COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Police in South Carolina gave away roses on Valentine's Day. All you had to do to get one for your sweetie was turn in a gun.

Hoping to get the weapons off the streets with the "Guns for Roses" program, authorities in two central South Carolina cities set up a program where anyone who turned in a gun received a free rose and a Best Buy gift card.

At a Columbia church, five cars lined up to give away guns before the exchange had even started. At the end of the day, Columbia area police had collected 191 weapons and police in Sumter collected 32.

"We've got a great turnout so far," Richland County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Chris Cowan said.

A handgun was worth a $100 gift card, while a rifle or shotgun netted a $50 gift certificate. Cowan said one man turned in six handguns, worth $600 in gift cards.

Cowan did not immediately have a total value for gift cards given out. Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson said her program gave out $550 in gift cards for long guns and $2,100 for handguns.

There was no amnesty for those turning in the guns. The weapons were being checked to see if they were stolen, names and addresses were jotted down and ballistics tests would also be done to see if the firearm was used in a crime.

Both Cowan and Patterson said there were no incidents and no arrests made Saturday.

Cowan said the idea was spawned in part by Columbia Police Chief T.P. Carter and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, who has made headlines recently for investigating Michael Phelps after a photo surfaced showing the Olympic swimming champion smoking a marijuana pipe. The program was modeled after a California one; similar exchanges have been done in New York and San Francisco.

Cowan said gun donors were young and old, men and woman. Many had a big smile and some said it was a relief to get rid of the weapons.

And did they even care about the rose?

"Most of them have taken it," Cowan said.

Once again, State Senator Bill Morrisette (D-Springfield) and now State Senator Jackie Dingfelder (D-Portland) are sponsoring legislation to raise the Oregon's beer tax.  This is the fifth straight legislative session they've tried this, though the amounts and details always change considerably (previous blog here).  At least they're not calling it a "malt beverage cost recovery fee" this time.

Oregon's beer tax is currently $2.60 per 31-gallon barrel, which is fourth lowest in the nation.  HB-2461, also sponsored by Representatives Ben Cannon (D-Portland) and Michael Dembrow (D-Portland), would set the new "prevention, treatment and recovery tax" at $49.61 per 31-gallon barrel, easily the highest in the nation.  The current tax is about 0.79 cents per 12-ounce glass of beer, or about 4.7 cents a six-pack.  The new tax would be about 15 cents per 12-ounce glass of beer and 90 cents a six-pack.

The money would go into a new Alcohol Impact Remediation Fund.  From there, it would be allocated as follows:

- 15.0 percent would go the Department of Corrections and Oregon Criminal Justice Commission for the treatment of drug addiction and associated costs (Sections 8.1 and 8.2 at the following link).

- 5.1 percent for statewide alcohol and drug use prevention initiatives.

- 11.9 percent for other alcohol and drug use prevention purposes.

- 61.2 percent for treatment of alcohol and drug addiction.

- 6.8 percent for alcohol and drug recovery support services.

Here we go again. In yet another case of over reactive, one-size-fits-all, "zero-tolerance," zero-common sense enforcement, Marie Morrow, an honors student and drill‑team commander in the Young Marines, was recently expelled from school.  Her crime?  She left three rifle shaped drill team props in the back of her car at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora, Colorado. Colorado law mandates expulsion for any student found with a "dangerous weapon" on school grounds, which includes "a firearm facsimile that could reasonably be mistaken for an actual firearm."

The non-operative rifle props are used during drill routines, where the facsimiles are spun and tossed.  The props are made of wood and plastic, are heavily duct‑taped and, of course, cannot function and were never intended to.  Morrow had brought them to school because she was preparing for a competition at the Air Force Academy in April and planned to attend a practice right after school.

Friday, February 13, 2009

This week's outrage comes from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin., where Beaver Dam school officials placed middle school teacher Betsy Ramsdale on administrative leave, following the discovery of a photograph of the teacher with a firearm on the teacher's personal "Facebook" page. A "concerned" staff member at the school where Ramsdale works brought the photo to the attention of school district officials.

WKOWTV.com reported last week that schools superintendent, Donald Childs, was "unaware of any sinister intent on the teacher's part," and said the use of the photo "appears to be poor judgment."

Poor judgment?  An argument could be made that pointing a firearm directly at the camera may be considered poor judgment; certainly if a photographer—and not a tripod—was on the other side of the camera.  But simply posing for a picture with a firearm and posting the picture on your personal webpage is not a crime.  In and of itself, posting such a picture should certainly not be cause for alarm, let alone disciplinary action.

If Ramsdale had posted a picture of a close friend or relative who happened to be a soldier stationed in Iraq, and who happened to be posing in the field with his rifle, should we bring in the school counselors?  If she posted a picture of Roy Rogers or John Wayne toting their six-shooters, should we call the police?  And what if she had posed for a picture in a Formula One racecar?  Would school officials then worry about her speeding on her way to school and the bad safety message that would convey?  No, no, and, no.  Such irrational and paranoid rushes to judgment would simply defy common sense.

Ramsdale said she "removed the photo immediately" and that she is "not interested in any controversy."

Unfortunately, she can't avoid the controversy.  She's in the middle of another case of overzealous enforcement trumping common sense.  That's outrageous.

On Monday, February 9, the Joint Committee on Judiciary met to consider the issue of "micro-stamping" technology and its potential use on firearms.  After discussing the issue, the bill was "raised."  Micro-stamping is an unproven technology that would require identifying information (such as the make, model, and serial number) of a firearm to be etched into the firing pin and breech face in such a manner that those identifiers are imprinted on the cartridge case upon firing.  The technology can easily be defeated with common household tools, has no public safety value, and adds substantially to the cost of the firearm.  

Anti-gun State Representative Harry Osterman (D-14) has introduced House Bill 48, a bill that would eliminate most private transfers of handguns.  This legislation would require virtually all handgun transfers to be processed through a licensed firearm dealer.  In other words, even though the law already requires all private transfers to be carefully recorded—with information such as the date of transfer and serial number of the handgun maintained for 10 years—and both the seller and purchaser must have valid FOID Cards, HB 48 would still require the additional step of processing the transfer through a licensed dealer.  Even if you plan on selling a handgun to a neighbor you’ve known for 20 years, or to a cousin you’ve know your whole life, you would still be required to go to a licensed firearm dealer to complete the transfer.  And if the closest dealer is 20 miles away, or more, then that’s just too bad.

Another anti-gun State Representative, Edward Acevedo (D-2), has reintroduced his ban on countless semi-automatic firearms, .50 cal. rifles and ammunition, and standard-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of holding more than 10 rounds.  House Bill 165 is just this year’s version of the bans he has supported in the past.

