of April 16, 2007 unfolded, Virginians and indeed the world watched as the best and the worst of human nature were presented for all to see. We saw Virginians from all walks of life and all backgrounds come together and declare that we all became "Hokies" on that fateful day.

Without question, the shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, showed us the darkest side of human nature as he took the lives of 32 fellow students as well as his own. The more we learned about what happened in those early morning hours the more it became clear that Cho was a very troubled individual.

Unfortunately, others exhibited behavior that reflects poorly on human nature. Some individuals and groups with political agendas wasted no time in making their voices heard, even before all of the families of the victims had been notified that their loved one was among the dead.

Less than 24 hours after the shootings, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Handgun Violence issued an e-mail, complete with a fundraising graphic linked back to the organization's Web site, that asked supporters to contact President Bush, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and tell them "It is much too easy for the wrong people to get deadly weapons in this country. It is time for you to take steps to end gun violence to prevent tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech."

Ladd Everitt of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence was quoted in the press the day after the shootings, calling for the introduction of new gun control laws, saying it was much to easy to get a gun in this country.

Not to be outdone, an editorial in The New York Times the day after the incident called for " . . . stronger controls over the lethal weapons that cause such wasteful carnage and such unbearable loss."

THE MAJOR television networks kept asking the question whether the shootings would spur renewed calls for new gun laws, which the gun-control groups and some politicians were all too eager to answer.

It could be said that much of this was driven by the 24-hour news cycle in which we live, where the media are constantly replaying the same footage over and over and seeking comment to fill air time. While this may be true, it is not an excuse. Such an event should not be used to advance a political agenda. We saw this all too often in the '90s. It was unseemly then and it is no more acceptable now.

Contrast the statements of those pushing their gun-control beliefs with the statement of the National Rifle Association (NRA). On the afternoon of the shootings, the NRA issued a statement that simply said "The National Rifle Association joins the entire country in expressing our deepest condolences to the families of Virginia Tech and everyone else affected by this horrible tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families. We will not have further comment until all the facts are known." The Virginia Shooting Sports Association (VSSA), the state NRA affiliate association, issued a similar statement expressing sympathy and prayers for the families and stating that it wanted to know all of the facts before stating what if anything could have prevented the shootings. Both groups refused to answer policy questions in the days immediately following the shootings.

I rarely agree with Gov. Timothy Kaine, but he handled the tragedy with dignity and class. At a news conference on the day after the shooting, Kaine was asked a question about those using the shootings to advance their agenda. The governor responded passionately: "I think that people who want to take this within 24 hours of the event and make it their political hobby horse to ride . . . I've got nothing but loathing for them. To those who want to try to make this into some little crusade, I say take that elsewhere." Well said, Governor.

PRESIDENT BUSH echoed those sentiments when he said now was the time to help people get over their grieving, not a time for a policy debate.

All of this raises a good question. Every time the issue of gun control is mentioned, groups like the Brady Campaign and their followers in Congress call the NRA extreme for their opposition to gun control. After comparing the statements and actions of the Brady Campaign and the NRA immediately following the shootings, which group appears to be the more extreme?
David Adams, president of the Virginia Shooting Sports Association, served as Gov. Jim Gilmore's assistant secretary of education and deputy secretary for higher education.

Gun Control: Worth it or Not?

2007-05-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Article Here

Gun control: Worthwhile or not?

By Elizabeth Johnston / A View from the Valley

In the wake of the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, gun rights have been a point of contention. Some think stricter gun control laws would have prevented the massacre; others believe if the laws were less strict, the deaths could have been cut down.

If anything, the fact Seung-Hui Cho had mental problems, which contributed to his eventual mass murders, should make states re-evaluate the way they treat people with mental health struggles, especially ones who, like Cho, show violent tendencies and obviously need treatment.

Another important consideration is that while liberals often fervently oppose gun rights, many discourage efforts to control the amount of violence shown in movies and video games. When children grow up having no contact with guns except to watch actors pretend to shoot others down, they will not have a realistic view of weapons. The role of a gun goes from being a tool used for hunting, or more importantly, self-defense, to a way to plug your enemies.

First and most importantly, the Constitution as it stands does not allow the federal government to pass gun control laws, period. The statement in the Second Amendment that “... the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” is rather clear.

Furthermore, the Tenth Amendment declares, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”

In other words, even if the Second Amendment did not exist, it would still be illegal for the government of the United States to pass gun control laws since the Constitution does not delegate it that right. That right would belong to the states. However, the Second Amendment does not differentiate between the states and the federal government in its stipulation.

Gun control advocates commonly assume the removal of guns from society will remove the desire of some people to hurt others. This is actually an assumption about human nature. Since humans are supposedly good, bad actions have to be blamed on something — society, in general. Not that society doesn’t have an effect on people, but there is a major difference between saying violent video games encourage crime and trying to pin all the blame for a crime on a certain object.

Blaming crime on guns is like blaming a hole dug by a little boy in someone’s flowers on the shovel he used. The little boy only uses the shovel because he wants to dig a hole. A criminal only uses a gun because he or she wants to hurt or kill someone. An inanimate object is not the source of evil desires.

Would restricting guns prevent criminals from being able to carry out crime? Frankly, no. What happened when strongly addictive drugs were made illegal? (Note to all Journal Junction loyalists: I am not advocating legalization.) Do we lack in illegal drugs today? As soon as a gun ban would be enacted, criminals could begin sneaking guns into the country just as drugs are trafficked in now.

Morton Grove, Ill., banned anyone other than police officers from owning guns. The result? Crime immediately increased by 15.7 percent, though the county’s crime rate rose by only 3 percent. The city’s population has shrunk slightly.

In response, the small town of Kennesaw, Ga., enacted its own regulation. The head of each household was to own and maintain a gun. Kennesaw was mocked for its decision and talk of Wild West-type shootouts as well as more realistic concerns of increased crime and gun accidents characterized nationwide reactions to the regulation.

However, Kennesaw’s crime rate, which had formerly been above the national average, went down, and 2005 statistics reported the rate to be well under the national average. Although the town has more than tripled in size, 25 years have passed since the decision and no Kennesaw residents have been involved in a fatal shooting in any way.

The decrease in violence makes sense. People who intend to hurt others don’t want to be faced with a weapon. Cho was in a gun-free zone at Virginia Tech, and he knew it. People rarely try to commit massacres where they know there will be weapons. And if they would make the attempt, it wouldn’t last very long.

While I would not personally advocate requiring families to own guns, we do need to be aware that it is every person’s duty to protect his or herself. Banning guns deprives American citizens of that ancient right.

— Community columnist Elizabeth Johnston is a native of the lower Shenandoah Valley and lives in Martinsburg. She can be reached at murm@access.mountain.net

* The views of columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of The Journal.

MEETING FOR PA FOLKS RE: PHILLY AND THEIR ACTIONS

2007-05-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

Meeting Location

Saturday May 5 2007 at 9PM EDT

Thank you all who are interested in attending and we will do our Best to accomodate all in attendance.

Feeling Safe Isn't Safe: US NEWS and WORLD REPORT ARTICLE

2007-05-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070429/7barone.htm

Feeling Safe Isn't Safe
By Michael Barone
Posted 4/29/07

The murders two weeks ago at Virginia Tech naturally set off a cry in the usual quarters-the New York Times, the London-based Economist-for stricter gun control laws. Democratic officeholders didn't chime in, primarily because they believe they were hurt by the issue in 2000 and 2004, but most privately agree.

What most discussions of this issue tend to ignore is that we have two tracks of political debate and two sets of laws on gun control. At the federal level there has been a push for more gun control laws since John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and some modest restrictions have been passed. At the state level something entirely different has taken place. In 1987 Florida passed a law allowing citizens who could demonstrate that they were law-abiding and had sufficient training to obtain permits on demand to own and carry concealed weapons. In the succeeding 20 years many other states have passed such laws, so that today you can, if you meet the qualifications, carry concealed weapons in 40 states with 67 percent of the nation's population (including Vermont, with no gun restrictions at all).

When Florida passed its concealed-weapons law, I thought it was a terrible idea. People would start shooting each other over traffic altercations; parking lots would turn into shooting galleries. Not so, it turned out. Only a very, very few concealed-weapons permits have been revoked. There are only rare incidents in which people with concealed-weapons permits have used them unlawfully. Ordinary law-abiding people, it turns out, are pretty trustworthy.

Unfounded fears. I'm not the only one to draw such a conclusion. When she was Michigan's attorney general, Democrat Jennifer Granholm opposed the state's concealed-weapons law, which took effect in 2001. But now, as governor, she's not seeking its repeal. She says that her fears-like those I had about Florida's law 20 years ago-proved to be unfounded. So far as I know, there are no politically serious moves to repeal any state's concealed-weapons laws. In most of the United States, as you go to work, shop at the mall, go to restaurants, and walk around your neighborhood, you do so knowing that some of the people you pass by may be carrying a gun. You may not even think about it. But that's all right. Experience has shown that these people aren't threats.

Virginia has a concealed-weapons law. But Virginia Tech was, by the decree of its administrators, a "gun-free zone." Those with concealed-weapons permits were not allowed to take their guns on campus and were disciplined when they did. A bill was introduced in the House of Delegates to allow permit holders to carry guns on campus. When it was sidetracked, a Virginia Tech administrator hailed the action and said that students, professors, and visitors would now "feel safe" on campus. Tragically, they weren't safe. Virginia Tech's "gun-free zone" was not gun free. In contrast, killers on other campuses were stopped by faculty or bystanders who had concealed-weapons permits and brandished their guns to stop the killing.

We may hear more about gun control at the national level. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the District of Columbia's ban on handguns violates the Second Amendment's right "to keep and bear arms." Judge Laurence Silberman's strong opinion argues that this is consistent with the Supreme Court's ruling in a 1939 case upholding a federal law banning sawed-off shotguns; limited regulation is allowed, Silberman wrote, but not a total ban. Somewhere on the road between a law banning possession of nuclear weapons and banning all guns the Second Amendment stands in the way. This is the view as well of the liberal constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe. The Supreme Court may take the case, which is in conflict with other circuits' rulings.

If it upholds the D.C. decision, there is still room for reasonable gun regulation. The mental health ruling on the Virginia Tech killer surely should have been entered into the instant check database to prevent him from buying guns. The National Rifle Association is working with gun control advocate Rep. Carolyn McCarthy to improve that database. But even as we fine-tune laws to make sure guns don't get into the wrong hands, maybe the opinion elites will realize that in places where gun ownership is widespread, we're safer than in a "gun-free zone."

This story appears in the May 7, 2007 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.

Write Mr Barone and thank him for the excellent article.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/usinfo/infomain.htm

Local Station Won't Run Misleading Ad!

2007-04-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

NYC mayor's gun ad is shot down in Kansas

By SARA KUGLER

The CBS affiliate station in Wichita, Kan., is refusing to air a television advertisement that is part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gun control campaign, saying the spot is misleading.

Bloomberg's administration shot back, questioning the station's objectivity.

The advertisement, which debuted Sunday, urges the repeal of a piece of congressional legislation preventing federal authorities from sharing gun trace data with cities and local law enforcement.

The measure, known as the Tiahrt Amendment, is attached to appropriations bills and essentially must be redone each year. The National Rifle Association says it protects the privacy of gun owners, but Bloomberg argues that it hampers the ability of law enforcement authorities to trace illegal guns and arrest weapons traffickers.

The spot urging its repeal is airing in the congressional districts of the Democrat and the Republican who lead the House subcommittee considering the amendment. It was set to appear on a CBS affiliate in the Kansas district of Republican Rep. Todd Tiahrt, who authored the measure.

Tiahrt supports some changes to the language and is working with the Bloomberg administration to get that done, a spokesman for the congressman said.

The ad debuted during Sunday's political talk shows on NBC, ABC and CBS and later on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel. The CBS affiliate in Wichita chose not to air it, according to KWCH director of programming Laverne E. Goering.

"This is issue advertising, where the station is responsible for the truth or fairness of the ad, unlike political advertising, where the politicians can pretty much say what they want," Goering said.

The spot features the Chaska, Minn., chief of police, Scott Knight, who says that the federal legislation prevents him from being able to adequately fight gun violence.

"Where are the guns coming from, who's buying them, how are they getting into my city -- the information is there," he says. "We're not allowed to have it."

KWCH said the ad is misleading because the amendment allows law enforcement to have specific gun data for criminal investigations or prosecution.

The Bloomberg administration does not dispute that, but it wants access to aggregate data that might help officials understand trends or see gun trafficking patterns across jurisdictions.

