------------------------------------------------------------ Household Gunowners' Digest Information, Tips, and Support for the Private Gun Owner ------------------------------------------------------------ April 12, 2002 Volume II, #4 ------------------------------------------------------------ Gwen S. Patton, Editor, wendy_lyn@unforgettable.com ------------------------------------------------------------ This is a FREE newsletter! Feel free to pass it along to friends, so long as you pass it along in its entirety. You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter. ------------------------------------------------------------ IN THIS ISSUE ------------------------------------------------------------ => Words from The Range Bag => Review: No Review This Month => Feature: "Long Guns" In Home Defense by Maggie Leber & Tom Nelson => Political Aims => News from the Home Front - I Never Had To Use It by Paul G. => Useful Websites => Submission Guidelines => Subscribe/Unsubscribe information ------------------------------------------------------------ Words from The Range Bag by Gwen Patton ------------------------------------------------------------ Next time you're tempted to grump online about a company's service...think twice. Salon.com has this article: http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/04/04/aquatic_plants/index.html The story is fairly straightforward. A gentleman purchases some aquatic plants from an online petstore. He has a bad experience with the service, and doesn't care for the customer support process. His overall satisfaction is low, and he gets onto the online mailing list where he and his friends discuss aquatic plants and posts a complaint. In a nutshell, he says, "If you are thinking about buying from Store X, DON'T." I'm not going to identify the online petstore...and there's a good reason. The members of the mailing list joined into the fray, chiming in with their own complaints, having a jolly old grump session. Until the owner of the company, who was a long time subscriber to the list, took umbrage. He says he tried to post a rebuttal, but his messages bounced. His claim is that they were deliberately deleted. The listowner says they failed because they contained attachments. Either way, he was angry enough to SUE the original complainer, the list, and everyone else who grumped for a whopping 15 million dollars. Frivolous, you say? Well, the judge didn't throw it out. And most of the defendants have had to *settle* just to *survive*. That means the plaintiff WINS. It is a clear case of a big company using their money and power to intimidate those with a negative opinion into shutting up.   The company claims that they are simply suing to combat "vicious lies and libel" that are "damaging their business and good name", and stopping "infringements upon their trademarks".  But it is nothing more than the use of the legal system as a guided missile to nuke dissatisfied customers who use the Web to complain. Why am I bringing this up here, seeing as the story is about aquatic plants and a pet store?  Simple.  Scratch out (name of pet store deleted) and write in "Dell Computer".  Scratch out "Dan Resler" and write in "Jack Weigand".  Scratch out "Aquatic Plant Digest" and write in the name of practically ANY RKBA mailing-list in the country that fairly exploded with righteous vituperation over Jack's trouble ordering a laptop. Dan Resler didn't just get sued...EVERY PERSON WHO POSTED negative comments about "pet store X" got sued.  Then the legal defense fund got sued for supporting them financially.  Websites that linked to the defense fund got sued.  And on and on and on. What would have been the outcome if, instead of backpedaling at Warp 9, claiming administrative screwups, and offering Jack a free laptop, Michael Dell had simply shrugged and told Jack to go *bleep* off...then sued all of the mailing lists that were complaining? Couldn't happen, you say? Oh, really...? Some of the posts I saw on various mailing lists regarding Mr. Dell and his company made the postings on the Aquatic Plant Digest look downright tame. I saw emails accusing Dell of everything from shoplifting to mopery and dopery in the spacelanes! Some called for boycotts...some called for tar and feathers. Some complained of anti-gun tactics...and some made accusations of traitorous intent. There were even some posts that could be interpreted as threatening. Some of these posts were patently libellous, especially the accusations regarding shady dealings with HCI -- dealings Dell denied on record in this very publication, and were later proven to be false. But Dell didn't do what Petstore X did. But he COULD have. He probably would have WON. And our cause would have been damaged by it. Good people would have had to spend their hard-earned dollars fighting lawsuits instead of fighting for their gun rights. It didn't only because Michael Dell wasn't interested in suing anybody.  