Jan. 2 Neal Knox Update -- Happy New Year.
Some new gun laws kicked in yesterday around the country,
including one in California requiring dealers to sell one of 45
state-approved safety locks with each gun unless the buyer has a
gun safe at home.
My former state of Maryland has copied California's law
requiring handgun buyers to sit through a video on gun safety.
The new Maryland law is not for all guns and it's not a two-
hour video, as some of the national press have reported, but it does
have its silly aspects.
The Maryland State Police video is 45 minutes, considerably
less than the two-hour maximum allowed by law. However, the
Maryland Firearms Dealers Association obtained state approval for
a 14-minute nuts and bolts video.
About the only exceptions for watching the video are active
cops, honorably discharged military and someone holding an
extremely rare Maryland carry permit.
Bill Schneider at Atlantic Guns in Rockville said my Virginia
carry license, NRA range officer/instructor card, or the fact that
I'm a court-qualified "firearms expert" won't work -- not that this
Virginian can any longer buy handguns from his family's firm (as
I did many times while living in Maryland).
--------------
Yesterday marked one year for the Oregon gun show background
check law, which has reduced the number of private gun sellers. The
law's supporters equate that decline with "saving lives by keeping guns
out of the hands of felons."
That's the theory. But I have yet to see one survey of
convicted felons that shows any of them having had any trouble
obtaining a gun, regardless of the law.
---------------
Chicago, one of the cities with some of the most restrictive
laws in the nation, a state firearms license, plus registration and
virtual prohibition of handguns, is winding up 2001 with the most
murders in the nation -- though it's the third-largest city.
The Chicago murder rate per 100,000 citizens, about 23, is far
higher than New York City's claimed 8 per 100,000, but far below
Washington, D.C.'s 40 per 100,000.
D.C., where all guns are registered, none are legally sold,
and handguns are banned, often leads the nation in the race for
"Handgun Murder Capital."
The Gun Control Act of 1968 was supposed to stop the illegal
importation of illegal guns into such tight law cities by imposing
five-year felonies for taking a gun into the District from high-
crime, strict-law Maryland or low-crime, "moderate-law" Virginia.
It didn't.
-------------------
On the last day of 2001 an Illinois appellate judge, put into
office by Mayor Richard Daley's machine, ruled that a lawsuit
blaming gunmakers for a policeman's death on "public nuisance"
grounds could proceed. Legal experts said the decision will allow
a renewal of the city's lawsuit against gunmakers.
The gun was originally purchased in full compliance with state
and federal laws then illegally transferred to a gang member who
killed the officer.
-------------------
NBC Dateline last night reported on deaths in hospitals, part
of the 100,000 or so "medical misadventure" deaths caused by
physicians and other health care providers.
Five years after the death of a healthy six-year old, which
the Florida hospital admitted was due to their obviously stupid
operating room procedures (Medicoes normally bury their mistakes), the
hospital accreditation organization hasn't required what should be
an obvious fix.
The President of the American Medical Association, whose
platform is elimination of guns -- although the number of gun
murders, suicides and accidents is perhaps a third the number of
accidental deaths caused by his profession -- was not heard from.
--------------------
Surprise. Rosie O'Donnell is holding fundraisers for Janet
Reno, one of several possible opponents for Florida Gov. George
Bush.
--
Help us keep you informed! Send your Firearms Coalition dues to:
Neal Knox Associates
P.O. Box 3313
Manassas, VA 20108
or contribute with your credit card via PayPal!
https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=paypal%40nealknox.com
Suggested annual dues are the price of a box of ammunition -- $15 - $25.
--
This is the Firearms Coalition Alerts List. It is never sent unsolicited.
To subscribe or unsubscribe send mail to
[url=mailto:fcalerts-request@nealknox.com
Some new gun laws kicked in yesterday around the country,
including one in California requiring dealers to sell one of 45
state-approved safety locks with each gun unless the buyer has a
gun safe at home.
My former state of Maryland has copied California's law
requiring handgun buyers to sit through a video on gun safety.
The new Maryland law is not for all guns and it's not a two-
hour video, as some of the national press have reported, but it does
have its silly aspects.
The Maryland State Police video is 45 minutes, considerably
less than the two-hour maximum allowed by law. However, the
Maryland Firearms Dealers Association obtained state approval for
a 14-minute nuts and bolts video.
About the only exceptions for watching the video are active
cops, honorably discharged military and someone holding an
extremely rare Maryland carry permit.
Bill Schneider at Atlantic Guns in Rockville said my Virginia
carry license, NRA range officer/instructor card, or the fact that
I'm a court-qualified "firearms expert" won't work -- not that this
Virginian can any longer buy handguns from his family's firm (as
I did many times while living in Maryland).
--------------
Yesterday marked one year for the Oregon gun show background
check law, which has reduced the number of private gun sellers. The
law's supporters equate that decline with "saving lives by keeping guns
out of the hands of felons."
That's the theory. But I have yet to see one survey of
convicted felons that shows any of them having had any trouble
obtaining a gun, regardless of the law.
---------------
Chicago, one of the cities with some of the most restrictive
laws in the nation, a state firearms license, plus registration and
virtual prohibition of handguns, is winding up 2001 with the most
murders in the nation -- though it's the third-largest city.
The Chicago murder rate per 100,000 citizens, about 23, is far
higher than New York City's claimed 8 per 100,000, but far below
Washington, D.C.'s 40 per 100,000.
D.C., where all guns are registered, none are legally sold,
and handguns are banned, often leads the nation in the race for
"Handgun Murder Capital."
The Gun Control Act of 1968 was supposed to stop the illegal
importation of illegal guns into such tight law cities by imposing
five-year felonies for taking a gun into the District from high-
crime, strict-law Maryland or low-crime, "moderate-law" Virginia.
It didn't.
-------------------
On the last day of 2001 an Illinois appellate judge, put into
office by Mayor Richard Daley's machine, ruled that a lawsuit
blaming gunmakers for a policeman's death on "public nuisance"
grounds could proceed. Legal experts said the decision will allow
a renewal of the city's lawsuit against gunmakers.
The gun was originally purchased in full compliance with state
and federal laws then illegally transferred to a gang member who
killed the officer.
-------------------
NBC Dateline last night reported on deaths in hospitals, part
of the 100,000 or so "medical misadventure" deaths caused by
physicians and other health care providers.
Five years after the death of a healthy six-year old, which
the Florida hospital admitted was due to their obviously stupid
operating room procedures (Medicoes normally bury their mistakes), the
hospital accreditation organization hasn't required what should be
an obvious fix.
The President of the American Medical Association, whose
platform is elimination of guns -- although the number of gun
murders, suicides and accidents is perhaps a third the number of
accidental deaths caused by his profession -- was not heard from.
--------------------
Surprise. Rosie O'Donnell is holding fundraisers for Janet
Reno, one of several possible opponents for Florida Gov. George
Bush.
--
Help us keep you informed! Send your Firearms Coalition dues to:
Neal Knox Associates
P.O. Box 3313
Manassas, VA 20108
or contribute with your credit card via PayPal!
https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=paypal%40nealknox.com
Suggested annual dues are the price of a box of ammunition -- $15 - $25.
--
This is the Firearms Coalition Alerts List. It is never sent unsolicited.
To subscribe or unsubscribe send mail to
[url=mailto:fcalerts-request@nealknox.com