(Manassas, VA, May 8, 2007)  On April 30, the Governor of Virginia signed an Executive Order requiring any ruling by a judge or magistrate which says that a person could be a “threat to himself or others” must be reported to the Virginia Crime Statistics Database and shared with the federal government’s National Instant Check System.  This would mean that any such person would lose their right to purchase, own, or possess a firearm for the rest of their life (or until a court restores their rights – something that sounds reasonable, but simply never happens.)

No one would suggest that it is sensible or prudent to make it easier for mentally unstable people to acquire firearms.  Arguments against increased limitations on access to firearms by the mentally ill can not help but seem – well – crazy.  Unfortunately, just because something seems sensible on its face does not mean it truly is sensible and just because an argument is difficult to make does not make it wrong. 

Continue reading Mind Games →

(Manassas, VA, March 13, 2007) When I was six years old my family moved from Wichita Falls, Texas to Sydney, Ohio so Dad could head up the creation of Gun Week newspaper.  One of the first things we noticed upon arriving in the land of the Yankees was that the people up north talked funny.  Not only did they have odd accents and strange pronunciations, they had different words for things and used terms that were not common where we came from. 

            One word in common usage in Ohio which, while not completely foreign, was still odd to us, was the word “allow.”  Rather than saying, “My mom won’t let me.” Or, “I’m not supposed to.” Ohio kids would say “I’m not allowed.”

Continue reading Not “Allowed” →

The Knox Report

From the Firearms Coalition

The Bloomberg Dilemma

By Jeff Knox

(January 5, 2007)  New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg is at it again.  He recently filed federal civil suits against 12 more federally licensed firearms dealers in South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.  In his well-publicized effort to “stem the flow of illegal guns” into New York, Bloomberg hired private detectives to enter gun shops around the country to covertly video gun dealers making “questionable” sales.  He then files civil suits charging the dealers with knowingly and recklessly contributing to New York’s crime problems by selling guns to crooks.  These suits are intended to either drive the targeted dealers out of business or to force them to agree to oversight by a court-appointed “special master” that essentially opens their books to the New York City mayor’s office.  Dealers can expect Bloomberg’s antics to continue for the next couple of years, as the city’s $800,000 contract with the detective agency runs through 2008.

Continue reading The Bloomberg Dilemma →