He was interested in making his customer *happy*.   So next time you're thinking of spouting off about that blanketty-blank anti-gun company is a bunch of traitors and should be boycotted, tarred and feathered, ripped to pieces, then the pieces lined up and SHOT...consider that they might be listening...and might just have some real feisty lawyers. You don't have to be quiet...just pick the right fights. Sometimes the windmills really are disguised giants that you can actually fight and beat. The trick is to know which ones are giants and which ones really are just windmills. If you have to pick a fight, pick one that SERVES RKBA. If the Dell situation had gone down like Pet Store X, it could have been a multi-million dollar loss to RKBA...because the sale of a laptop got screwed up. --- Gwen Patton The Range Bag ------------------------------------------------------------ Review: No Review This Month ------------------------------------------------------------ We don't have a product review this month. HGD has a deal worked out with a local range so we can review a number of handguns for HGD for only the cost of ammo, in exchange for an unobtrusive classified ad for the range. This will bring a great deal of quality information to the readership in the very near future, but we won't get to take advantage of this until later this month. So the first of these reviews will start with the May issue. ------------------------------------------------------------ Feature: "Long Guns" In Home Defense by Maggie Leber & Tom Nelson ------------------------------------------------------------ A pistol for the bedroom, A shotgun over the door, A .30-06 [rifle] for reaching out; You don't need any more. -Kurt Saxon The Household Gunowner's Digest has largely concentrated on handguns, and that's not surprising. Handguns are relatively inexpensive, concealable, and (when properly employed) effective at most "personal defense" distances. But in the case of *home* defense, concealability may not be an issue. A weapon used *only* for home defense doesn't need to be concealable; it can live in a closet, in a gun safe or on a gun rack. And, especially when we think about *other* tactical situations as in Kurt Saxon's little rhyme above, long guns -- shotguns, rifles and carbines -- have a number of advantages over handguns. A long gun, with a shoulder rest and two-handed grip is much easier to control, and allows the shooter to absorb recoil with the shoulder as well as the arms. Its long sight axis makes a more precise aim possible. Long guns can be built to take larger cartridges, with more massive bullets and more powder, and their longer barrels allow that additional powder to burn and accellerate the bullet for a longer distance, resulting in a higher muzzle velocity. Shotguns offer additional advantages. You have the choice of firing multiple projectiles: in one shot dispensing nine 00 buckshot of about .33 caliber in a 12 ga. load, or 20 pellets of about .25 caliber in a 20 gauge, in a pattern which begins to speed about an inch per yard after the first yard, You can also load up with a single rifled slug, which in a 20 gauge gun is a hefty .60 caliber weighing 328 grains! Don't try *that* with a handgun! And you can mix shotshells and slugs in the magazine on one gun. Some folks think the sound of the action of a pump-action shotgun chambering a round carries more authority than a voice command to halt. It's certainly attention-getting; it's probably a situational judgment call whether you want that kind of attention or not. I asked Tom Nelson, a good friend, and former engineer with Remington Arms to contribute his views for this article. About shotguns, he says: "Shotguns are much better-suited to home defense, prefereably in 12 ga. with a barrel length of 18" - 20". I personally prefer an autoloader because it cycles itself, enabling the shooter to concentrate on target acquisition, and can easily be shot in positions other than standing. Many people prefer a pump, which is also an excellent choice because it is less ammunition-sensitive than an autoloader, and functions extremely reliably. I definitely recommend ghost ring sights for the fastest and most accurate target acqusition. "I prefer a load of 9 pellets of 00 buckshot because it patterns more tightly and penetrates no more than the smaller sizes of buckshot. (Tactical bucksot loads will recoil less than standard loads but may not function reliably in an autoloader.) Maximum effective range (keeping all pellets