Firearms Owners Against
Crime
"If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify."-- Alexander Hamilton (Federalist No. 33, 3 January 1788).
E-Newsletter & FOAC
Meeting Notice For February 11, 2007
Meeting Agenda-
Invited Guest Speakers:
·
· Kevin Acklin - Allegheny County Council At Large (R)
PA Supreme Court (R)
· Maureen Lally-Green
· Mike Krancer
PA Superior Court (R)
· Jackie Shogun
· Cheryl Allen
7.1 Presentation of the past month’s report
8.1
None
9.0 NEW BUSINESS
9.1
Harrisburg
Summary of Actions to Date (including leadership elections)
9.2
Meetings
to formulate Pro-Gun Agenda
9.3
Educational
efforts for new legislators
9.4
2007
Election Summary and discussion
9.5
Legislative
Issues to Date
9.6
Allegheny
County Sheriff debate in County Council / Actions to take
9.7
Questionnaire
changes/modifications and authorization
9.8
ACSL
Sport Show Booth for Voter’s Registration & Memberships
**Upcoming Gun
Show: February 17-18, 2007 -
For more information on FOAC
efforts to ‘Protect YOUR Rights’, THE MOST CURRENT VOTER’S GUIDES, donating
to or becoming a member of FOAC please click on this link: http://www.foac-pac.org/
FOAC - 2007
Meeting Schedule
Jan 14, 2nd Sunday, Feb 11, 2nd Sunday, Mar 11, 2nd Sunday, Apr 15, 3rd Sunday, May 6, 1st Sunday, Jun 10, 2nd
Sunday, Jul 8, 2nd Sunday, Aug 12, 2nd Sunday, Sep 9, 2nd Sunday, Oct 14, 2nd
Sunday, Nov 4, 1st Sunday, Dec 9, 2nd Sunday
Primary Election -- May 15 ******** General Election -- Nov. 6
Time: 10:00 AM
Location:
Rendell Budget Speech Draws
Cross-Hairs on Gun Owners
In his recent budget address, Governor Rendell focused direct attention on his long held goal of attacking gun owner’s rights. His statements covered the following:
And
while it is not a formal part of the Prescription for Pennsylvania, any serious
effort to improve the health and safety of our fellow citizens must also
include a comprehensive effort to address the epidemic of gun violence that is
occurring
throughout the Commonwealth. Just last week, the front page
of The
Gun violence
is not just a
As Governor,
I have attacked the problem of gun violence on several fronts. Together, we
have increased state funding to support the efforts of local police departments
and law enforcement agencies to fight violence in our cities, with a particular
focus on cities dealing with rising gun violence. We have also dramatically
increased resources in public education, helping young people understand the
consequences of violence and the need to make better choices.
But we must
do more. I urge the General Assembly to address the issue of gun violence in
the following ways: first, by upgrading possession of a stolen gun to a felony,
so that the penalties can be significantly upgraded. Today, the penalty for
possession of a stolen television is more severe than the penalty for
possession of a stolen gun. Second, I urge passage of legislation making it
mandatory to report the loss or theft of a gun to police, which will have a
dramatic impact on illegal gun trafficking in
In a recent
column in The
If any of us were uncertain about what we would see from a lame duck Rendell administration it should be clear to all right now that we are in for a terrific fight ahead of us.
County Council Votes to Send
Sheriff Position to the Voter’s to Decide
This past Tuesday, Allegheny County Council voted to send to a referendum vote the issue of electing or appointing a Sheriff. Despite evidence presented to Council on the consistently clear intent of our founding fathers on the issue of election of representative officials by the citizens, they chose the politically expedient route of handing this controversial issue off to the ballot machine.
It should be made clear that there hasn’t been any fact finding, fiscal impact studies or hearings to gauge the support of the people for this measure. Political powerhouses like Elsie Hillman and others are supporting this change without any indication as to why.
Gunowners should be especially concerned since this office is the highest law enforcement office and is directly responsible for the issuance of concealed carry licenses.
At this point we must work to awaken our fellow sportsmen and women and gun owners to this change and choice in the Primary ballot.
Pro-Gun News Conference to
be Held In
Building on the success of last year’s pro-gun news conference, gun owners and pro-gun legislators will be introducing our package of pro-gun legislation on April 24th. This legislation will contain an expanded list of bills that address last year’s uncompleted legislative initiatives as well as several new ones.
More on this effort in the next report.
