Oh, Noes! A Gun At The Grocery Store

Lisa Fullington is outraged, outraged I say, because she saw a man carrying at a grocery store in Greensboro, NC. She is even madder that the store refuses to post the store against carry.

The store is question is a Harris-Teeter grocery store located in one of the nicer areas of Greensboro. I've shopped at this store many a time and affectionately call it the Taj MahTeeter because it is so large and so upscale. It is located in a shopping area that has REI, Ann Taylor, Talbot's, and Brooks Brothers among other upscale stores.

"I don't think you need to bring your gun into a grocery store, a shopping center, and I'm a little peeved that Harris Teeter can't put up a sign that says no arms, concealed or otherwise, allowed in the store," Fullington said Wednesday in her home explaining that she has decided to no longer shop with the grocery store chain. It's an about-face for a woman who's been a Harris Teeter faithful for years.

"I'm not joking, I'm not going there. I think it's dangerous to shop there," she said incredibly. "I just can't imagine that they want people in their stores, it's dangerous! I mean, those people, I don't know who is trained and who isn't"

And Lee Atkinson is fighting right along with her.

"It's a place I go all the time, so I can't solve all the places where people are with guns but I can start where I shop," Atkinson said.

This past summer, lawmakers in Raleigh expanded the concealed carry law which now allows guns in bars, restaurants and other areas unless the owner forbids it.

"I don't want to be in a place where people are packing a lot of guns. I don't want the possibility of bullets whizzing past my head," added Atkinson.

I am reminded of the quote attributed to bank robber Willie Sutton who when asked why he robbed banks said, "I rob banks because that's where the money is."  I wonder if Lisa Fullington and Lee Atkinson realize upscale areas make great targets for thieves "because that's where the money is."

You can see their little hissy fit here. Bob Owens calls them "two self-important, self-absorbed gun haters" and I have to agree. My consolation is that I won't run into them when I'm in Greensboro and going to the Taj MahTeeter for my favorite Utz Extra Dark Special pretzels.

In Other Election News...

The big races yesterday were in New Jersey and Virginia. Others have covered those races and I won't bother to rehash them other than to say than to say, despite the different party tags, neither winner is a friend of gun owners and their rights.

Despite all the media attention focused on Chris Christie, Terry McAuliffe, Ken Cuccinelli, and that Sandinista elected to replace Bloomberg, there were elections at the local level in many areas of the country.

Bitter at Shall Not Be Questioned examines the results in Pennsylvania as they impact gun rights here.

In North Carolina, municipal elections are usually held in odd years and there were a number of elections across the state involving mayors belonging to Mayor Bloomberg's Illegal Mayors. According to their website, there are currently 15 misguided mayors in North Carolina who have lent their names to that effort. Out of those 15 cities, 12 had elections yesterday. The other three held their elections in 2011 and weren't due until 2015.  The incumbent mayors of Carrboro and Emerald Isle did not run for re-election.

This left 10 elections in which a MAIG member was up for re-election. The mayors of Carolina Shores, Chapel Hill, Creedmoor, East Spencer, and Hillsborough faced no opposition except for possible write-in candidates. Thus, only five of the 15 MAIG mayors faced any real opposition.

So how did they fare?

In the cities of Durham and Winston-Salem respectively, incumbent Mayors Bill Bell and Allen Joines cruised to re-election with 80% plus majorities. The Mayor of Oxford, Jackie Sargent, squeaked through in a 3-way election but with less than a majority.

That leaves the mayors of Greensboro and Morrisville who both lost. While gun control was not an issue in the overwhelming defeat of Greensboro Mayor Robbie Perkins by Nancy Barakat Vaughn, it most certainly was an issue in Morrisville.

Morrisville Mayor Jackie Holcombe was quite outspoken in her support for gun control.

Holcombe has drawn the ire of both the National Rifle Association and Grassroots NC for asking Gander Mountain to stop selling semi-automatic rifles at its local store and for joining the Mayors Against Illegal Guns lobbying group.

Holcombe also pushed and failed to find ways for Morrisville to evade state law regarding concealed carry in city parks, greenways, and athletic fields. As such, she incurred the wrath of Grass Roots North Carolina and its Political Victory Fund which actively worked for her opponent Councilman Mark Stohlman who was pro-gun.

I don't know if Holcombe's anti-gun stance made the difference but she lost to Stohlman in the 3-way race by almost 100 votes.

With the defeats in Greensboro and Morrisville, the number of Illegal Mayors has been reduced to 13. I don't know where the new mayors of Carrboro and Emerald Isle stand on gun rights. It may be if we are lucky that they don't want anything to do with that organization. We'll just have to wait and see.