on a man-sized target) is approximately 15 yards. I do not recommend slugs because of excessive recoil and over-penetration." For those of you unfamiliar with the terminology, shotgun bores are measured in "gauge", which describes how many lead balls, one of which would exactly fit the bore of the gun in question it would take to weigh a pound. Thus a 20 gauge shotgun has a *smaller* bore than a 12 gauge. Just to add to the confusion there's the even smaller .410 gauge shotgun where the .410 actually *is* the caliber in inches. Go figure. A rifle also has the long gun advantages of stronger, three-point grip. While it fires only a single projectile, it does so down a long, rifled barrel, which imparts higher velocity and more spin than a handgun can. This gives much greater effective distance (and *accuracy* at that distance) than either a handgun or a shotgun could possibly provide. On a large piece of property, this can be an advantage, but indoors, such a high velocity can become a liability. Overpenetration becomes a serious problem, and you can end up shooting things (including people) you did not mean to, behind your target, behind the wall he's standing in front of, in the next room or even inside the house next door. Thus a rifle is not well-suited to many urban or suburban home-defense scenarios. In fact, Tom Nelson says: "Rifles, especially scoped rifles, are really impractical for home defense. They are too long and heavy to be fast-handling and maneuverable, and a scope would slow down close range target-acquisition time so much that you could easily become a victim while trying to find your target. Admittedly, they would be excellent for longer range work, but how far away can your opponent be and still be considered an immediate threat?" Between the shotgun and rifle we find the carbine, basically a short rifle, often semiautomatic, and sometimes chambered to accept a cartridge designed for use in an autoloading pistol, such as a .45 ACP or 9mm. Here you may have the advantage of using common ammunition (and sometimes even magazines) in both your long gun and your handguns. The downside of this is that most autopistol cartridges have power loads optimized for the short barrel of a pistol; most of the power is burned before a bullet could make it though a carbine- or rifle-length barrel. For this reason, some experts prefer a carbine chambered for a high-powered revolver cartridge, like a .357 magnum. Tom adds: "Carbines are extremely well-suited to home defense, preferably with a 16" - 18" barrel. They are relatively light, compact, fast-handling, and really maneuverable in close quarters. I prefer an autoloader for reasons cited above, but a lever- action would also be an excellent choice. As with the shotgun, I definitely recommend ghost ring sights for fastest target acquisition. "As to caliber, the .223 Rem. with soft- or hollow-point bullets is an excellent man-stopper, has no over-penetration problem, has very little recoil, but is quite noisy. Pistol calibers, particularly 9 mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP are very good choices, due to low recoil, low muzzle blast, and reasonable penetration. Please remember, only the lighter weight bullets in each caliber will produce carbine velocities measurably higher than the same cartridge fired from a pistol. So the best bullet choices are probably the following hollow-points: 115 gr. in 9 mm, 135 gr. in .40 S&W, and 185 gr. in .45 ACP. (Remember, we may choose to use a carbine instead of a pistol, not for greater velocity, but because it is inherently more accurate than a pistol, and most people can shoot it more effectively than they can shoot a pistol.) "Another good cartridge choice, in a lever-action carbine, is the .357 S&W Mag, preferablely with 125 gr. hollow-point bullets. I do not recommend the .44 S&W Mag. or the .30-30 Win. in a lever action or the .30 Carbine or .308 Win. in an autoloader because of over-penetration problems." Another interesting recent trend is carbines that fold for easy storage, like the Kel-Tec Sub-2000, which is available in 9mm and soon .40 S&W. This rifle with a 16 inch barrel folds to only 16 x 7 inches for storage, being 30 inches long when unfolded for use. I can tell you from personal experience that it is *much* easier to shoot accurately than a handgun. So don't overlook long guns when evaluating your home defense needs. They may or may not be suitable for your own personal environment. But they have some advantages over handguns that you should keep in mind. --- Maggie Leber & Tom Nelson Author Bio: Tom Nelson was a Research Engineer for Remington Arms for 8 1/2 years, chief designer on such guns as the model 40-XS .22 rimfire sporter, a model 