Anti-gun advocates are working hard to have S1774 considered in the New Jersey Senate as early as next week.  This bill would prohibit law-abiding citizens who have already undergone an extensive criminal background check from purchasing more than one handgun within a 30-day period.  This anti-freedom bill places arbitrary limits on Second Amendment rights and would set a dangerous precedent. If passed, this bill gives anti-gun extremists carte blanche to further hinder your right to purchase firearms.  Next it could be one rifle or shotgun per 30-day period or even one handgun per six months or year.

This week, Senate Bill 1069, introduced by State Senator Carl Kruger (D-27) was held in the Senate Codes Committee.  S1069 will give the State Police broad authority to outlaw firearms based what they look like, how they are assembled, the materials they are made with and whether they are "readily" detectable by "standard security equipment."  

The bill (as well as its companion, Assembly Bill 4057) does not provide a definition of "standard security equipment" and does not contain any testing procedures, thus allowing the Superintendent of the State Police the sole discretion to arbitrarily decide which guns should be banned.  This could have major implications for the availability of all types of firearms in New York State.  

Illinois — the land of Obama and the Blagojevich mafia — is serious about making the Second Amendment so expensive only the rich will be able to exercise it. Kenneth Dunkin, a former social worker and Democrat member of the Illinois House of Representatives, has introduced HB0687, entitled the “Firearm Owners ID-Insurance” bill. It is currently in the Rules Committee.

Dunkin’s bill amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act, a previous bill aimed at chipping away at the Second Amendment. Dunkin’s amendment states “that any person who owns a firearm in this State shall maintain a policy of liability insurance in the amount of at least $1,000,000 specifically covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the use of such firearm while it is owned by such person.”

A million dollars!

Can you imagine the premium on such an insurance policy? It would be astronomical and out of the reach of most people in Illinois.

If the firearm owner cannot afford the insurance or decides that it is simply crazy and also unconstitutional and refuses to participate, “the Department of State Police shall revoke and seize a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card,” thus making the the firearm illegal and the owner a criminal.

If Dunkin’s bill makes it out of committee and is passed by the Illinois General Assembly, a whole lot of people will have their firearms confiscated by the State Police.

Quoted:

  Damn Paul looks like you went all out on this .  You know California is still going to be blamed for anything that happens in other states.

BELFAST, Maine — James G. Cummings, who police say was shot to death by his wife two months ago, allegedly had a cache of radioactive materials in his home suitable for building a “dirty bomb.”

According to an FBI field intelligence report from the Washington Regional Threat and Analysis Center posted online by WikiLeaks, an organization that posts leaked documents, an investigation into the case revealed that radioactive materials were removed from Cummings’ home after his shooting death on Dec. 9.

The report posted on the WikiLeaks Web site states that “On 9 December 2008, radiological dispersal device components and literature, and radioactive materials, were discovered at the Maine residence of an identified deceased [person] James Cummings.”

It says that four 1-gallon containers of 35 percent hydrogen peroxide, uranium, thorium, lithium metal, thermite, aluminum powder, beryllium, boron, black iron oxide and magnesium ribbon were found in the home.

Also found was literature on how to build “dirty bombs” and information about cesium-137, strontium-90 and cobalt-60, radioactive materials. The FBI report also stated there was evidence linking James Cummings to white supremacist groups. This would seem to confirm observations by local tradesmen who worked at the Cummings home that he was an ardent admirer of Adolf Hitler and had a collection of Nazi memorabilia around the house, including a prominently displayed flag with swastika. Cummings claimed to have pieces of Hitler’s personal silverware and place settings, painter Mike Robbins said a few days after the shooting.

An application for membership in the National Socialist Movement filled out by Cummings also was found in the residence, according to the report. Cummings’ wife, Amber B. Cummings, 31, told investigators that her husband spoke of “dirty bombs,” according to the report, and mixed chemicals in her kitchen sink. She allegedly told police that Cummings subjected her to years of mental, physical and sexual abuse. She also said that Cummings was “very upset” when Barack Obama was elected president.

A “dirty bomb” is a type of “radiological dispersal device” that combines a conventional explosive such as dynamite with radioactive material, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Web site. “Most RDDs would not release enough radiation to kill people or cause severe illness,” the NRC says, adding that “a dirty bomb is in no way similar to a nuclear weapon” because its effects occur in a very limited area compared to a nuclear explosion.

The report noted that “uranium, thorium, cesium-137, stontium-90 and cobalt-60 are radioactive isotopes and 35 percent hydrogen peroxide is a necessary precursor for the manufacture of peroxide-based explosives. Lithium metal, thermite and aluminum are materials used to sensitize and amplify the effects of explosives.”

The report stated that the uranium component was bought online from a U.S. company that was identified in the investigation, but not in the report.

Residents in one New Jersey town are outraged over a huge property tax increase. They said it's slap in the face during these tough economic times.

Angry residents in West New York packed a town meeting Thursday to protest a 27-percent tax hike.

Among the residents there was Sila Rodriquez, who said her blood pressure is going through the roof because she can't afford her property taxes.

"[It's] scary because our income is too low," Rodriguez said.

Rodriquez and her husband said they've seen an $800 increase in their property taxes this quarter. They anticipate paying an extra $3,000 this year.

"We have to lose the house because this is unbelievable," she said.

CBS 2 HD heard the same story from flower shop owner Ramon Morejon.

"[In the] second and third quarter I pay $2,240," Morejon said. "[With] the economy being bad I am not covering expenses. Actually, I've been paying my property tax with a business line of credit, so I am going under and under."

Mayor Sal Vega said he had no choice. His town is dealing with a $9 million budget deficit.

"Our tax levy has increased so the total amount for entire year is 27 percent, which is substantial increase," Vega said.

That's not the type of leadership many residents are expecting.

"The town is pretty much fed up with the tax increases," Dr. Felix Roque said.

Roque organized the protest and plans on running against Vega.

"I started getting a lot of people in my office," Roque said. "They said, 'Doctor can you do something about this?'"

Vega said there have been two tax increases in two years. Prior to that he said the town hadn't seen an increase in 12 years.

The mayor also said senior citizens struggling with their property taxes can come to town hall and see if they qualify for a state rebate program to pick up the extra property tax charges.

Quoted:
This 27% property tax increase is obviously an idea that was born in California.  

Houston taxpayers could start footing the bill to help first-time homebuyers pay off debts and improve their credit scores, under a proposal before City Council this week.