The ad buy is part of a campaign launched by Bloomberg's nationwide coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler said Monday that the station's decision "raises real questions about the objectivity of this news organization that they would deprive their viewers from hearing from over 200 mayors and dozens of American law enforcement organizations."

Let KWCH in Wichita, KS know they did the right thing!!

E-Mail KWCH
feedback@kwch.com

Common Sense Thoughts re: VT Shootings

2007-04-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is a good editorial in the Daily Nebraskan re: Virginia Tech.

Guest Editorial:
People, Not External Causes, Can Stop Tragedies
by Amy Thompson
Over the next days, weeks and months, experts and laymen will try to make some sort of sense out of the largest massacre in U.S. history. One cable newsman said Monday that it happened in a place that one would never expect.

It's something people seem to automatically say after such tragedies, but it allows people in beautiful, peaceful, quiet towns everywhere to return to a false sense of security when the story falls out of media headlines. The underlying message of this innocent statement is that it is rare to happen in a beautiful, peaceful town.

So go back to your class, your job, your family. Forget the ugliness you saw, the grief you feel. It probably won't happen here.

There's nothing really wrong with that. It is human nature to grieve and then go on. It is human nature to walk through our lives as though in an impregnable bubble until the sharpened dart of someone else's pain or anger or depression or hatred or obsession or evil breaks through once again.

And then the bubble is reborn to be torn again, always unwittingly and always with the same questions.

Why me?

Why here?

Why didn't we see this coming?

How can we prevent this from happening again?

These horrendous tragedies would not be solved if everyone found religion. While some may argue that it would, godly people sometimes do bad things as well.

Gun control would not have stopped the deaths of more than 30 people. "Guns don't kill people; people kill people." Of course it is cliché, but that makes it no less true. A gun is but a lump of metal without a purposeful digit at the trigger. This fact will not cause gun control advocates a moment's pause over the coming weeks.

Last week, CBS's "The Unit" was called in to help control a hostage situation at a prominent Virginia school. That television show did not cause Monday's mass murder. A human, who may or may not have seen that show, perpetrated a crime out of whatever emotion he may have been having. Filling television screens with "The Cosby Show" and "7th Heaven" would not end mass murder.

So why do these terrible things keep happening?

The only answer is a simple answer: people.

People are fallible and unpredictable. Some people are evil. Some people snap.

So where do we go from here?

The first lesson we must know today is that it can happen again: anywhere and at any time. Pain, anger, depression, hatred, obsession and evil exist anywhere people do. No, this does not mean you should walk around in fear with bulletproof notebooks. It just means you should be aware of your surroundings, your friends and your family. When your gut tells you something may be a warning sign, don't squash the feeling; explore it within yourself or with a professional to determine whether there is reason to be concerned.

The second lesson is that the assigning of external causes is frivolous and irresponsible. The blame lies with the individual, though some may be shared with friends, family or associates who may come forward and say, "I knew he was depressed (or angry or obsessed) but I didn't know it was this bad."

Therein lies the third lesson. We must inform ourselves as to what might signal danger in the people we know. Mood swings, changing habits, all of these will come forward in articles written by smarter people than I in the coming weeks. Read them, learn them and recognize the signs in others.

When necessary, talk to those people you are concerned about. If you feel uncomfortable confronting people about their issues, do whatever you can to find someone who might help them.

No offense to Capt. Carl Oestmann of the University Police Department, whom I've heard commented that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has an emergency plan in place for such events. Monday's shooter apparently had two handguns that could release dozens of shots in mere seconds and then be reloaded with dozens more in just two seconds more. There is no plan in the world that can prevent such mass harm when the mind behind it is intent.

So what can we do then?

Sadly, there is little to do but attempt to identify those who may perpetrate such heinous acts and then attempt to "fix" them. This is a terrifically difficult task in that many times, such events as we saw this week are planned and carried out in short periods of time and well before friends or relatives or coworkers can intervene.

It is a sad truth that with all the discussions that will be had in the coming weeks to try and answer the same questions we asked after Columbine just eight years ago this week, we will not find any new answers. The responsibility will still lie with the individual.

And, thus, the final lesson will hopefully reach a young man or woman reading this piece who may be experiencing a pain, depression, obsession or any other passionate, overwhelming emotion that they feel is controlling them: There is no shame in getting help.

Let them know we agree with her comments regarding gun control!
Comment Here!

Virginia Tech Our Prayers are with you

2007-04-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today at Virginia Tech 32 people lost their lives. To the victims, their families and friends we offer our prayers and deepest condolences.

The Positive Influence of Hunting, Part II

2007-04-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

In the last installment of this series, we explored the story of Todd C. from Ontario, Canada and his plunge into hunting in his 30’s. The goal in this series is to explore the positive effect of hunting on the hunter. When a person takes up hunting, it can be a life changing experience, as Todd showed us.

This time around, we’re going to get to know Dillon W. Growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey, and without a formal introduction to hunting in his youth, Dillon took it up on his own at the age of 37.

According to Dillon, “I believe many Americans take up hunting and discover the outdoors late in life, for a wide variety of reasons, but many more are too intimidated to ever take the first step.”

Growing up he had an affinity for the outdoors, as many children living in the suburbs do.

“When I was in grade school, I read My Side of the Mountain, by Jean George, and regularly watched Grizzly Adams on TV. As a boy I dreamed about the wilderness and what it took to survive in the outdoors. I spent countless hours in a small strip of woods in a local park, imaging myself in the harsh wilderness away from all human contact.”

Perhaps he might have taken up hunting in his youth, but tragic circumstances intervened.

“Sadly, the dreams and imaginings of my youth were the extent of my outdoor expertise as a boy. At the age of 11 my father, who was largely absent because of his job as a merchant seaman, had a massive heart attack and died between sea voyages. Two years later my grandfather also died. The result of this was devastating – at the onset of my adolescence I was left totally without a male role model. The chances of fulfilling my dream of experiencing the outdoors had vanished in two short years.”

After some time spent serving in the Navy, he came home after Operation Desert storm and his life strayed off course a bit.

“Upon separating from the Navy, I found myself without many options living at home with my mother and working part time jobs. In the Navy, firearms were a mundane part of everyday life, in my mother’s house they were the ultimate taboo. I grew my hair long and decided to try all the things that my schoolmates had done in college. I started playing in a rock band, experimenting with drugs and sleeping the daylight away. I learned that drugs weren’t my thing, but I was attracted to the attention I got from the hippies I was running with. A long haired war veteran who played rock and roll was quite a conversation piece, and I was a big hit at parties. Six or seven years went by in a blur of heavy drinking and darkness. And then a wonderful thing happened – I met the woman I would raise a family with. We got married and began our new life together as a family in less than a year. My whole life changed.”

Once his life began to get back on track, he and his wife moved into an old farmhouse that they rented. Finally the hunting seed would be planted. According to Dillon, “I was fascinated with having livestock all around me and took every chance to help the farmer with his work. Finally, I was getting close to the land and learning skills that were commonplace 100 years ago.” He goes on to add, “It was during this time that I met my first hunter and had my first taste of venison. The seed had been planted, but it still needed time to grow. We found a house in the NJ Highlands, surrounded by State Park lands and lakes. Our new neighbors on both sides were hunters. The seed soon began to sprout.”

It was during that time that Dillon and his wife became close with their neighbors and often received various game meats as gifts. At a barbeque next door, he got his first taste of back strap and decided then and there that it was time to learn how to hunt. Soon after that, he got a gun and a hunting license and was preparing for spring turkey season.

“The day of my first hunt arrived and I couldn’t sleep the night before. I had scouted a good spot and knew there was at least one gobbler in the spot I was heading for. As the glow of first light hit the chilly woods I began to hear the sounds of the woods waking up. Pileated woodpeckers, crows, squirrels and birds whose calls I have yet to identify began chattering all around me,” Dillon says.

He was already gaining a heightened sense of awareness.

He continues, “I made my first tentative yelp with my box call and was immediately answered by gobbles from 2 directions. Two of them! The hair on the back of my next stood straight up and my body went into survival mode as the adrenalin started to pump. I kept up the conversation for a few minutes with both toms getting closer to me. Then disaster struck – the birds were getting farther away.”

“Noon came, and I went home with an empty game bag that day. But my brain was full. I had gotten the equivalent of a college education on a single chilly spring morning in the woods. The seed had grown and was in full bloom. Every detail of that day is burned indelibly in my mind from the smell and sounds of the predawn woods to the primal adrenalin ride of that first gobble.”

His first hunt may not have resulted in a meal, but it started to produce a much more meaningful change in Dillon.

“After several days of hunting, I began to notice things that had never drawn my attention before. I walked differently than I did on a sidewalk – each step carefully considered and placed. I took notice of things like deer sign and easy paths to water and clearings. Most significantly, I realized that no one had ever taught me to do these things – I simply did them instinctively,” he says.

He goes on to say, “As I walked through the woods I was aware that I was using all of my senses simultaneously: I noticed signs of the presence of wildlife that I didn’t know to look for, I heard bird calls that I have heard all my life and never distinguished from the noises of the world, I smelled running water and felt the changes in the terrain under my feet. I felt more alive than I had ever felt in my life. I learned that the harvest is not the only reward of the hunt.”

Overall, his first season was a success with 1 turkey hen, 32 pheasants, 12 chukars, 36 squirrels and two rabbits in his freezer, and one unsuccessful encounter with a wily, eight-point buck. Even though he didn’t get the buck, it still added to what had become a completely life-changing experience. According to Dillon, “I had already begun to sense that I was becoming a different person as a result of my journey.”

So what now? Now that he has embarked on the spiritual journey of hunting, what’s the next step? Surely the next logical step is the same that any father would take.

“My daughter, thus far our only child, is now four years old. She looks forward with great excitement to this spring, when I have promised her that I would take her scouting for turkey”, Dillon says.

He adds, “Hunting has given me the tools to raise my children with opportunities and experiences I never had. This makes me mourn the absence of hunting heritage in my own childhood, but appreciate and celebrate it even more with my own child. That doing so will ensure that future generations continue to carry on the hunting heritage gives me a sense of immense pride in having made the world better and more perfect place. Being a parent is the most important job anyone can undertake. It’s been said that children are the future. I go further than that – parents are the future, and children are the bricks we’ll use to build it. I have a clear picture of the world I want my children to raise their own children in, and hunting, fishing and trapping are the tools I will use.”

For countless centuries, the traditions and skills of hunting, fishing, trapping, and the outdoors have been passed from generation to generation. Dillon had no one to show him the way, yet he found the desire and determination to embark on that journey alone. He learned the skills necessary to become a successful hunter, and he continues to engage in the learning process. His spiritual growth and new-found connection to the wild are undeniable, and he has already chosen to pass that on to his young child. Hunting has given him a key to a door that once opened, changed his life forever. He’ll pass that gift to his daughter and thus a new hunting-aware lineage will be started, equipping subsequent generations of Dillon’s family with the skills, desire, and appreciation for hunting that will have the same positive effect on their lives that it has had on his own.

Thank You Sheriff, from the law abiding citizens of PA

2007-04-02T18:44:00.000-07:00

This is unusal in that I would like to ask our readers to thank the Sheriff for his stand with the law abiding citizens of PA.

Story Here

Sheriff against effort to limit handgun sales

Barry J. Jozwiak tells lawmakers that people should be able to buy as many pistols as they want, and shouldn’t be punished for failing to report gun thefts and losses.

By Kori Walter
Reading Eagle

Reading, PA - Berks County Sheriff Barry J. Jozwiak asked a panel of state lawmakers in Reading on Thursday to shoot down any legislation that would limit handgun purchases, claiming it would not curb crime or gun violence.

Jozwiak’s testimony before the state House Judiciary Committee in City Council chambers put him at odds with Reading Mayor Tom McMahon, Philadelphia lawmakers and others calling for tougher handgun laws in response to a rash of shootings and murders in Pennsylvania cities.

Jozwiak, a Republican, said he opposed a bill that would limit people to buying one handgun per month.

Instead of passing new gun laws, Jozwiak said, police and judges should enforce existing laws.

“Gun control does not reduce crime,” Jozwiak said. “In fact, criminals prefer their victims to be unarmed.”

Jozwiak even criticized a proposal that would require gun owners to notify police if their handguns were lost or stolen.

Supporters believe that would reduce instances of people buying guns, turning them over to criminals and then claiming that the gun was lost or stolen.

Jozwiak said such a law would punish honest, law-abiding gun owners who didn’t realize that their guns were missing.