40-X Standard Rifle in .308 Win., and a model 40-X Free Rifle in .22 LR or .308 Win. He then transfered to their gunstock-checkering division, to program checkering patterns for the model 3200 12 ga. over-and-under shotgun, the model 541-S .22 rimfire sporter, and the model 700 BDL ceterfire bolt-action rifle. He left when the checkering machine development project ended. ------------------------------------------------------------ Political Aims ------------------------------------------------------------ Appeals Court Rules Ohio's Gun Carry Ban Unconstitutional: Hamilton County Joins Vermont in Allowing Unlicensed Gun Carry Again Contact: Dave LaCourse (206) 979-4262 Attorney Tim Smith (513) 632-5333 Attorney Bill Gustavson (513) 621-4477 An unanimous Appeals Court ruled that Ohio's ban on carrying concealed firearms is unconstitutional in a very strongly worded opinion. The monumental decision upheld Judge Ruehlman's trial court decision and legalizes concealed carry in Hamilton County for the third time in less than two years. Unless a stay is issued in the case, law-abiding, mentally competent adults can now carry guns concealed and have loaded guns in their vehicles without fear of being arrested and prosecuted for exercising their rights under the Ohio Constitution. The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), a leading national gun owner rights organization, is both a named plaintiff in the case and funded the lawsuit. "This is total vindication of the trial court's decision and another great victory for the Second Amendment Foundation and the citizens of Ohio," stated SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb. "All three judges were of the same opinion, these carry ban laws are offensive to common sense and need to be stricken from the books, and I couldn't agree more." SAF's lawsuit exposed the current scheme as a violation of the Ohio Constitution (Article 1, Section 1 [inalienable rights to defending life, liberty and property], Article 1, Section 4 [bear arms for defense and security], Article 1, Sections 2 [equal protection] and Article 1, Section 16 [due process]). In addition, as Judge Ruehlman found in his decision, the current law treats people as if guilty until proven innocent! The Ohio laws in question, R.C. 2923.12, bans all concealed carry of firearms with felony penalties for any violations while R.C. 2923.16 bans loaded guns in a motor vehicle. Only after a person is caught violating either of these provisions, and the person incurs the costs and stresses of a criminal trial, does the current law allow the possibility of an "affirmative defense" to be made. It was for this reason that the law was struck down. "Laws that are uncomprehensible to the average citizen must be struck down as unconstitutionally vague," reminded Dave LaCourse, SAF Public Affairs Director. "The carry ban laws entrapped innocent people in thinking that they could exercise their rights when they couldn't, and that is wrong, and I am pleased the court saw this." Plaintiffs include Pat Feely, who was previously arrested and tried under the gun carry ban scheme. Both the prosecutor and the judge in that case stated that the law should be changed or repealed. While Feely was acquitted at trial, he risked the same charges again if found carrying a concealed firearm in the future. The threat and costs of repeated prosecutions was only one of many reasons the current law was declared unconstitutional. Mr. Feely carries large sums of cash as part of his employment. Feely, private investigator Chuck Klein and businessman James Cohen sought to have their right of self-defense restored with several pro-gun rights groups like Ohioans for Concealed Carry, Peoples Rights Organization and the Second Amendment Foundation. This decision does NOT mean that criminals, juveniles and other prohibited persons can carry firearms since many other gun laws remain enforceable. This was made clear in the court's ruling and if there are any questions about this fact, please call the numbers above or visit our website at http://www.saf.org/Ohio.htm "This lawsuit has always been about restoring the right to bear arms to law-abiding adults under the Ohio Constitution, and does not benefit criminals in any way, shape or form," said Gottlieb. "The hysterical gloom-and-doom rhetoric from the other side highlights that they have not studied the successes in vast majority of states that allow concealed carry." Nationally, 42 states specifically allow the carrying of concealed weapons or firearms with a license or permit. This could rise to 43 states if New Mexico's new concealed carry law is upheld. Vermont allows the carrying of concealed firearms without any license/permit because