By Fred Thompson
ABC Radio

One of the things that's got to be going through a lot of peoples' minds now is how one man with two handguns, that he had to reload time and time again, could go from classroom to classroom on the Virginia Tech campus without being stopped. Much of the answer can be found in policies put in place by the university itself.

Virginia, like 39 other states, allows citizens with training and legal permits to carry concealed weapons. That means that Virginians regularly sit in movie theaters and eat in restaurants among armed citizens. They walk, joke, and rub shoulders everyday with people who responsibly carry firearms — and are far safer than they would be in San Francisco, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago, New York City, or Washington, D.C., where such permits are difficult or impossible to obtain.

The statistics are clear. Communities that recognize and grant Second Amendment rights to responsible adults have a significantly lower incidence of violent crime than those that do not. More to the point, incarcerated criminals tell criminologists that they consider local gun laws when they decide what sort of crime they will commit, and where they will do so.

Click 'Read More' for more of the op-ed.

By Tim Inwood

"The District of Columbia and Mayor Adrian Fenty
respectfully petition this Court for rehearing en
banc"

With these words the Mayor of Washington D.C. launches
his challenge to the D.C. Circuit Court's ruling in
Parker vs. Washington D.C., made on March 9,2007.

For
those of us who have fought hard to restore our Second
Amendment rights, the Parker ruling was a stunning victory. Two of the three judges sitting on this court ruled
that the Second Amendment was indeed recognition of an
individual right to bear arms. Judge Silberman wrote:

“To summarize, we conclude that the Second Amendment
protects an individual right to keep and bear arms. That right existed prior to the formation of the new
government under the Constitution and was premised on
the private use of arms for activities such as hunting
and self-defense, the latter being understood as
resistance to either private lawlessness or the
depredations of a tyrannical government (or a threat
from abroad). In addition, the right to keep and bear
arms had the important and salutary civic purpose of
helping to preserve the citizen militia. The civic
purpose was also a political expedient for the
Federalists in the First Congress as it served, in
part, to placate their Anti-Federalist opponents. The
individual right facilitated militia service by
ensuring that citizens would not be barred from
keeping the arms they would need when called forth for
militia duty. Despite the importance of the Second
Amendment's civic purpose, however, the activities it
protects are not limited to militia service, nor is an
individual's enjoyment of the right contingent upon
his or her continued or intermittent enrollment in the
militia.”

This was breathtaking. However, all was not rosy, since
Circuit Judge Karen LeCraft Hendersen dissented. She
embraced the groundless collective rights argument. This argument was invented in the 20th century as an
excuse to infringe on rights, which were not to be
infringed upon. Thus, with her dissent in hand, and
knowing the leadership of Washington D.C. would not give
up their precious handgun ban, we knew this would not
be the end of the fight. Sure enough, the city issued a
fourteen-page petition to the D.C. Circuit Court asking
for an en banc hearing. What this means is they are
asking the entire D.C. Circuit to re-hear the case. Now
it is up to the court to decide what they shall do.

Click 'Read More' for the entire commentary.

Buckeye Firearms Association is pleased to report that the Ohio Republican Party State Central and Executive Committee chose State
Rep. Kevin DeWine to be the state party's deputy director.

Kevin DeWine, the current Speaker Pro Tempore, is a three-time endorsee of this political action committee. His voting record in the Ohio House is solid for gun-owners and sportsmen. He has co-sponsored and voted for concealed carry legislation, the Apprentice Hunting License legislation, and worked to protect the sportsmen hunting, fishing and trapping license monies in the last budget cycle.

Many gun owners have lamented the apparent OhioGOP disconnect to us during the past two decades. There has been much speculation as to whether or not Bennett, the muscle behind the likes of anti-gun politicians like Bob Taft, Mike DeWine, George Voinovich and Betty Montgomery, would keep our Second Amendment rights in mind when choosing a successor. Thankfully, despite what appeared at times like a deliberate effort to sideline Kevin DeWine, who was not among those handpicked by Bennett to run for the position, the State Central and Executive Committees have chose a pro-gun successor to Bob Bennett.

DeWine is
expected to become the new party chairman when Bennett leaves after the 2008
election.

Click 'Read More' for additional information.