The “Credit Score Enhancement Program” will give up to $3,000 in grants to individuals who are trying to qualify for mortgages through the city’s homebuyers assistance program. City officials say some applicants fall short of eligibility by only 10 or 20 points on their credit scores, and paying off some debt balances can quickly improve their numbers.

The proposal has aroused critics who say the city should not use public funds to help people pay down car loans, credit card balances, or other debts — even if the slight credit bump would help them realize the dream of home- ownership.

“We just can’t give away government money to help people with their credit scores,” Councilman Mike Sullivan said Monday. “You’re giving them other taxpayers’ money to pay off the bills.”

Councilwoman Anne Clutterbuck called the program well intentioned but said it would go too far.

“If this credit crisis has taught us anything, we need to focus on paying off our debts and saving more,” she said. “Using government money to help someone pay off their debts is not the same as asking them to pay off their debts themselves.”

The $444,000 for the program is leftover money from a $1.5 million appropriation the city made for emergency home and roof repairs after Hurricane Ike.

The city has three programs that provide grants for down payments and closing costs for qualified homebuyers. The most generous one offers a $37,500 grant to buy a home that costs $135,000 or less, but only in certain disadvantaged Houston neighborhoods the city is trying to revitalize. Participants cannot earn more than 80 percent of the Houston median income.

Some support

Affordable housing advocates were cautiously optimistic about the proposal Monday. The tightening credit market has made it harder for previously qualified families to get mortgages, said Stephan Fairfield, president of Covenant Community Capital Corp., a Houston nonprofit that helps low-income families build assets.

Some banks previously had accepted credit scores of 580 or 600 as a qualifying threshold, but most are now requiring 620, Fairfield said.

“New tools are needed to help families move forward towards home ownership,” he said. “If there are lenders that are offering loan approvals subject to retiring the outstanding payables, or if there is something that can help them get over the credit score threshold, it certainly makes sense.”

John Henneberger, co-director of the Texas Low-Income Housing Information Service, called the Houston plan “a very aggressive approach” to housing assistance. He said he needed to know more details but ventured that it could work if the city provided a good pre-purchase homebuyer education program. The city requires all applicants to complete an educational program.

Henneberger said the subprime meltdown and global financial crisis has made housing advocates take a “more conservative tack.”

“We’ve certainly learned that we don’t do low-income people a whole lot of favors when we get them overly extended on credit.”

‘A bad idea’

Anti-tax activists also cited the harsh lessons of the housing crash and recession.

“I just don’t see any way someone could justify this with everything that has gone on in the credit market,” said Michael Quinn Sullivan, president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. “This is precisely what got us into it, with the playing fast and loose with the credit score.”

“One would think from the federal problem we’ve just had, the city of Houston officials would have learned from that,” said Peggy Venable, state director of Americans for Prosperity, a limited government advocacy group. “It’s a bad idea.”

Program backers defended the proposal, saying it certainly is not for people with poor or damaged credit.

“We don’t talk to them about this unless their credit score is pretty close,” said Brian Stoker, community banking manager for Amegy Bank. The bank is one of the lenders the city uses for its affordable-housing programs.

“For somebody who really qualifies and should have a home, it doesn’t take much to help them get there,” Stoker said. “I think it would be a really innovative and good program. And, of course, it’s not for everybody.”

The city made 130 grants to homebuyers last year and hopes to raise that to 540 in 2009, according to Juan Chavez, manager of the city’s Homebuyers Assistance Program.

“What we’ve seen is that $3,000 will increase a credit score significantly and relatively fast,” Chavez said.

Not every applicant will need that much, and the eligibility will be very strict, he added. “We wanted to be conservative in this case and concentrate only on those folks who have overextended as opposed to somebody who needed a lot of hand-holding to repair their credit.”

PITTSBURGH – An 11-year-old boy apparently covered his shotgun with a blanket to keep it hidden when he left his bedroom, went downstairs and fatally shot his father's pregnant girlfriend in the head as she slept, a prosecutor said Monday.

The blue blanket, which has a quarter-sized hole that appeared to be singed from a shotgun blast, supports a claim that the crime was premeditated, Lawrence County District Attorney John Bongivengo said.

Police found the blanket in the farmhouse where the boy, Jordan Brown, lived with his father; the father's girlfriend, Kenzie Marie Houk; and her two daughters, ages 7 and 4. Houk was killed Friday morning while Brown's father was at work and the two girls were in the home, authorities believe.

PITTSBURGH – An 11-year-old boy accused of killing his father's pregnant fiance had been threatening the woman for at least two months, the woman's mother said Tuesday.

Debbie Houk said Jordan Brown often gave 26-year-old Kenzie Marie Houk a hard time, especially when his father wasn't around. Brown and his dad Christopher lived with Houk and her two small daughters in a farmhouse in the rural western Pennsylvania town of Wampum.

"It's been at least two months that he's made the threats," Debbie Houk said, adding that Jordan "just bucked her (Kenzie) a lot when his Dad wasn't around."

"Chris was good about it. He tried. He told him, 'Don't you ever disrespect her,'" Debbie Houk added.

Jordan Brown was charged as an adult Saturday with killing Houk and her unborn baby boy the day before as she lay in her bed.

Authorities believe the killing was premeditated. They say Brown came downstairs with two guns, but returned upstairs after Houk's 7-year-old daughter saw him; they believe he then hid the gun in a blanket and came back downstairs to Houk's bedroom and shot her in the back of the head.

Later, the 7-year-old girl told police she saw the boy drop something on the ground from his pocket before they got on the bus. Police said they found a spent shotgun shell in the same spot.

On Monday, Jason Kraner, Kenzie's brother-in-law, told several reporters the boy also told his son he wanted to kill Kenzie and her daughters.

"Jordan had told (my son around Christmas) he was going to pop Kenzie in the head and pop both kids. We didn't believe it. ... We told Chris and Kenzie and they didn't believe it," Kraner said.

A funeral for Houk and her baby boy, who was named Christopher after his father, was planned for Tuesday evening.

The boy's attorney, Dennis Elisco, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Tuesday. Elisco has said he had no indication the boy had a problem with Houk.

Brown is being held at the Lawrence County Jail, in a cell isolated from the adult inmates. Elisco filed an emergency motion asking a judge to set bail so that the boy might be released to his father.

A court hearing has been scheduled Monday for 9 a.m. on that request. Elisco contends the boy can qualify for bail because he is not a flight risk and cannot face the death penalty because of his age.

Debbie Houk said Jordan, a hunter, knew a lot about guns and was a good shot. On Valentine's Day, he beat out many older and more experienced hunters at a turkey shoot.

"I'll never cook that turkey. It's the same gun that killed my daughter," she said. "So he knew what a gun did. He knew the dangers of a gun."