of a court decision, State v. Rosenthal, (1903). Of the remaining 6 or 7 states, Ohio is unique with its affirmative defense and on who the burden of proof is placed. The Second Amendment Foundation is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 600,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners. Current projects include several concealed carry lawsuits, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers & an amicus brief & fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right. ------- (Ed.I don't usually reprint things that circulate the Net... but this really struck a chord with me. If you're going to be an RKBA activist, you should read this.) A FIVE-MINUTE HANDBOOK FOR GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS Copyright © 2000 by JASPAR@aol.com All rights reserved. Reproduction or distribution is permitted with this copyright notice attached. I've been a gun rights activist for nearly 10 years. I wasted a lot of time for the first 5 years because no one gave me the rule book you are now reading. Maybe that's because no one had written it. This is the stuff I wish I had known starting on day one. If you've just arrived at this party, the next 5 minutes you spend reading this might save you 5 years of otherwise wasted time and energy. If you've been in the gun rights game for a while, this handbook will be the fastest refresher course you've ever taken. This past year I've received a lot of mail from jittery gun owners who are finally waking up to what's happening to our right to keep and bear arms (RKBA). This handbook is mostly for them. If the rules I list below scare off a few folks, so be it. I want to tell it like it really is -- to give a quick snapshot of the tips, tricks and tactics that actually work in RKBA activism. The bad news is that this is not a complete list of the rules. The good news is that there will never be a complete list of rules. The rules listed below are based on my own experience from working thousands of hours with down and dirty RKBA activist pros. I am deeply grateful to all of them. They know who they are. Some of these rules have been followed for so long by old-time activists that they have forgotten what the original rules were. It's time to list them again. And sneak in a couple of new ones. So read them and weep, or read them and rejoice. *       NO ONE IS AS INTERESTED AS YOU ARE.        Nowadays everyone's attention span and time are limited. Be grateful if you get anyone's attention on our issue, even for a few seconds. Some wannabe activists come in like a lion, then disappear faster than sh*t through a short dog. Take whatever you get from any volunteer. Praise and thank them. Don't be disappointed when they drift away. They will. But some come back. Keep the light on for them. *       THE NRA STINKS.        So does GOA, SAF, JPFO, and any or all of the rest of the gun rights organizations. At the same time, all of these organizations are the best thing since sliced bread. We won't keep our rights without them. It's normal to love them and hate them at the same time. Be sure your complaints about them go to the person who can do something about your problem. Never give up your membership -- it's much easier to fix things from the inside. Avoid griping in public -- our opponents love it when we do. Always handle our dirty laundry behind closed doors. Always. *       THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET.        There is no single answer, rule, or solution. Never has been, and never will be. None of us will write the single brilliant letter to the editor or internet message that will miraculously turn everything around. Keep steadily busy. Do as much as you can, whenever you can. Anything you do counts, but some things count more than others. Find out what counts. Then do it. *       THERE IS NO FINAL VICTORY.        Preserving RKBA is an ongoing PROCESS. We are winning and losing battles during this process, but the war will never be over. Becoming active to keep your gun rights is a lot like cleaning your house: it's thankless and boring work, but necessary. Like dirt, the antigun crowd will just keep coming back. Forever. Your activism will keep us winning more than losing. Our opponents count on wearing us down. They love it when one of us (not you, of course) gets discouraged and drops out. When you fully understand and accept the reality that RKBA is a never-ending struggle, you're automatically in the top 5 percent of all RKBA defenders. Congratulations. *       RKBA ACTIVISM IS BORING.        