“I don’t think anyone who has guns checks on a daily basis to make sure that it (a gun) is there,” said Jozwiak, whose office is in charge of issuing gun permits.

State Rep. Jewell Williams, a Philadelphia Democrat, said he was frustrated by the influence the National Rifle Association and other gun advocates exert in blocking efforts to get guns off the streets.

“People are dying in Pennsylvania,” Williams said. “Your kids ... are being shot, robbed and murdered with illegal guns. It’s almost like people don’t care anymore. It’s like special-interest groups are controlling people’s lives.”

State Rep. Harold James, also a Philadelphia Democrat, suggested a summit with gun-rights advocates might help both sides come up with solutions to soaring murder rates.

“We have an emergency, an epidemic problem in Philadelphia as it relates to gun crime and gun violence,” James said. “We’re here to reach out to say we have a problem and we want help.”

The judiciary committee is holding hearings throughout the state on crime and violence.

Committee Chairman Thomas R. Caltagirone, a Reading Democrat, said he hopes the hearings will help lawmakers reach a consensus on dealing with the issue.

State Rep. Jim Cox, a Spring Township Republican, said he would not support the one-handgun-per-month legislation because it chips away at gun owners’ rights and could lead to more drastic restrictions.

“I want people to have the sheer, unadulterated ability to defend themselves,” Cox said. “If they want to go out and buy 20 weapons to protect themselves because there has been a crime wave in their neighborhood, I don’t want to restrict them.”

•Contact reporter Kori Walter at 610-371-5022 or kwalter@readingeagle.com.

Jim Zumbo's Open Letter to Congress

2007-03-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

JIM ZUMBO
PO Box 2390
Cody, WY 82414

March 28, 2007
An Open Letter to the
United States Senate

Dear Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen:

It recently came to my attention that one of your colleagues, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, has chosen to attack firearms owners using remarks I wrote in mid-February as his launch pad. As you probably know, Sen. Levin has been making anti-gun speeches every week for the past eight years because of a promise he made to the Economic Club of Detroit in May 1999.

Mr. Levin has an agenda, and he should have spoken to me before using my name in one of his speeches, especially since his remarks were entered into the Congressional Record. I would like my remarks here entered into the Congressional Record as well.

Sen. Levin is only one of 16 members of the Senate to vote against the Vitter Amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. This amendment prohibits the confiscation of a privately-owned firearm during an emergency or major disaster when possession of that gun is not prohibited under state or federal law.

Eighty-four senators voted for that amendment, inspired by the egregious confiscation of firearms from the citizens of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in the summer of 2005. Those seizures, you will recall, led the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association to join in a landmark civil rights lawsuit in federal court that brought the confiscations to an abrupt end.

The taking of private property without warrant or probable cause – even firearms – was considered an outrage by millions of American citizens, and yet Sen. Levin joined 15 of his colleagues in voting against this measure. It is no small wonder that Sen. Levin gets an “F” rating from gun rights organizations. He would have American citizens disarmed and left defenseless at a time when they need their firearms the most, when social order collapses into anarchy and protecting one’s self and one’s family is not simply a right and responsibility, it becomes a necessity.

That in mind, Sen. Levin must know that almost immediately after I wrote those remarks, I recanted and apologized to the millions of Americans who lawfully and responsibly own, compete with and hunt with semi-automatic rifles. I took a “crash course” on these firearms and visited with my good friend Ted Nugent on his ranch in Texas, where I personally shot an AR-15 and educated myself with these firearms.

Some of us learn from our mistakes, others keep making them. Legislation to which Sen. Levin alluded, HR 1022, would renew the ban on so-called “assault weapons,” and dangerously expand it to encompass far more perfectly legal firearms. For the Congress of the United States to even consider such legislation is an affront to every law-abiding firearms owner in this country.

This legislation that Sen. Levin appears to endorse is written so broadly as outlaw not only firearms, but accessories, including a folding stock for a Ruger rifle. As I understand the language of this bill, it could ultimately take away my timeworn and cherished hunting rifles and shotguns – firearms I hope to one day pass on to my grandchildren – as well as millions of identical and similar firearms owned by other American citizens.

It is clear to me that the supporters of this legislation don’t want to stop criminals. They want to invent new ones out of people like me, and many of you, and your constituents, friends, neighbors and members of your families. They will do anything they can, go to any extremes they believe necessary, to make it impossible for more and more American citizens to legally own any firearm.

In his final paragraph, Senator Levin misrepresents what I said. I never spoke in favor of a general assault weapons ban. Again, I immediately apologized for my blog statement that was exclusively directed toward hunting and not gun ownership.

I will not allow my name to be associated with this kind of attack on the Second Amendment rights of my fellow citizens.

A few weeks ago, in a letter to Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, I promised to educate my fellow hunters about this insidious legislation “even if I have to visit every hunting camp and climb into every duck blind and deer stand in this country to get it done.”

I will amend that to add that I will bring my effort to Capitol Hill if necessary, even if I have to knock on every door and camp in every office of the United States Senate. In promoting this ban, the Hon. Carl Levin does not speak for me, or anybody I know.

Sincerely,
James Zumbo
Cody, Wyoming

ZUMBO VOWS TO LEAD

2007-03-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Gun Week Column HERE

Gun Week Exclusive
Zumbo ‘Proud’ of Gunowners, Vows to Lead Charge for Right
by Dave Workman
Senior Editor

“I’m an idiot. I’m ignorant. My words obviously have come back to destroy my career.”

Thus was the observation of outdoor legend Jim Zumbo, who told Gun Week in an exclusive interview that he harbors no ill feelings toward the legions of angry gunowners whose backlash has possibly cost him his livelihood, and perhaps his reputation.

“I did it to myself,” he said. “I have nobody to blame.”

But in a candid conversation from his home in Wyoming, Zumbo said that the most important lesson he learned—and that he hopes will translate into action in defense of the Second Amendment in this country—is that “When the gun community acts and decides to take on an issue, this is proof positive they can make it work. I am proud of them.”

Stunning words from a man whose 42-year career came to a crashing halt within days of his ill-advised remarks against AR-15 rifles on an Outdoor Life Internet blog. Zumbo said his assignment was to write three of those columns each week, and on Feb. 16 when he came back from a long, grueling coyote hunt and had a spirited discussion about semi-auto rifles with the guide, he sat down and wondered, “What can I write for these guys? What the hell is controversial?”

He found out the hard way.

“They got me,” he said. “I used the word ‘ban’ which I should never have used, and I used the word ‘terrorist’ which I should never have used.”

He has publicly apologized on Ted Nugent’s Internet forum, and he offered the same apology to Gun Week and its readers. The experience has humbled him.

But the disaster to his career has not made Zumbo want to run and hide, though many of his critics say he should. Instead, Zumbo is going to use this experience to become what he hopes will be the worst nightmare that gun-grabbing politicians and gun control activists could imagine.

“I want to join the fight, do whatever it takes,” he said in earnest. “Let’s educate the other dumb people like me who didn’t know about AR-15s. I will lead that charge.

“I’m stupid,” he added, admitting that he has never had what some people might call a “fascination” with firearms. “From my ignorance, let’s enlighten everyone else.”

Zumbo said he could have retired a year ago, and he could do likewise today, but in his heart, he feels a responsibility to square himself, and use his energies to unite the hunting and shooting fraternities, which do not always see eye-to-eye, even in this controversy.

“I want to come out of this and make our gun and hunting community a better place, a more understanding place,” he said. “Within our community, some hunters don’t understand shooters, and some shooters don’t understand hunters…I have got to fix this.”

This article is provided free by GunWeek.com.
For more great gun news, subscribe to our print edition.

What I have learned

2007-03-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well, as many of you may know I was a speaker at a public informational hearing on gun violence. I had a good experience, despite some stubbles in the speech and being cut off due to what was called a time constraint to get Public responses. Much of what was discussed did not even focus on guns. The Community resources and 501c orgs, mostly discussed money and the need to fund programs to keep kids active and off the street. This was a good thing to discover, They want the tools but funds are not there. I am now beginning to make contacts to help implement a NASP or NASP like program into the community resources that are available for our inner city kids.

Since I was under the impression this meeting was going to deal with guns, I prepared based on guns. Out of curiosity and feeling a need to bullet proof my arguments, I pulled up a copy of the Constitution of Pennsylvania. To my pro gun, pleasent suprise The Commonweath Constitution spells out very clearly, in my opinion, what my rights concerning arms are. Article I was a fascinating read and I realized that arguing the 2nd amendment without including these provisions in the Commonwealth Constitution, was doing a disservice to the 2nd Amendment.

I would like to encourage all our readers to familiarize themselves with their State Constitutions and their provisions for arms, life and liberty. I will wager that far too many are unaware of what their State Constitutions secure to the individual. This is a shortcoming that the antis will exploit to no end.

Educate yourself to formulate the best counter to the antis possible, using rights secured by both Federal and State Constitutions.

NASP getting press around the country

2007-03-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is so long but there are 2 GREAT articles on NASP that need a thank you and a shout out.

Article Here

Local archers take aim and fire at state tourney
By Nathan Blackford - Warrick Publishing Online

Archers from Boonville Junior High and Castle High School shot their way to state championships on March 9 at Kokomo in Indiana’s first National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) state tournament.

So far, about 30 schools in the state participate in the NASP, though only eight of those competed at the state meet.

The tournament was divided into elementary, middle and high school categories.

Boonville Junior High won the middle school division with 2,817 team points, defeating Roosevelt Middle School, which finished with 2,698 points.

Castle won the high school division with 2,981 points, while Borden was second and Boonville was third.

Boonville Junior High coach Rick Whitney has held an after-school archery club for years, and when he found out about the state NASP program, he decided to get involved.

Along with two other teachers at the school — Chris Hillenbrand and Brooke Hart — Whitney helped raise the funds to get things started.

The school needed a kit containing 11 bows, five targets, 60 arrows, a repair kit and a bow rack.

“The kit cost $2,500, so we had fundraisers, got grants and found sponsors,” said Whitney. “I think this will just grow now. This (the NASP) started in Kentucky, and now it has grown into just about all states, and even into Australia. It helps students that do not normally get to participate in sports.”

Boonville Junior High has 20 members on its team, most of them recruited after each student in the school went through the archery program in physical education class.

“It was nice, because every student in our school got a chance to do this,” said Whitney. “Some of them on our team had never shot before they got on this program. Others of them had shot with me before.”

The competition is fairly simple. Each archer gets three rounds of five arrows each at 10 meters, then another three rounds at 15 meters. The top possible individual score is 300. To compile a team score, at least four members of each gender must be included.

State champions in each division qualify for the national NASP competition in Louisville on June 9. The top five individuals in each division also qualify for the national tournament.

Castle senior Kate Whitacre was the top female scorer at the high school level, with a score of 262. Fellow Knight Melissa Wagner was just two points behind, with a 260.

The top male archer for the high school division was Borden’s Chris Howlett with a 269. Brian Hatfield of Castle was second at 268, while Boonville’s Tyler Belcher was third with a score of 266.

At the middle school level, Boonville’s Matthew Porter shot a 268, followed by teammate Zach Henderson with a 255. The Panthers also swept the top four places for the girls middle school division, led by Taylor Gentry with 252 and Katie Powell with 225.

Supported as a joint venture between school corporations throughout Indiana and the Department of Natural Resources, NASP supports student education and participation in the lifelong sport of archery. The program provides international target archery training in Indiana's physical educational classes, grades K-12. Tournament team competitors are limited to NASP participants.

NASP is found in nearly every state. In Indiana, more than 30 elementary, middle and high schools participate. NASP started in Kentucky in 2002, with 39 educators in 22 middle schools. Currently, it is offered in nearly one in four Kentucky schools as part of the educational curriculum.

The program is supported and often funded through local school corporations, the Indiana Hunter Education Association, individual donations, conservation organizations and corporate sponsors such as the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Whitney said that Boonville Junior High will probably go looking for more sponsors before next year’s state tournament.

“If anybody is interested in donating money to the BJHS archery fund, that would be great,” said Whitney. “We already need more equipment. If we want to do a team for the seventh grade and another team for the eighth grade, we’ll need another $2,500 kit. And I have already had some people donate money, including one teacher here at the school.”

Article Here

Students take aim at archery
By PAT ROBERTSON
patrob@upthecreek.net

AT SOME POINT almost every youngster ties a string to a bent limb, sharpens a slender stick to make an arrow and tries to emulate Robin Hood, an Olympic archer or his bowhunting father.

