Free Republic

‘You see a GunFilth waving its penis substitute, exit, call police. Armed robbery in progress.” So wrote Twitter user “Little Black Dog” on September 13 of this year. The injunction was a particularly colorful one, but the idea behind it, alas, is not as uncommon as one might wish. “I see you #opencarry with a gun in public,” a man named “joe villa” threatened earlier this week, “i’m calling the cops. psycho behaving erratic. make your day.” A translation for the more literate among us: “The law be damned; exercise your rights under the law and I’ll threaten your life.”...

I attended the Gun Rights Policy Conference in Illinois last weekend.   After the event, I met another attendee in Wisconsin.   Don Hosmer recalled disarming before entering Illinois, and seeing several others do so as well.   As a result, I decided to explore the problems and possibilities of carry in Illinois for a non-resident. You could apply for, and obtain an Illinois concealed carry permit.  They are backed up at present, but it looks like it would be possible, if somewhat difficult.  From the Illinois State Police site:  Sec. 40. Non-resident license applications. (a) For the purposes of this Section,...

Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek overstepped his authority in revoking the gun permit of an Iraq war veteran who police say represented a possible danger to himself or others, a judge ruled Friday. The judge ordered Stanek to reinstate the vet’s permit to carry a gun. The case could have broad implications about how veterans in crisis are treated by law enforcement and about how much authority a sheriff may have in revoking permits to carry weapons. At one point, Bloomington police became so concerned about the man, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2005,...

Earl Malone, Suspected Armed Robber One adult attempts to rob another, using the threat of deadly force.  The victim is an armed adult with a concealed carry permit.  He defends himself, and the attempted robber dies.   Cause for muted thanks, correct?  The good guy won, and there is one less hardened criminal on the street to make the city a slightly less dangerous place. The CBSMinnesota headline: Man Released After Claiming Self Defense In Fatal Mpls. ShootingThis from cbslocal.com: Authorities believe he was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot 18-year-old Earl Malone Saturday night at the intersection of...

In the story, it is clear that the dog that attacked was unsecured and in violation of the law.   The family had been gently warned that their dog might escape.  The  CCW carrier's fears were realized, and he had to use deadly force to save his own, legally restrained, dog.   The dog is referred to as a "lab" but it is clear that it is a mix of some kind.   It was an adopted dog, so its ancestry is not certain.  Most dogs are very territorial; it is not surprising that they will attack other dogs that they view...

Map from usacarry.com It was only a couple of decades ago that crossing state lines left most law abiding people effectively disarmed.   That started changing as the "shall issue" concealed carry firearms reform swept through the country.  I particularly remember how criminals were targeting people with rental cars in Florida, because they could be fairly certain that the people were from out of state, and thus effectively disarmed. Florida responded by changing there law to allow for interstate reciprocity, and to allow non-residents to obtain Florida concealed carry permits.   Florida permits are now one of the most popular...

In this case reported from Antioch, Tennessee, a domestic argument ends with a stranger being drawn into a potentially deadly encounter.     The accused and a woman were arguing, and the accused told her to to get out of the car on the Interstate.   A stranger, seeing a woman walking on the Interstate, stopped to ask if she needed help.   Shortly after, the accused came back, stopped, drew a pistol and pointed it at the two.   The stranger drew his own gun, words were exchanged, and the accused drove off.   No shots were fired. Talk to any police officer, and...

ith a smile on his face, George Zimmerman spent Saturday afternoon posing for photos, sharing hugs and shaking hands with gun enthusiasts at a firearms expo in Lake Mary.. "It's so odd to me," said Zimmerman, about the celebrity treatment he receives in public. "[But] it is appreciated." In his first interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Zimmerman described life after his acquittal last year in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The former Neighborhood Watch volunteer shot the unarmed black teen in Sanford on Feb. 26, 2012. Now life for the 30-year-old is completely different. He's always moving. He's...

Governor Christie is closely following the Shaneen Allan case.  This fact was mentioned at the tail end of an article about New Jersey lawmakers attempting to reform the State's gun laws, which are some of the most restrictive in the country.  From cbslocal.com (NewYork): Christie says he’s been following the case closely but doesn’t like to intervene in cases until they’ve had the opportunity to work their way through the judicial process. “I don’t like to intervene in the judicial process until the judicial process has an opportunity to work its way through,” he said. “I think then and...

Today, September 11, the Missouri House Joined the Missouri Senate in overriding Governor Nixon's (D) veto of SB 656.    From wsvn.com: The new regulations, which this time garnered the two-thirds majority needed to override Nixon's veto, take effect in about a month.  Here are the primary reforms that will be enacted with SB0656:  Guarantees the right to posses arms in public housing  Forbids physical restraint or disarmament unless there is an arrest or an articulable and reasonable suspicion of criminal activityMandates that  POST  determine the training standards for school protection officersAllows school districts to designate school protection officersForbids health...

