Month: May 2013

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Prinicipal Doesn’t Want Gun Safety Classes From The Real Experts

May 2, 2013 by 2 Comments

Despite the gun prohibitionists’ attempt to rebrand themselves as “gun safety” groups, we all know that the National Rifle Association through its training classes and its Eddie Eagle program have instructed more people on gun safety than anyone else. Thus, when I saw that two Houston elementary schools canceled gun safety presentations for their students because they didn’t want to be perceived as backing the NRA, I was dismayed.

An elementary school and a preschool in Houston ISD have canceled gun-safety presentations for their young students over concerns that the National Rifle Association crafted the lessons.

A spokesman for the Houston Independent School District said Tuesday that the principals of Peck Elementary and the Martin Luther King Early Childhood Center did not know the NRA was behind the program.

“The principals made a decision they didn’t want to participate in an event that folks could perceive as them taking a position one way or another on the gun control debate or any other debate the NRA is involved in,” HISD spokesman Jason Spencer said.

Supposedly, the principal of Peck Elementary didn’t realize that the safety programs had been developed by the NRA. It may have been because the presentation was to be made by officers from the Metropolitan Transit Authority police department. Until she found out that detail, she was all happy about it.

Before cancelling the presentation, the principal of Peck, Carlotta Brown, gave a radio interview on Tuesday morning saying she was “so elated to have a gun safety program at our school today.”

“We have to make sure that all of our children are safe, our adults are safe and it starts in the elementary school,” Brown told KTRH, according to a broadcast on its website.

Brown did not mention the NRA in her comments, but the radio host noted that the association was behind the program and an NRA representative also was interviewed.

Spencer said Brown “did not make the connection that it was an NRA-driven event” until later when a news reporter asked to attend the presentation.

Metro Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said in a statement that he was aware that the NRA’s gun-safety curriculum would be used in the schools but said his officers were going to be giving the presentations.

“I am supportive of gun safety and programs that make our community safer by educating our youth,” Rodriguez said.

It is really kind of sad that an “educator” would let political correctness get in the way of protecting the children under her charge.

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My Day Is Made!

May 2, 2013 by

I was so afraid that the ne’er do wells from the lesser gun prohibitionist groups would not show up in Houston to the NRA Annual Meeting. They are always amusing in their sad pathetic way.

My prayers have been answered and there is joy in Mudville.

From today’s Houston Chronicle:

Opponents gather

Outside the convention center, an array of gun-control advocates is expected to demonstrate opposition to the NRA and its lobbying prowess.

“I don’t think it’s a losing battle at all,” said Heather Ross, an organizer for the “Occupy the NRA” group that plans to lead the reading of names of 4,000 gun-violence victims under a #NoMoreNames banner at Discovery Green, across from the convention center. The list will start with the 26 victims of gunman Adam Lanza at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last December.

Texas is not as uniformly pro-gun as most people believe, Ross insisted.

“The concept that we’re all a bunch of gun-toting crazies is inaccurate,” she said. “That’s largely pushed by people elected to office.”

Of course, they never would have you believe that lives are saved and rapes prevented through the use or even mere presence of a firearm.

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SAF Wins Injunction In Illinois

May 2, 2013 by

The Second Amendment Foundation announced today that they had won a permanent injunction against the Warren County (IL) Housing Authority and their ban on possession of firearms by residents or guests.

This is good news from Illinois.


BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation has won a permanent injunction against the Warren County, Ill. Housing Authority’s ban on the possession of firearms by residents or guests.

The case was filed more than a year ago in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, Rock Island Division. Ronald G. Winbigler, a resident of Costello Terrace in Monmouth, is a physically disabled former police officer who wanted to keep a handgun in his residence for personal protection.

SAF filed the lawsuit on his behalf, and they were represented by attorney David Sigale, who noted, “People do not lose their Second Amendment rights just because they are of limited means. It is an indignity to make the waiver of constitutional rights a condition of government-subsidized housing.”

SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb was delighted with the ruling.

“We brought this case because it was unconscionable,” Gottlieb said, “in the wake of our victory in McDonald v. City of Chicago that a public entity in Illinois would engage in this kind of discrimination against a citizen. The WCHA has removed the lease provisions, and agreed that they were unconstitutional.”

In an order signed by District Judge Sara Darrow, plaintiffs are awarded reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. In her ruling, however, she did not make a constitutional declaration, but only recognized that SAF and the WCHA had agreed in that issue.

“Public housing is the last place one would expect to encounter residency provisions that run counter to the Bill of Rights,” Gottlieb said. “We’re delighted that this issue has been resolved to the benefit of Mr. Winbigler and citizens like him.”

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In Houston At The Convention Center!

May 2, 2013 by 1 Comment

I’ve made it to the George Brown Convention Center and have picked up my media credentials. So far I’ve seen a bunch of British reporters plus one from Bloomberg News. It’ll be interesting to see what she reports!

I’ve haven’t caught up with any of the other bloggers yet.

Parking seems to be adequate with a number of lots surrounding the Convention Center. With the exception of the Hilton’s parking deck, parking prices are in the $10-12 for the day.

