Free Republic

In light of the Mike Brown and Trayvon Martin cases, I am seeking FReeper opinions on how concealed, or open, carriers view their roles and responsibilities. Your responses are greatly appreciated.

One of the difficult things to quantify about defensive gun uses, is how often they occur without a shot being fired.  The survey information indicates that it happens somewhere between a few hundred thousand to a few million times per year in the United States.  With the Internet, we are becoming more aware of these events.   Sometimes, they are reported in local media.  It in the vast majority of cases, there is no report to police; if there is a police report, there is no media coverage; if there is media coverage, it is strictly local.   I recall numerous...

Link to video of Maria Butina at the Texas NRA meeting. In 2010, it was reported that the Russian Parliament was considering loosening the Russian law on self defense, to allow Russians who legally own firearms to carry them for the purposes of self defense.   The Russian Justice Minister, Alexander Konovalov was firmly against the possibility. In 2013, it was reported that the Russian organization, The Right to Bear Arms, had only 1,000 members.  It was founded by Maria Butina, the 24 year old redhead pictured in the video and below. Now we learn that Russian law has been changed...

prior to this change “Russians were only allowed to own firearms for hunting or target practice.” Because of this, there are only “13 million” privately owned firearms in Russia compared to approximately 310 million the US. On the other hand, “there were 21,603 murders in Russia” in 2009 compared with just over 13,600 in the US, “which has a population almost twice as large [as Russia].” In other words, in the past few years fewer guns equaled more murder in Russia while more guns equaled fewer murders in the US. Under the new law, Russians can acquire a license to...

There are a lot of ways to address sexual assault on college campuses. Warning students to watch the facial expressions they make isn’t one of them. Yet that’s what students at Ramapo College of New Jersey in Mahwah, New Jersey, were faced with during an hourlong presentation on alcohol use and sexual assault that focused heavily on what women could do to avoid being assaulted, according to the Ramapo News. The presentation included tips from the school’s Substance Abuse & Violence Prevention coordinator Cory Rosenkranz, who advised students on how to dress, how much to drink and how to use...

In Michigan, following the kidnap and murder of an Arkansas real estate agent, a number of women real estate agents are studying how to effectively control their guns in a deadly force situation.   The person who is encouraging them is the petite, attractive, Shelley Gottschling, pictured above. There is nothing particularly unusual about this.   Firearm instructors have long noted the ability of women to become excellent shots, and the fact that women do not bring the macho baggage to the range that some men do.   Shelley's mentor, however, notes that she is exceptional.  From mlive.com: "I haven't seen too...

A federal grand jury will meet in downtown Orlando Wednesday to hear testimony about whether Trayvon Martin's civil rights were violated when Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman shot him in the chest, according to court paperwork.. A U.S. Department of Justice attorney from Washington, D.C., Mark Blumberg, has issued at least one subpoena for Wednesday in the case. Blumberg would not comment on the grand jury session, but the federal panel is to meet at 9 a.m. at the federal courts building on Central Avenue in downtown Orlando to hear evidence in the case. It's not clear how many witnesses...

A billboard advertising a line of bulletproof vests for young boys has appeared near the Florida capital in Tallahassee. Chilling, controversial and undeniably eye-catching, the ad is part of the “Vest or Vote” campaign mounted by The Dream Defenders. The Florida-based social justice organization is rallying residents to vote in Florida’s midterm election Nov. 4. According to a report on Jacksonville’s CBS 47 Action News, the group hopes to elect candidates who will repeal the state's controversial stand-your-ground law. According to The BRPR Group, the Miami-based advertising agency behind the campaign, the billboard was modeled after youth clothing ads like...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords charged Tuesday that "dangerous people with guns are a threat to women" as she worked to rally female voters across Iowa and inject gun control into one of the nation's marquee Senate contests. "Women can lead the way," Giffords told domestic violence leaders gathered in Iowa's capital city during a 43-second speech that was halting and slurred at moments, but largely clear. "We can change our laws. We can change elections."

A Florida father had to use deadly force to defend himself and his 11 year old son from an early morning home invader this week. Just before 6:00am, Chris Bane heard glass breaking inside of his Sarasota home. He armed himself and went to investigate. According to My Fox Tampa Bay, “The burglar fired a shot and the homeowner returned fire, striking and killing the intruder,” said Wendy Rose, a spokesperson for the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. “Apparently the homeowner has been the victim of burglary recently so he was on alert, he was on edge, and as soon as...