SAF-NEWS RELEASE
BELLEVUE, WA – A letter to the office of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg from the U.S. Department of Justice scolding the mayor’s infamous 2006 gun sting operation and advising that Bloomberg’s administration could face “potential legal liabilities” over such stings was called a “significant victory” against the Big Apple mayor’s anti-gun antics by the Second Amendment Foundation.
Earlier this week, SAF was advised by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that the agency is investigating Bloomberg’s multi-state sting operation “in order to determine if violations of Federal firearms laws have occurred.”
“This new development,” said SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb, “adds insult to injury for Bloomberg. We were adamant early on that this vigilante attack on gun dealers by Bloomberg and his posse of private investigators went way beyond his legal authority. Now it appears the Justice Department believes likewise.”
The New York Daily News reported
Thursday that Michael Battle, director of the executive office for United
States Attorneys at the Department of Justice, sent the letter warning
Bloomberg’s administration that it could face “potential legal liabilities” if
such sting operations continue.
“Bloomberg’s house of cards is starting to crumble,” Gottlieb stated. “This underscores why SAF called upon Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to investigate Bloomberg’s rogue operation last August, and why we were delighted to learn earlier this week that ATF is conducting a thorough investigation of this enterprise.
“It is both sad and revealing,”
Gottlieb added, “that more than 150 mayors around the country have been drawn
into Bloomberg’s folly by joining his anti-gun mayors’ coalition. That group’s
launching pad was this bogus gun sting, which is now imploding. Every one of
these city leaders is now linked to this misadventure. These mayors let their
anti-gun bias, rather than good sense, lull them into joining and supporting
what is becoming a colossal blunder, and now might be a good time to reconsider
that participation.”
News Briefs:
Industry, Gun Activists Alarmed By Surge in FFL Revocations
A
report in The Baltimore Sun newspaper that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revoked 131 federal firearms licenses in 2006 has
alarmed the National Shooting Sports Foundation and gun rights activists.
The
newspaper reported that this number is "nearly six times as many federal
firearms licenses" than were revoked in 2001.
"We
are concerned about this seemingly sudden spike in license revocations and will attempt to determine why so many more
dealers are now having their license revoked by ATF," said Lawrence Keane,
NSSF senior vice president and general counsel, in a statement. "This
statistic would appear to further demonstrate the need for reforms and
improvements to ATF's licensing and enforcement
powers, including alternative sanctions short of revocation."
Activists
posting remarks on KeepAndBearArms.com, the nation's busiest gun rights forum,
were somewhat less diplomatic.
One
man wrote, "How about we start by firing 132 BATF employees just for a
start and then eliminate 22 supervisors' positions just to even things out? With little fanfare of course."
Another
post came from an activist who indignantly suggested gunowners should begin
wearing "yellow stars" as Jews were forced to do in Nazi-controlled
But
a third was pointed in his observation: “
Legislation
aimed at reforming the ATF and providing some alternatives to outright license
revocation passed the House last year, but was blocked in the Senate by
perennial anti-gunners Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Dianne Feinstein (DCA), who
are now in the majority. With Democrats in control of Congress for the first
time in 12 years, it is doubtful that such legislation will gain much traction.
The
Sun reported that in 2001, only 22 FFLs were revoked.
Quoting unidentified gun control proponents, the newspaper said these advocates
believe an increase in revocations "is more than appropriate after years
of poor regulation."
"It's
out of control," said Joseph J. Vince Jr., former chief of ATF's firearms division, and now a member of the board of
directors of the American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA). The
newspaper quoted Vince stating, "There is no responsibility. There is no
accountability. There is a problem in the neighborhoods in this country with
the drastic proliferation of guns. The laws are so lax that there is almost no
enforcement."
Vince
now operates a consulting company involved in tracking firearms. According to
the newspaper, Stephen Schneider, president of the Maryland Licensed Firearms
Dealers Association, observed, "There is a Damocles' sword that's hanging
over dealers' heads. We're a legitimate business, and yet they feel like they
may not be in business the next year for record-keeping violations."
One
of the more prominent revocations last year was from
Among
the high-profile license revocations last year were Lou's Loans in
Thief Steals Guns From Indy Cop Car
The
guns were taken from a squad car parked on the city's south side at about 9
p.m. the night of Dec. 21.
The
broadcast said someone broke into the police car and several other vehicles.
The suspect took off with a so-called patrol rifle and a .22-caliber rifle.