To sum up, gun owners came out a little better after the election than before. Since most of the mayors in North Carolina who belong to Mayor Bloomberg's Illegal Mayors represent small cities and towns, a concerted local lobbying effort might reduce the number even more. It's worth a try.

SAF Files Suit In Arkansas Challenging Ban On Carry By Legal Aliens

The Second Amendment Foundation has filed another in their series of suits challenging the denial of gun rights to legal aliens. In this case, Martin Pot is a Dutch citizen who has resided in Arkansas since 1986 and would like to obtain a concealed carry permit. Arkansas law currently limits concealed carry permits to US citizens.

Laws barring possession or carry permits by legal aliens are low hanging fruit because courts have consistently ruled against them. In cases in Kentucky, South Dakota, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Nebraska brought by both the Second Amendment Foundation and the ACLU, courts have held that alienage is a suspect class, that strict scrutiny must be applied in these cases, and that laws banning possession or carry by legal aliens fail to meet that criteria.

The release from the Second Amendment Foundation gives more details on the case below:

BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Arkansas on behalf of a legal resident alien, alleging that his right to keep and bear arms is being violated by a state law that prevents him from obtaining a concealed carry license.

The lawsuit, on behalf of Martin Pot (pronounced Poht), a citizen of the Netherlands, challenges the Arkansas statute because it “completely prohibits resident legal aliens from the concealed carry of guns, in public, for the purpose of self-defense. Named as a defendant in the case is Colonel Stan Witt, director of the Arkansas State Police.

“Mr. Pot is a law-abiding resident of Eureka Springs, and has been so since 1986,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “He is self-employed and is a productive member of the community, with an American-born wife and family. He came here almost 30 years ago, met and married his wife, and has many solid connections in his community.”

SAF and Mr. Pot are represented by attorney David Sigale of Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

“When I first spoke with Mr. Pot over the telephone, I was alarmed at the prospect of his being denied a fundamental constitutional civil right because of the discriminatory citizenship requirement that was added to the law,” said SAF general counsel Miko Tempski. “He previously had a license, but under the revised statute, the state will not renew it.”

Gottlieb noted that Pot is allowed to possess a firearm in Arkansas only in his home, on his property or – under certain circumstances – while on a “journey.” However, state law prohibits him from obtaining a concealed carry permit because he is not a citizen.

“This is not the first time we have taken an action on behalf of a resident alien,” Gottlieb said, “and we are very confident that this will be a successful case. We have faced similar successful challenges in Washington, New Mexico, Massachusetts and Nebraska.”

SAF is seeking a declaration from the court that the citizenship requirement contained in Arkansas law is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.

The case is entitled Pot et al. v. Witt. I will post a link to the complaint later today.

UPDATE: Here is the link to the complaint in the case.

Authentic

What do Austin Weiss, Colion Noir, Natalie Foster, Dom Raso, and Billy Johnson have in common?

The first two things are obvious: they are all commentators for NRA News and they all love guns.

The third thing is that they are all authentic. They are who they are. Just as Colion Noir is urban and hip so Natalie Foster is girly and fashionable. This authenticity was brought home to me yesterday while listening to the newest contributor Austin Weiss.

Austin is a car guy who with his beard (and tats) would have looked at home on the Boston Red Sox. His cars blend new technology with old style chrome. His guns are the same blending the old and the new. In the video below, Austin mentions how his over-and-under shotgun has carbon fiber stocks instead of nice walnut. He notes the false dichotomy that the O/U with wood stocks says hunting while his with the carbon fiber stocks are "killing machines". He calls this terrible and a misconception.

Say what you will about the NRA and the "lairds of Fairfax", somewhere amidst all those stodgy old white guys is someone who gets it and is working hard to reach out to Gun Culture v.2.0. And you know that this has to piss off the Ladds, Sarahs, and Joshes of the gun prohibitionist industry.

Local Elections Matter, Too

It is not only state and national elections that matter when it comes to gun rights. Local elections matter, too.

In North Carolina, Grass Roots North Carolina-PVF is making recommendations in two local elections: a mayoral race in Morrisville and a council race in Winston-Salem.

Jackie Holcomb, mayor of Morrisville, is one of the few members of Mayor Bloomberg's Illegal Mayors in North Carolina. She is being opposed by Councilman Mark Stohlman who is pro-gun. Meanwhile in Winston-Salem, Councilman Jeff MacIntosh pushed restrictions on carry that were in conflict with state law. He is being opposed by Lida Hayes Calvert. The defeat of one or both of these officials would send a message to local politicians that opposing gun rights is not in their best political interests.