In and example of armed citizen stopping crime, a 30 year old West Allis man defended himself and others against an attempted armed robbery by a group of four.  He shot and killed one of the suspects, a known gang member with a long criminal history at the age of 15. The police or prosecutor have not said that the armed citizen had a concealed carry permit.   it seems likely, as he was not charged or arrested, at least not yet.  Perhaps he was openly armed, which does not require a permit.  Police have arrested five more people that...

Indictments have consequences. Democrats are still smiling over the recent felony indictment of Rick Perry, even as the Governor’s legal team is taking steps in court to reveal the spurious nature of the charges.One consequence of the indictment, however, has thrown conservatives in Texas for a loop. Texas media began reporting last week that because of the charges against him, Governor Perry’s concealed carry license has been suspended by operation of law. §411.187 of the Texas Government Code states that the Department of Public Safety shall suspend (not revoke, as it has been reported) a concealed carry license if the...

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 20, 2014-- Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) today reported second quarter Adjusted earnings per share1 of $0.78, a decrease of 20.6 percent from $0.98 per share in 2013, and GAAP earnings per share of $0.37. In addition to operating results, second quarter GAAP earnings per share reflect: Net pre-tax data breach expenses of $111 million, or (11) cents per share2; Pre-tax early debt retirement losses of $285 million, or (27) cents per share2; Pre-tax impairment losses on undeveloped U.S. land of $16 million, or (1) cent per share, and; A (1)-cent impact related to the reduction of the beneficial interest...

Bundy engaged in armed resistance to avoid paying fees. Compare that to peaceful protests responding to a lost life. Last Wednesday night, I had snarked on Twitter about the lack of so-called “Tea Party” “patriots” — like those brave boys and girls who, earlier this year, pointed their big assault-rifles at federal officials to protect the “right” of a scofflaw rancher in Nevada to illegally graze his cattle for free on land that he did not own — failing to show up to protect the actual rights and freedoms of so many being denied them by actual Big Government Tyranny...

Innovative Optique is a high end eyewear store in a suburb north of Milwaukee.   From the reviews, it appears to cater to those who can afford high quality, customized glasses.    Last year, a thief stole a pair of $2,000 sunglasses.   Last Friday, an employee shot and killed a 22 year old during the  course of an attempted armed robbery.   From channel3000.com: Police said the gunfire occurred during an attempted robbery. They said 22-year-old Joshua Drake of Milwaukee tried to rob the store about noon, and an armed employee shot and killed him. The employee wasn't hurt. Wisconsin has an...

From voter ID laws to broken immigration detention centers, the U.S. is not the model democracy it fancies itself. Watching Israel’s brutal treatment of Palestinians in Gaza over our TV screens makes it easy to forget about the human rights abuses taking place right here on American soil. Sybrina Fulton and Ron Davis, whose sons were killed in what many believe were racially motivated attacks, are using their children’s deaths to remind Americans that human rights are being violated right here in the United States. More than a year after George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin, Fulton felt the humiliating pendulum...

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 Streetlight McCarthy: Concealed Carry Same As Drunken Driving The expert in carrying a firearm while intoxicated speaks: “This is what I said from Day One: More guns is not the solution to gun violence. That’s akin to saying everybody should drive drunk to stop drunken driving. It doesn’t work that way.” So what's giving Chicago Police Supt. McCarthy flashbacks? Something he thinks will be an excuse to restrict Concealed Carry in Illinois. After Wednesday’s meeting at Kennedy-King, McCarthy also disclosed that one of the men shot this week at a North Side nightclub had one of...

Police: Gunman and victim in Loop shooting 'had been friends for years' By Marwa Eltagouri, Alexandra Chachkevitch and Meredith Rodriguez, Tribune reporters Less than a week after Tony DeFrances learned that he was being demoted as part of a downsizing of his company, authorities said he walked into his boss’s office Thursday morning for a one-on-one. Apparently upset about his demotion, DeFrances, armed with a gun, confronted CEO Steven LaVoie, a longtime colleague and friend at the supply technology firm ArrowStream in the Loop, police said. At some point, DeFrances, 60, and LaVoie, 54, struggled over the gun. LaVoie was...

An armed citizen in Bradentown, Florida stopped an attempted carjacking when he fired a round at his own vehicle during the attempt.   Apparently there were two suspects.  One was in another car.  When the victim showed that he was armed by firing a shot, one carjacker took off in another vehicle, abandoning his accomplice, who fled on foot.   From bradenton.com: The victim said he was carjacked at gunpoint while sitting in front of the CVS Pharmacy at 4302 Cortez Road at 4:26 a.m. Wednesday, according to a release. The victim said he obtained a gun and fired at...

A man with a concealed carry permit shot at an armed robbery suspect who was running from a cell phone store in Crestwood, prompting an officer who was also chasing the suspect to take cover, police said. The man with the permit told police he was about to step inside an AT&T store at 4756 W. Cal-Sag Road around noon Saturday when he noticed the store was being robbed, Crestwood police said in a statement. The man said he stayed outside to prevent anyone from entering, police said. After he saw the suspect leaving through a back door, he entered...