It's especially boring when you are doing things that really make a difference. Most of us want drama. We want to be entertained. Phone bank calling, precinct walking, going to RKBA grassroots seminars -- suddenly, even a trip to the dentist for a root canal will start to look better. Sorry, but there is no workaround on this aspect. Freedom is not free. It's a pain in the ass. Get used to it, get over it, and get to work. *       USE THE POWER OF FEAR AND GUILT.        Gun owners are susceptible to these emotions. Awaken sleeping RKBA activists by tapping these powerful emotions. Fear and guilt will move mountains -- and fill the collection plate, and recruit new members. If gun owners won't become active for themselves, ask them to do it for their families. For their children. For their country. And -- this tactic works! -- ask them to do it for YOU. *       WATCH OUT FOR MISDIRECTED, TIME-WASTING EFFORTS.        E-mail to elected people is pretty much worthless -- unless the official already personally knows you. Internet polls are useless. Online polls make some folks think they are actually doing something. They are not. It's a false sense of accomplishment. It's like bringing a doctor to a dead man. Focus on the stuff that works. If you're going to hunt ducks, go where the ducks are. *       POLITICIANS ONLY CARE ABOUT VOTES AND MONEY.        In-person visits, phone calls, and snail-mailed, handwritten letters to elected folks help -- because politicians know that if you take this much trouble, you and your family and friends will also vote. *       HOT TIP:        Make yourself known to politicians for issues other than gun rights. Don't present yourself as a single-issue person. Praise and help politicians on THEIR pet projects. Then, when a new gun control law comes up, your opinion will seem especially credible. Otherwise, you will soon be stereotyped and discounted as a single-issue voter. *       ANOTHER HOT TIP:        Politicians have to explain why they vote Yes or No on proposed laws. Sometimes they really need your help in composing explanations to their constituents. If you want your elected official to vote No on a seemingly popular new gun control law, she might be more willing to vote your way if you give her a "back door" -- a good, common sense explanation that she can give to all of her constituents. *       GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN OFFICE IN THE FIRST PLACE.        If we have the right people in power, antigun laws will not be passed. Period. The laws are what matter. This concept is so simple that many folks can't see it, just like they can't "see" the air they breathe. The anti-rights crowd can hold all the gun control seminars and news conferences they want, but nothing will happen unless they can pass more laws. This fact tells you about the how, what, where, when, why, and with whom you should be spending your time, energy, and money. Politicians pass laws. Therefore, you must get involved in politics to protect your gun rights. There is just no way to get around this. Sorry. I don't like politics either. Bummer! *       STOP THE SABER RATTLING -- NOW!        Avoid those shrill folks who sound threatening or talk about doomsday. It's a waste of your time. These noisy folks remind me of a couple in a failing marriage who only talk about a getting a divorce instead of talking about their real problems. If they don't solve their problems, separation or divorce becomes the inevitable outcome. Some people get pumped up on silly fantasy scenarios. I do not. *       ARM YOURSELF WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION.        Paradoxically, bad information or disinformation is a plague in the so-called Information Age. When you write or talk about firearms issues, use only the facts, the truth, and the provable. Verify any quotes that you use. Back up your generalizations with powerful and specific examples. Get on the internet, and get your like-minded friends online. Join several of the hundreds of net communities that will keep you informed instantly and completely about our special issues. Information is power! *       IGNORE MEDIA SPIN AND THE NEWS WAVES.        It's far too easy to go bonkers reacting to the latest media-driven crisis. Don't let the media push your buttons. The RKBA grassroots pros I know do not overreact to crises. In fact, most of the ultra-pros that I know do not react at all to media hysteria. Bashing the media about their bias is not productive. Some gun owners use media bias as an excuse to do nothing -- because the situation seems so overwhelming and hopeless. Truth is, if you are a busy activist -- already steadily doing stuff that matters -- you will find the media reacting to YOU. Be friendly and polite with them -- not hostile. Become a reliable source of information for them. And just keep on being ACTIVE. *       JUST SHOW UP.        