Listeners
were urged to call police if you have any information. The New GUN WEEK, February 1, 2007
The
9th Circuit Court of Appeals has slapped the city of
Susan
Frunz won a $138,000 jury award for the November 2000
incident. But the city appealed that March 2005 verdict, the newspaper
reported, to "protect the right of police to make a mistake in
discharging their duties." The court upheld the verdict last year, but did
not issue its scathing admonishment of the city until last month.
The
federal court rejected that claim, and sanctioned the city. The court ordered
The
newspaper reported that not only did the police not have a warrant,
they also never filed a report on the incident, which ended with no arrests.
The
court ordered City Attorney Elizabeth Pauli's office to advise the City
Council of the sanction, the newspaper reported.
Police
claimed they entered Frunz' home because they thought
a burglary was in progress, the newspaper said. The New GUN WEEK, February 1, 2007
Actor Sorvino Pulls Gun on Daughter's Ex
Actor
Paul Sorvino, who has participated in National Rifle Association celebrity
shoots and starred in such movies as "Goodfellas,"
reportedly drew a handgun on his daughter's ex-boyfriend.
According
to Associated Press, the 67year-old Sorvino was called by his daughter,
Amanda, after ex-boyfriend Daniel Snee showed up at
her
Days
after that Jan. 3 incident, Amanda Sorvino petitioned a court in
She
and Snee had reportedly dated after he was hired to
take care of her horses. That relationship did not last, and Snee allegedly began threatening her. Sorvino is 36 and Snee is 21.
On
the night of the incident, which happened in
Study
Linking Gunowners To Murder Enrages Activists
A study by researchers at the
Harvard School of Public Health that links gun ownership with higher murder
rates has angered gun rights activists who insist the work is flawed.
Many activists
chimed in on the Keep And Bear Arms (KABA)
website after the study was made public by a report carried by the Reuters
news service. That report quickly made several of the gun chat rooms and
websites.
According to the Reuters report,
the Harvard study suggests that states with a larger population of gunowners
have higher murder rates.
"Our findings suggest that
in the
Data in the study came from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which conducted a survey of
200,000 Americans in all 50 states. Those states were split into four
categories, ranging from those with households that have the most firearms to
those with the least pier capita gun ownership. The study said that states with
the greatest firearm ownership also have the greatest number of homicides.
One man writing
on the KABA website noted, "Harvard School of Public Health has a proven
decided bias against private gun ownership by American citizens. It has been
crystal clear for decades that Harvard has a socialist slant. Sickening when
it is considered it was once a well respected institution of higher learning.
Now, they are just an arm of the subversive propaganda machine trying to
pervert and subvert our
Another simply observed,
"Only liars make up statistics."
Activists questioned the use of
a telephone survey to contact the 200,000 people interviewed. They were asked
the following question: "Are any firearms now kept in or around your home?
Include those kept in a garage, outdoor storage area, car, truck or other
motor vehicle."
The study reportedly gathered
data on mortality rates from the states, and then broke it down into two
categories, one for firearm-related deaths and the other for non-firearm
related deaths. These groups were then divided into age categories.
Researchers reportedly
acknowledged that the problem is more complex than just examining the number of
homicides compared to gun-owning households. The study did determine that one
in three homes in this country has a gun.
The study claims that states in
the top 25% of gun-owning households had murder rates 114% higher than states
with the fewest number of armed residences. Overall homicide rates reportedly
were 60% higher in gun states.
There was a caveat however, with
the study authors insisting that their report doesn’t establish what they
called a “causal relationship between guns and homicide”. The New GUN WEEK, February 1, 2007
NSSF Bullet Points
Jan. 08, 2007-Feb. 5, 2007-/-Vol. 8 Nos.
2-6
·
HUNTING
LICENSE SALES GENERATE RECORD CONSERVATION FUNDING . . . A new report shows hunting license sales -- the
main funding mechanism for state conservation agencies -- set a new record in
2005, topping $723 million. The 2005 figures, just released by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, show total sales rose 2.8 percent from the previous year,
although the number of customers slipped 1.4 percent, from 14.7 million to 14.5
million.
·
WELCOME
AND THANK YOU . . . NSSF
is pleased to welcome U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus
(D-Mont.) as the new co-chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus on
Capitol Hill and also thanks former co-chairman Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) for
his tireless efforts on key issues facing sportsmen and the firearms industry. Full Story
·
GUN
DEALER PLEADS GUILTY . . . The
former owner of a Connecticut firearms retailer avoided most charges in a
12-count indictment by pleading guilty to possession of an unregistered
destructive device, U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor announced Thursday. According
to court documents, several federal criminal defendants reported that Frank D'Andrea openly and knowingly allowed straw purchases to
take place in his store. Read the full story with comments from NSSF.