Ever wonder what the government is really up to paying for all those digital TV converter boxes?  Last week a Spokane, Washington man claimed he'd discovered the horrifying truth, and he produced a YouTube video to prove it.

In a 90-second video that's popping up on tin-foil-hat sites everywhere, 28-year-old software engineer Adam Chronister is seen cracking open his government-subsidized Magnavox converter, and revealing to the world the tiny video camera and microphone hidden inside.

"I had a friend who was trying to tell me that they put cameras in these things,"  Chronister narrates in a deadly-serious monotone. "So what I did was open it up to prove them wrong, and lo and behold ... this thing does in fact have both a camera and a microphone. " His finger points at a small lens attached to a transformer in the guts of the unit.

The video instantly went viral, tapping into a current of DTV conspiracy theory that's been building online since the government started issuing $40 converter box coupons last summer.

So far, the U.S. has spent $1.3 billion subsidizing the boxes that will keep TV lovers watching CSI when the last broadcasters shut off their analog transmissions in June.  The huge government effort to put a –– mysterious, to many –– piece of technology in millions of American homes has spurred conspiracy theories ranging from a mind control experiments to mass telescreen surveillance.

Last week Chronister's video was promoted on the conspiracy-friendly Alex Jones radio show, and as of Monday the clip has chalked up almost 200,000 views and over 850 comments, many skeptical, but an equal number expressing alarm. "This is nuts! I had an odd feeling when the government planned to pay for everyone [to] get one of these," wrote one viewer. "Yup, that's a camera, and a mic. Holy shit. I am taking my DVR apart tonight," added another.

In an interview with Threat Level, Chronister admits the whole thing was a hoax, concocted in about five minutes with a hot glue gun and parts from an old cell phone. The reaction surprised even him.

"I was listening to the Alex Jones show ... and I heard him mention the video," Chronister says. "I just about fell out of the shower."

Chronister says the video is partially true: A friend really did share the rumor about hidden camera in the DTV converters.  "I originally opened up the device with the intention of proving him wrong," says Chronister. "At which point the thought popped in my head, wouldn't it be funny if I proved him right instead?"

Observers in more technical forums like BroadbandReports.com have dissected the video and easily discerned that it's a hoax, with some taking apart their own converter boxes to provide proof. But even as posts debunking the clip roll into his YouTube comments, some remain convinced of its veracity. "There are still people defending the video," he says.

As a sometimes-believer of conspiracy theories himself, Chronister is sympathetic. But critics charge that Chronister's prank only provides a smoke screen for genuine government wrongdoing.

He's more worried about a different kind of backlash.

"I've seen videos go viral before, but I never thought some stupid little video I did would get popular like that," he says. "I'm waiting for the Magnavox police to come and haul me off or something."  

california legislature—2009–10 regular session
ASSEMBLY BILL No. 357 Introduced by Assembly Member Knight
February 19, 2009

An act to amend Section 12050 of the Penal Code, relating to firearms.

AB 357, as introduced, Knight. Firearms: license to carry concealed firearm.

Existing law authorizes the sheriff of a county, upon proof that the person applying is of good moral character, that good cause exists, and that the person applying satisfies any one of certain conditions, as specified, to issue a license for the person to carry a concealed handgun, as specified. This bill would delete the good cause requirement, and require the sheriff to issue the license if the other criteria described above are met. By imposing additional duties on local law enforcement agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 12050 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
12050. (a) (1) (A) The sheriff of a county, upon proof that the person applying is of good moral character, that good cause exists for the issuance, and that the person applying satisfies any one of the conditions specified in subparagraph (D) and has completed a course of training as described in subparagraph (E), may shall issue to that person a license to carry a pistol, revolver,or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person in either one of the following formats:
(i) A license to carry concealed a pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person.
(ii) Where the population of the county is less than 200,000 persons according to the most recent federal decennial census, a license to carry loaded and exposed in that county a pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person.

The Connecticut Public Safety and Security Committee may soon consider proposed legislation that has the potential to shut down every shooting range in the state of Connecticut.  The deadline for this bill to pass out of the committee is rapidly approaching.  The proposal would require range owners/operators to register with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and allow the Commissioner to promulgate new range regulations at any time.  Regardless of any new regulations, the Commissioner has the power to shut down a range without cause simply by deeming it "unsafe."  If the future implications of this proposal aren't bad enough, it would also put almost every existing range out of business immediately for non-compliance under the standards set forth by this proposal.  Make no mistake, the intent of this proposed legislation is to force the closure of existing ranges and to prevent any new ranges from opening.  As you know, shooting ranges provide a valuable community service by providing law-abiding citizens with a safe place to shoot.  Ranges used exclusively by law enforcement would be exempt from the regulations. If this is truly about safety, why should the range safety standards for law enforcement and civilians be any different?

House Bill 1215 has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where a hearing date has yet to be set.  Please continue to contact the members of the committee and urge them to oppose this divisive piece of legislation.  HB1215, sponsored by State Representative Barry Hyde (D-40), would dramatically increase the potential penalties a municipality may levy for the "unsafe discharge of a firearm."   This legislation unfairly singles out violators of discharge ordinances to be potentially charged with an unclassified misdemeanor, potential fines up to $10,000 (20 times greater than the law allows for other ordinance violations, and equal to the federal fine for possessing an unregistered machine gun), and potential jail time for as long as 90 days.  While there are certainly places where discharging a firearm may not be appropriate, this penalty treats discharge violations in a disproportionate manner.  The potential penalty for all other purely municipal ordinance violations––no matter how dangerous the behavior might be––would remain $500 for a first offense.  Please contact the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to oppose HB1215.  Committee members can be contacted through the email addresses listed here or via phone at (501) 682-2902.

Senate Bill 1112 amends existing laws relating to daycare licenses in the state of Idaho and has a provision that infringes upon your Second Amendment Rights.  If you are a parent and you value your right to protect yourself and your children, we need your help to defeat this bill!  Originally, Senator Corder sought NRA's advice on drafting legislation and was supplied with suitable language that would have protected the self-defense rights of law-abiding Idahoans.  Senator Corder changed our recommended language and now the bill inhibits your rights to possess a firearm.  SB1112 would make it illegal for a mother picking up her child to be carrying a handgun in her vehicle if it were determined the parking lot were part of "the premises," even if she had a permit to carry.  A spouse or family member of an in-home daycare facility who holds a Right-to-Carry permit would be prohibited from returning home during "normal operating hours" with their firearm.  This would even apply to citizens who carry as a work requirement, such as a security guard.  

