I've created a special feature for the print media and broadcasters ("Page Nine" regardless of where or when it runs), that covers stories afresh, not the way news rooms typically flavor things. It would help reduce the distrust so many news consumers feel and could be the most avidly followed item you carry -- if you carry it. It certainly is well received by my audience.
This casual sample might make you say, "We'll NEVER run that!" but Page Nine is being built around ad revenues from clear-thinking mainstream businesses.
Alan Korwin, Author
Gun Laws of America
"The Uninvited Ombudsman"
--Tell your friends--
(Sign up and blog info at end) Permission to circulate granted
PAGE NINE
The Uninvited Ombudsman Report, No. 58
by Alan Korwin, Jan. 13, 2009
Brady Gun Ban Plan: I have obtained the complete 16-page plan sent to Obama's transition team, with 26 specific "requests," posted on my website: https://www.gunlaws.com/newstuff.htm
So where's the pro-rights proposal? If the gun-rights community doesn't offer suggestions, all we can do is react defensively -- what a terrible strategy! He'll be our president (and its our Congress) too, for better or worse.
We need to issue "requests" for: tax breaks for marksmanship training and range time; jail time for people who infringe on Second Amendment rights or discriminate against gun owners (civil-rights denial is a felony); High School Marksmanship Programs https://www.gunlaws.com/HighSchoolMarksmanship.htm; repeal of discreet-carry bans; a special award for armed survivors of criminal assaults... and how about ammo stamps for the poor so they can practice too? See dozens of clever suggestions here https://www.gunlaws.com/sunshin.htm (OK, so maybe field-stripping battle rifles grades K thru 12 goes a bit far) and call on your gun-rights group to draft a formal proposal on letterhead for Mr. Obama now. Don't forget to announce it to your "news" outlets. Submit proposals: http://change.gov/open_government/yourseatatthetable
Proposal for highway signs on private land near state entry points:
"Welcome! Arizonans bear arms discreetly and openly for crime deterrence. If this makes you uncomfortable turn back as soon as you can do so safely. Arizona law supports self defense and use of force to combat crime. A.R.S. §13-3101 et. seq."
Makes an important statement, costs little, confirms the legality of 2A, takes the moral high ground, provides news opportunities when the media tries to characterize it incorrectly -- and will be loudly cheered by more than half the nation that supports RKBA. People who oppose it for predictable reasons need a spotlight on them. A significant, rights-affirming, low-cost, crime-deterrence program.
1: The AR-15 is not a military firearm. https://www.gunlaws.com/GunLawUpdate3.htm: Several knowledgeable people argued that it's inaccurate to equate the AR-15 with military use, in Vietnam or otherwise, because the military version is full auto (or select fire) and designated M16. They're right. The AR-15 is basically a non-military version in semi-auto for civilian use, I regret any error. The term AR-15 is like 1911, it's a type of firearm, not a brand, and again, sorry for any lack of clarity. A lawsuit between Bushmaster and Colt took the original AR-15 designation from Colt and made it generic so it's now inaccurate to attribute the rifle to that maker exclusively (the same as a 1911). The Smith and Wesson M&P15 is an AR-15, I said it strongly resembled one.
The point is that the AR-15 is a civilian semi-auto rifle, but officials and the media try to characterize it as exclusively for military use, which it is not. The idea that it only belongs on battlefields, as our president-elect and the Bradys chant is false, since it is designed for civilian hands, NOT the military.
On a related point, some marksmen like to use the term assault weapon. As a wordsmith I object to its detrimental and ambiguous nature, or use as an imprecise substitute for select-fire (semi- or full-auto) firearms, and believe it should be dropped. Assault, properly used, is a type of behavior, not a type of hardware. A position can be assaulted with any weapon or none at all. Weapons imprecisely categorized that way have enormous potential as defensive weapons too, making the term misleading at best.
Enemies of RKBA love the term because they believe it vilifies firearms, and it does for the ignorant. This means it should never be used by RKBA supporters. The military may have adopted its use to poorly describe select fire, but that's simply one more military mistake, confuses the issue, and eats away at our rights. Someone tell the Pentagon to correct their terminology. Assault is a type of behavior. And as one expert suggests, the military term is actually assault rifle, with specific defining characteristics, while assault weapon was invented by gun haters to attack gun rights.
2: Brady legislative policy from prior Gun Law Update: I neglected to mention Brady's goal to permanently record all NICS background check data. Currently all records are destroyed soon after approval to prevent centralized registries of innocent Americans; coupled with the plan to federalize any gun transfer anywhere, this amounts to a national gun registry, currently banned under numerous laws to prevent abuse and tyranny by federal officials; Gun registration, a former vigorous Brady goal, is not mentioned by them anywhere in so many words.
