About once every month or two, Dave Kopel produces a free e-mail Newsletter containing short summaries and links to important new research and writing involving the Second Amendment and firearms policy. The newsletter also reports on Kopel's latest writing.
The content of this newsletter is produced by the Second Amendment Project at the Independence Institute, a think tank in Golden, Colorado. The newsletter is electronically distributed by the Second Amendment Foundation in Bellevue, Washington. Thus, the Second Amendment Foundation will be given your e-mail address.
Archive of past issues.
Dave Kopel's Second Amendment Project is based at the
Independence Institute, a free-market think tank in Golden, Colorado.
http://www.independenceinstitute.org
The Independence Institute publishes several newsletters on other topics, plus a weekly newsletter containing our most recent op-eds and news of our activities. E-mail subscription to any of these newsletters is free.
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http://www.saf.org
Please visit Dave Kopel's website, containing
articles on the Second Amendment and other freedom
topics.
http://www.davekopel.org
With Paul Gallant & Joanne D. Eisen
26 Quinnipiac Law Review (no. 2, 2008,
forthcoming)
September 28, 2007
http://davekopel.com/2A/Foreign/Human-Rights-and-Gun-Confiscation.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar
software.
Examines human rights abuses in gun confiscation programs in Kenya and Uganda, and in South Africa's quasi-confiscatory licensing law. Also provides the most complete collection ever presented of international survey data about why people in various countries own guns.
18 George Mason University Civil Rights Law
Journal (forthcoming 2008)
August 21, 2007
http://davekopel.com/Religion/Dhimmitude-and-Disarmament.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar
software.
Under Islamic law, Christians and Jews were disarmed and forbidden to fight back against attackers. In modern American universities, the pretend "gun-free" zones likewise ensure that victims will be defenseless against murderous attackers.
Liberty Law Review 79 (2007 forthcoming)
October 9, 2007
http://davekopel.com/Religion/Self-defense-in-Asian-religions.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar
software.
Final version of this article now available on the web. The article surveys the six major religions of East Asia, and finds that they have a great deal in common with Western religions, regarding the legitimacy of forceful self-defense, and of revolution against tyranny.
National Review Online
October 9, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/ytnykn
Ron Paul's appearance at the Gun Rights Policy Conference demonstrates the strength of the Constitution-in-exile movement.
America's 1st Freedom
September 2007
http://davekopel.com/2A/Mags/A-Capital-Crime.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar
software.
The District of Columbia's institutionalized history of incompetence, corruption and bigotry is the very reason for its prohibition of Second Amendment rights�—and for its status as the murder capital of the United States.
The Volokh Conspiracy
October 10, 2007
http://www.volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_10_07-2007_10_13.shtml#1192051881
The Bush administration argues to the Supreme Court that a President can issue orders requiring the execution of a treaty which by its own terms is expressly not self-executing. The argument has profound dangers for the Second Amendment.
The Volokh Conspiracy
October 4, 2007
http://www.volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_30-2007_10_06.shtml#1191485792
Some background facts about guns and gun control in Burma
The Volokh Conspiracy
September 25, 2007
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_23-2007_09_29.shtml#1190750734
Washington, D.C., has created a state constitution, in case the District is granted statehood. The "New Columbia" consitution copies the federal Second Amendment, and thereby undercuts the District's silly claim that the Second Amendment is not an invididual right.
The Volokh Conspiracy
September 21, 2007
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_16-2007_09_22.shtml#1190412426
A tribute to the leader of Canada's right to arms movement, with links to additional material
The Volokh Conspiracy
September 21, 2007
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_16-2007_09_22.shtml#1190402417
The extremist legislation which the anti-gun lobby intended to make into the follow-up to the Brady Bill
The Volokh Conspiracy
September 16, 2007
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_09_16-2007_09_22.shtml#1189997618
The DC's cert. petition indicates that the District may be giving up on convincing the Supreme Court that the Second Amendment is not an individual right.