Nearly 350 young archers will get the chance to draw the string on a bow in the National Archery in Schools Program state competition Friday during the first day of the 23rd annual Palmetto Sportsmen’s Classic at the S.C. State Fairgrounds.

“We had 176 students in the competition last year, and we already have 346 signed up for this year’s tournament,” said DNR First Sgt. Dennetta Dawson, who spearheaded the Archery in the Schools Program in South Carolina and has served as its coordinator.

The tournament, with competitors from fourth through 12th grade from schools across the state, features individual and team competition, shooting Olympic-style targets. Midlands schools fielding teams include Mid-Carolina High School, Lexington High School and Pine Ridge Middle School.

Participants will shoot 15 arrows at 10 meters and another 15 at 15 meters, aiming for a possible score of 300. Winners will receive medals and trophies, and the top individual boy and girl archer will win a Genesis Bow.

Two-time national intermediate champion Tom Jeffery, who operates Jeffery Archery in Columbia, will be field judge for the event.

Dawson, honored last year as South Carolina’s conservation officer of the year and last month as South Carolina’s top wildlife officer at the annual convention of the National Wild Turkey Federation in Nashville, said archery is a fast-growing activity in state schools.

“What makes it so wonderful is that teachers can do it within the school system. This program is very organized with all the materials they need academically and all the equipment they need for shooting,” she said “The training is very good, and it is easy for a teacher to pick it up.”

Started in Kentucky in 2002, NASP promotes student education and participation in shooting sports. Each year more than half a million students learn archery skills during school hours in 42 states and Australia.

For information on how a school can participate in the Archery in the Schools Program in South Carolina, call Sgt. Jim Wagers, DNR Hunting and Boating education coordinator, at (803) 734-3999, or e-mail him at wagersj@dnr.sc.gov. You can get details at www.dnr.sc.gov/hunting/archery/index.html.

Unalarming, impeccable ruling: Wash Times Article

2007-03-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

Read Article Here

Unalarming, impeccable ruling

By Bruce Fein
March 20, 2007

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a constitutional right of individuals to keep handguns suitable for militia duty in the home under the Second Amendment in Parker v. District of Columbia (March 9, 2007). Writing for a 2-1 panel majority, Judge Laurence Silberman convincingly demonstrated that any other conclusion would require flouting language carefully chosen by the Founding Fathers and the Second Amendment's self-defense purposes. His opinion sets a standard of constitutional interpretation to which the wise and honest may repair.
The usual suspects raced to insinuate Parker would fuel more inner-city violence and would hamstring legislatures in fashioning effective gun control measures. But the alarmists are wrong. A Kalishnikoff or AK-47 culture is not on the horizon. Judge Silberman left ample room for reasonable handgun regulation in the name of public safety, for example, prohibiting ownership by felons or the carrying of firearms concealed or in public places.
D.C. residents brought suit to challenge the constitutionality of D.C. Code provisions that prohibited handguns in the home and required all lawfully owned firearms to be kept unloaded and disassembled or bound by a trigger lock or similar device. The plaintiffs desired handguns for self-defense. The Parker ruling sustained their Second Amendment claim.
The amendment declares: "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." It was ratified in part to answer Antifederalist critics of the Constitution who worried over the absence of an express enumeration of individual rights. That had been a venerated British tradition. The English Bill of Rights of 1689 was emblematic. Among other things, it stipulated "[t]hat the Subjects, which are Protestants, may have Arms for their Defense, suitable to their conditions, as allowed by law."
Every provision of the Bill of Rights (but the tautological Tenth Amendment's demarcation between state and federal power) protects individual rights. The First Amendment, for example, guarantees an individual right to free speech. The Fourth Amendment safeguards an individual right against unreasonable searches and seizures. It would confound the manifest intent of the Bill of Rights to exclude an individual right to possess arms for private use from the Second Amendment's ambit. That conclusion is confirmed by its purposes: namely, to enable private defense against lawless individuals and to resist a tyrannical government.
The District of Columbia maintained that the amendment should protect only organized state militias of the Founding era from congressional encroachments and a right to bear arms in connection with performing militia service. Since state militias are now defunct, the District in essence argued that the Second Amendment is obsolete and places no limitations on banning firearms.
But as Judge Silberman underscored, if that were the intent of the Framers, the Second Amendment would have been rewritten to provide: "Congress shall make no law disarming state militias" or "States have a right to a well-regulated militia." Further, the right to "keep" arms celebrated in the amendment is distinct from the right to "bear" arms in conjunction with militia service. The Framers were not clumsy or inarticulate writers.
In addition, the Second Amendment broadly conceived the term "militia" to include all males physically capable of acting in concert for the common defense and who were enrolled for military discipline. Protecting an individual right to keep and bear arms suitable for militia service harmonizes with ensuring that the militia could serve when summoned to duty. In other words, the individual right complements the collective right of state governments to preserve and arm their militias.
All constitutional rights, including the right to keep and bear arms, are subject to reasonable restrictions. The First Amendment, for instance, tolerates time, place and manner restrictions on protected expression. Obscenity, child pornography and fighting words may be punished.
The Second Amendment is no different. Nothing in Parker casts a cloud over prohibiting firearms in churches, schools, workplaces or public places to promote the government's interest in domestic tranquility. Neither does the precedent undercut laws requiring proficiency testing or forbidding firearms to criminals, the insane, the inebriated or the mentally unstable.
The District of Columbia's undiscriminating prohibition of handguns, however, was a prohibition, not a balanced regulation that gave breathing space to the Second Amendment. If Parker garners review in the United States Supreme Court, the odds would highly favor its affirmation. But the vast majority of gun control laws would remain undisturbed.

Bruce Fein is a constitutional lawyer and international consultant with Bruce Fein & Associates and the Lichfield Group.

Submit Positive comments here

Second Amendment article appears in Chigago Trib.

2007-03-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

Read Article Here

Signs of life stir in 2nd Amendment
Steve Chapman

March 18, 2007

For nearly 70 years, the 2nd Amendment has been the Jimmy Hoffa of constitutional provisions--missing, its whereabouts unknown, and presumed dead. The right to keep and bear arms, though treasured by many Americans, was a complete stranger to the Supreme Court. But recently, a federal appeals court did something no federal court had ever done before: It struck down a gun-control law as a violation of the 2nd Amendment.

The District of Columbia statute in question is one of the most stringent in the country. It bans the ownership of handguns except those registered before 1976, and it requires rifles or shotguns to be not only registered but kept unloaded and equipped with a trigger lock. Such tight restrictions, the appeals court said, can't be reconciled with the Bill of Rights.

The decision does not prove that the 2nd Amendment is alive and well. But it does mean that, finally, we are likely to get an answer from the Supreme Court on a question that has generated endless debate: Is the 2nd Amendment a meaningless anachronism, or a live guarantee? The court will be confronting the issue at a time when legal scholarship is increasingly inclined to say there is indeed a right to keep and bear arms.

The full text of the provision is: "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." In its last significant 2nd Amendment case, in 1939, the court didn't exactly say there was no individual right. Instead, it said the firearm at issue, a sawed-off shotgun, would not be of use to someone serving in a militia. The question of an individual right was left unresolved.

The amendment is a puzzle because of those two separate clauses, one about militias and one about gun rights. Gun-control supporters generally read the first to nullify the second, while gun-control opponents do just the opposite. And trying to determine what the framers meant is hard because they barely discussed the right and what it might entail.

Second Amendment skeptics think any right is a collective one related to militias that no longer exist. But just because the colonial Minutemen have vanished doesn't mean they took the rest of the 2nd Amendment with them. It's hard to know exactly what the text means by a right to keep and bear arms, but it must mean something.

Even some liberal constitutional experts now agree that gun ownership enjoys constitutional protection. The most notable is Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe, who once subscribed to the collective-rights theory. The amendment, he writes, recognizes "a right [admittedly of uncertain scope] on the part of individuals to possess and use firearms in defense of themselves and their homes." The appeals court agreed, striking down Washington's prohibition of handguns in the home as well as the regulations on other guns.

It would be a stunning turnabout if the Supreme Court adopts that view. It would remove some of the most extreme laws from the books--such as the near-total ban on handguns in Chicago and some suburban communities. Gun rights would feel sweet vindication.

But there is consolation for the other side as well. The appeals court made clear that a host of other limits on firearms possession are constitutionally permissible. States, it said, could forbid the carrying of concealed handguns, require registration of firearms and mandate training for gun owners.

So if this decision is upheld, it will not change our treatment of guns very much. Complete bans would be off-limits, but they are already rarer than white buffaloes. Most other gun-control laws would remain on the books, and anti-gun groups would be free to press for additional ones.

The only obstacle would be the one that has stymied them in the past: insufficient public support. It wasn't the constitutional right to keep and bear arms that induced Congress to let the federal ban on "assault weapons" expire, or persuaded 40 states to allow the carrying of concealed handguns. Those choices were the product of sentiment among citizens and legislators who see most restrictions on firearms as futile at best and dangerous at worst.

The bad news for gun-control advocates is that the Supreme Court may adopt an expansive view of the 2nd Amendment. The worse news is that's the least of their troubles.

Steve Chapman is a member of the Tribune's editorial board. E-mail: schapman@tribune.com
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

Write to Mr Chapman and thank him for his positive article

The Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting

2007-03-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

The sooner we as hunters realize this the better. The anti hunters and the anti gun community have a common enemy and feed off each other's victories. They gain these victories by creating a fissure within the shooting sports community and then exploiting it. They use terms and arguments such as "sporting purposes" and "we are not after your sporting arms." to create a false sense of security in the hunting ranks.
At the same time the HSUS and other anti hunting orgs. target vunerable hunting methods and seasons, they even use the same type of argument "it's not sporting" or "it's not fair chase". Hmmm, there is that word again: Sporting.

By HSUS targeting and winning victories with, as an example, dove hunting, they begin to gain an incremental reason for anti gun orgs. to target semi automatic shot guns. This is how WE give them the ammo they need to use against us. Hunters that would never give dove hunting a second thought have, in fact, given the anti gun orgs. a bullet to use against semi auto shotguns. Some States disallow the use of semi auto weapons in many aspects of hunting, this calls into question the "sporting use" of these weapons giving more wiggle room to the anti gun orgs.

We can no longer afford to keep the divisive categories within our ranks; shooters, hunters, archers, bowhunters, crossbow hunters. These are antiquated and counter productive to the preservation of all of our "sports". We are marksmen, nothing more, nothing less; wether I use a bow or a .50 caliber I am a marksman. Wether I shoot paper, clays, 3D targets or live game I am a marksman. I practice my marksmanship to be the best I can be at whatever pursuit I choose to partake in.

Local NBC Station reports Armed Citizen Story

2007-03-09T16:44:00.000-08:00

Police in Memphis say a gunman firing a pistol beside a busy city street was subdued by two passers-by who were also armed.
Advertisement

No one was hurt during the incident that apparently began with a minor traffic accident, but one passing car was believed hit by a bullet.

Brothers William Webber and Paul Webber told police they stopped their car and pulled their own pistols when they saw a man firing a handgun yesterday.

The brothers said they ordered the man to drop his weapon and then held him at gunpoint until police arrived a few minutes later. Police say the Webbers did not fire their pistols.

Police arrested Dementrius Roberson and charged him with reckless endangerment. Police say the Webber brothers and Roberson have licenses to carry firearms.

Paul Webber says Roberson was firing across traffic and they couldn't tell why he was shooting.

Read and post comments here

These are the types of good stories we need to positively reinforce with letters and comments to their publications and outlets.

DC Gun Ban Overturned on appeal

2007-03-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

From The NRA/ILA website

Fairfax, VA- The District of Columbia Circuit Court today affirmed that the Second Amendment of the Constitution protects an inherent, individual right to bear arms. Today’s ruling should have a positive impact on the current D.C. gun ban, the National Rifle Association is fighting to overcome.

The majority opinion of the court states, "[T]he phrase 'the right of the people,' when read intratextually and in light of Supreme Court precedent, leads us to conclude that the right in question is individual." The majority opinion sums up its holding on this point as follows: The D.C. Circuit Court went further in upholding individual freedoms, rejecting the claim that the Second Amendment does not apply to the District because it is not a State.

The D.C. City Council is expected to appeal the ruling.

You may read the majority opinion here

This is very positive although there is still appeals that can be brought.

Jim Zumbo: Letter to Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

2007-03-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

February 28, 2007

Mr. Alan Gottlieb, Chairman
Citizens Committee for the
Right to Keep and Bear Arms
12500 N.E. Tenth Place
Bellevue, WA 98005

Dear Alan:

They say that hindsight is always 20-20. In my case, hindsight has been a hard teacher, like the father teaching the son a lesson about life in the wood shed.