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1- First 2009 Gun-Ban Bill Introduced
The lamestream media told you:
Nothing.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
The excellent Firearms Coalition covered this before anyone: "Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) filed a comprehensive anti-gun wish-list bill (HR 45) in the 111th Congress on its first day in session. No sooner were the new members of Congress sworn in than Mr. Rush, a former Black Panther leader, filed the bill. It has no cosponsors yet and was automatically referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
"If passed, it would require anyone wishing to purchase, own, or possess a 'qualifying firearm' -- that's any handgun, and any long gun that takes a detachable magazine -- would have to be licensed by the state or the federal government in a licensing program managed by the Attorney General.
"To get a license you would have to prove you're you, provide a passport-style photo, a thumbprint, and take a written exam which includes questions about firearms safety, safe storage, the risks of firearms ownership, and anything else the Attorney General deems appropriate. All transfers would be required to go through a licensed dealer with the exception of occasional gifts or bequests between parents, children over 18, and grandparents, or loans of not more than 30 days between 'persons who are personally known to one another.' All transfers would have to be recorded in a new 'Transfer Record' established and maintained by the Attorney General."
That would be a national gun registry. Read the rest here http://tinyurl.com/96whw8, and let me encourage you to support this fine group.
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2- Gun Registry Growing
The lamestream media told you:
Nothing.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
In what may be a violation of the Firearms Owners Protection Act, New Jersey authorities, working with the Bureaucracy of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are compiling a national database of gun owners.
The New Jersey Democratic State Committee website boasts of its plan to centrally register all original gun purchasers in a database compiled by local police. The announcement, more than one year old, has just been brought to the attention of the Uninvited Ombudsman. http://www.njdems.org/press_display.php?ID=169
"E-trace is a nationwide database maintained by the ATF that lists a firearm's first purchaser, date of purchase and the retailer from which it was purchased. The information is compiled from police records of gun purchases provided by local departments...
"The (state) Attorney General also announced today that she is issuing a directive to all police departments in the state that will require the departments to forward all gun tracing information to E-Trace to create a data-base that can be shared by all law enforcement in the state. Currently, only 30 percent of local departments across the nation provide firearm sourcing information to the e-Trace system..."
The Democrats have been calling loudly for an end to Tiahrt amendment, which supposedly prevents such activity. If they already have such activity underway, calling for repeal doesn't make sense, or covers some other base we can't see yet.
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3- FBI Fraud Revealed?
The lamestream media told you:
Self defense is so rare that it doesn't get much coverage because there isn't much of it.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
An "Inn of Court" meeting of lawyers and judges, held in Phoenix in November, revealed a startling statistical problem that has gone largely unnoticed. Face-to-face conversations with office holders in the judiciary confirmed the well known fact that nearly every shooting involving a citizen is referred by the police to the county attorney's office for possible prosecution. The police don't dismiss an event as a "clean shoot."
Most of the reports however, according to these officials, are "turndowns." In other words, the county decides against prosecution because the shooting appears to be justifiable (while a few cases are either unclear or do not appear strong enough to get convictions. Only a small percentage move forward towards the courts for homicide trials.
This helps explain why federal self-defense stats are so low (the FBI estimates justifiable homicides in the low three figures each year). They are only counting cases that go to trial and end in acquittal. The hundreds (in my home county of Maricopa) that aren't charged are simply left out of the stats. This also helps explain why we had so hard a time finding assault survivors for our "My gun saved my life" banquet several years ago -- we didn't know where to look.
A "no bill," which is more commonly thought of as a justifiable shooting, implies a grand jury finding, which is comparatively rare since few cases are referred there, instead of just being dismissed.
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4- $800 Billion Blind
The lamestream media told you:
Obama seeks to introduce his economic stimulus package immediately upon taking office, because the economy is very sick and desperately needs it. The cost of the package is now believed to be $800 billion dollars.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
A package that big will be thousands of pages of new law. Obama's announced desire for swift action means enacting it before anyone knows what's in it. This not how you run open government, this is how you run government by fiat. It is the exact opposite of the man's campaign. The "news" media simply parroted Obama's announcement, without questioning the government-by-secret-laws aspect, prompting many to say they've become a lapdog instead of a watchdog.
With $800 billion up for grabs, you can almost see the Congress sending its aides down to the basement, where the clerks are typing up the thousands of pages, and telling them, "My boss said it's OK for you to add this in there," and our hard-earned taxed money being sucked off by everyone with that golden quality -- access.
