NRA: Wisconsin State Legislature Passes Landmark Right-to-Carry Legislation
Cam Edwards talks to Wisconsin State Assembly Majority Leader Rep. Scott Suder
Wisconsin Carry: Wisconsin Constitutional Carry Update
From our friends at Wisconsin Carry:
First, I really want to extend a huge amount of credit where credit is due.
Vicki McKenna, radio talk show host on WIBA in Madison and WISN in Milwaukee has been a HUGE advocate for the constitutional right to carry going back years. Read more
L.A. Times Op-Ed Piece Offers Intersesting Take on State Wide Open Carry Ban
Adam Walker penned an interesting and compelling op-ed piece for The Los Angeles Times on what the new legislation that could ban open carry of firearms in California. Winkler writes:
“If, however, California bans what is called ‘open carry,’ the state will probably have to loosen the standards for people to have permits to carry concealed weapons. In California, gun owners can only legally carry a concealed firearm, loaded or unloaded, if they have a permit. And in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, ‘concealed carry’ permits are very difficult to obtain — arguably too difficult, if AB 144 becomes law.”
Some excellent points that prove the battle for our gun rights is never over.
FoxNews.com: Philly Gun Owner Charged “with disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment”
FoxNews.com is reporting that Mark Fiorino, a suburban Philadelphia IT worker is facing jail time for “disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment,” for reportedly openly carrying a handgun in Philly – which he had a permit for. An officer reportedly confronted Fiorino, apparently not knowing that open carry was completely legal in the city of Brotherly Love with a permit.
But rather than apologize and drop the matter the city is throwing the book at Fiorino and taking aim at other gun owners. Lt. Raymond Evers, a spokesman for the city police, reportedly told FoxNews.com “that gun owners who open carry, which is legal in the city, may be asked to lay on the ground until officers feel safe while they check permits.”
Additionally FoxNews.com noted:
“The warning comes after Mark Fiorino, a suburban Philadelphia IT worker, posted an audiotape to YouTube of his tense, 45-minute encounter with police in February over his exposed handgun. The video went viral and captured national attention.”
Our best wishes to Fiorino for standing up for his (and all of our) rights.
Open Carry Called for Detroit
Rick Ector, a Detroit native and a nationally accredited Firearms Instructor, has launched a blog on the Internet to encourage citizens to openly carry handguns. The blog is entitled “Detroit Open Carry.”
According to Ector, the time has arrived for city of Detroit to break ties with the racist roots of gun control.
“Gun laws have always been most strict in cities with large numbers of black people,” says Ector. “Detroit is no different in that regard. In 1925, Dr. Ossian Sweet was acquitted of defending his home from a mob of people who were upset with the gall of a black man who dared to integrate a white neighborhood.”
Ector, was referring to the Michigan court case which many have credited as being the genesis of the 1927 Michigan Firearms Act. This law created County Gun Boards, required the licensing of handguns, and made acquiring Concealed Pistol Licenses (CPLs) and handguns difficult for most black people.
Ector further concedes that there is another reason for pushing open carry in Detroit.
“Crime here is out of control and the local police department can’t be everywhere. A citizen wearing a firearm in a holster will serve as a visual deterrent to bad guys looking to rape, rob, and murder.”
In general, it is legal in the state of Michigan for a person 18 years of age to display his own registered pistol in a completely visible holster without a special permit, as long as he does not venture into a state designated pistol-free zone.
Rick Ector is a Detroit based grassroots gun rights advocate and a National Rifle Association (NRA) credentialed Firearms and Personal Protection Trainer, who provides Michigan CCW Classes training in Detroit for students at his firearms school – Rick’s Firearm Academy of Detroit.
Open Carry Banned in California
The California State Assembly has a passed a bill that will make it a misdemeanor to carry an exposed firearm, even it’s unloaded, in a public place, street or vehicle.
The California Police Chiefs Association hailed the move, suggesting it would “increase public safety.”
Should we be surprised by this ruling in the least?
Philadelphia Weekly: “Cops Don’t Know Their Own Gun Laws”
Do we expect the police to know the law? We do, but this week The Philadelphia Weekly offered an interesting story titled, “Open-Carry Experiment Shows Cops Don’t Know Their Own Gun Laws.”
The story notes that gun-rights activist Mark Fiorino took a stroll around the City of Brotherly Love with a holstered firearm. The author noted:
“One city cop, who requested anonymity, said that he was unaware carrying a firearm openly within the city limits was legal.”
The story further noted that it is legal to carry openly within Philadelphia as long as you have a license, and open carry is legal throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Michigan Coalition For Responsible Gun Owners
From our friends at the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners:
Q: Is there a specific design for the no gun allowed sign?
Does the law say where it has to be placed at a business, such as on the door or adjacent window leading into the business?
A: There are no specifications for “No Guns” or “No Weapons” signs in Michigan law. Under the law, there are two ways for a CPL holder to know that guns are not allowed in a specific location. The first is the list of “Pistol Free Zones” (often colloquially referred to as violent criminal empowerment zones) that we must all memorize, which is part of the CPL statute (Pistol Free Areas). Read more
Wisconsin Gun Owners: Wisconsin Constitutional Concealed Carry SUPPORT SB93
From our friends at the Wisconsin Gun Owners:
Three Lies Being Told by Politicians
Lie: “If we push for Constitutional Carry, we’ll get nothing.”
Lie: “We support Constitutional Carry, but it’s not the political reality right now.”
Lie: “The permit-to-carry bill will give you ‘special benefits’” (If you consider being registered in a Department of Justice criminal database “special benefits” this statement is actually true). Read more
Student Paper of DePaul University Calls on “Right to Bear Arms”
Time and time again, we see editorials that suggest that lax gun laws are somehow responsible for tragic shootings. That if there were just stricter laws somehow criminals would be unarmed. Of course this is backward logic.
So it was refreshing to see Allison C. Barinholtz write an op-ed piece for The DePaulia, the student paper of DePaul University, titled “The right to bear arms and self-defense.” Ms. Barinholtz notes an interesting point:
“…there exists no constitutional amendment granting the right to government to limit the usage or ownership of private guns.”
This is an interesting point, given that many on the other side of the issue like to note that the Second Amendment is not limitless in its power.
She also makes an excellent point on the notion of carrying firearms, concealed or open:
“With the capability of individuals to carry guns, coupled with the proper permits and training, the common citizen is safer overall. The permission to carry a gun grants both power and responsibility. Some are afraid that granting people more power in this field will encourage more and easily provoked gun violence. Comfort may lie within the realization that a firearm does not need to actually be used in order to gain a desired effect.”
Of course, we must accept that the anti-gun zealots won’t see, or agree with this point of view.