From GRNC-PVF:

Show Politicians Anti-Gun Efforts End in Short Careers

Morrisville

Currently led by Jackie Holcombe, the rabidly anti-gun member of Bloomberg's MAIG group of gun control-supporting mayors (many of whom are criminals), Morrisville is in desperate need of political change.

We have already documented Holcombe's outrageous efforts to violate state law and the rights of NC gun owners.

The good news is that Holcombe may be shown the door this Tuesday by pro-gun candidate Mark Stohlman http://www.citizensforstohlman.com/.

Morrisville GRNC members must get out the vote for this race and kick the anti-gunner to the curb.

Winston-Salem

The city's Northwest Ward race provides another opportunity to shed an anti-gun politician: Jeff MacIntosh. MacIntosh supported the City's misguided resolution opposing expanded carry by state law. He is another freedom-attacker that needs to be shown the door.

Winston-Salem GRNC members of the Northwest Ward are encouraged to vote for Lida Hayes Calvert, a refreshing pro-freedom alternative. Please take your pro-gun friends along with you to the polls.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

• Vote Mark Stohlman for Morrisville Mayor. Encourage others to also.
• Vote Lida Hayes Calvert for Winston-Salem City Council, Northwest Ward. Bring others to the polls with you.
• Support GRNC-PVF!: We need your help in defending the Second Amendment! Go to: http://www.grnc.org/grnc-pvf/donate-to-grnc-pvf

SCI Sues Virginia Over Sunday Hunting Ban

Safari Club International filed suit on October 23rd in the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond challenging Virginia's ban on Sunday hunt. The ostensible purpose of the ban on Sunday hunting was to give wildlife "a day of rest".

SCI is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against VA. CODE ANN. § 29.1-521(A)(1). They allege that the ban on Sunday hunting violates the Virginia Constitution's right to hunt provision as well as its Establishment Clause. They are also alleging that the law violates the US Constitution's First Amendment's Establishment Clause and the14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. They are asking that the law be declared unconstitutional and that its enforcement be enjoined.

SCI claims that the Sunday hunting ban is a remnant of Virginia's "blue laws" which prohibited many activities on the Christian Sabbath or Sunday. In 1936, the Virginia General Assembly added a secular justification to the Sunday hunting noting it was "to give wildlife a day of rest."

The suit says there is no scientific basis for giving wildlife a day of rest. They note that the Board of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries passed a resolution in 2011 urging the ban to be repealed. The board resolution said, " ' [w]ildlife biologists with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries state that there is no biological reason to continue a ban on Sunday hunting. States that have lifted the ban on Sunday hunting have seen no impact on wildlife populations.' "

Virginia does not prohibit the hunting of bear, fox, or raccoon with dogs on Sunday, merely their taking. Likewise, trappers are allowed to trap and kill fur-bearers on Sunday. The suit notes that many outdoor pistol, rifle, and shotgun ranges adjoin areas with wildlife. The suit points out this inconsistency noting that these activities "can and do disturb animals on Sunday, both during and outside of open seasons." In other words, by permitting this, Virginia gives lie to its claim that it is in the public interest "to give wildlife a day of rest".

As SCI's release (see below) points out, Virginia is one of only 11 states that ban hunting on Sunday.

On October 23, 2013, Safari Club International (SCI) filed a lawsuit challenging Virginia's ban on Sunday hunting. The lawsuit argues that the ban is unconstitutional under the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of Virginia, in particular because of Virginia's constitutional right to hunt.

"Sunday hunting bans should be a thing of the past," said SCI President Craig Kauffman. "Hunters have to work during the week, and young hunters are in school, making weekends the primary time they can hunt. The unconstitutional ban on Sunday hunting robs hunters of half their potential time afield, and has absolutely no basis in science or conservation."

Kauffman noted that SCI anticipates debate over proposals to repeal the ban at least in part during the upcoming Virginia 2014 legislative session, and said, "As hunters, we are hopeful that state legislators support the Virginia Constitutional right to hunt and fish and pass meaningful legislation to repeal the ban. SCI will not formally serve the Commonwealth of Virginia until state legislators have exhausted their efforts in Richmond. The filing of this lawsuit marks our promise to pursue this issue through any and all available means," Kauffman concluded.

In addition to the constitutional claims, SCI's suit asserts that Virginia's purported justification for the ban - to give wildlife a "day of rest" - is not supported by sound scientific or wildlife management principles. This misunderstanding of wildlife ecology was highlighted by Virginia's Board of Game and Inland Fisheries when it stated , "the Virginia ban on Sunday hunting serves no biological purpose and is counterproductive to matters of game management." In polling conducted earlier this year an overwhelming 88.6% of SCI members supported full and/or partial repeal of Virginia's Sunday hunting ban.