Senate Bill 144 was introduced last month and now awaits action in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.  Simply put, SB144 requires subjects of final and temporary protective orders to surrender their firearms to law enforcement until the order expires. Unlike the federal law that prohibits gun possession in these circumstances, this bill would allow seizure even after a hearing where the person being restrained had no opportunity to participate, and requires guns to be seized by police; federal law allows a person to find other places to dispose of his guns while an order is in effect.  Information from the governor's office, as reported by WBAL TV, states that there are in excess of 6,700 final protective orders and 382 temporary orders on file with the state. Only 75, barely over 1%, involve gun owners.  Though domestic abuse is undeniably tragic, this legislation is an unnecessary overreaction. Under this bill, a victim of false allegations who had no opportunity to contest those charges in court cannot defend himself at home or simply possess his own guns for any other lawful purpose.  

The New Jersey Senate is scheduled to vote on S1774 next Monday, February 23.

Simply stated, this bill would prohibit an individual from purchasing more than one handgun within a 30-day period.  The state already requires an individual to first obtain a permit to purchase - a process which includes an extensive criminal background check and a minimum of 30 days to complete.  This bill, as proposed, is just another step that anti-gun legislators are trying to take to erode our Right to Keep and Bear Arms.  This anti-freedom bill places arbitrary limits on our Second Amendment rights and would set a dangerous precedent.  If passed, this bill gives anti-gun extremists carte blanche to further undermine your right to purchase firearms.  Next, it could be one rifle or shotgun per 30-day period or even one handgun per six months or year.  

State Senator Eric Schneiderman (D-31), Chairman of the Codes Committee, has introduced Senate Bill 1598, legislation similar to Assembly Bill 801, that directly targets New York's law-abiding pistol license holders by requiring licenses be renewed every five years.  In addition, it would mandate that all applicants outside New York City complete training and a test before a license may be issued.  Keep in mind that a license is required in New York State simply to possess a handgun and in many cases licensees are only allowed to keep a handgun in their homes or businesses or to travel to and from the range.  This would mean that most qualified New Yorkers would be required to undergo training and a test still to be denied the right to carry a firearm for the purpose of self-defense.  If this proposal is approved, gun owners can expect that a process that is already unfair in most parts of the state will become more so.

Memphis based online news website, CommercialAppeal.com, has posted Tennessee's right to carry permit holder list online!  CommercialAppeal.com apparently feels that the "public's right to know" outweighs your right to privacy.  Their irresponsible decision to publish this list has made it easier for criminals to target law-abiding gun owners.  Shockingly when the list was first published, it even included permit holders home address!  However, bowing to criticism, CommercialAppeal.com removed the permit holders' address but still included their full name, birth date, city, zip code, and the issue and expiration date of their permit.

DENVER – A good Samaritan who helped push three people out of the path of a pickup truck before being struck and injured has gotten a strange reward for his good deed: A jaywalking ticket.

Family members said 58-year-old bus driver Jim Moffett and another man were helping two elderly women cross a busy Denver street in a snowstorm when he was hit Friday night.

Moffett suffered bleeding in the brain, broken bones, a dislocated shoulder and a possible ruptured spleen. He was in serious but stable condition Wednesday.

The Colorado State Patrol issued the citation. Trooper Ryan Sullivan said that despite Moffett's intentions, jaywalking contributed to the accident.

Moffett had been driving his bus when the two women got off. In the interest of safety, he got out and, together with another passenger, helped the ladies cross.

Moffett's stepson, Ken McDonald, said the driver of the pickup plowed into his stepfather, but not before Moffett pushed the two women out of the way.

When he awoke in intensive care, he learned of the ticket. "His reaction was dazed and confused. I was a little angry," said McDonald.

The other man also was cited for jaywalking, while the pickup driver was cited with careless driving that led to injury. Sullivan said the two elderly women haven't been cited but the investigation is ongoing.

DECATUR, Ala. - 22-year-old Tiffany Kelley was closing up for the night at the Merita Bakery Thrift Store in Decatur.

"I could tell, I just had that gut feeling that something was about to happen," Kelley said.

When she walked to the register to get her keys, she was face-to-face with a man who pointed a gun at her and demanded money.

"He told me to get on the ground," she said. "I could tell he was still leaning over the counter with the gun still pointed at my back."

John Cagle and another man were working across the street at Express Oil Change when they saw the robbery happening.

When he saw the robber point a gun at the cashier, they sprung into action.

"I was so nervous and crying. I knew [the robber] was watching so I knew if I tried to reach for the phone or anything, he would have shot me," Kelley said. "If John and [the other man] had not come running I could have died."

Cagle yelled at the robber, then fired a few shots at him just as police arrived on the scene.

The robber got away, but Cagle was arrested for shooting a gun in city limits and for reckless endangerment.

Police said that while he had good intentions, Cagle could have done a lot more harm than good.

"You're allowed to use force to protect your life or the life of another person," said Sgt. John Crouch of the Decatur police. "But for your safety and the safety of the victim, the best thing to do is simply notify police and then wait."

Cagle's actions landed him behind bars.

And yesterday, Express Oil fired him for leaving the property to help.

Kelley said it is a consequence he did not deserve.

"By him losing his job, it's going to make people second-guess about trying to help another person anymore," she said. "I think it could have been a lot worse if they had not come running this way."

Police said if you come across a crime in progress, the best thing to do is call for help. Then, pay close attention so you can help them in their investigation.

The robber is still on the loose.

Sick of anonymous accusations of sexual assault long after being found not guilty, a Texas couple is suing for the identity of 178 commenters at Topix.com who continued disparaging their reputation.

Mark and Rhonda Lesher were accused in 2008 of sexually assaulting a former client of Mark’s business, but were found not guilty in a criminal trial. An internet mob of posters at Topix.com, a community-focused news aggregator, did not accept the court’s findings and instead continued to disparage them online – expressing their remarks in over 70 different threads, totaling more than 1,700 posts.

The Leshers live “quietly” in Northeast Texas. Both run their own, separate, businesses: Mark runs a law firm while Rhonda runs a beauty salon.

William Pieratt Demond, who served as Lesher’s attorney, called the internet mob’s continued vitriol “a form of persecution.”

The mob’s accusations were “perverted, sick, and inhumane,” said Lesher. “It just ... basically made us both feel like common criminals … It's like someone had basically raped us of our reputation and our standing in the community over and over and over again.”

The Dallas Morning News reports that the comments take a wide variety of forms; including accusations that the Mark drugs women and that the couple has STDs.

A Tarrant County, Texas judge ordered the site to turn information on the posters’ identities by March 6.