It's been said that 80 percent of success is showing up. Being there. Showing up to vote. Showing up at an RKBA seminar. At your assemblyman's office. At a city council meeting. My father's favorite motto: "Your actions speak so loud that I can't hear a word you're saying." Your "silent" activism can be a model for others. What will your 3 hunting buddies think when they find out you spent an afternoon handing out brochures door- to-door for a pro-gun politician? *       DON'T MESS WITH TRUE BELIEVERS.        In the time you spend trying to convert one hard core antigun person to our side, you could have gone out and motivated and organized 20 people who already think like you do. Go with the flow. It's easier on your nerves, and much more effective. Personally, I have converted several anti-rights true believers, but never again! Lots of NRA members are not registered voters. A lot of gun owners aren't NRA members. Even more folks have no idea of their elected officials' positions on gun issues. Where is your time most effectively spent? Think about this before you spend an hour writing a clever response to a silly message you found somewhere on the internet. *       SIMPLICITY STILL MATTERS.        The old rule, Keep It Super Simple (KISS), is as important as it ever was. It applies to internet postings, planning, speeches -- everything. And keep it short. And keep it sweet: don't ever ridicule or insult anyone. Did you notice that I did NOT say, "Keep It Simple, STUPID?" *       YOU ARE ALL ALONE.        Well, not quite alone. You do have some help. The NRA has a staff of several hundred. There is no way humanly possible that "the NRA" can put out all the brush fires started by the anti- rights crowd. Pro-gun national organizations give direction and information -- but they cannot save your rights. Only YOU can save YOUR rights. You are 100 percent responsible. When you fully accept this reality, you are automatically in the top one percent of all RKBA activists. *       THE HIDDEN BONUS OF GUN RIGHTS ACTIVISM.        The more involved you get with firearms freedom, the more you will realize that your single issue actually complements and protects other human rights issues. Personally, I am deeply offended by many aspects of today's culture. When I focus my activism on RKBA, I can often sense I am making a measurable difference. All rights -- like all humans -- are connected. *       WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST DO SOMETHING.        Sometimes we don't know what will work. Sometimes the rule is that there are no rules. I once wrote an essay I thought was mediocre at best. Five years later, I'm still receiving mail about it. Don't hesitate to try something new and innovative -- get it out on the table! Often your finest essay or brilliant letter will not be acknowledged, or you will just get a form letter response. But that letter to the editor that you dashed off in a few minutes appears in tomorrow's newspaper! Go figure. Better yet, try not to figure. Trust yourself, trust your instincts -- and just do something. I'll see you in the trenches. --- JASPAR@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------------ News from the Home Front - I Never Had To Use It by Paul G. ------------------------------------------------------------ Many long years ago (when I was a teen-ager) I was stopped by the police in a rather large Midwest town, because I was walking along the sidewalk with a .45/70 rifle over my shoulder.  I had just bought my first gun, and was trying to get it home.  Things were different then, and the officers escorted me to my home, and made sure that I got in the house. It is more than 50 years since that day, and I have owned many, many guns in the interim... from .30Cal Carbine, .30-.30 Springfield, 1911 A1 .45 Cal pistol (all bought from the Government via the NRA), to .38 Super, Japanese Nambu, .357 Magnum, and a bunch more. I LIKE guns, and especially like to take them apart, clean and repair and, once in a while, go to a range and fire them.  I am NOT an expert, and found that, many times, I could not afford the range and ammunition costs.  Oh well, I could dream, couldn't I? I now live in a small town in Southern Illinois, and, as I have for most of my 73 years, had a hand gun beside my bed "JIC".   That stands for "Just In Case" I might need it sometime. Over the years I have sold off almost all of my guns. Now I have my handy- dandy .45, a Spanish copy of a Smith & Wesson .38 Special and a .25 Cal hide-away.  That's all, and it should be all that I might need. The point that I am trying to make despite the furor that screams at us from anti-gun proponents is that there are qualified weapons owners and shooters that live in this country that don't own guns for the purpose of hunting down other humans.  