Two rumors keep popping up and making the rounds through the viral e-mail circuit:

1. Obama is planning a 500% tax on ammo

2. All the ammo you currently have is going to become illegal in July and only ammo with serial numbers will be legal.

Both of these rumors are bogus.

The ammo tax idea has been a fantasy of the gun banners for decades, but I have seen no recent attempt to implement any such thing.  Such a tax would require an act of Congress and while there has been a bill introduced which addresses gun and ammo excise tax issues, it is a pro-gun bill trying to fix some problems in the system.  There has not been a serious proposal put forward to dramatically increase taxes on ammunition.

Part of the source of the resurgence of the ammo tax rumor could be the ammo serialization rumor.  While ammo serialization is a real issue, it is not an imminent threat.  There is a company that built a machine that can engrave tiny serial numbers on bullets and cases and they have established a fake organization promoting the technology as a crime solving tool.  They have also convinced legislators in about 18 states to introduce model legislation they have written.  So far not even California or Massachusetts has come close to actually adopting the legislation.

So while the threat of mandating serialization and registration of all ammo – and the destruction of all non-serialized and registered ammo – is real, it is not gaining any traction and is unlikely to do so in the near future.  This idea should be carefully watched, but not panicked over.

There is another rumor that I'm a bit more concerned about.  Sources say that some in the State Department are moving to block the importation of "military caliber" ammunition.  While this is still just a rumor at this point, it is something I warned about during the effort to block the Holder nomination.  Hillary Clinton at State, Eric Holder at Justice, Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff, not to mention Obama himself… We definitely have enemies in high places and there are things which can be done to harass the firearms community without involving Congress.  Restricting, delaying, and generally interfering with imports of ammunition, guns, and gun parts are all very real possibilities.  It is also very possible that Eric Holder might change regulations on firearms manufacturers, dealers, and importers to make it much more difficult for them to do business and make them more vulnerable to criminal charges for technical errors.

None of these things is anything more than rumor and speculation at this point, but they are likely possibilities and require careful watching and an immediate response if any of them begins to come to life.  In the mean time, we all need to be careful about raising false alarms that could dull the response when a real alarm is sounded.

On that note, if you have not signed up for the Knox FC Alerts e-mail alert list, now would be a great time to rectify that.  We won't bury you in spam or fill up your in-box.  We only send alerts when there is something to report – or occasionally when things have been slow for a month or two I'll send out a little update just to remind you we're here and to make sure the system still works.

To sign up for the Knox FC Alert e-mail alerts list, just click here.

Alan Korwin, author of a number of books on gun laws and rights related matters, writes a review of the news which he calls "Page 9."  If you don't subscribe to this clever and thought provoking e-newsletter (it's free) I would encourage you to do so, or you can read it here as we plan to post each new eddition.  Here is the table of contents for the current eddition.  Just click the "Read More" link to read the entire newsletter.

PAGE NINE — No. 59

The Uninvited Ombudsman Report, No. 59, Feb. 10, 2009

by Alan Korwin, Author
Gun Laws of America

Contents:
(searchable by item number)

1- Million Gun March
2- State Sovereignty Bills
3- No-Fly Gun Ban
4- Gun Rights Commerce
5- Pork Free Stimulus
6- Kelo's Empty Lot
7- NewsBull Continues Unabated

(Click "Read More" for the full report)

Continue reading Latest “Page 9” →

Collegial Buddies in the Senate Pull a Fast One

    Sometimes we are so busy looking at the forest we don't see the trees.  It is beginning to look like that is what happened last week in the Senate Judiciary Committee.  After some contentious remarks and posturing during the preceding weeks and a very anti-climactic two days of hearings on the confirmation of Eric Holder as Attorney General, Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) announced that Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) had requested that the vote be delayed by a week and that under the rules of the committee he was obliged to grant the delay.  So rather than going to a vote of the committee on Wednesday, January 21 the vote was postponed to Wednesday, January 28.  What wasn't mentioned was the situation regarding the makeup of the committee.

    With the wrangling over "found" votes and more votes than voters in Minnesota, the contentious appointment of Roland Burris to fill the seat vacated by Barack Obama, questions about the appointment in New York to replace Hillary Clinton, and a few other issues, the Senate leadership was slow about their bi-annual reorganization and committee assignments.  Most of the new assignments were not made official until Wednesday evening, January 21.

    That means that on Wednesday, when the vote was supposed to have taken place, the makeup of the Senate Judiciary Committee was still as it had been in the 110th Congress.  With 10 Democrats and 9 Republicans – but wait – there's more to that story.  Among the 10 Democrats were Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy.  Biden officially resigned from the Senate on January 15.  Kennedy has been hospitalized since his collapse at an inauguration party on January 20.  So on January 21 when the Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote on whether to recommend confirmation of Eric Holder there were only 8 Democrats available to vote on the committee and 9 Republicans.  That's 8 "F" rated Democrats versus 9 "A" rated Republicans to decide whether an anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment political lackey should be the guardian of the Constitution and the nation's top cop.