I was wrong when I recently suggested that wildlife agencies should ban semiautomatic firearms I erroneously called “assault rifles” for hunting. I insulted legions of my fellow gun owners in the process by calling them “terrorist rifles.” I can never apologize enough for having worn blinders when I should have been wearing bifocals.

But unlike those who would destroy the Second Amendment right to own a firearm – any firearm – I have learned from my embarrassing mistake. My error should not be used, as it has been in recent days by our common enemies, in an effort to dangerously erode our right to keep and bear arms.

I would hope instead to use this spotlight to address my hunting fraternity, many of whom shared my erroneous position. I am a hunter and like many others I had the wrong picture in mind. I associated these firearms with military action, and saw not hunting as I have known it, not the killing of a varmint, but the elimination of the entire colony. Nothing could be further from the truth, but I know from whence it comes. This ridiculous image, formed in the blink of an eye, exerts and unconscious effect on all decisions that follow. In seeking to protect our hunting rights by guarding how we are seen in the public eye, I lost sight of the larger picture; missed the forest for the trees.

My own lack of experience was no excuse for ignoring the fact that millions of Americans – people who would share a campfire or the shelter of their tent, and who have hurt nobody – own, hunt with and competitively shoot or collect the kinds of firearms I so easily dismissed.

I recently took a “crash course” on these firearms with Ted Nugent, to learn more about them and to educate myself. In the process, I learned about the very real threat that faces all American gun owners.

I’ve studied up on legislation now in Congress that would renew and dangerously expand a ban on many types of firearms. The bill, HR 1022 sponsored by New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, is written so broadly that it would outlaw numerous firearms and accessories, including a folding stock for a Ruger rifle. I understand that some of the language could ultimately take away my timeworn and cherished hunting rifles and shotguns as well as those of all American hunters.

The extremist supporters of HR 1022 don’t want to stop criminals. They want to invent new ones out of people like you and me with the simple stroke of a pen. They will do anything they can to make it impossible for more and more American citizens to legally own any firearm.

Realizing that what I wrote catered to this insidious attack on fellow gun owners has, one might say, “awakened a sleeping giant within me, and filled him with a terrible resolve.”

I made a mistake. But those who would use my remarks to further their despicable political agenda have made a bigger one. I hope to become their worst nightmare. I admit I was wrong. They insist they are right.

Enclosed, you will find a check that is intended to be used to fight and defeat HR 1022. I also hope it inspires other gun owners to “do as I do, not as I say.”

I’m putting my money where my mouth should have been, and where my heart and soul have always been. I know the Second Amendment isn’t about hunting and never has been. My blunder was in thinking that by working to protect precious hunting rights I was doing enough. I promise it will never happen again.

I don’t know what lies over the horizon for me. I am not ready for the rocking chair.

I’m going to devote every ounce of my energy to this battle. I will remind my fellow hunters that we are first, gun owners. Whether we like it or not, our former apathy and prejudices may place that which we love, hunting, in jeopardy. I will educate fellow outdoorsmen who mistakenly think like I talked, even if I have to visit every hunting camp and climb into every duck blind and deer stand in this country to get it done. I was wrong, and I’m going to make it right.

Sincerely,
Jim Zumbo

We at OHPA send a heartfelt thank you to Jim Zumbo.

The Sleeping Beast

2007-02-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

Over the past several days we got a glimpse at a sleeping beast. Jim Zumbo, the professional hunter, awakened the beast last weekend with his comments about assault weapons (or "terrorist weapons" as he put it) and their place, or lack thereof, in the hunting environment.

Within hours, Mr. Zumbo's blog was inundated with thousands of comments, the majority of which blasted his ill-conceived position. His sponsors were not spared, with thousands of comments, e-mails, and phone calls threatening canceled subscriptions and boycotts. A hasty apology was issued, but was quickly criticized as insincere and incomplete. Over the next few days, sponsors had severed ties (or were looking for outs), his blog was shut down, and some are wondering about the future of his TV show.

Without question, the criticism was founded, but a lot of it was unnecessarily venomous. That aside, it showed what motivated gun owners and hunters could accomplish when the beast was awakened. They attacked and made their feelings known.

What I want to know is: why is the beast not growling as loudly at those who really want to take away gun and hunting rights? Sure there are people who do a lot in the way of contacting their representatives and the like, but I'd wager that reactions like we saw with the Zumbo incident are few and far between.

Look at a lot of the legislation on the table right now. The Federal assault weapons ban is being reconsidered. New Jersey is considering the one gun a month idea. Maryland is considering an assault weapons ban. The list goes on. It seems that there are critical issues on the table in so many states and in Congress. Are we making waves at the same volume as we did last weekend? I'm not sure we are.

We need the beast to start growling louder. If you don't belong to the NRA, join now. If you can spare the money, sign up a friend, family member, or total stranger. If you can't afford to join yourself, suck up your pride and try and find someone who is willing to sponsor you. If you own guns, are thinking of owning guns, or even don't own any but still support the right, then please, join the NRA today. On top of that, send letters or e-mails and make phone calls to all your state and federal legislators and put them on notice: either they support the Second Amendment or we find someone else who does. It's time to show that our bark and our bite are equally powerful.

Common Sense Mom!

2007-02-19T20:36:00.000-08:00

Excellent article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. We should shoot them a note thanking them for a RARE common sense gun story.

Kids and guns: Teach, don't avoid
By Dana Loesch
SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH
Monday, Feb. 19 2007

The boys and I used to participate in a play group that included several
mothers who were not only against guns, they were against toy guns.

We left the play group after one member publicly chastised me when Liam
brandished a small, neon-orange, empty water pistol and pretended to be a
police officer. They were shocked that I would allow my child to play with such
a “dangerous toy.”

I acknowledged their concern; the percentage of toy gun-related deaths was,
after all, on the rise.

I don’t see a problem with children playing with toy guns. I would have a huge
problem if they were, say, playing with a toy joint.

I have two sons; they are obsessed with swords, light sabers, firearms,
explosives, fire. We never forced it on them; they exhibited an interest on
their own, though I’m sure they absorbed a bit of it by watching Chris and I
shriek with glee whenever one of us blows up something on Independence Day.

My boys will turn anything, including a tampon from their mother’s purse as she
loads groceries onto the conveyor, into a mock firearm.

This isn’t to say that they are uneducated regarding firearms; Liam knows the
difference between automatic and semi-automatic weapons; shotguns; handguns,
etc. He knows to find and tell an adult immediately should he ever happen upon
a firearm. He is fully aware that you can’t “un-shoot” someone. In short, we’ve
approached the issue responsibly.

I have a friend who likes to assign human qualities to firearms. “Guns kill
people,” she says whenever given the chance. I’ve said this before, but in my
28 years on this earth I have never witnessed a gun get up and shoot someone
all by itself.

If I did I would capture it and find a way to make money off of it. I have,
however, heard of people who use guns to shoot other people and who will use
other weapons to harm people if a firearm isn’t available. I think it’s
dangerous to take the responsibility from the person and assign it to an
inanimate object.

It undermines gun safety and education. If that theory is allowed, I want to
blame the last speeding ticket I got on my minivan.

My friend believes that the only gun education needed is to tell her daughter
that “guns are bad.” Those who do not own or even like guns can still die from
them as a result. I cannot figure out why my friend, or the mothers at the play
group for that matter, want to pretend that guns don’t exist and that their
children will never be confronted with the issue.

Both Chris and I grew up in families of hunters; my grandfather had a full gun
rack in his pickup. Gun safety was drilled into our heads at very young ages
and it was incomprehensible to play with one.

My friend doesn’t like the thought of her child playing at the homes of friends
who own firearms. My response has always been to inquire about the presence of
firearms first, then ask as to how they are secured from curious youngsters. It’
s our job as parents to be responsible and cautious, not paranoid. I feel that
the latter is irrational.

We own a firearm. It stays locked in a safe. Our families keep their firearms
locked in safes and gun cabinets. Our kids know that it’s irresponsible to
leave a gun lying around the house. Whether or not you own a gun and keep it in
your home, it’s dangerous to avoid the issue. The only thing the avoidance does
is to increase your child’s risk to become a statistic.

Just as dangerous as avoiding the issue is the irresponsible parent who keeps
an unsecured firearm in their home. Those are the parents who stand to lose a
child – or risk the life of another -- from a gun shot wound. Those are the
cases we hear about on television.

What matters most is how and what kids are taught about firearms. I’ve always
believed that pretend play is a great exercise for reality. Positive messages
can be introduced and reinforced through play.

When my kids play with their toy guns, they are the cops chasing the bad guys,
they are soldiers in a war, they are hunting, and they play with their toy in a
responsible manner. In their play, just as it should be in real life, guns are
leverage to their power for good. They’re taught the difference between reality
and play and have developed a healthy respect for the difference.

My friend has asserted that toy guns “encourage violent tendencies.” There is a
way to teach about violence without engaging in it.

I never forget: Whatever my children don’t learn first in my home they will
learn out in the world. I want to give them an advantage.

Let them know how you feel!

Main Phone Number: (314) 340-8000

POST-DISPATCH AND STLTODAY ADDRESS
900 N. Tucker Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63101

E-mail the editor
cbertelson@post-dispatch.com

Apology From Jim Zumbo

2007-02-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

I was wrong, BIG TIME

Someone once said that to err is human. I just erred, and made without question, the biggest blunder in my 42 years of writing hunting articles.

My blog inflamed legions of people I love most..... hunters and shooters. Obviously, when I wrote that blog, I activated my mouth before engaging my brain.

Let me explain the circumstances surrounding that blog. I was hunting coyotes, and after the hunt was over and being beat up by 60 mph winds all day, I was discussing hunting with one of the young guides. I was tired and exhausted, and I should have gone to bed early. When the guide told me that there was a "huge" following of hunters who use AR 15's and similar weapons to hunt prairies dogs, I was amazed. At that point I wrote the blog, and never thought it through.

Now then, you might not believe what I have to say, but I hope you do. How is it that Zumbo, who has been hunting for more than 50 years, is totally ignorant about these types of guns. I don't know. I shot one once at a target last year, and thought it was cool, but I never considered using one for hunting. I had absolutely no idea how vast the numbers of folks are who use them.

I never intended to be devisive, and I certainly believe in United we Stand, Divided we Fall. I've been an NRA member for 40 years, have attended 8 national NRA conventions in the last 10 years, and I'm an advisory board member for the United States Sportsmen's Alliance which actively fights anti-hunters and animal rights groups for hunter's rights.

What really bothers me are some of the unpatriotic comments leveled at me. I fly the flag 365 days a year in my front yard. Last year, through an essay contest, I hosted a soldier wounded in Iraq to a free hunt in Botswana. This year, through another essay contest, I'm taking two more soldiers on a free moose and elk hunt.

When I started blogging, I was told to write my thoughts, expressing my own opinion. The offensive blog I wrote was MY opinion, and no one else's. None of the companies that I deal with share that opinion, nor were they aware of what I had written until this firestorm started.

Believe it or not, I'm your best friend if you're a hunter or shooter, though it might not seem that way. I simply screwed up. And, to show that I'm sincere about this, I just talked to Ted Nugent, who everyone knows, and is a Board member of the NRA. Ted is extremely active with charities concerning our wounded military, and though he's known as a bowhunter, Ted has no problem with AR 15's and similar firearms. My sincerity stems from the fact that Ted and I are planning a hunt using AR 15's. I intend to learn all I can about them, and again, I'm sorry for inserting my foot in my mouth.

Mr Zumbo, It is a great thing that you made an apology and admitted your lack of knowledge and experience with these arms, Now take the time to take the lead in righting this wrong.

Friendly Fire incident; What HSUS and Brady Relish

2007-02-18T11:15:00.000-08:00

Well folks, we started this blog to shore up the positive. Now we have a huge negative to overcome. Sadly, this comes right from the mouth of one of our most prolific writers and TV personalities: Jim Zumbo.