National Post (Canada)
October 13, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/3ywt79
Quebec's 'National Assembly' is considering another round of gun control measures in response to last year's campus shooting at Dawson's College.
Xinhua News Agency
September 24, 2007
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6269726.html
Chile's government announces measures to enforce gun control laws currently being disobeyed.
Brigitte Weidlich
The Namibian
September 27, 2007
http://allafrica.com/stories/200709270504.html
"In a ministerial statement, Peter Tsheehama, who is the Minister of Safety and Security, told the National Assembly on Tuesday that one of the proposed amendments would be to prohibit the sale of small firearms and light weapons 'to individual, natural persons.' "
Press Release
New Zealand First Party
October 10, 2007
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00180.htm
"New Zealand First law & order spokesperson Ron Mark today called for New Zealand's self-defence laws to be re-defined after questioning the sentence given to a victim who defended himself against a gang of thugs."
SwissInfo
September 27, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/34ko9l
Traditionally, the Swiss Army issued 50 rounds of ammunition with the rifle each Swiss infantryman stored ready at his home. Only 2000 'special service' troops can continue to keep the ammunition at home, the rest must now be turned in and stored at central arsenals.
Robert Winnett
The Daily Telegraph (UK)
September 27, 2007
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/27/nlabour127.xml
The British Interior Minister announced legislation intended to render those who 'had a go' at intruders or robbers less vulnerable to prosecution in the British courts.
Reuters News (UK)
September 27, 2007
http://uk.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUKL2790478520070927
"The legislation cracks down on the manufacture and sale of imitation guns, doubles the maximum sentence for carrying an imitation firearm and criminalises the sale of a knife to a person aged under the age of 18."
Hamish MacDonnell
Scotsman.com News
August 28, 2007
http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=1364272007
"Ministers insisted last night they would pursue plans for a Scotland-wide ban on all air weapons despite condemnation from airgun enthusiasts and a warning from a senior police officer a ban would not prevent future tragedies. The SNP administration wants to ban all air weapons in Scotland and has started negotiations with the UK government to find ways of bringing this about."
Newsmax.com
August 26, 2007
http://www.newsmax.com/inside_cover/guns_england/2007/08/26/27556.html
"Gun crimes in England have almost doubled since 1997, when a ban on firearms began. According to the Sunday Times of London, crimes in which guns were used numbered 4,671 in 2005-06. Also, government officials report that most gun crime is committed by children and teenagers under 18 years old."
Richard Munday
The Times
September 8, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2p8524
"It is perhaps a privilege of those who have never had to confront violence to disparage the power to resist."
Press Release
The National Rifle Association Institute for
Legislative Action
September 7, 2007
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=3228
"By an overwhelming 81-10 vote, the Senate passed Sen. Vitter's amendment to prevent any funding to foreign organizations that infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of lawful American citizens."
John R. Bolton
Margaret Thatcher Freedom Lecture at the Heritage
Foundation
September 6, 2007
http://www.heritage.org/press/events/ev090607a.cfm
http://multimedia.heritage.org/mp3/Allison-090607a.m3u
http://multimedia.heritage.org/mp3/Allison-090607a.mp3
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bolton offers his tremendously informed answer to the question. Streaming http://multimedia.heritage.org/mp3/Allison-090607a.m3u and downloadable MP3 http://multimedia.heritage.org/mp3/Allison-090607a.mp3 audio of his speech are available at this site.
Denny Boyles
The Fresno (CA) Bee
August 8, 2007
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/25940
"Project Bore Snake, run by the Kochheiser family, is a home-based effort that -- with contributions from people all over the country -- ships Bore Snakes, a cleaning tool that many say makes it easier for soldiers fighting in the desert to keep their gun barrels clear and ready to fire."
