Daily update August 12

Minnesota: Victim turns tables on would-be robbers, killing one
Star Tribune

"Two men armed with a pistol attempted to rob a St. Paul man late Wednesday, apparently not expecting their victim to resist, police said. The would-be victim's response proved fatal to one man, and helped put the other behind bars. .... Strong allegedly called Sallah to set up a meeting near the 1500 block of Magnolia Av. E. When Sallah arrived at the spot, he called Strong, who said she would meet him shortly. Instead, Coleman and Guise arrived with a handgun. Sallah and Guise apparently fought to get control of the pistol, which fired a single shot that hit Guise. Sallah then used the pistol to to hold Coleman at gunpoint until police arrived." (08/11/05)

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5554911.html

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Down with democracy!
Sierra Times
by Lady Liberty

"The Second Amendment is, without question, an individual right. Though the courts all too frequently issue rulings in disparate ways, and even constitutional scholars fight over it, the reality is that if it were not, the words "the people" wouldn't have been used. Such pre-eminent experts on the Constitution as the men who helped craft it later made clear that the Second was intended to apply to all citizens. Even so, a majority of Americans favor more gun control rather than less. In Washington DC, where draconian gun laws have seen the city become one of the most crime-ridden in the country, Congress is finally seeing the light and working to repeal some of the laws there. But even in the face of such clear evidence, there are those in the capital who are vehemently protesting any repeal of any gun control laws there; some polls have shown that the majority of DC residents agree with the protesters. The same is also apparently true in Chicago and in New York City." (08/11/05)

http://www.sierratimes.com/05/08/11/lady.htm

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Sign of things to come?
News Press
by staff

"A Fort Myers shooting that has received little attention is headed for what promises to be an interesting court case. It involves a Dunbar grocer who shot to death another man in the grocery store's parking lot. On its face, the case appears to be a perfect first test of Florida's controversial new self-defense law. .... During the confrontation, Nazario punched Hasan in the face. Hasan then shot him through the chest. ..... The first thing business owners are expected to do is to call police if they suspect a crime is taking place. Hasan apparently was on the phone at the time of the shooting trying to do just that."Police did not arrest Hasan at the scene, but waited to see whether the state attorney's office would press charges. Last week it did." (08/11/05)

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050811/OPINION/508110395/1015

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Thoughts on the Canadian gun registry
World Forum
by Drog

"Government computers are notorious for having poor security. So what happens if some hacker manages to steal the national gun registry files and sell them to a criminal organization, like the outlaw motorcycle gang Hells Angels? Instead of randomly breaking into houses looking for weapons, they would now know exactly which houses to go to to obtain their desired weapons. They would know the address of the house, the names of the occupants, and even (I think) the ages of the occupants. And once this registry has been stolen, there would be no putting the genie back in the bottle -- everyone in the registry would either have to move or live in fear. That's a scary thought." (08/11/05)


http://www.theworldforum.org/story/2005/8/11/142648/798

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Ohio: Gun ban goes into effect
People's Rights Organization

"The City of Columbus's draconian gun ban goes into effect today. There is a 90-day grace period, during which time gun owners can register their guns they feel may be affected by this ban with the city. PRO is recommending that people NOT register their guns, but move them out of the city until this matter is settled in the courts. There is a great deal of confusion about what guns this ban covers. Because a provision in the new law stipulates that guns that are registered cannot be later sold or willed to a gun owners' heirs upon her death, this is essentially a gun "surrender/confiscation" law, as well. It makes no sense to register lawfully owned guns for later surrender to the city with no compensation, so we urge you to move and store your firearms outside the city limits." (08/11/05)

http://www.peoplesrights.org/articletemplate.asp?id=69

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How I bought a rifle for self-defense in Russia
RIA Novosti[Russia]
by Vladimir Simonov

"When burglars killed a guard at my neighbor's summer-house, I started thinking about self-defense. The Federal Law On Weapons adopted under Boris Yeltsin in 1996 has enabled five million Russians to buy guns for this purpose. In Moscow alone, some 400,000 people legally keep 470,000 weapons to protect themselves, their families, and property against potential assault in these troubled times. The law in Russia is extremely conservative compared with that in the United States. Russians can only buy smoothbore hunting rifles of minimum 80cm, gas pistols, or revolvers shooting rubber bullets. Safe use of this arsenal for five years allows purchase of a twin rifle or carbine. Stub-barreled firearms are a taboo for Russian citizens." (08/11/05)

http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20050811/41139012.html