·
GANDER
MOUNTAIN TO PULL REALISTIC REPLICA GUNS FROM STORES . . . Outdoor retailer Gander Mountain Co. announced today that it is pulling realistic
replica guns from its stores in Minnesota and will sell only airsoft guns that are obviously and unmistakably toys. The
company said it will phase out realistic replica guns in all its 105 stores as
soon as possible.
·
HUMANE
SOCIETY BECOMES PROVEN POLITICAL FORCE . . . The Washington Post reports that the Humane
Society of the United States is no pussy-cat, but, in fact, with a $120 million
budget and 10 million donors, a political tiger. The animal-rights,
anti-hunting, anti-trapping organization's president said it has committed
itself to political activity as never before in its 52-year history.
·
CHRONIC
WASTING DISEASE UPDATE . . . Although the public and media frenzy over CWD was a bit quieter
during the big-game hunting seasons of 2006, the disease is still being
monitored by wildlife experts across the continent. The latest updates,
including news from
·
SENATE
BILL TO PREVENT LOSS OF FEDERAL HUNTING LANDS . . . State Sen. Saxby Chambliss of
·
New Hunters, Big Spenders--27,000 NEW LICENSES COULD EQUATE TO $2.5
BILLION RETURN . . . During
his or her lifetime, the average American hunter spends over $96,000 on guns, supplies, gear, lodging, food,
fuel, licenses, guide fees and more. So, it's easy to estimate the economic
impact of new hunters in
·
FAMILIES
AFIELD LEGISLATION ADVANCES . . . Utah, North Dakota and Nebraska state legislatures
have all taken initial steps to eliminate barriers preventing youths and other
newcomers from hunting. Legislative committees in
·
·
MAYORS
MEET IN WASHINGTON . . . Last
Tuesday, more than 50 mayors, led by New York City's Michael Bloomberg and
flanked by the deceptively named anti-gun group the American Hunters and
Shooters Association, met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill demanding
public access to gun trace data that is currently maintained by ATF. The
groups' desire for trace data stems from anti-gun officials wanting to bring
civil lawsuits against firearms industry companies, especially smaller
businesses, and spread a failed strategy of gun control that seeks court
settlements and judgments. Bloomberg has already used such data to
"investigate" and sue 27 federally licensed firearms dealers.
·
INDUSTRY,
SPORTSMEN'S EFFORTS HELP DELAY ANTI-GUN BILLS . . . Last week, anti-gun legislators in
Connecticut attempted to ramrod through the Public Safety Committee without a
meaningful legislative hearing more than a dozen gun-control bills -- including
a one-gun-a-month bill, ballistics imaging bill and numerous versions of a
"lost and stolen" bill that was soundly rejected by the General
Assembly last year. NSSF, the recently formed Connecticut Association of
Firearms Retailers, the Connecticut Coalition of Sportsmen and NRA jumped into
action by alerting their members. Because of the strong unified voice of
opposition from industry, sportsmen and gun owners, this strong-arm tactic was
rebuffed. These bills are now set for hearing on Feb. 6. Please continue to contact your state representative and senator to
express your opposition to all of these gun-control measures.
·
GUN
SHOP OWNER GETS PRISON . . . A Pennsylvania gun shop owner was sentenced to 57 months in
federal prison Wednesday after falsifying records, selling to a convicted felon
and other violations, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. Michael
McGinnis, 59, owner of Mac's Gun Shop in
·
MONTANA
LAWMAKERS FORM SPORTSMEN'S CAUCUS . . . Montana state legislators have created the Montana Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, the 32nd
in a national network of state caucuses focused on promoting a pro-sportsmen's
agenda in state government, reports the National Assembly of Sportsmen's
Caucuses (NASC). In other caucus news, the Georgia Legislative Sportsmen's
Caucus paid tribute to Gov. Sonny Perdue and his
support of sportsmen's issues at the 5th Annual Sportsmen's Day at the Capitol,
while members of the Idaho caucus met with sportsmen at the state's first ever Camo Day at the Capitol.