Kyndra Rotunda
The Christian Science Monitor
March 2, 2007
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0302/p09s02-coop.htm
"It is one thing to say that a soldier should not fire wantonly or without cause, but it is quite another to say that soldiers may not defend themselves when facing an imminent threat of death or serious injury." The author is a Judge Advocate General's law officer, and a professor at George Mason University Law School.
Alan Gura, Robert A. Levy, and Clark M. Neilly
III
Supreme Court of the United States, No. 07-290
October 4, 2007
http://www.gurapossessky.com/news/parker/documents/petition_response.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar
software.
Here is the respondents' brief in the District of Columbia's appeal of the Parker decision to the Supreme Court, containing their view that the 2nd Amendment does indeed protect an individual right to bear arms in self-defense.
David Freddoso
National Review Online
October 10, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2y53qs
The D.C. government has that right, and exercises it frequently.
Alan Gura, Robert A. Levy, and Clark M. Neilly
III
Gura & Possessky, P.L.L.C.
http://www.dcguncase.com/blog/
The Parker cases's Plaintiffs attorneys' weblog provides updates as part of a site containing all court decicions and documents from the ongoing case.
Alan Gura, Robert A. Levy, Clark M. Neilly,
Saul Cornell, Glenn Reynolds, Dennis Henigan, and Joshua
Horwitz
The Federalist Society Online Debate Series
August 31, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2d9obm
Here is an online exchange of views between the Parker v. District of Columbia plaintff's lawyers and Ohio State University Professor Saul Cornell; University of Tennessee Law Professor Glenn Reynolds; Dennis Henigan of the Brady Center; and Joshua Horwitz of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.
John R. Lott Jr
The Washington Times
September 7, 2007
http://washingtontimes.com/article/20070907/EDITORIAL/109070007/1013/EDITORIAL
"In asking the Supreme Court to let the District of Columbia ban handguns, the city has a simple argument: Whatever one thinks of the Second Amendment, banning handguns is a 'reasonable regulation' to protect public safety. The problem for the city is that anyone who can look up the crime numbers will see that D.C.'s violent crime rate went up, not down, after the ban."
Stephen Manning
Associated Press (DC)
October 4, 2007
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1007/461095.html
"Helmke, of the Brady Campaign, said the group suggested to Washington that it rework its gun laws rather than press on with an appeal. A broad Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment could jeopardize a variety of laws, including waiting periods for handgun sales and California's machine gun ban, he said."
Clarence Williams
The Washington Post
October 12, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/ypbxby
"Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier and other law enforcement officials hope it will get hundreds of guns off city streets, curb violent crime and lead to more prosecutions of gun cases."
LawFuel: The Legal Newswire
August 8, 2007
http://lawfuel.com/show-release.asp?ID=14089
"Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a leading law firm, is using the collection of founding documents compiled on ConSource, the first comprehensive online collection of Constitution-related source materials, to research and present the District of Columbia's position that the District's handgun ban withstands Constitutional scrutiny."
Fred Thompson
Fred File: The Friends of Fred Thompson Blog
August 21, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/226zz8
Senator Thompson expresses his dislike of judicial efforts against the firearms industry begun during the mayorship of leading GOP contender, Rudy Giuliani.
Dave Henderson
The Ithaca Journal
August 9, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2eghxw
"The newly formed Union Sportsmen's Alliance (USA) offers union members an 'alternative' to the NRA. The group claims the NRA is anti-union and that the NRA opposes political candidates that labor unions endorse."
Nathan Burchfiel
Cybercast News Service
August 29, 2007
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200708/CUL20070829a.html
"Opponents of gun rights on Tuesday, the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic 'I have a dream speech,' rallied against gun stores in cities across the nation and urged more government action against firearms dealers.
Ken Kolker
The Grand Rapids Press (MI)
September 12, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2gllyk
A survey found as much as one-third of Michigan's high and middle-school principals in favor of teachers carrying guns.