UPDATE: Those were the prices for parking before the meeting started. They rocketed up to $30 near the center with the prices falling the more you had to walk. I paid $15 on Friday, $10 on Saturday, and lucked into a City of Houston lot for only $5 on Sunday.

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Update On HB 937 – Omnibus Gun Bill In North Carolina

May 1, 2013 by

The vote scheduled for yesterday in the North Carolina House of Representatives on HB 937 was pulled from the calendar. The gun prohibitionists are saying it was due to them but, in reality, it was due to the need for a fiscal note to be attached to the bill.

As Grass Roots North Carolina notes, we still need to keep up the pressure on the General Assembly to act on this bill soon and not to dilute it.



Keep pressure on: delay gives gun control extremists time to prepare opposition

At the last minute HB 937, “Amend Various Firearm Laws” was pulled from the House schedule and not voted on. The reason for this unexpected rescheduling is not, as North Carolinians “Against Gun Violence” would have you believe, due to gun control input. At least as stated by leadership, it was due to a delayed request for a fiscal note to be attached to the bill. There is, however, a chance that it was delayed due to UNC opposition listed below.

This bill is critical for NC gun owners and contains restaurant carry, provisions for guns in locked vehicles on college campuses, carry in assemblies for which admission is charged, and a “cleanup” of parks carry language.

It has already raised the hackles of citizen disarmament proponents, including UNC President Tom Ross, who apparently doesn’t trust our state’s brightest young men and women with the means to effectively defend themselves.

We need to increase the heat on the NC House to ensure that this bill is both voted on and passed without the weakening amendments that will be proposed by extremists who want North Carolinians disarmed. MAKE SURE to participate in this email effort – the stakes are high and we need full participation to drive our message home!

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

  • EMAIL HOUSE REPUBLICANS: Use the copy and paste list below to deliver a clear message that you expect them to pass HB 937 without delay.

  • CALL & EMAIL YOUR NC HOUSE REP: Let them know you expect them to vote against all weakening amendments and for final passage of HB 937. Find your rep HERE or by going to: http://www.ncleg.net/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx

Contact Information

Copy and paste email addresses for House Republicans:

Dean.Arp@ncleg.net, Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net, John.Bell@ncleg.net, Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net, Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net, Robert.Brawley@ncleg.net, Brian.Brown@ncleg.net, Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net, Rob.Bryan@ncleg.net, Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net, Justin.Burr@ncleg.net, Rick.Catlin@ncleg.net, George.Cleveland@ncleg.net, Jeff.Collins@ncleg.net, Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net, Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net, Ted.Davis@ncleg.net, Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net, Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net, Jerry.Dockham@ncleg.net, Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net, Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net, John.Faircloth@ncleg.net, Jim.Fulghum@ncleg.net, Mike.Hager@ncleg.net, Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net, Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net, Mark.Hollo@ncleg.net, Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net, Craig.Horn@ncleg.net, Julia.Howard@ncleg.net, Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net, Frank.Iler@ncleg.net, Charles.Jeter@ncleg.net, Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net, Bert.Jones@ncleg.net, Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net, Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net, James.Langdon@ncleg.net, David.Lewis@ncleg.net, Chris.Malone@ncleg.net, Susan.Martin@ncleg.net, Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net, Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net, Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net, Chris.Millis@ncleg.net, Tim.Moffitt@ncleg.net, Tim.Moore@ncleg.net, Tom.Murry@ncleg.net, Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net, Nathan.Ramsey@ncleg.net, Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net, Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net, Jason.Saine@ncleg.net, Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net, Jacqueline.Schaffer@ncleg.net, Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net, Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net, Paul.Stam@ncleg.net, Edgar.Starnes@ncleg.net, Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net, Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net, Michael.Stone@ncleg.net, John.Szoka@ncleg.net, Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net, John.Torbett@ncleg.net, Rena.Turner@ncleg.net, Harry.Warren@ncleg.net, Andy.Wells@ncleg.net, Roger.West@ncleg.net, Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net,

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Pass HB 937, “Amend Various Firearm Laws” WITHOUT amendments!”

Dear Representative:

I strongly urge you to support House Bill 937, “Amend Various Firearms Laws” by passing the bill without weakening amendments. Provision for concealed handgun permit-holders to carry in restaurants is already law in surrounding states like TN, VA, GA and OH. The “Chicken Little” predictions of gun control extremists in those states have not been realized. Are not North Carolinians as trustworthy as citizens of surrounding states?

It is past time that we are able to defend ourselves and our families while eating at dinner restaurants. It is past time that law-abiding faculty and staff are able to adequately defend themselves while traveling to and from work.

Your constituents have a fundamental right to bear arms for defense. It is your responsibility to help remove infringements on this right. This is why NC gun owners elected pro-Second Amendment legislators in an election that went liberal in other states.

We worked hard for you. Now it is your turn to return the favor.

I will be monitoring your actions via Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts, and rest assured I will hold legislators accountable for their votes.

Respectfully,

As I write this, I am in Texas. On the morning news here, there was a report that the Texas legislature is considering a bill that would allow concealed carry holders to store their firearms in a locked vehicle while on campus. This is the same as HB 937 would allow. Just like in North Carolina, the usual suspects are objecting.