Assault Rifles For Hunters?
As I write this, I'm hunting coyotes in southeastern Wyoming with Eddie Stevenson, PR Manager for Remington Arms, Greg Dennison, who is senior research engineer for Remington, and several writers. We're testing Remington's brand new .17 cal Spitfire bullet on coyotes.
I must be living in a vacuum. The guides on our hunt tell me that the use of AR and AK rifles have a rapidly growing following among hunters, especially prairie dog hunters. I had no clue. Only once in my life have I ever seen anyone using one of these firearms.
I call them "assault" rifles, which may upset some people. Excuse me, maybe I'm a traditionalist, but I see no place for these weapons among our hunting fraternity. I'll go so far as to call them "terrorist" rifles. They tell me that some companies are producing assault rifles that are "tackdrivers."
Sorry, folks, in my humble opinion, these things have no place in hunting. We don't need to be lumped into the group of people who terrorize the world with them, which is an obvious concern. I've always been comfortable with the statement that hunters don't use assault rifles. We've always been proud of our "sporting firearms."
This really has me concerned. As hunters, we don't need the image of walking around the woods carrying one of these weapons. To most of the public, an assault rifle is a terrifying thing. Let's divorce ourselves from them. I say game departments should ban them from the praries and woods.

In this article, as you can see he calls AR and AK rifles "terrorist weapons" and that "they have no place in our hunting fraternity". He also states that "Game Departments should ban them from the prairies and woods" and that we should "Divorce Ourselves from them ".

What Mr. Zumbo fails to understand is that functionally these weapons are no different than any other .223 or .308 caliber firearm. He also fails to grasp the concept that the anti- gun community has settled for an incremental agenda and once one type of firearm is banned others will follow. Once they get an inroad via so called "assault weapons" they will come after ALL the semi- automatic rifles. The anti's have the general public believing that these weapons function differently, have a longer range, and have more power than "sporting firearms". This could not be further from the truth, a .223 is a .223 weather it is fired from a single shot rife or a semi-automatic rifle.

Mr. Zumbo also fails to remember his history. The 30-06 rifle cartridge was developed for the military. He also forgets that 30 Caliber ammunition has been used by the US Military for nearly 70 years.

By calling these weapons "terrrorist weapons" he also slaps all the Military, competitive shooters and plinkers in the face and labels them terrorists. With this article, written by a well respected author, he has done more damage to the shooting sports than 10 years of Anti- Gun propaganda. I encourage you all to realize that banning one will lead to the ban on all.

Weather you agree with Mr. Zumbo or not is irrelavent. What is relavent is that once the anti's get a foothold there will be a domino effect and then your "sporting arms" are in danger.The anti's know exactly what they are doing and exactly how to spread disinformation to further their agenda. Write often, write intelligently and firmly to Mr. Zumbo and his sponsors and express your displeasure. I fear the damage has already been done.

STAND UNITED for ALL Sportsmen, even if its not "your way".

The Positive Influence of Hunting, Part I

2007-02-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Following is the first part into an exploration of the positive influence of hunting on the hunter. For those who let it, hunting can become much more than simply going out in the wilderness and getting some meat. It is a spiritual event, putting one in closer touch with nature. Becoming part of the cycle of life can have a profound effect. In this part, and in future installments, I will examine this process by relating stories and interviews with you that have been shared with me, in hopes that you might make the same journey yourself.

---------------------------------------------------------

Each year, more than 18.5 million hunters in the United States take to the wilderness in search of all manner of prey ranging from quail to elk. These hunters have a profound effect on the U.S. economy, contributing some $30 billion annually[1]. They’re also doing their part for conservation by helping to manage animal populations that, left unchecked, would lead to disease and starvation. And let’s not forget the effect that hunters have on the community, not only providing food for themselves and their families, but in the case of groups like Hunters for the Hungry, tens of thousands of pounds of meat to the needy each year[2].

There is no question what effect hunters have on the environment, the community, and on the economy. But what is the effect of hunting on the hunter? What positive influence does hunting have on one’s life? Is hunting a life-changing experience?

Todd C. from Ontario, Canada believes so. He took up hunting in adulthood at the age of 35.

According to Todd, “The feeling of being one with Nature is something that a non-hunter simply cannot understand. I wish I had discovered this emotion earlier in life and now feel sorry for those that are not able to experience the spiritual impact of the woods.”

Why did he wait so long to take up hunting?

“As a youngster, my grandfather would often take me fishing with him”, he says. “My father went hunting a few times while I was young but only for a few years. Throughout my teen years I continued to fish and never really gave much thought about hunting.”

As Todd entered adulthood, the spirit of the wild evaded him. That is, until one night in the 1990s.

“In 1992, the idea of hunting was thrust upon me after going to a Damn Yankees concert. A small catalogue belonging to Ted Nugent was being handed to concert goers. The hunting seed was first planted within me that night.”

The seed was planted, but unfortunately it didn’t germinate until many years later.

“While I read stories about hunting and came to understand the ecological benefits of it, I never actually went”, Todd recalls. “Time, the lack of knowing anyone who hunted, and honestly, apathy, all stood in my way for years.”

Late in 2003, all that would change. Todd and his wife left the Toronto area for the peace and serenity of a more rural existence three hours to the north. Moving to a 50 acre plot buzzing with wildlife brought Todd back to 1992, where that seed began to grow again.

After a few unproductive hunts, he decided to try again on some nearby public lands. Late in the afternoon, Todd would have his chance. He recounts the moment.

“With shaking hands and a pounding heart that I was certain could be heard by the deer, I raised my crossbow and prepared myself. Cautiously a buck came onto the cleared old logging road and I took the shot. With a high kick of his back legs he crashed into the bush. I was ecstatic. I leaped into the air with a triumphant fist pump. I had never experienced an emotion like that. It was truly exhilarating.“

Unfortunately, his first hunt would take an unexpected and unfortunate turn. His deer took off running. Todd tracked it for several hours as darkness descended, and eventually had to give up. That evening, the emotion was overwhelming.

“I won’t hide the fact that I cried that evening. I had shot my first deer and I was unable to find it. What could be worse for a first-time hunter?”

Todd turned back to Ted Nugent, the man who first planted the seed, for guidance. He posted a message on the forum on Nugent’s website, and it was a reply from The Nuge himself that helped Todd get back on track.

“Ted explained how thousands of animals are wounded each year from bald eagles, bears, wolves, coyotes and cougars. That’s Nature, and as long as I, as a hunter, did everything in my power to recover my attempted kill, it was OK”, Todd recalls. “Those comments still resonate within me today. A few days later I successfully shot and recovered my first buck, an experience that is forever imprinted within me.”

How have these experiences affected Todd?

“I learned something about myself after not being able to recover that deer. I care. And I care deeply. I believe I always had a deep appreciation for Nature but now I was a part of the cycle. Being part of that has now become a passion for me.”

The effects of these experiences have been profound. For Todd, hunting hasn’t been just about feeding himself, doing his part for conservation, or taking up a hobby. It has been an exploration of him. And that journey has taken him closer to Nature. He has taken part in the wondrous cycle of life. The spirit of nature has overtaken him. Todd has been changed by hunting and the best part is: the journey never ends.

__________________________________

[1] Source: National Shooting Sports Foundation, 2007 at http://www.nssf.org/hunting/index.cfm?AoI=hunting

[2] Source: Hunters for the Hungry at http://www.h4hungry.org/

--------------------------------

For anyone interested in reading Todd's entire story written in his own words, he has shared it on Ted Nugent's Talkback forum. It can be accessed here.

Resources Available to YOU and to the Positive

2007-02-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

As you know, Our mission is to encourage Proactive and Positive emphasis for what we all love.

Here are some resources for you to use and enjoy.

Hunt Cast
Joe is a founding member and Vice President of OHPA. His insight and hands on news source. His shows regularly have the most recent news, tips and commentary.

Hunt Zone America
HZA is a website founded by another founding member of OHPA. Douglas has traveled the country searching for the organizations we don't always hear about; either because they are a local organization or because they are small and just don't have the capability to reach beyond their borders. I encourage you to check it out and you may just find that there are folks or programs nearby that you can get involved with.

Save Outdoor Sports

Save Outdoor Sports is an internet based shopping and information source designed to directly benefit the shooting sports and causes within the shooting sports such as Hunt of a Lifetime, Ted Nugent Kamp 4 Kids/Freedom's Angels, IBO Bowhunter Defense Fund, National Archery in the Schools and the National Trappers Association among others. I have been involved with SOS for about 2 years now as VP of Sales and Marketing and have seen it steadily expand and improve.

Shore up the Positive.

2007-02-07T06:45:00.000-08:00

Ok folks,

I know I am far from the smartest man on the planet; but it seems to me that some simple things are regularly overlooked. Now this article is based on MY archery observations in recent months, so take it for what it is worth.

Nick Cage- Movie about becoming an archer despite problems in personal life ( although I believe the ball was dropped via an anti-hunting comment later on in the film).

Jessica Biel- Former Vegatarian, Blade III actress underwent extensive archery trainning for her role.

Geena Davis- Actress, Archer and Womens Sports Foundation advocate.

Those are just 3 that come to mind. When was the last time any one of these folks has heard from bowhunters and archers in a positive way? Look at the following links and just think about what the pictures say to Non participants.

Geena takes Aim
Read her 3 Articles too. Interesting, from a different perspective she is telling women to do the same thing Ted Nugent, the NRA and others tell us to do.

Jessica Biel
Of all the pictures she could have on her Join page, I find it telling that she is at full draw.

The Weather Man
Be sure to look at the photo gallery here. 2 of 12 pictures contain Archery, one with his screen daughter and one solo, plus the front cover photo. Notice how this is "real life" not some fantasy film or historical film. A regular guy using archery to hold himself together.

Now, I don't expect what I say here would make any difference in what these folks think of Hunting, Hunters or the outdoors community as a whole; BUT if we don't drop a small thank you for the positives we will never know for sure. I surmise that writing a letter or comment that says "Hey Thanks for having archery portrayed positively" will go alot further than saying nothing.

Here is how I see it. Kid sees film with popular star shooting a bow, kid finds out NASP is active in their school and tries archery, kid likes archery and seeks a way to participate outside of school and finds local club, Kids parents find out they can participate with kid, Both get exposed to other forms of archery and also the truth about hunting. This seems like a win/win situation all around to me. Kids exposed to a life sport, family unit is strengthend, local clubs gain members, industry grows and celebrities gain useful insight from folks they don't normally here from.

Take it for what it is worth, but if we don't try how do we know?

A Pro Gun Editorial?

2007-02-03T03:14:00.000-08:00

A New York paper cuts through the gun control propaganda with facts!

Concealing the Facts

New York Sun Staff Editorial
February 2, 2007
URL: http://www.nysun.com/article/47924

In respect of gun control, we don't mind saying that it's not the issue that keeps us up at night. But as an emblem of the irrational streak in our political debate these days, it's without peer, a point about which we were reminded by the editorial in Tuesday's Times, "A Day Without Guns … ." It was arguing, if that's the word, against Florida's liberalized concealed carry laws. Basing its comments on research done by the Florida Sun-Sentinel that showed some criminals in Florida have gotten permits to carry concealed weapons, the Times decried the state Legislature's "gruesome handiwork." It chided the "corrupt and cowardly" legislators who refused to "undo these lethal threats" created by legal concealed carry.

Our first thought was that Floridians are grown-ups possessed of rational minds and capable of making their own laws without the Times' haranguing. This is what Floridians have done over the last two decades by repeatedly electing representatives who believe Americans have a right, vouchsafed in the Second Amendment of the Constitution, to keep and bear arms. It's a right that has been called the palladium of American liberty. But about what was the Times speaking with the claim that Florida's concealed carry laws are "lethal" and "gruesome"?

Since the Jack Hagler Self Defense Act went into effect in 1987, crime in Florida has gone down by almost every measure there is. According to statistics provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, firearm murders in Florida between 1987 and 2005 dropped in real terms to 521 from 697. Expressed as the number of firearm murders per 100,000 persons, the drop is even more dramatic, to 2.9 from 5.8. That's a change of 50%. The drop in violent crime overall is less precipitous but equally steady, including drops in the rates of murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and sexual assault.

It is difficult to argue that permitting more persons to carry concealed weapons in and of itself caused this drop in crime, although some have tried. Causal relationships of that nature are notoriously tricky to pin down, and the relationship between crime and concealed carry has been explored in academic circles for years, with little consensus. But it's even harder, given the statistics, to argue that legalizing the carry of concealed weapons has increased crime. Or that it has had some terrible adverse consequence.

Predictions of wild-West style shootouts and lawlessness have proven false. That's not what happened. Not in Florida or in any of the other 37 states with legalized concealed carry. There is nothing "lethal" or "gruesome" about permitting law-abiding citizens to defend themselves by carrying a weapon — or simply to carry a weapon without defending themselves. The truth is that if there is a lesson to be drawn from the Sun-Sentinel's reporting, it's not, as the Times suggests, that there is something wrong with existing laws. Rather it is that judges should start treating criminals as the law prescribes.