There are law abiding gun owners that merely wish to protect what they have, not take from others.  But there are fanatics on "the other side" who wish to make it difficult if not impossible to live within that frame of reference.   For example, in Illinois for quite a few years, a Gun Owners Identification Card (FOID) has been available through the State Police which for a fee of $5.00, identifies a gun owner as having been through a background check and been found entitled to own (not carry) any number of guns. One of the candidates for Governor in the next State-wide election has stated that he wanted to raise the FOID fee from the present $5.00 to $500.00.   That would allow two groups of society to own; the wealthy, and the poor and lawless (who just wouldn't apply for the Card).   Gee, can he really believe that Illinoians would be safer if only the poor, the lawless and the wealthy had guns? I applaud Pennsylvania for its "right to carry" law, recently in effect, and I wish that the Illinois Legislature would pass the "Fanny Pack Law" that has been proposed.  But I guarantee that I will never, willingly, turn my personal weapons over to anyone.   I will do my utmost to protect my Right to protect myself. --- Paul G. Editor's Note: As far as I know, Pennsylvania's concealed-carry laws are not a recent thing, but they are indeed wonderful! We here at HGD are most appreciative of them! Also, there are those who say the Illinois "Fanny Pack Law" already IS law. The controversy is over whether that is true or not. Conservatives say that is what the law reads. Liberals say it isn't what they MEANT. The battle rages on, in court cases dropped by the State. I renew my call for stories from those of you out there who have used your guns for self-defense. We want to hear your tale! ------------------------------------------------------------ Useful Websites ------------------------------------------------------------ If you haven't been to this website yet, take a little time to visit it and look at the delightful tour this author has created. The artwork alone is worth the time spent...and the message is one for all of us to be aware of. http://www.a-human-right.com/ ----------- Eric Zorn's Rhubarb There is a heated debate going on between Concealed Carry, Inc. maven John Birch and Thomas Mannard of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence on Eric Zorn's website. This debate, which Mr. Zorn calls a "Rhubarb", is being held at the same time in the Chicago Tribune. In your editor's not so humble opinion, John Birch is wiping up the mat with Mr. Mannard. So pull up a browser and enjoy the discussion. Readers can even send their comments and viewpoints to the participants at links provided by Mr. Zorn. http://ericzorn.com/rhubarb/concealedcarry/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Submission Guidelines ------------------------------------------------------------ Household Gunowners' Digest is intended for the person who owns a firearm for personal protection, or for the protection of their family or loved ones. We are always looking for feature articles that address the needs of the everyday person who owns, or is looking to own, a personal firearm. We are not looking for articles geared towards hunting, law enforcement, or military applications. For complete guidelines, please see http://www.voicenet.com/~ardrhi/hgd-submit.html ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 2001 Gwendolyn S. Patton, Jeffersonville, PA. All Rights Reserved. Newsletter may be freely shared between individuals, provided that it is shared in toto. For reprinting of individual articles, please contact the editorial staff. ------------------------------------------------------------ To subscribe, send an email to: hgd-home-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To unsubscribe, send an email to: hgd-home-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Or subscribe through our home page at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hgd-home HGD has an open discussion group. All subscribers are welcome to participate. To subscribe, send an email to: hgd-discuss-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Or subscribe through our home page at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hgd-discuss ------------------------------------------------------------ Household Gunowners' Digest is a publication of: Revolution Earth Press 163 N. Whitehall Rd Jeffersonville, PA 19403 610-630-9862 Editor-in-Chief: Gwendolyn S. Patton wendy_lyn@unforgettable.com Assistant Editor: Margaret S. Leber maggie@voicenet.com http://www.revolutionearthpress.com