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5- Phony Government Jobs
The lamestream media told you:
Nedra Pickler of the Associated Press writes that "Obama has increased his employment goal" from 2.5 to 3 million jobs to be created by the federal government. He set the more ambitious goal after meeting with economic advisers. During the campaign he promised to create one million new jobs. His allies in Congress want to implement the plan "as soon as possible after he takes office," according to Nancy Pelosi.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Economic advisers who know anything about economics know government cannot create jobs. Government is a drag on the economy, sapping energy with tax takings, regulatory burdens, bans on activity and red tape.
The only way government can "make" a job is by taking money from people who earned it in real jobs, and give it to someone else in a position government created. This doesn't provide real income for productive work and wealth creation, it merely redistributes wealth. The lamestream media didn't get the memo.
Why an increase of 500,000 tax-created positions is meaningful beside the fact that it's a round number was unexplained at press time. What those jobs might be was not revealed, along with the rest of the president-elect's plans, which are being developed in secret.
Implementing massive expensive tax-funded hiring plans immediately upon taking office implies removing any representative discussion of the plan, forcing it on taxpayers without giving them a say, or before they can even review the thing. This is called "open government" by incoming officials, a reference to opening your wallet and removing its contents.
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6- Hotter Than Pistols
The lamestream media told you:
The economy is in the tank and there is no good business news.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Gun sales for December rose a startling 24% on fears that Obama will make it harder to buy firearms, and that some basic staples like magazines and ammo may be banned or restricted by illegal federal infringements. The increase comes on top of a whopping 42% rise in November.
"Sales of firearms, in particular handguns and semi-automatic hunting and target rifles, are fast outpacing inventory," said NSSF President and CEO Stephen L. Sanetti. "People have money to spend, if they have a reason or the price is right," said one observer.
NICS background checks provide a reliable estimate of actual sales, with 1,523,426 in Dec. this year (2008) compared to 1,230,525 in 2007. Sanetti will be at the SHOT Show, the largest Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade show in the world, in Orlando, Jan. 15 to 18, along with the Uninvited Ombudsman and an expected 60,000+ participants.
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7- Budget Cuts Finally
The lamestream media told you:
State's Budget Axe To Cut Deeply -- Deficits, combined with a weak economy and lower than expected sales-tax revenue is forcing legislators to cut programs across the board to cover shortfalls, with painful reductions expected to hurt everyone. States nationwide carried similar news.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
In a glorious advance for freedom, governments at every level are being forced to trim their operations and reduce their size, thanks to an economy that will no longer support profligate spending, massive government expansions and wasteful programs.
This is an opportunity to demand closure of the most wasteful and unconstitutional departments, instead of passively allowing reductions to legitimate core government operations.
The pain referred to in "news" stories is the much sought after "less government" so many Americans want. What, you didn't think shrinking the government would have the lamestream shrieking about pain? Look at the bright side -- government is taking less money from you, so you have more of it for yourself. After all, who earned it, you or them?
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8- Obama's Qualification Questioned
The lamestream media told you:
Nothing.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday (1/12) denied review for the third time of a case challenging Obama's eligibility to hold the office of president of the U.S., based on a claim that he is not a natural born citizen as required by the Constitution. This was the most prominent lawsuit (Berg v. Obama) but the Court did allow the case to remain alive, all the details well done here: http://www.americasright.com/. The lower court had said, in denying Berg's suit, "a candidate's ineligibility under the Natural Born Citizen Clause does not result in an injury in fact to voters." Unbelievable.
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9- CNN Qualifies Caroline
The lamestream media told you:
"Is Caroline Kennedy qualified to be the next Senator from New York, when Hillary takes a post as Secretary of State with Obama?" asked CNN, repeatedly, night after night.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Showing no hint of restraint or neutrality, CNN is actively campaigning for Caroline Kennedy. It's repeated broadcasts, complete with dynamic footage of the neophyte on stages, perfectly quaffed and made up, has repeated her name non-stop, while asking "the" question (is she qualified?) of no other contender. In fact, the chances that anyone following CNN can name another contender are tiny, since CNN rarely mentions the two dozen other people who are seeking the job.
Whether CNN's disgusting abuse of its broadcast license to campaign for a candidate will get the candidate appointed (elections are over) is unknown at press time.