In Florida, the law on concealed carry allows persons who have committed serious crimes and have reached plea agreements with judges to have their records scrubbed, to become eligible once more to receive a concealed carry license. An ordinary person might expect an editorial writer opining on all this, particularly in a city where the mayor is trying to make an issue out of "illegal" guns, to look into the statistics on crime and include these facts in an editorial, if only to deal with them. But at the Times, they're not fit to print.

Let the NEW YORK SUN know that we agree with this editorial!

Comment here:

Comment Form

Stop Iowa from becoming another Michigan!

2007-02-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

(This is a post from TIM4TROUT on the Nuge board)

OK Folks ... The BEST Way to get back at the hsus for stopping dove hunting in Michigan is to push dove hunting through in another state (IA) where it does not currently exist.

Oh and BTW, Unlike Michigan ... Iowa does not have the citizens initiative process where factions like the hsus can pay signature gatherers to put the issue on the ballot and con voters into opposing it.

Senate File 82

Section 1. Section 481A.48, subsection 1, Code 2007, is amended to read as follows:

1. No A person, except as otherwise provided by law, shall not willfully disturb, pursue, shoot, kill, take or attempt to take or have in possession any of the following game birds or animals except within the open season established by the commission Gray or fox squirrel, bobwhite quail, cottontail or jackrabbit, duck, snipe, pheasant, goose, woodcock, partridge, mourning dove, coot, rail, ruffed grouse, wild turkey, pigeons, or deer. The seasons, bag limits, possession limits, and locality shall be established by the department or commission under the authority of sections 456A.24, 481A.38, and 481A.39.

EXPLANATION

This bill authorizes the natural resource commission to establish an open season for hunting mourning doves.

Bill History for SF 82

By Dearden.

A bill for an act allowing the establishment of an open season for hunting mourning doves.

----------------------------

January 31, 2007 Introduced, referred to Natural Resources and Environment. S.J. 239.

http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?categ ory=BillInfo&service=Billbook&ga=82&hbill=SF82&menu=text

http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/committee.do?id=10

If we want to succeed --EVERY hunter, trapper, and fisherman in America needs to flood the committee members with emails, letters, and phone calls in support of this.

E-mail the committee members:

Dennis H. Black (D, District 21), Chair
Tom Hancock (D, District 16), Vice Chair
E. Thurman Gaskill (R, District 6), Ranking Member
Jerry Behn (R, District 24)
Joe Bolkcom (D, District 39)
Dick L. Dearden (D, District 34)
Rob Hogg (D, District 19)
David Johnson (R, District 3)
Steve Kettering (R, District 26)
Mary Lundby (R, District 18)
Larry Noble (R, District 35)
Amanda Ragan (D, District 7)
Brian Schoenjahn (D, District 12)
Dr. Joe M. Seng (D, District 43)
Frank Wood (D, District 42)

This story is also featured here in the Gazette, an Eastern Iowa newspaper.

Let the Gazette know we support Dove Hunting!

E-mail the Editor

mark.bowden@gazettecommunications.com

Hunting in Phys Ed Classes: The RIGHT thing to do!

2007-01-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

Full Article Here

An educator doing good. Principal McNeil needs our support. Send letters and e-mails. PROACTIVE. Make contact strengthen his resolve to persevere through the protests. Educate the parents.

What are your kids learning at school? For some parents in Plymouth, it's a shocking answer. A physical education class has some parents very upset.

Aimee Falls says, "I was in shock and I was completely offended."

When Aimee Falls found out that her 13 year old daughter was learning how to hunt in her physical education class at Lincoln Jr. High School... without parental notice or consent.

Aimee Falls says, "I felt my rights as a parent were totally violated."

Marian Curl, whose granddaughter is also in the class, says she feels the same way.

Marian Curl says, "When you see all the bad things that have happened to children with guns, why would a school even want to teach children how to use guns?"

But Lincoln Jr. High School Principal, John McNeil says that's exactly why the school has the class... to teach students gun safety in case they ever come in contact with one.

John McNeil says, "Our goal and our aim is to give kids knowledge and strategy about how to handle those situations if they ever come upon them."

But Aimee says the course goes way beyond gun safety. The book the class uses shows kids how to load and fire a gun and how to correctly shoot different types of animals. And the lessons don't end there.

"This page show you where all the safeties on the guns are. Did they teach your how to take the safeties off those guns in class?

Sasha Falls says, "You can just pull em back."

Aimee Falls says, "I do not feel comfortable with them knowing this information that I know they have been taught. It's scary."

Principal McNeil says, while he understands Aimee's concerns, he believes that children not knowing how to properly handle a weapon is even scarier.

John McNeil says, "As a result of not being real knowledgeable, some individuals have been injured."

And hopes parents will recognize the benefits a hunting class, but understands that some may never be comfortable with their children learning about guns.

In the future, students at Lincoln Jr. High School will most likely have to get parental permission to take the hunting course.

But some parents say if the class continues, they will take their students out of the school.

Send letters of support!

Lincoln Junior High School
e-mail:
jmcneil@plymouth.k12.in.us

WSJV-TV
e-mail:
fox28@fox28.com
Switchboard:
574-679-9758

The South Bend Tribune
e-mail your opinion:
VOP@sbtinfo.com

NASP Success in New Jersey

2007-01-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

Hudson Reporter Article Here

Everyone PLEASE write a comment on this and thank the writer for such a fantastic article. I have forwarded the article to Roy Grimes and my State Coordinator for further distribution. For those unfamiliar with the program visit NASP

By Jim Hague

When one thinks of archery, the initial image may be of Hollywood legend Errol Flynn portraying Robin Hood, gallivanting through Sherwood Forest with bow and arrow in hand.

Or perhaps it could be of William Tell, trying to shoot the apple off his son's head.

Or maybe even Apache Indians going off to battle.

It's an image of medieval times, of an era gone by, one that certainly isn't very prevalent now.

Guess again.

In Weehawken, archery has become a very popular sport - and yes, it is certainly a sport.

For years, archery has been featured in the Olympic Games. It is a sport of precision, of timing, of intense hand-to-eye coordination.

Chuck Barone, the township's recreational director, has been involved in the sport of archery since he was 15 years old. It was something that Barone picked up on as a teen and it remained an interest to him throughout his adult life.

"People think that archery is strictly done to kill animals in hunting," Barone said. "Sure, that's an aspect to it, but hunting is so totally different than the sport. The sport is excellent."

New program for students

Two years ago, when Barone was thinking of ideas to introduce to youngsters as part of the township's recreation program, he immediately thought of archery.

"We were looking for something different to offer to the kids who aren't the most gifted athletically, yet still wanted to get involved in a recreational program," Barone said. "We were looking for something that kids could compete in other than the typical football and basketball programs. There are a lot of good things in archery."

Roosevelt School physical education teacher Joe Perez is also an avid archer. He also decided to help bring archery to Weehawken by introducing the sport in his classes.

The hope is that the Weehawken schools will become part of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), a nationwide effort to introduce the sport to elementary school students.

The NASP is designed to teach international style target archery in physical education classes to students from the fourth grade through high school. The core content of the classes includes archery history, safety, technique, equipment, mental concentration and self-improvement.

"I think it helps to build confidence and self esteem," Barone said. "The student becomes proud of what they're accomplishing."

Statewide interest

Barone said that there are 12 school districts in northern New Jersey alone that have adopted the NASP program.

"People don't realize just how much of an upswing there has been in archery over the last five years, especially locally," Barone said. "There are local archery clubs, competitions, and leagues. Eventually, the National program would love to see a statewide competition in New Jersey."

Barone had no idea what the interest would be like with the youngsters in the town. But when the program began, there were about 25 kids who wanted to give it a try.

"We got a good response right away," Barone said.

A-list actress inspires girls

Genna Fakuda, a 10-year-old fifth grader at Roosevelt School, said that she was curious about archery because of a school project that she had just completed.

"One of the people that I featured in my project was Geena Davis," Fakuda said. "I knew that she was into archery and she inspired me to try it."

Davis, the Oscar-winning actress, is such an avid archer that she actually tried out for the United States Olympic Team in 2004 and just missed making the squad.

Because of Davis' inspiration, girls like Fakuda are taking to the sport.

"Once I started, I really liked it," Fakuda said. "I had fun learning it. It was pretty hard at first, especially getting the arm strength with the bow. I got used to it after a while."

"It's always good to see girls get involved," Barone said. "We have a number of girls who have been regularly coming to the classes."

Some of the Weehawken youngsters have become so interested in the sport that they have joined leagues in Saddle Brook to participate there.

"Some others have their own bows now," Barone said. "The kids are really getting into it. I'm really impressed with how far they've come."

Shooting for the stars

One of the more avid Weehawken archers is Roosevelt School sixth grader James McCall, who has become very proficient in just the short time he's been shooting.

"Mr. Perez encouraged me to do it and I really got into it," McCall said. "I never did it before, but I liked it a lot. I like the challenge of it. I play baseball, too, but this is a lot different. You have to be persistent. You have to have good balance. I'm glad I got a chance to learn about archery in school."

Both McCall and Fakuda are surprised with how talented they've become with the bow and arrow.

"I'm surprised with how good I've become," McCall said. "I never would have thought I would be this good."

"I'm very surprised with how much I've improved since I've started," Fakuda said. "I like that I keep getting better."

Both students have been encouraging their friends to get involved in the sport.

"I'm going to continue to participate in it," McCall said. "It's something I think I can do pretty well."

"Mr. Perez helped me to become good at it," Fakuda said. "He's a very good teacher. He's the reason why I'm good at it now. I've already had four bulls' eyes and I've only been shooting for about a year. I just want to keep doing it and get better. Maybe I can be an Olympian some day. That's a goal of mine."

Barone said that the archery program has become so successful that he might consider offering adult classes in the future.

"That's something we're discussing," Barone said. "We just wanted to offer something as an alternative for the kids to do and it worked out well. So far, so good."

Please post a comment and let the paper know we support this kind of reporting!

Post a comment:
Hudson Reporter Comment Page

National Trappers Asscociation

2007-01-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

As one of the smallest groups we have in the outdoors community, the National Trappers Association is on the front lines of defending truth and sound management of wildlife. They have won many fights against the most powerful of Animal Rights organizations.
Many trappers are also hunters , but the vast majority of hunters are not trappers. This exposes quite an imbalance within. Hunters must begin to realize that we fight the same fight as trappers and what affects them will inevitably affect us and our endeavors. The lack of support we show trappers will haunt us in the long run. The HSUS and others will use and modify the arguments they defeat trapping initiatives with to defeat us and exploit the divisions that we create.
I encourage everyone to show support for the NTA and local trapping organizations, if not monetarily, by making contact with them and offering to help with anything they need or require. Distributing literature or making phone calls can go miles in showing unity, good will and positive image portrayal. Thank You in advance.

News from Reading Outdoor Expo

2007-01-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well folks, after a long week and much talking with vendors and consumers I have much to report.
First, let me tell you of an impressive lady with a mission, Her name is Nikki and she is the founder of Team Xtreme an organization to promote and encourage youth and women to participate in fishing, conservation and the outdoors lifestyle. It was a pleasure to break bread with Nikki and Capt. Chris of Reel-istic charters.

Hunt of a Lifetime was there also and had a HOAL blanket to present to Ted Nugent for all his help and support. A young man who has benefited from HOAL was escorted back to the meet and greet and presented the blanket; I was unable to be in the room to witness the event, but reports afterward were that this young man was elated with the 1/2 hour that Ted spent with him one on one. Grant, the HOAL representative, was so thrilled with the responses they recieved I had to pull him off the ceiling more than a few times.

United Bowhunters of PA was there with a 3d archery range for the kids and they helped distribute NASP CDs to instructors and teachers and parents.

It was truly a heartlifting experience.

Helicopter Pilot Saves Stranded Deer on Frozen Lake

2007-01-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

Wonder what the "Walt Disney" version of this story would have been???

NORMAN, Okla. — The pilot of a television news helicopter used the wind from the aircraft's rotor to push a stranded deer to safety after it lost its footing on an icy lake and could not get up.

A small crowd of people had gathered to watch the deer struggling without success to regain its footing near the shore of icy Lake Thunderbird about 4 p.m. Wednesday.

• Click here to see video of the TV helicopter saving the deer.

KWTV pilot Mason Dunn used the wind from the rotor to push the deer, initially sending it into a break in the ice where the animal managed to hold onto the ice with its front legs.

Dunn then lowered the helicopter and the wind sent the deer sliding on its belly across the ice until it reached shore, struggled to regain its footing and then scampered into a nearby wooded area.