Peter Sleeth
The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
October 12, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/35rc8q
"A high school English teacher told a state court Thursday that she would begin packing a pistol to class by the end of the month, while a school district attorney warned that if a judge let her, Oregon schools could become 'armed camps.' "
Zinie Chen Sampson
The Washington Times
August 13, 2007
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20070813/METRO/108130057/1004/metro
"Andrew Dysart, a George Mason University senior, organized a chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, which hopes to persuade legislators to overturn a Virginia law that allows universities to prohibit students, faculty and staff members with gun permits from carrying their weapons onto campus."
Official Site of the Governor of Virginia
August 27, 2007
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TempContent/techPanelReport.cfm
"VI-5 The Virginia General Assembly should adopt legislation in the 2008 session clearly establishing the right of every institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to regulate the possession of firearms on campus if it so desires. The panel recommends that guns be banned on campus grounds and in buildings unless mandated by law."
Press Release
Safari Club International
September 28, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2znvu9
Working together, the NRA and the Safari Club have persuaded American Airlines to modify its ban on the transport of firearms to Europe and Asia. This article contains additional references.
Ecumenical News International
September 26, 2007
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/5783
"A US Christian leader has asked a World Council of Churches peacemaking team visiting the United States for assistance to rid his country of the "scourge" of gun violence writes Chris Herlinger. 'We need your help,' the Rev Michael Livingston, president of the US National Council of Churches, told the group at a meeting in Washington DC during the team's 15-23 September 2007 visit. 'We need your help to turn around this terrible situation we have.'
David Biscobing
East Valley Tribune (Phoenix, AZ)
August 21, 2007
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/95563
"An East Valley eighth-grader was suspended this week after he turned in homework with a sketch that school officials said resembled a gun and posed a threat to his classmates."
Press Release
The Brady Campaign
August 20, 2007
http://bradycampaign.org/media/release.php?release=917
Jodie Foster's latest movie, 'The Brave One' features a gun-toting female vigilante and has earned $36,056,429 as of this writing. The Brady Campaign here relays Foster's plea for 'common sense' gun control.
The Associated Press
August 12, 2007
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/08/12/news/state/137637.txt
This article uses anecdotal evidence from Minot, North Dakota, to posit a decline in shooters and technicians who support them.
Melanie Lindner
Forbes.com
September 9, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2yj62j
"On Thursday, the company reported record earnings of $74.4 million for the quarter ending July 31, and raised its guidance for the remainder of the 2007 fiscal year. Analysts attributed the gun maker's recent success to its product line expansion."
Press Release
National Shooting Sports Foundation
October 14, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/24veyt
Governor Arnold Scwarzeneggar has signed legislation requiring microstamping by semi-automatic pistols sold in his state, and forbidding the use of lead ammunition in large areas of the state's hunting country.
Clayton Cramer
Clayton Cramer's Blog
August 10, 2007
http://www.claytoncramer.com/weblog/2007_08_05_archive.html#1623282392909150758
The historian and advocate argues that California's system of 'discretionary carry' in the issuance of firearms permits has its origins in an effort to disarm the Hispanic population. He also finds instances of where permits were used as political payoffs by California officials.
Accurate Shooter.Com Bulletin
October 15, 2007
http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/category/news/
"On October 13th, California Gov. Swarzenegger signed a bill requiring that all semi-automatic pistols sold in California have internal parts that 'micro-stamp' shell casings with identifying codes." The article discusses the shortcomings and ramifications of the new law.
Matt Carroll
Boston Globe
August 12, 2007
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/08/12/gun_permits_drop_25_in_bay_state/
"The number of licensed gun owners in Massachusetts has declined by more than a quarter in the past six years, a falloff driven by restrictive laws, higher licensing fees, and cultural change, according to police officers and gun owners."
Teresa Woodard
My FOX St. Louis
August 28, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/yqjjxg
"A new Missouri law makes it faster and easier than ever to get a gun."