    Rather than press the advantage, the "A" rated majority instead asked for a delay of a week during which one of their members was removed from the committee and three additional "F" rated Democrats were added.

    Now I'm as fair-minded as the next guy and I understand that there are professional courtesies to be observed in a body such as the US Senate – though the Democrats have not extended much in the way of courtesy over the past couple of years – but if the Democrats wanted more time so they could stack the committee, they should have admitted that fact and requested the delay themselves rather than having the Republicans request the delay for them and pretend they were delaying to be tough.

    I might be missing something – the rules and traditions of the Senate are a complex mess about which I am nowhere near an expert – but this looks to me like the good old boys maneuvering in an effort to keep the rubes back home – that's you and me – from realizing that it's all just a big game.

A Rated Judiciary Committee Republicans Betray Gunowners

    Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have some explaining to do to their gun owning constituents back home and we need to make them start making those explanations right now.  Only two of the eight Republicans on the committee voted against confirmation; those two were Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and John Cornyn of Texas. 

    Orrin Hatch of Utah, rated "A+" by NRA, stabbed gunowners in the back early on with a statement of support for Holder even before hearings were held.  Ranking Republican Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, also rated "A" by NRA, made a lot of noise about Holder's activities regarding the pardon of fugitive Marc Rich, but in the end voted to recommend confirmation.  Jon Kyle of Arizona, who barely won reelection in 1994 after voting for the Clinton "assault weapons" ban, but who has subsequently been rated "A" by NRA, also voted in support of confirmation as did Chuck Grassley of Iowa, rated "A" by NRA, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, rated "A+" by NRA last November, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who is also rated "A" by NRA.

    While the Republicans on the committee were outnumbered by several Democrats, all of them patently anti-rights, and therefore could not expect to win a vote against Holder, they could have and should have stood by their principles and the Constitution to vote against Holder.  Had Republicans held fast and voted against Holder in the committee, there would be a better chance of defeating the appointment through a filibuster on the Senate floor.  With these key Republicans having already voted for confirmation, the chances of a successful filibuster are greatly diminished.

    Reliable sources have reported that NRA informed Senate leadership that votes for or against Holder would not be counted in NRA grading.  That would mean that Hatch and Sessions will retain their "A+" ratings while the rest of the Republicans who voted for Holder will continue to be rated "A" by NRA even if it turns out that Holder uses the office of AG to wage a focused campaign against legal gun ownership – as I expect he will.

    The issue now moves to the full senate which can be expected to vote on Holder's confirmation any day now.  Since NRA is not holding the politicians accountable for their votes in this matter, successfully blocking the confirmation is considered to be a virtual impossibility.  Even in the committee vote, John Cornyn stated his reasons for voting against Holder had to do with Holder's involvement in the Rich pardon and his attitudes toward terror suspects with no mention of Holder's radical positions on guns and the Second Amendment.

    Readers are encouraged to contact Senators and urge them to reject Holder on constitutional grounds.  Had Holder actively worked and advocated against any other constitutional right he would undoubtedly be rejected, but the Second Amendment continues to be neglected and ignored by many elected officials.

    Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) is an exception to that rule as he has written an editorial in the Washington Times stating his opposition to the confirmation of Holder because of Holder's actions against the Second Amendment.  I hope Senator Barrasso will take his opposition a step further and place a "hold" – institute a filibuster – against Holder's confirmation.  Many other senators owe their seats to support from gunowners and now is a great opportunity for them to – as my father used to say – dance with the ones what brung 'em.  Every Senator, whether Democrat or Republican, who sought and received endorsements and/or high ratings from pro-rights organizations, should vote against Holder and vote against any effort to shut down a filibuster.  Any who fail to do so are betraying their campaign promises and violating the trust of GunVoters.  This is the first gun control vote of the 111th Congress and the results will be reported, recorded, and remembered.  If Republicans are hoping to regain lost ground in the elections of 2010 they had better start taking advantage of opportunities to distinguish themselves from their Democrat rivals.

    Continue contacting Senators and urging them to place a hold on the Holder confirmation, support any hold placed on the confirmation, oppose cloture or limiting debate, and demand that President Obama offer a candidate who does not have a record of opposition to an enumerated constitutional right.

Gillibrand Appointment Good News but No Guarantee

    The appointment of upstate Representative Kirsten Gillibrand to fill the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton is a welcome surprise, but she has already suggested that she might adjust her position in the Second Amendment as a senator representing a more diverse constituency.  Gillibrand was considered a dark-horse candidate for the senate seat and political watchers were caught flat-footed by Governor Paterson's announcement that he was appointing her.  The media immediately locked onto three defining handles with which to paint Gillibrand calling her a "blue dog" Democrat, mentioning that she voted against the massive government bailout bills, and pointing out that she has a favorable rating from the NRA.

    Anti-gun groups began wailing and gnashing teeth declaring that they will support anti-rights leader, Long Island Representative Carolyne McCarthy in the primary when Gillibrand comes up for election.