Topix CEO Chris Tolles said that while his site goes through great effort to protect posters’ privacy, it will comply with court orders over accusations of libel that “appear reasonable.”

That being said, however, Topix is currently reviewing the subpoena before it decides precisely what to do. “We prefer to make sure requests are clear and specific and not overly broad,” said Tolles. “[We will not] simply hand over all of our records.”

Many forum threads at Topix.com can be found containing similar levels of vitriol, with a local section of the site giving front-page treatment to heated, incoherent threads on everything from religion to local gang members’ trash talk.

Internet commenters’ anonymity is generally protected throughout the United States, up and until their remarks become libelous. Ars Technica reports that the judge’s order goes against precedent, however, as similar cases in other states generally concluded in favor of anonymity.

NEW ORLEANS (Feb. 26) - A Louisiana woman is accused of trading two young children in her care for a pet cockatoo and $175 cash from a couple who had been trying for years to have their own child, authorities said Thursday. Donna Greenwell, 53, a long-haul trucker with an arrest record from Pitkin, is charged with aggravated kidnapping, along with would-be adoptive parents Paul J. Romero, 46, and Brandy Lynn Romero, 27, of Evangeline Parish.

The transaction for the 5-year-old boy and the 4-year-old girl was negotiated by phone after Greenwell spotted a flier posted at a livestock barn selling a cockatoo for $1,500 and called the Romeros on Feb. 18, Dupre said.

FORT PIERCE — Eric T. Ambrose claimed he served in the military in Iraq, so he could swipe all the M&Ms he wanted.

Police apparently disagreed and arrested him about 3:50 a.m. Monday after pulling packages of the candy known for melting in your mouth, not in your hands, from his pockets at the Pilot truck stop in the 7100 block of Okeechobee Road, according to a recently released arrest affidavit.

It wasn’t the first time Ambrose, 31, had been arrested this month — on Saturday he created a “spectacle” at a Super 8 Motel and was arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication and causing a public disturbance, police said.

In the most recent case, in addition to the three packs of peanut M&Ms, Ambrose reportedly absconded with two black T-shirts, a 20-ounce Bud Light and single packages each of Circus Peanuts candy, chewing tobacco, Wonka Nerds candy, Planters cashews, Reese’s Pieces and Sour Patch candy. Also allegedly taken were two each of large Snickers candy bars and beef jerky packages.

An officer approached Ambrose at the cashier counter, and initially he denied taking anything.

“This officer could clearly see the pocket on the right side of the defendant’s pants were bulging and M&Ms packages could be seen,” the affidavit states. “This officer started removing the candy from his pocket and (another officer) started removing more candy and a T-shirt from his left pockets.”

Ambrose said he bought everything but had no receipt. A clerk and a supervisor said they’d rung up no purchases for Ambrose, who appeared to have been drinking. Ambrose, listed as homeless in Fort Pierce, faces a retail theft charge.

“While in the patrol vehicle the defendant was screaming out the window that he had served in the military over in Iraq so he could steal all the M&M’s he wanted,” the affidavit states.

Ambrose’s claim of military service could not be immediately verified. He was held Wednesday in the St. Lucie County jail on $5,000 bail, a jail official said.

In the earlier case, Ambrose had “thrown himself onto the ground and was curled up to a black handbag,” at the motel when officers arrived, according to a police report.

Officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from Ambrose. He said “he had nowhere to go and he can’t go back to his home state because they have methamphetamine.” Ambrose then stated that Fort Pierce “only had crack,” which keeps him high for a little while and was “safer for him.”

Officers placed him under arrest for disorderly intoxication after a fifth warning. He was released Sunday on $250 bail. Ambrose also was arrested in April on charges including disorderly intoxication, simple assault and panhandling, a jail official said.

BALTIMORE (AP) - Police said a 58-year-old man stabbed his teenage son after he refused to take off his hat at church earlier in the day. The father and his 19-year-old son got into an argument on Sunday afternoon. That's when police said the father went to a car, got a knife and stabbed his son in the left buttock and fled.

The son was taken to University of Maryland Medical Center for treatment. The father's name was withheld pending his arrest.

On many nights over 16 years, Kenneth Douglas engaged in his own personal macabre workplace party.


He often brought drugs or alcohol to work and sometimes had sex with women.

At least three of those women were dead, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said Thursday.

But if Douglas is to be believed, he could have had sex with as many as "over a hundred" bodies in the 16 years he worked as night attendant at the Hamilton County morgue.

"I am sure there are more (victims). I'm certain of it," Deters said Thursday in announcing new indictments against Douglas.

"This guy's just a pig. I can't explain why someone would do something like this. ... This is off-the-charts weird."

• Peter Bronson: Sick, sick, sick and dead wrong


Douglas, 55, of Westwood, already is serving a prison sentence after he pleaded guilty last year to abuse of a corpse. He admitted he had sex with the nearly beheaded body of 19-year-old murder victim Karen Range in 1982.

Thursday, Douglas was indicted on two more counts of abuse of a corpse after DNA evidence, Deters said, showed Douglas' semen was in the bodies of two women who were killed in 1991 and stored at the morgue awaiting autopsies:

Charlene Edwards, also known as Charlene Apling, who was six months pregnant.

She was strangled to death Oct. 1, 1991, by Mark Chambers, now 47, in Chambers' Avondale home. Chambers originally was charged with murder but accepted a plea bargain and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sent to prison for 10-25 years. He was paroled in 2000.

Angel Hicks, 24, of Westwood.

Tyrone Williams, 59, was charged with murder in the December 1991 death of Hicks. He was acquitted months later at trial. There was a question whether Hicks was killed or committed suicide.

Deters said he was stunned by so many aspects of the case: sex with a corpse, sex with violently mutilated or damaged bodies, sex with dozens of bodies.

"Frankly, it's frightening. His numbers when he's (talked to authorities) go from one to three or four to 'a lot' to maybe over a hundred," Deters said, quoting Douglas. "I think it's fair to speculate that he's been doing this all the time, when he's able and had the opportunity."

After Douglas admitted abusing Range's corpse last year, prosecutors said they suspected there were other victims. They called area law enforcement agencies asking for cases to investigate.

That evidence was mostly vaginal swabs taken from the bodies during autopsies.

Officials came up with 15 cases they believe could have involved Douglas. DNA could be found on 12 of them. Of those, two showed the semen belonged to Douglas.

"We'll never know" how many victims there are, Deters said, "because (Douglas) doesn't know. We probably won't (ever) know the scope of his abuse."

"It doesn't surprise me there are other victims. What's surprising is we were able to demonstrate it," Deters said. Eighteen years ago DNA was in its infancy as an investigative tool.