Describing Sarah Palin, Michael Gormley of the AP, says, "She messed up her first interviews, didn't show much of a grasp of the issues, and had a speech pattern that was widely mimicked." He goes on to note, with surprising candor, that this also describes Ms. Kennedy. Unlike Palin, Caroline receives gushing praise instead of critique, despite endless "you know," and "um" when she opens her pie hole. AP attributes the difference in coverage to their backgrounds (Alaska vs. Manhattan), class differences, "urban-centric elitism" vs. rural roots, running for VP instead of the Senate, being more in tune with the media (for Kennedy), but not bias.
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10- Tax Reduction "Costs"?
The lamestream media told you:
Obama wants to give the middle class a tax cut, despite the slowing economy, saying the middle class needs relief now. "That plan has been estimated to cost about $140 billion over 2009-10," says Jesse Holland, writing for the Associated Press.
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
Money government doesn't take from the public in taxation is not a cost as the AP routinely reports. That perspective is merely statist spin, sometimes known as propaganda. This bias teaches that government is a wonderful solution to problems, money belongs to government, government can let you keep some of your own money at great cost to itself, and confirms the idea that the media has become an arm of the state.
The accurate statement would be, "That plan will save Americans $140 billion of their own money, which the government would otherwise take from them." Calling it a cost is a reprehensible distortion, but the reporter has not been punished, is believed to not know better, and is still at large.
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11- Taxation Through Conspiracy
The lamestream media told you:
Three Asian electronics giants have agreed in San Francisco federal court to plead guilty and pay $585 million in fines for conspiring to drive up prices for LCD screens used in computers, cell phones and TVs. Assistant attorney general Thomas Barnett said, "These price fixing conspiracies affected millions of American consumers, forcing them to pay more for these products." There is a $70 billion dollar worldwide market for LCD screens. http://tinyurl.com/7k4nfr
The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:
In a clever new taxation scheme implemented by the federal judiciary, consumers are fleeced by foreign manufacturers, government officials squeeze the money out of the companies in court, and then pocket hundreds of millions in the process. "If we were criminally overcharged by foreigners, how come the government gets all the cash?" asked one incredulous taxpayer. Reporters failed to ask the obvious question, running the AG's press release almost verbatim.
The fines amounted to about eight-tenths of one percent of the global market for the devices. It was unclear how much profit the companies made on the guilty plea. No one was arrested in the illegal cartel conspiracy, because the people involved had to go back to work, and the government was satisfied with its take in the operation.
Barnett said this "should send a clear message that the Antitrust Division will vigorously investigate and prosecute illegal cartels." The cartels are believed to view the case as a mere cost of doing business, and from behind closed doors laugh out loud at a judiciary that allows its constituents to be fleeced, so that government officials can collect money after the fact.
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CLOSERS:
Last issue pointed out that CCW permit holders are five times less likely than the general population to commit a crime. Several writers asked for backup. It's easy to derive yourself if your state publishes CCW info by taking the numbers of permits revoked for cause, drawing a ratio to all permit holders, and comparing that to crime rates. The National Center for Policy Analysis has stats posted for Texas (showing a 14-times reduction for non-violent crimes too). http://www.ncpa.org/pi/crime/pd101300a.html.
This should not be surprising, they point out, since permit holders are a self-selected set of people seeking to avoid crime, who undergo training and police checks, setting them in a class you would expect to have lower crime stats than people selected at random. If you want to pursue this check this out -- the virulently anti-rights Violence Policy Center screamed about Texas permitees committing two violent crimes per month. Even assuming that's true (VPCs numbers are notoriously unreliable), with more than a quarter million permits issued, that's less than 10 per 100,000 per year. Most cities have rape rates that alone are two to five times greater than that. All in all, a permit holder sitting next to you is the least of your worries.
WHAT CAN I DO?
1. Begin talking about and demanding disarming criminals instead of infringing on rights of gun owners. Infringe us, meet stiff resistance, arrest and prosecute hardened murderers, we're your ally.
2. Seek "HR 218" for the general public (the national cop-carry law, that protects off-duty and retired police who choose to carry firearms anywhere they go). We were supposed to get it right after ex-cops did, but nothing happened. South Dakota, which attempted to ignore this law even for police, was just rebuked in court. http://www.leaa.org/leosasturgis.html
3. Demand "no arrest for possession of private property" law -- The American Historical Rights Protection Act (AHRPA). Possession of firearms, with no wrongdoing, is not a crime. https://www.gunlaws.com/lostcry.htm
--------
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Thanks for reading!
Alan Korwin
The Uninvited Ombudsman
Alan Korwin
Bloomfield Press
"We publish the gun laws."