Eliminating the Sunday hunting ban will provide all hunters with an additional day to hunt, will encourage Virginia hunters to stay in state to hunt on Sundays, and will give out-of-state hunters the opportunity to visit Virginia to hunt on Sundays.

Only 11 states, all on the East Coast, currently have some kind of ban or limitation on Sunday hunting. Opponents of overturning the ban make baseless predictions of dire mayhem, but the existence of Sunday hunting in the vast majority of states proves that these wild predictions have no basis in truth. SCI hopes that success in Virginia might encourage other states to eliminate their statutory bans or limitations on hunting on Sundays. Professional wildlife managers should regulate hunting based on sound science and wildlife management principles, not archaic statutes that have no conservation value.

A Survey On Concealed Carry

Ron Larimer at When the Balloon Goes Up is a doing a survey on concealed carry. The survey includes questions on how often you carry, what you carry, and where on your body you carry your firearm.

Why is is running this survey? I'll let him answer that.

One of the biggest challenges to the new concealed carrier is selecting a pistol and I think we can help.

I would like to create a free concealed carry gun guide that answers many of the new carriers questions about what is the right gun for them by polling actual concealed carriers.

Once the results are in I will compile the specifications on the guns, the popularity, price, ratings, demographics and infer the relative importance of multiple attributes and develop a free downloadable report.

I think this is a great idea. However, it will only be as good as the quality and quantity of the answers he receives. In other words, if you carry concealed, you need to participate.

You can find the very short survey here. Answering the survey won't take more than a minute or two so head on over there now.

Sierra Bullets On The Shutdown Of The Herculaneum MO Lead Smelter

As has been reported in many places, the Doe Run Company will be closing their lead smelting plant in Herculaneum, Missouri. The closure of the only primary lead smelter or a smelting plant that produces lead from lead ore is due to the EPA's ten-fold increase in air standards for lead.

The NRA-ILA provided a quick summary:

In December, the final primary lead smelter in the United States will close. The lead smelter, located in Herculaneum, Missouri, and owned and operated by the Doe Run Company, has existed in the same location since 1892.

The Herculaneum smelter is currently the only smelter in the United States which can produce lead bullion from raw lead ore that is mined nearby in Missouri's extensive lead deposits, giving the smelter its "primary" designation. The lead bullion produced in Herculaneum is then sold to lead product producers, including ammunition manufactures for use in conventional ammunition components such as projectiles, projectile cores, and primers. Several "secondary" smelters, where lead is recycled from products such as lead acid batteries or spent ammunition components, still operate in the United States.

Doe Run made significant efforts to reduce lead emissions from the smelter, but in 2008 the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead that were 10 times tighter than the previous standard. Given the new lead air quality standard, Doe Run made the decision to close the Herculaneum smelter.

Most ammunition uses lead as one of its primary components whether in bullets or lead shot. The question is whether they use recycled lead or lead that comes directly from ore.

Sierra Bullets of Sedalia, Missouri is the first bullet manufacturer that I know of that has addressed the question of whether the plant closure will shut down their supply of lead. The answer is a qualified no.

The main question asked is “Will this shut down your supply of lead.” The answer to that is no. First, Sierra buys lead from several different vendors to maintain constant supply. Second, this facility only smelts primary lead or lead ore. This is lead ore that has just been brought out of the earth. Sierra uses no primary lead at all and never has, so we use nothing directly from this facility. The lead we buy from Doe Run comes from their recycling facility in Boss, MO that is about 90 miles away from the smelter that is closing.

The facility we buy from is still going strong and delivering to us as scheduled. The lead from this facility is from recycled lead, mostly coming from car batteries. This is a continuing “in and out” cycle for them and the smelter closing will not affect this facility.

Our supply should not be in jeopardy and we do not anticipate any changes in our supply chain at this time. Could the lack of primary lead create a little more demand for recycled lead? Sure, but how much is unknown. Could this increase in demand also create an increase in price? Sure, but again, by how much is unknown at this time.

There are many other primary lead smelters in the world and so the flow of primary lead will not be shut off. Where there is a need for primary lead, I am sure there will be a salesman more than happy to pick up the business.

If you read their answer closely, they are saying their source of lead seems to be secure. However, the demand for recycled lead will undoubtedly begin to rise as battery manufacturers may increase their consumption of recycled lead. The increase in hybrid and electric cars will also increase the demand for lead-acid batteries.

Ammo prices have risen with demand and I expect they will continue to rise from both ammo demand and demand for the raw materials such as lead. Where it will end, I just don't know.