Let the folks in Oklahoma know we like this story!

KWTV

mailroom@kwtv.com

The Oklahoman

yourviews@oklahoman.com

Romney realizes we matter?

2007-01-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

ORLANDO , Fla. -- Former governor Mitt Romney, who once described himself as a supporter of strong gun laws, is distancing himself from that rhetoric now as he attempts to court the gun owners who make up a significant force in Republican primary politics. In his 1994 US Senate run, Romney backed two gun-control measures strongly opposed by the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups: the Brady Bill, which imposed a five-day waiting period on gun sales, and a ban on certain assault weapons. "That's not going to make me the hero of the NRA," Romney told the Boston Herald in 1994. At another campaign stop that year, he told reporters: "I don't line up with the NRA." And as the GOP gubernatorial candidate in 2002, Romney lauded the state's strong laws during a debate against Democrat Shannon O'Brien. "We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them," he said. "I won't chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety." Today, as he explores a presidential bid, Romney is sending a very different message on gun issues, which are far more prominent in Republican national politics than in Massachusetts. He now touts his work as governor to ease restrictions on gun owners. He proudly describes himself as a member of the NRA -- though his campaign won't say when he joined. And Friday, at his campaign's request, top officials of the NRA and the National Shooting Sports Foundation led him around one of the country's biggest gun shows. Romney says he still backs the ban on assault weapons, but he won't say whether he stands by the Brady Bill. And after the gun show tour, his campaign declined to say whether he would still describe himself as a supporter of tough gun laws. "He believes Americans have the right to own and possess firearms as guaranteed under the US Constitution," spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom wrote in an e-mail. "He's proud to be among the many decent, law-abiding men and women who safely use firearms. Like President Bush, he supports restrictions on assault weapons, but Mitt Romney has also worked with gun owners and sportsmen to ease the gun-licensing laws in Massachusetts." Romney appears to be stepping up his efforts to portray himself as a gun-friendly candidate, though some gun-rights activists in important primary states say his past positions will hurt him politically. On Wednesday, Romney said on an Internet podcast, "The Glenn and Helen Show," that he hopes states would continue to ease regulations on gun owners, and he expressed enthusiasm for guns and hunting. "I have a gun of my own. I go hunting myself. I'm a member of the NRA and believe firmly in the right to bear arms," Romney said. Asked by reporters at the gun show Friday whether he personally owned the gun, Romney said he did not. He said one of his sons, Josh, keeps two guns at the family vacation home in Utah, and he uses them "from time to time." The guns are a Winchester hunting rifle and a Glock 9mm handgun, which Romney uses for target shooting . Romney also described himself as a sportsman who learned to shoot as a boy rabbit hunting in Idaho with a .22 rifle. He fondly recalled shooting quail last year at a Republican Governors Association event in Georgia. "I . . . had a good time and actually knocked down a couple of birds," he said. Fehrnstrom said Romney had taken steps to support gun rights as governor, including his signing of an NRA-backed bill last year that reduced a testing requirement on certain pistol-makers before they could sell guns in Massachusetts. In 2002, even as he was pledging to uphold the state's strong gun laws, Romney still garnered a "B" grade from the NRA. Also, in 2005, Romney designated May 7 as "The Right to Bear Arms Day" in Massachusetts to honor "the right of decent, law-abiding citizens to own and use firearms in defense of their families, persons, and property and for all lawful purposes, including the common defense." But perhaps the most significant gun legislation Romney signed as governor was a 2004 measure instituting a permanent ban on assault weapons. The Legislature mirrored the law after the federal assault weapons ban, which was set to expire. According to activists at the time, the bill made Massachusetts the first state to enact its own such ban, and Romney hailed the move. "These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense," he was quoted as saying. "They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people." The bill enjoyed the support of Massachusetts gun owners because it also encompassed several measures they favored -- including a lengthening of the terms of firearm identification cards and licenses to carry. (Asked about the bill Friday, Romney described it as a "consensus measure" and a "positive step.") But the NRA and many local affiliates do not support assault weapons bans, arguing that the arms are rarely used in crimes and have a legitimate purpose in hunting, target shooting, and self-protection. Romney's signing of that bill, despite its progun provisions, will be problematic politically, activists say. "Why don't you just not take away [rights] from us?" Michael Thiede, president of the group Michigan Gun Owners, said last week. He said Romney's support for the assault-weapons ban and the Brady Bill will "absolutely" give him friction. Gerald W. Stoudemire, president of Gun Owners of South Carolina, agreed, saying Romney has been "basically antigun on some issues." "They're going to be a big scratch on his record," Stoudemire said. "He's going to have to not just get over them, but show a different direction if he's going to pick up voters." The NRA officials who led Romney around the trade show declined to discuss his positions. "We meet with candidates all over the country at every level," said Chris W. Cox, who heads the NRA's political and legislative work. Romney's past positions on gun control have also drawn some attention in the blogosphere, though not nearly as much as his statements in support of abortion rights and gay rights. (He's now antiabortion and takes a harder line on gay rights.) "Wait until the 2d amendment crowd gets a hold of Mitt's views on gun control," one blogger wrote on punditreview.com . Romney was clearly trying to allay such concerns by attending the massive Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade Show and Conference at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center. Romney, joined by his wife, Ann, and trailed by local television stations and a few reporters, chatted enthusiastically with vendors displaying a wide variety of weapons. "Let's see your shotguns here," Romney said to Michael F. Golden, CEO of the Springfield-based gunmaker Smith & Wesson. Romney's dark suit stood out in a sea of camouflage, but he gamely introduced himself to anyone in his path. At one booth, he met exhibition shooter Tom Knapp , who gave Romney some hunting advice: When you miss an animal, pretend you did it on purpose, because you want the animal to breed lots of offspring (read: targets). "That's a great hunting tip!" Romney said with a laugh. The trade show illustrated the work that lies ahead for Romney in broadening his name recognition. Though many people knew who he was -- "I was just pitching you last night!" one man said enthusiastically -- many others did not. "Who is that?" a woman at the Crossman gunmaker booth asked quietly after Romney walked away. "A governor," someone said. "Where?" she asked. "Massachusetts -- may be running for president." Moments later, a different woman gestured in his direction: "Is that Jeb Bush?" "No, it's Mitt Romney," Fehrnstrom corrected.

Let the Governor know we support his new found love of the shooting sports:

Romney for President Exploratory Committee, Inc.
P.O. Box 55899
Boston, MA 02205-5899
Phone: (857) 288-6400e-mail
policy comments

Contact the Massachusetts media:

Boston Globe
Baron, Martin
Editor
Editorial Administration / News
(617) 929-3049
baron@globe.com

WBZ Radio
wbzradionews@wbz1030.com

WBZ TV-4
wbz tv contact form

New York State Newspaper Gets it Right!

2007-01-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

The Star-Gazette in Elmira, NY published this article by columnist Jeff Murray. This is exactly the type of reporting that is missing in most news publications these days!

From the Star-Gazzette
By Jeff Murray
1/14/07
www.star-gazette.com

Some old stereotypes die hard, such as the notion that hunting is a man's sport.

Somewhere along the line, someone forgot to mention that to Pat Space of Rathbone in rural Steuben County.

And Space, a single mother of two girls, wants to make sure her young daughters know their place isn't just in the home, but in the tree stand, a bass boat, or anywhere else they wish.

Space set quite an example for her daughters when she tagged a dandy 11-point buck Nov. 27. And the circumstances of the kill make it even more impressive.

Hunting from a tree stand, Space shot the buck on the run with one shot from her 20-gauge Remington Model 1100 shotgun.

Even though the slug hit the deer squarely in the lower ribcage, it still managed to run off. Space followed the blood trail for a while but had to suspend the search when it got too dark.

"I still wasn't sure how big he was, only that he was the biggest deer I ever saw," Space said.

Space had to go to work early the next morning, but her brother and sister-in-law volunteered to look for the buck in the meantime. By the time she returned home from work, they had found her trophy, and helped her drag it out of the woods.

Space had her buck officially green scored at 125 1/2 points, and the rack had a 21-inch inside spread. Despite some overnight predation by coyotes, the deer still tipped the scales at about 160 pounds field dressed.

Her buck was only the second antlered deer she has shot -- her other was a four-pointer taken about three years ago -- but Space is no newcomer to hunting or the outdoors.

"I have five older brothers. The boys always hunted. This was all my parents' farm," she said. "I grew up on a farm, so there were always animals around."

Space said her brothers rarely invited her on their hunting trips, and she wants to make sure daughters Cheyenne, 12, and Shannon, 9, don't get left behind because of their gender.

"It didn't matter to me that they were girls," she said. "When I was young, I kept up with my brothers."

The girls often tag along on their mother's hunting and shooting adventures and are eager to follow in her footsteps. Cheyenne has been practicing with her own Daisy Red Ryder BB gun and Shannon will have her chance once she is mature enough to handle the responsibility. Safety is the first priority, Space said.

Cheyenne will be old enough to hunt turkeys in the spring, but she is anxious to get right to the main event.

"I can't wait until I'm 16 so I can get (a deer) that big," she said with a big grin.

The girls also go fishing with their mother, and both girls are learning how to bait their own hooks and remove fish from the hook, something that gives Mom a chance to fish a little more for herself.

"We go up to the St. Lawrence River. They have huge big bass in a pool up there," Shannon said.

In addition to hunting deer in the fall, Space pursues turkeys in the spring and woodchucks in the summer. She also shoots trap on a regular basis, and believes the practice shooting fast-moving clay pigeons came in handy when she had a running deer in her sights.

Space hopes she can be an inspiration to her daughters, and to other women who might want to venture into the outdoors.

"I have a group of guys that I trap shoot with. When I shoot with them, I'm just one of the guys," she said. "I try to encourage my female friends to go hunting and shooting.

"Basically I've always enjoyed the outdoors and I really hope my girls will continue to enjoy it too. I think it's very important for all kids to enjoy the outdoors," Space said. "Unfortunately, today a lot of kids never get outside to enjoy it or to learn about hunting and fishing."

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Colorado Governor Deserves Our Support!

2007-01-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

Colorado Governor: PETA “A Bunch Of Losers,” “Frauds”

January 5, 2007

As many as 340,000 cows and steers have been left stranded by southeastern Colorado's most recent snowstorm, and National Guard units are helping ranchers in a frantic bid to save the freezing animals. Faced with 15-foot snowdrifts, rescuers are airlifting bales of hay and hoping for the best. But as Coloradans are learning, the wealthy People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) isn't about to lift a finger. Not forthose animals -- the ones destined to be flame-broiled, grilled, or roasted. Appearing on Denver radio station KRFX yesterday morning, Colorado Governor Bill Owens spoke for all of us. PETA, he declared, are "a bunch of losers" [click to listen] and "frauds" [click to listen].

The dustup started when KRFX morning hosts Rick Lewis and Michael Floorwax (yes, that's his real name) called PETA to ask if the group would help feed and rescue the snowbound herds. PETA spokeswoman Reannon Peterson took the call, and bluntly replied: "You're going to save them, and then in six months they're going to be killed and end up on someone's plate. So I don't know that it's really the most noble cause." [click to listen].

Peterson added that wild animals caught in the blizzard's wake -- the same animals PETA routinely criticizes hunters for bagging -- also weren't worth spending PETA's money to save. "It's an act of God," she said. "There's really nothing to be done" [click to listen].

Enter Governor Owens. In addition to labeling PETA "losers" and "frauds," he expressed amazement that "PETA doesn't want us to feed freezing cattle" [click to listen] and stated that "it's symbolic of what PETA stands for" [click to listen]. Finally, Owens declared that PETA is "a strange group of people. Don't send money to PETA" [click to listen]. Asked a few hours later by KRFX sister-station KOA-AM to reiterate his position on PETA, he put it plainly: "What a bunch of losers. Don't give your money to PETA." [click to listen].

We couldn't agree more. As we're telling the media today, the Colorado snowstorm is exactly the kind of emergency that should send PETA into action. But PETA -- whose president publicly wished for a foot-and-mouth epidemic in 2001 -- has a stubborn anti-meat bias. To this group of tofu-devouring loonies, seeing the livelihood of cattle ranchers evaporate is a cheap thrill. This may also be the reason why the vegetarian-oriented Humane Society of the United States isn't spending any of the $145 million it raised last year on Colorado helicopter rentals and hay bales.

Please thank the Governor for his stance:

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Bill Ritter, Governor
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Denver, CO 80203-1792

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2007-01-13T22:03:00.001-08:00

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