4848 E. Cactus, #505-440
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
602-996-4020 Phone
602-494-0679 Fax
1-800-707-4020 Orders https://www.gunlaws.com alan@gunlaws.com
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(That's our info as of 1/1/07)
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you're reading this in English, thank a veteran.
"No one could make a greater mistake
than he who did nothing because
he could do only a little."
--Edmund Burke
================================
Comments help keep me going. Alan.
================================
Regarding the Caroline Kennedy error (she was quoting Quilici not Miller, see P9 #57):
Saul of Tarsus unjustly executed Christians, and still got forgiven, so you are well within the range of forgivable errors. Merry Christmas, Dave Kopel
Don't kick yourself. 1. You were man enough to admit a mistake. 2. Consider the number of mistakes vs. the number of people enlightened by gunlaws.com. Merry Christmas And Happy New Year! -Ross C.
To err is human. To forgive--divine. To admit an error--Supernatural. -G.
Alan, Such corrections in an expeditious manner are always the best thing to do. I thought I'd give the feedback so that you know that there are supporters and readers of your material who trust that you provide accurate data and thank you for your work. --Reg P.
"I apologize for letting that slip through..." No problem. Go out and buy a new gun to celebrate ... while you can. -Jon H.
Alan, Don't be so hard on yourself. Without you going to bat for us, I'm not quite sure who would. I (we) appreciate absolutely every last letter you type. -BJ
You send out so much valuable information, a tiny slip doesn't even register on the Richter scale of errors. Your column is too important but admitting a mistake just confirms what I already suspected - you are a honest man trying to write honest things and "right" wrong things. -Melodye M.
Alan, We all make mistakes. The way to tell a man from a coward is that a man admits his mistakes. -Drue G.
I hate it when that happens. I got accused of being human myself just last week when I botched a headline on the front page above the fold. -Linda B.
People look to me for advice regarding guns because of my retired military status and employment with the Department of Homeland Security. I recently copied your "Bashing" of Ms. Kennedy and sent the text to many of my friends and peers. Now I find out that not only were you completely off base, but apparently your research flawed beyond comprehension. I suggest in the future you stick with report "facts" and leave the journalism aspect out of your emails. I also, need to send retractions because of your inaccuracies and flawed attempts to impress folks with your "witty banter". Please remove my email address from your distribution list? Sincerely, -(name withheld), U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
[Dear ___, Sorry you feel that way. I've removed you, if you ever want back on, just sign up on my home page https://www.gunlaws.com. For what it's worth, no one else reacted as you did.]
Hi Alan, Thanks for the quick and detailed correction. I have come to enjoy and rely on your research and this just makes me even more comfortable that both your error rate is low and follow-up fact checks produce immediate correction or elaboration as needed. -Larry S.
Journalism that apologizes and corrects errors (in a timely manner, no less?) - unheard of! -Ralph R.
Thank you Alan, An honest mistake and an honorable correction, You lead by your example. -Peter B.
This isn't your first correction, retraction or update of information, and each time you set things clear, you stand much taller than the last. None of the printed publications would ever admit to such errors and provide such explanations. It is beneath them, and that is why they are entirely beneath us. -Clair S.
Thank you for this correction. I also thank your attorney source for coming forward to you and admitting and correcting his error. Kudos to one in my own profession. -Rich B.
You did the right thing to apologize for a misquote. Such candor is rare and refreshing. -Bob B.
While I don't always agree with your viewpoints, and I think you are often overly hyperbolic, I absolutely respect you for your speedy correction. Good on you! Now THAT'S the kind of thing the mainstream media is lacking. -Jamison B.
This email alone shows why I trust what I read on Page 9; when the lamestream media prints an error if they print a retraction it is usually in some obscure place in a tiny article. On the other hand you take full responsibility, you leave your source out of the error and you email out a full page correction/retraction. Kudos Mr. Alan Korwin and please keep up your quality honest work. -Steven S.
An incredibly speedy correction... you and your anonymous legal buddy are being too self-critical. If Alderman and Kennedy relied on the flawedQuilici decision as a significant source for an interpretation of the Second Amendment, one could easily question their qualifications as legal scholars. -Clyde M.
Hey, at least the correction is on Page 1. -Gary M.
Alan Korwin
Bloomfield Press
"We publish the gun laws."
4848 E. Cactus, #505-440
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
602-996-4020 Phone
602-494-0679 Fax
1-800-707-4020 Orders
https://www.gunlaws.com
alan@gunlaws.com
Call, write, fax or click for our f r e e full-color catalog
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you're reading this in English, thank a veteran.
"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." --Edmund Burke
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