    While the appointment of Gillibrand is rather refreshing amidst the partisan backdrop of the last few months, the fact that Senator Chuck Schumer is supporting her and that the Brady Bunch has declared a "wait and see" position is not heartening.  Gillibrand stated that she understands that she now represents a much larger and more diverse constituency than previously and pledged to work with McCarthy on legislation restricting guns.

    I fear that the pressure from Schumer and the media will convince Seator Gillibrand to abandon her principles and support restrictive gun laws.  Doing so would be a mistake, morally and politically, but unfortunately probably not a carreer ending mistake given the political realities on New York.  Hopefully some of her upstate constituents can convince her to stick to her guns and ignore the clamour of the anti-rights crowd.  Elections prove over and over again that taking anti-gun positions almost always hurt more than they help in elections and pro-gun positions almost always help more than they hurt.  Democrats have been rediscovering this truth and their pro-rights roots over the past decade or so and I hope that Gillibrand recognizes this before making any big mistakes.

Marine Corps Double Amputee Acquitted of Felony Gun Charge

    The wounded Marine was charged with felony possession of an unregistered firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, and possession of ammunition.  In his third trial – after two jury deadlocks – the three-tour veteran of Iraq was acquitted of the firearms charges, but found guilty of the misdemeanor ammunition possession charge.

    Corporal Melroy Cort, a former Marine who lost both legs in an IED explosion during his third tour in Iraq, was arrested in 2006 at a service station near Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC while awaiting repair of a flat tire.  Before releasing the vehicle into the control of the service station employees, Cort, who had just driven in from Ohio to begin a treatment program at Walter Reed, retrieved a 9mm pistol from the car's glove box, putting it in his pocket.  Someone apparently saw him retrieve the pistol and called police.  When police approached him, Cort raised his hands and cooperated with police.  Cort claimed that he intended to secure the firearm with the Provost Marshall at Walter Reed upon arrival.

    There is some confusion about where exactly the ammunition was located during the incident.  Cort says the ammo was locked in the trunk, police say it was in the gun's "clip," but news reports failed to specify whether police claim that the clip was in the gun.  It sees obvious that the conviction on the ammunition charge was a compromise among members of the jury who apparently felt that some punishment was called for, but that a felony conviction – which could have seriously impacted Cort's military benefits – was too harsh.

    You've got to wonder about DC police and prosecutors pushing this case so hard.  There has been no suggestion that Cort, an Ohio resident and holder of an Ohio concealed carry permit, was planning to commit any crime with the firearm, merely that his possession of it in that location was a violation of local DC laws.  Had this been almost any other jurisdiction Cort probably would have been warned by police and sent on his way or at most, the matter would have been dropped after the first jury deadlocked.  For such a case to be tried three times is an absolute outrage.

    Cort says he intends to appeal the misdemeanor conviction.

Read the Washington Post story here.

[Hat tip to David Hardy at www.ArmsandtheLaw.com ]

An Armed Citizen Saved Countless Lives in Montana.

From our good friend Gary Marbut of Montana Shooting Sports Association:

Confirmed: There was a shooting incident in Glasgow, Montana on Saturday
afternoon. Besides the shooter, one person was killed and two were
injured. Police locked down the community, warned people to lock doors
and stay inside, and followed a blood trail which eventually led to the
deceased shooter.

Gary Marbut, president Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com 406-549-1252

January 29 Update

Final Confirmation Vote Set for Monday, February 2!

    During his confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Eric Holder stated that the Second Amendment means what the Supreme Court says it means and then went on to declare that the Court's decision in Heller leaves plenty of room for such things as closing the "gun show loophole,"restricting "cop-killer bullets," and reinstituting a ban on "assault weapons."  So much for supporting theSecond Amendment.

    The Judiciary Committee delayed their vote by a week and finally voted last Wednesday.  They recommended confirmation by a vote of 17 to 2. (See related story)  The final vote of the full Senate is now scheduled for Monday!

    Please continue contacting your senators and urging them to oppose the Holder confirmation.   Ask your senators to place a hold on the confirmation or to support a hold placed by another senator.

    To contact your senators click here and go to your senators' web pages to use their web contact forms and to get their phone numbers.  Put a call in to each office number they list and call and e0mail every day until the vote!  Get friends and family to do likewise.

    Remind your senators that Holder has been vocally anti-gun, vocally anti-Second Amendment, and actively supported illegal restrictions and record keeping on guns and gunowners.  Tell your senators that you see a vote for Holder, or a vote for cloture to end a filibuster against Holder's confirmation, as an anti-gun vote and you will remember their decision in their next election.

    Please spread this message to every friend, forum, blog and bulletin board you can find.  Since NRA has told Senators that they are not counting the Holder vote in their grading, calls and letters from outraged constituants are the only real pressure being brought to bear against the nomination.  Your Calls Can Make ALL the Difference!  Don't Let Up!

    Learn more about Holder by following the links below and on the next several pages.  This guy is really bad news.