Harvill Richardson I recall this case from 2009.  The couple let a homeless man into their home, to help him.  Things quickly went bad.  The couple became fearful as he bragged about his past murders.  From Findlaw.com: ¶ 2. Because Rudy Quilon was homeless following his release from prison, Harvill Richardson permitted Quilon to move into his home while he got back on his feet. Over the next five months, Quilon became increasingly unwelcome as he bragged about having been convicted for murder and armed robbery, his previous experiences as a gang member, and killing a “snitch” in prison....

For the first time in years, the issue of terrorism is again near forefront of the minds of voters most likely to head to the polls in November. The rise of the Islamic State in the Middle East and the statements of American officials who warn that the nation is less safe today than at any time since 9/11 have made for an anxious electorate. The party in power, however, will not benefit from this increased apprehension – polls indicate that Republicans are most trusted to handle matters relating to foreign affairs and national security. This is perhaps why...

(CNSNews.com) – “Christians must do everything within their powers to protect their lives from being snuffed off by Satanist-driven Islamic organizations,” Bishop Joseph Bagobiri, the Roman Catholic head of Nigeria’s Kafanchan Diocese, said Sunday, according to Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper. Bishop Bagobiri also noted, according to the Vanguard, that Christians have a "grave duty" to use “moderate and proportionate force” to defend their families against Islamic groups such as Boko Haram, which is responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians since 2009. Boko Haram became internationally known after it staged a mass kidnapping of more than 250 Nigerian schoolgirls in...

After the recent ammo drought, it’s good to see relatively cheap bulk pistol ammo returning to store shelves. But ammo buyers need to be aware that not everything is as it seems and not all ammo is created equal. I found this Winchester “150 Round Value Pack” of 9mm NATO 124 gr ammo for sale at my local Gander Mountain for $49.99 recently. That works out to about $16.66 per 50, which is not bad for reloadable brass cased 9mm in the current market. That is, until you read the (very) fine print on the bottom of the box that...

Scarcely a week goes by without a story in the news about drones, whether it is a Senator finding a drone peering in her window, or a small town in Colorado discussing whether to offer drone-hunting licenses (in the end they voted not to). The fear that a drone may be watching you is far from unreasonable. Today’s news, for example, is that up to 20 percent of the Border Patrol predator-drone flight hours take place in the US; meanwhile, in Miami where we both live, the police department has a fleet of drones out on patrol. This week’s arrest...

MOORE, Okla. – Officials with the Moore Police Department say the FBI is now involved in the investigation related to a brutal attack of workers at a food distribution plant. Sgt. Jeremy Lewis says the alleged suspect, 30-year-old Alton Nolen had just been fired when he drove to the front of the business, hit a vehicle and walked inside. He walked into the front office area where he met 54-year-old Colleen Hufford and began attacking her with a knife. Sgt. Lewis confirms the type of knife used in the attack is the same kind used at the plant. Lewis confirms...

A fired Oklahoma food processing plant employee who proselytized for Islam beheaded one co-worker and seriously injured another before the owner of the plant shot him, police said Friday. Moments after Alton Nolen, 30, was let go from Vaughan Foods in Moore, he drove to another part of the facility and walked into a front office where he attacked 54-year-old Colleen Hufford, police said. He used a “standard” knife — similar to the ones found at the facility — to allegedly behead Hufford. Then, he used the same knife to repeatedly stab Tracy Johnson, 43, who suffered numerous wounds and...

Americans have a constitutional right to armed self-defense, but they have other choices as well. The University of Colorado, for example, last year offered the students it sought to disarm with statewide legislation other “crime prevention tactics.” Options for female students facing rapists included passive resistance,” biting, and self-degradation. According to one proponent of the bill to ban the lawful carrying of firearms on campuses, such threats are “why we have the whistles.” Along similar lines, NBC’s Today Show recently offered suggestions on how to deal with violent home invaders. Their basic advice: politely defer to the intruder, but if...

The mother of a teen slain at a Jacksonville gas station after he and his friends refused to turn down their music will be among the panelists at a seminar in Orlando about the controversial Stand Your Ground law. Jordan Davis' mother, Lucia McBath, will be among the experts examining whether there is racial disparity in the application or enforcement of Stand Your Ground laws. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is hosting the forum, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 17 in the grand ballroom of the Rosen Centre Hotel on International Drive. The forum...

A Mississippi coroner who advised residents to arm themselves and shoot home intruders said today that he had been angered about a recent spate of burglaries and wasn’t trying to drum up business. David Scott Gregory, 40, the coroner of largely rural Winston County in eastern Mississippi, went on social media during the weekend to urge residents to buy guns and be willing to use them on burglars. “I say shoot the idiots and call the Coroner!” Gregory wrote on Facebook. “I’d hate for any innocent people to get hurt, but at the same time, my stuff is my stuff;...