·
FISH
AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO CUT STAFF . . . The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is cutting 27 staff positions
at Minnesota's national wildlife refuges as part of that agency's planned
reduction of 71 employees Midwest Region-wide over the next three years, reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The
reductions are necessary, says Jim Leach, refuge supervisor for
·
GUNLESS
TIJUANA POLICE ISSUED SLINGSHOTS . . . The Tijuana, Mexico, police department has issued about 60
slingshots to officers due to the fact that their guns were confiscated by
federal authorities, reports the Associated Press. The city's 2,000
police officers have been without guns since Jan. 5, when their firearms were
confiscated amid allegations that corrupt officers were supporting drug
traffickers.
·
LADIES
ACTION PISTOL CAMPS . . . Ladies
Action Pistol Camps has announced seven camp locations for 2007. The camps, sponsored by
Smith & Wesson, NSSF and the U.S. Practical Shooting Association, offer
practical pistol training for novice, intermediate and advanced shooters.
Attendees receive instruction and coaching from top women shooters Kay Clark Miculek, Lisa Munson, Julie Goloski,
Judy Woolley and Sheila Brey.
·
More States to Consider Families Afield
Laws--FIVE STATES
INTRODUCING LEGISLATION . . . Tearing down age restrictions and other barriers that prevent
people from hunting. That's the continuing goal of Families Afield,
a campaign that so far has created new hunting opportunities in 12 states. Now legislation is being prepared and introduced in
·
BLOOMBERG,
MAYORS AND THEIR 'AGENDA' . . . An Idaho mayor has dropped out of New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg's "Mayors Against Illegal Guns"
coalition because he sensed it had "a little more of an agenda" aimed
at law-abiding gun owners, the New York Sun reports. Bloomberg and more
than 50 mayors from his coalition will meet Tuesday in
·
ATF/NSSF
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES IN DALLAS . . . ATF, NSSF and northern Texas U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper came together in Dallas today to announce the
launching of the joint "Don't Lie for the Other Guy" program in
northern Texas. The program will help educate area firearms retailers on how to
better detect and deter illegal straw purchases, and it will send a
loud-and-clear message to the public about the penalties associated with
participating in an illegal purchase. To learn more, visit www.dontlie.org.
·
·
CONTEMPT
CHARGES FILED AGAINST NEW ORLEANS OFFICIALS . . . The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), frustrated by
the perceived failure of New Orleans' mayor and police commissioner to comply
with a discovery order issued in November in a lawsuit filed by itself and the
NRA, has filed a motion to hold the two men in contempt of federal court. The
issue stems from
·
'GARDEN
AND GUN' TO TARGET AFFLUENT SOUTHERNERS . . . To be launched in May by publisher Rebecca
Darwin, formerly of New Yorker and Mirabella magazines, Garden and Gun will be a high-end lifestyle
magazine that reflects the unique culture of the South. It is scheduled to be
published five issues for a mostly controlled circulation of 150,000.
·
TALE
OF A NEW JERSEY GUN SHOP . . . In its Sunday edition, New Jersey's Hudson Reporter
profiled one of Jersey City's two firearms retailers, focusing on its owner's
"interesting" personality and his dedication to friendly service.
· WOMEN IN INDUSTRY COME TOGETHER . . . The presence of women in the firearms industry has
grown considerably in recent years, both in the workforce and as consumers. A
capacity crowd of women came together at SHOT Show's annual Women
in the Industry Luncheon.
· D.C. MURDERS DOWN . . . After banning handguns for several years,
· FAMILIES AFIELD IN
· TOWN RESIDENTS ENCOURAGED TO OWN
GUNS . . . New ordinances in towns
like
· FBI PROBES VANDALISM AT GAMEBIRD FARM . . . The
Associated Press reports the FBI is looking for animal rights activists who
vandalized holding pens at a New Jersey gamebird farm
before Christmas. The Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the
act, which included trespass, destruction of property and the release of
pheasants, bobwhite quail and chukars. The group's
Web site called it an "early Christmas present" for the birds. No
birds have been recovered alive, several have been found dead and very few will
likely survive in the wild.
· PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKER TO RE-INTRODUCE ANTI-GUN BILLS .
. . Pennsylvania State Rep. Dwight
Evans has vowed to reintroduce a package of gun-control measures that were
defeated before fall elections, reports
the Philadelphia Inquirer.
News
Story Links:
07/02/05 Patience Wanes In
Bid To Kill Gun Registry
Canadian gun owners are losing patience with the federal government as it tries to move ahead with legislation to do away with a controversial registry. http://calgarysun.canoe.ca/NewsStand/News/A