Deters' office contacted the family members of Edwards and Hicks to tell them of the new accusations against Douglas.

"It's fair to say they were devastated by this news," Deters said. "I feel badly for the families who are never going to know."

Douglas, Deters added, told officials he remembered having sex with Range but didn't recall Edwards or Hicks.

"No one ever saw this man do anything," Deters said.

The closest, he believes, was an incident in which an assistant coroner tried to get into a room with bodies and found it locked. A few minutes after the doctor knocked, Deters said, "Douglas walked out."

Deters supports a pending bill that increases the crime of abuse of a corpse - specifically having sex with a corpse - from one year in prison to five years in prison.

The crime at the time of the alleged 1991 incidents called for a maximum prison sentence of 18 months. That means the charges filed against Douglas on Thursday carry a maximum prison sentence of three years.

Douglas was caught when he violated his probation on a previous conviction, and his DNA was taken by officials and placed in a database. The database showed Douglas' DNA matched that of the semen left in Range's body.

"I hope," Deters said, "I never see anybody like Kenneth Douglas again."

Professor Called Police After Student Presentation

For CCSU student John Wahlberg, a class presentation on campus violence turned into a confrontation with the campus police due to a complaint by the professor.

On October 3, 2008, Wahlberg and two other classmates prepared to give an oral presentation for a Communication 140 class that was required to discuss a “relevant issue in the media”. Wahlberg and his group chose to discuss school violence due to recent events such as the Virginia Tech shootings that occurred in 2007.

Shortly after his professor, Paula Anderson, filed a complaint with the CCSU Police against her student. During the presentation Wahlberg made the point that if students were permitted to conceal carry guns on campus, the violence could have been stopped earlier in many of these cases. He also touched on the controversial idea of free gun zones on college campuses.

CBS11TV.com (Dallas-Fort Worth) recently ran a story on a mother whose knee-jerk reaction against firearms was so overwhelming that even pictures of firearms in NRA's Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program's coloring book, sent her into a tizzy.

[urlhttp://cbs11tv.com/business/education/NRA.Coloring.Book.2.945486.html[/url]

The Garland, Tex. mom brought home the coloring book, apparently unaware of its content.  When she learned what the educational book was, she condemned not only it, but NRA as well:  "Not only do I think it's inappropriate to provide this information to my five-year-old, but this is a program published by the NRA."

The woman also noted that at age five, "anytime you tell a child not to touch something, that's exactly what they do."

Introduced by anti-gun State Representative Harry Osterman (D-14), HB48 would require virtually all handgun transfers to be processed through a licensed firearm dealer.  In other words, even though the law already requires all private transfers to be carefully recorded—with information such as the date of transfer and serial number of the handgun maintained for 10 years—and both the seller and purchaser must have valid FOID Cards, HB 48 would require the additional step of processing the transfer through a federally licensed dealer.

Even if you plan on selling a handgun to a neighbor you’ve known for 20 years, or to a cousin you’ve known your whole life, under HB 48, you and the purchaser would be required to go to a federally licensed firearm dealer to complete the transfer.  

On Thursday, February 26, House Bill 1446, legislation requested by the Maryland State Police, was introduced in the House of Delegates. HB 1446 reaches new lows in a state that already treats law abiding gun owners as second class citizens.

This bill would require that any person engaged in the business of selling ammunition to maintain records on the sale of ammunition, such as, date of sale, purchasers full name, address and date of birth, description of the form of ID used as well as the type and quantity of ammunition purchased. The bill also forces a business that sells ammunition to allow the inspection of the sales record by a law enforcement officer.  HB 1446 is tantamount to firearm registration and will do nothing to stop crime and only increase the size and bureaucratic scope of the Maryland State Police.  Currently, this bill is in the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee.

On February 10, the County Commissioners of Caroline County, Maryland have approved an eight month long moratorium on shooting ranges in the county.

Effective February 10, 2009, ordinance #2009-001 prohibits the county zoning administrator from accepting, reviewing or approving any applications for a new shooting range and prohibits any existing shooting ranges from upgrading or expanding in any R-1 area (which means one residential housing unit per lot).  

Senate Bill 268, introduced by State Senator Martha Scott (D-2), would undermine a citizen’s right to self-defense by imposing onerous storage requirements on Michigan gun owners, rendering firearms useless in self-defense situations.

SB 268 requires households with children to store their guns in locked boxes with trigger locks installed.  Violations would be punishable as a misdemeanor offense if a juvenile gains access to the firearm.

The bill has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee but has not been scheduled for a hearing.  

On Wednesday, February 25, House File 953, introduced by State Representative Michael Paymar (DFL-64B), was referred to the House Crime Victims/Criminal Records Division Committee.  This bill was designed to not only regulate the sale of firearms at gun shows, but to regulate the sale of firearms between law-abiding persons, all across Minnesota.  As a whole, HF 953 will only affect law-abiding gun owners, and in no way keeps guns out of the hands of criminals.  A particularly troublesome provision in HF 953 creates a de facto registration system by requiring records of all transfers to be maintained by the state.  These records would be made available to all authorities, including for use in "civil" cases, which are often brought by anti-gun government officials and are designed to damage or interfere with lawful commerce in firearms.  HF 953 is a direct attack on Minnesota's gun rights. It also removes the carry permit holders' exemption from the purchase permit requirement for all handgun or semi-automatic rifle purchases, not just those completed at gun shows, and increases the waiting period from five to seven days.

Several anti-gun bills have been introduced this week in Albany.  Assembly Bill 5884, sponsored by State Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat (D-72), makes firearms manufacturers liable to the state if their guns cause injury or death to a state employee acting within the course of his or her official duties.  The bill would make exceptions for manufacturers who sign a so-called "code of conduct."  Among the many components of the "Code of Conduct" is a provision under which manufacturers must agree not to sell more than one gun per month to any individual.  A5884 has been referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee.  Also introduced were Assembly Bill 5844, sponsored by State Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-20), which creates crimes of failure to store a weapon safely and negligent storage.  A5844 has been referred to the Assembly Codes Committee.   Senate Bill 2379, sponsored by State Senator Frank Padavan (R-11), would outlaw the possession of frangible ammunition.  S2379 has been referred to the Senate Codes Committee.  The companion bill is Assembly Bill 2881, sponsored by State Assemblyman David Koon (D-135).  A2881 has been referred to the Assembly Codes Committee.  

"A former North Texas sheriff and some ex-jailers were among 17 people named Friday in a 106-count indictment on charges ranging from having sex with inmates to taking them drugs."