Adam L. Cataldo
Bloomberg News
August 10, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2dxj96
In the wake of the shootings of four high school students in Newark, New Jersey governor Jon Corzine pledged to introduce a package of tougher gun control laws.
Kathy Matheson
Associated Press
October 16, 2007
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771016047
"Dozens of anti-violence marchers, led by gunshot survivors in wheelchairs, rallied for stricter firearms laws today."
David Harper
Tulsa (Oklahoma) World Herald
October 6, 2007
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071006_1_A1_hHeis85083
"Kern said the amendments 'criminally prohibit an effective method of reducing gun-related workplace injuries and cannot co-exist with federal obligations and objectives.'
Susan Jones
Cybercast News Service
October 10, 2007
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200710/NAT20071010b.html
"Kern said the law (a series of amendments to the Oklahoma Firearms Act and the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act) conflicted with the federal Occupational Health and Safety Act, which is intended to protect employees in the workplace."
Associated Press (ID)
September 20, 2007
http://www.idahopress.com/news/?id=806
"The state attorney general's office has told the city of Moscow that it doesn't have the legal authority to enforce a gun ban."
Patrick Guinane
The Times (Munster, IN)
October 2, 2007
http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/10/02/news/lake_county/docbcdded741cbdee80862573680004419f.txt
"The three-judge appellate panel appeared to take umbrage at the industry's assertion that the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that Congress approved in 2005 prohibits Indiana courts from moving ahead with the Gary lawsuit."
Jim Provance
The Blade (Toledo, OH)
September 27, 2007
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070927/NEWS02/709270389
The Ohio State Supreme Court has agreed to hear the city of Clyde's appeal of an April ruling striking down its ordinance prohibiting the carrying of firearms in public parks.
Associated Press
August 28, 2007
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/28/europe/EU-GEN-Switzerland-Small-Arms.php
"Civilians now have access to 650 million small arms – from handguns to semiautomatic rifles – an arsenal that far outstrips that held by police forces and the militaries worldwide, according to a report released Tuesday."
David Niedrauer
Eye on Culture, v. 1 Issue 11
August 27, 2007
http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/eoc/2007/pdf/eoc-20070827.pdf
PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar
software.
Here are the results of a Culture and Media Institute study on the dominant mass media's coverage of issues relating to the right to keep and bear arms.
Clayton Cramer, Pete Drum, and "DaveLoneRanger"
ClaytonCramer.com
http://www.claytoncramer.com/gundefenseblog/blogger.html
"Where Clayton Cramer, Pete Drum, and 'DaveLoneRanger' keep track of civilians using guns in self-defense." The underlying idea behind the blog's compilation is to garner evidence for scholarly debate, but the site also has definite utility for self-defense training and education.
Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict
Research
Harvard University
http://www.tagsproject.org/index.cfm?nodeID=12
"The project aims to examine analytically the place of non-state armed groups within the context of armed conflict, and to identify strategic options as to the legal and policy implications of the contemporary role of these actors."
The International Association of Chiefs of
Police and the Joyce Foundation
September 17, 2007
http://www.theiacp.org/documents/pdfs/Publications/ACF1875%2Epdf
The report recommends reducing the availibility and lethality of privately-owned firearms.
The Cultural Cognition Project
Yale University
http://research.yale.edu/culturalcognition/content/view/124/89/
"The Second National Risk and Culture Study reports the results of studies conducted as part of the Mechanisms of Cultural Cognition Project, funded by the National Science Foundation and the Oscar M. Ruebhausen Fund at Yale Law School. Studies were conducted over a nine month period and involved a diverse sample of some 5,000 Americans."
This newsletter is compiled with help from Dr. Rob S. Rice. For more on this assiduous, yet forthright individual, see here: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rrice/rrice_hd.html. Dr. Rice's novel is generating rave reviews and abysmal sales, see http://tinyurl.com/yq5sxl
Al Qaeda delenda est!