"Bill Keating, who was Montague County sheriff from 2004-08, is charged with official oppression and having sex with inmates in April and in the fall, according to the indictment. Keating was not up for re-election because he lost in the primary last spring."

"Several women who worked as jailers are charged with having sex with inmates and taking them drugs, cell phones and cigarettes in 2007 and 2008, according to the indictment. Some men jailers are charged with drug possession and with taking inmates banned items." ...

TEXARKANA, Ark. — A former jail guard in Arkansas has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for sneaking syringes, marijuana and cell phones to inmates by hiding the items in food.



Deputies say 26-year-old Jordan Michael Waller carried tacos, pizzas and chili to work at the Miller County jail.



He used the food to hide a stash of cell phones and chargers, methamphetamine, marijuana, tobacco and cigarette rolling papers...

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A suburban Atlanta high school was locked down Thursday and numerous guns were seized after authorities were tipped that a student planned to bring guns to school.

Police locked down the 2,300-student Woodstock High School after receiving a tip that a student had run away from home the night before and planned to take three guns to school, Cherokee County Sheriff's Sgt. Jay Baker said.

School officials at Woodstock High School, Woodstock Middle School lifted the lockdown status on the schools at around 10 a.m.

Authorities arrested Forrest Busby, 17, at the high school. Busby is charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds, possession of a revolver by a person under 18, carrying a concealed weapon, theft by receiving stolen property, interference with child custody, manufacturing/distributing controlled suspect, and disruption of a public school. Busby's bond was set at $20,000.00.

A 15-year-old suspect, whose named will not be released, was also arrested and charged with party to the crime of possession of a weapon on school grounds, party of the crime of possession of a revolver under the age of 18, theft by taking firearm, runaway, and disruption of public school. He is currently being held at the Paulding Youth Detention Center.

Several weapons have been recovered including a revolver that was discovered inside a bathroom at the high school. Authorities also recovered an AR-15, Mini-14, and 200 rounds of ammunition from Busby's house.  The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said the weapons were stolen and that one student did carry the handgun on board a school bus but hid it in the school restroom when he noticed law enforcement on the campus.

Investigators said they do not know a motive or what the students planned to do.

The GED tests, sometimes referred to as a "General Equivalency Diploma" or "General Education(al) Diploma," are used to certify that an individual who passes the test has high school-level skills.  The tests were originally created to help veterans after World War II.   The tests were never intended to be a vehicle for advancing a political agenda.  But one North Dakota practice test is attempting to do so.

On page three of the test, under the heading "Government Comprehension" there is a political cartoon featuring a caricature of Uncle Sam with a shovel in his hand and a fat man wearing a shirt that says, "GUN LOBBY."  The two are standing in a cemetery in front of an open grave.  Dirt is falling from Uncle Sam's shovel.  The grave's headstone reads, "Another Victim Of A Senseless Shooting Spree."  The figure representing the gun lobby, with his hand on Uncle Sam's back, is stating, " No One Ever Said Preserving The American Way Of Life Would Be Easy…"

Question number 21—the related question—asks the following:

21.  Which of the following assumptions does the cartoonist make?

The "senseless shooting spree"

1. Could easily have been prevented
2. Is part of the American way of life
3. Is the fault of the gun lobby
4. Is the fault of the U.S. government
5. Represents a fundamental civil right

While the "correct" answer may be perplexing, none of the "answers" are accurate and all are offensive (especially number 3).  The implications are clear; the cartoon suggests that guns are bad, having guns inevitably leads to "senseless shooting sprees," such heinous violence is part and parcel of the American way of life, the government can only "bury the dead," and the gun lobby flippantly and dismissively concludes that a shooting spree is a reasonable price to pay for our violent American way of life.  This sort of propaganda has no place in a GED test.  Rather, this sounds more like biased indoctrination:  "to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc., esp. to imbue with a specific partisan or biased belief or point of view."

Assembly Bill 6468, sponsored by State Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel (D-16), would ban the sale of semi-automatic handguns not equipped with so-called "microstamping" technology. The bill requires all semiautomatic pistols sold in the state to microstamp an array of characters that identify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol on the firing pin or breechface, which would imprint the characters onto the cartridge case upon firing.  Microstamping is an unproven technology that can easily be defeated with common household tools, has no public safety value, and adds substantially to the cost of the firearm.

Assembly Bill 6433, sponsored by State Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-32), would require anyone who purchases ammunition to register the ammunition with the state at the time of the sale or transaction.  Purchasers would be required to include his or her name, date of birth, address, caliber, make, model, manufactures name, and the serial number of his or her firearm.  On top of that, any in order to purchase ammo, a person would have to be at least 21 years of age and provide two forms of identification.

Senate Bill 2379, sponsored by State Senator Frank Padavan (R-11), would outlaw the possession of frangible ammunition.  S2379 has been referred to the Senate Codes Committee.  The companion bill is Assembly Bill 2881, sponsored by State Assemblyman David Koon (D-135).  A2881 has been referred to the Assembly Codes Committee

FALFURRIAS — A pair of emergency beacons has been placed in South Texas to help stranded illegal immigrants as they try to head north from the border along a popular desert trail, the U.S. Border Patrol said.

The beacons, which sit along power lines on Brooks County ranchland east of U.S. Highway 281, are designed to alert authorities if an immigrant or anyone else finds themselves in distress in the rugged terrain.

“These beacons will be a way of gaining immediate medical attention or assistance,” Border Patrol spokesman John Lopez said this week. “They will utilize them if they are in a dire need.”

The two-story tall red steel posts are solar powered, with mirrors affixed to make them more visible during the day and lit up at night, Lopez said.

The beacons have instructions in English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, the most popular language dialect in China.

The Orlando Sentinel reports a pirate radio station broadcasting from south Orlando that officials say announced info on criminal gangs and promoted where to buy drugs was shut down late Friday, and two men have been arrested. The station, dubbed "Street Heat," broadcast live ads for gangs, promoted where to buy illegal drugs or solicit prostitutes and offered gang-related advice such as how to fold a "flag," or bandanna, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

A two-week investigation by the sheriff's gang unit and the FCC found that radio signals were broadcast from an antenna mounted in a tree behind a residence on 30th Street in Orlando. FCC investigators found a cable from the antenna and traced it to a window on the northwest side of the home. FCC records show no license had been issued for the broadcast station at the residence.

An Orange County SWAT team executed a search warrant just before 9 p.m. Friday. Balthazard Senat and Christopher Robert Roth were arrested and charged with unauthorized transmission and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. More Orlando Sentinel blogs Roth was identified as a DJ for the pirate station, which authorities said was operating out of his bedroom.