This question was raised during the creation of these united States of America, it is reputed that Benjamin Franklin answered that the latter is armed & free, while the former is disarmed & enslaved. Even Ghandi had ideas about guns in private hands,
"Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the Act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.",needless to say not exactly what you'd expect from a non-violent protester & patriot(obviously in his case I'm referring to his allegiance to India).
You probably wondering, what was the point of the introduction above?
THE US GOV'T WANTS TO DISARM ALL AMERICANS!!!
I know you're probably, wondering how are they going to pull this off?
First have a "trial" that "debates" the meaning of Second Amendment, never mind that it says
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Knowing full well that they can say that the Second Amendment doesn't mean what it says or that it is not an individual right. So they'll declare it an individual right, BUT declare the gov't can impose bans and restrictions despite the SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED part, which they love to ignore.
The other part of the plan is well...
Chris Rock said best....
Think that's just a joke?
Check out these news stories...
http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=598&sid=1367565
Ammo Shortage Adds Up to Higher Police Costs
March 18, 2008 - 10:54am
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - Washington County Sheriff Douglas Mullendore and Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith are having to make room in their budgets for the soaring cost of ammunition.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have contributed to a domestic ammunition shortage. Meanwhile, Mullendore says the cost of raw materials for bullets has been climbing because of increased demand for copper and lead overseas.
Mullendore is seeking more than $15,000 in the county's next budget to pay for ammunition. That request is $4,000 higher than the amount requested last year. Smith is asking for $29,000 for ammunition for the coming year, compared to $17,000 last year.
Both men say supply problems have forced their departments to place their ammunition orders up to a year in advance.
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Information from: The (Hagerstown, Md.) Herald-Mail, http://www.herald-mail.com
(Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - Washington County Sheriff Douglas Mullendore and Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith are having to make room in their budgets for the soaring cost of ammunition.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have contributed to a domestic ammunition shortage. Meanwhile, Mullendore says the cost of raw materials for bullets has been climbing because of increased demand for copper and lead overseas.
Mullendore is seeking more than $15,000 in the county's next budget to pay for ammunition. That request is $4,000 higher than the amount requested last year. Smith is asking for $29,000 for ammunition for the coming year, compared to $17,000 last year.
Both men say supply problems have forced their departments to place their ammunition orders up to a year in advance.
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Information from: The (Hagerstown, Md.) Herald-Mail, http://www.herald-mail.com
http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=188831&format=html
March 18, 2008
Wars contribute to bullet shortage for Hagerstown, Washington County law enforcement
By JOSHUA BOWMAN (joshua.bowman@herald-mail.com)
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WASHINGTON COUNTY - The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been affecting police departments here for years through the mobilization of officers who are enlisted in the military.
But the battles in the Middle East are having another, greater, impact on local law enforcement. After more than six years of sustained combat, ammunition is in short supply back home, and police say the shortage is affecting their budgets, training and supply rooms.
"It's something we really have to watch. It's obviously one of our primary tools," Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore said.
In addition to demand from the military, Mullendore said the cost of raw materials used in ammunition production has skyrocketed, with increased demand for copper and lead overseas.
In his budget request for fiscal year 2009, which begins in July, Mullendore is asking for $15,650 for ammunition - a $4,150 increase over last year's request.
That money will buy rounds for the department's .40-caliber handguns, .223-caliber rifles and 12-gauge shotguns.
He said a case of .40-caliber handgun bullets costs almost $250, up $20 from last year.
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"And that could go up more by the time we order," Mullendore said.
Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith said the cost of ammunition doubled for his department last year.
This year, Hagerstown police will ask for $29,000 for .40-caliber, 12-gauge and .223-caliber ammunition, as well as a small supply of explosives and other devices for the SWAT team.
The request is $12,000 higher than last year's $17,000 request.
And the budget increases aren't the biggest problem.
"Ammunition isn't a big budget item. It's the wait for shipments that's killing us," Smith said.
He said the city's police department now has to order ammunition up to a year in advance. Mullendore reported a similar delay.
The Hagerstown Police Department bids contracts for ammunition suppliers, Smith said. The department's most recent contracts were with Lawmen Supply, which has offices in New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, and The Gun Shop in New Jersey, Smith said.
Smith said his department just received a large order last year, which helped replenish a dwindling ammunition supply.
Smith and Mullendore did not say how much stock their departments keep, but both said it's not a great deal.
And when those supplies drop, training can suffer.
The Hagerstown Police Department had to delay some training last year before its shipment arrived because there wasn't enough ammunition, Smith said.
The department holds training sessions for its officers several times each year. The state requires police officers to qualify on their handguns and on shotguns once per year.
Mullendore said the sheriff's department has had to cut its firing-range training sessions back to about two per year from three or four.
The city police department also operates the Western Maryland Police Academy, where each recruit fires upwards of 500 rounds, Smith said.
With one class per year and 10 to 20 recruits per class, that's anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 rounds of ammunition per year.
"How much ammo we're going to use is something we really have to think about in advance now. I think we're OK this year, but we were affected last year," Smith said.
Mullendore and Smith said their departments also use computer simulation, paintball pellets and other types of training that don't involve live rounds.
However, Mullendore said those things cannot take the place of firing bullets.
Recruits at the academy spend a week learning how to load and sight a handgun, and how to shoot accurately in low-light and combat-type situations. Officers in training sessions do many of the same drills.
"Some officers will only ever fire their weapons in training, but some will end up in real-life scenarios where they are forced to use them. At that point, you get tunnel vision and you revert to your training," Mullendore said. "There is no alternative to being proficient on your weapon."
http://www.sj-r.com/News/stories/26369.asp
Military takes toll on sheriff's ammunition
By JOHN REYNOLDS
STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
It’s not only personnel that local law enforcement has lost to the war effort in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson warned a county board committee Tuesday that his office is running low on ammunition, too, partly due to the needs of the military.
The sheriff’s office still hasn’t received orders it placed last year through a state purchasing plan, and as a result, is keeping a close eye on its supply.
“We really have to watch the ammunition because the price is skyrocketing, and the quantities are limited,” Williamson said. “Ammunition is one of our basic tools. It’s like a carpenter and nails. If a carpenter doesn’t have nails to build a house, then they’re out of business. This is one of the tools we have to have.”
Williamson, speaking to members of the jail committee, said one reason for the shortage is that ammunition manufacturers are concentrating on orders for the military. As a result, there simple aren’t enough bullets available for law enforcement.
Another problem is that lead and copper, two of the raw materials used in the production of ammunition, are in high demand overseas.
“Copper and lead are going to industrialized countries like China and India. They are sucking up huge quantities of these raw materials,” Williamson said.
County deputies carry about 48 rounds of ammunition while on patrol. That includes a clip of ammo inside their handgun and two extra clips. The standard-issue sidearm for Sangamon County deputies is a .40-caliber Glock semi-automatic.
Exactly how many rounds the county still has on the shelf was not available Tuesday, but the sheriff said it’s not enough.
“If we had a dire emergency, we could run out of ammunition. Our supplies are that limited,” he said, adding that he hopes the back orders can be filled soon, because it would be much more expensive to purchase the ammunition from other sources.
A recent order for 2,500 40-caliber rounds through the state purchasing plan cost $1,166, which averages out to about 46 1/2 cents per round. Another 2,500 order for 9mm ammunition cost $329, which averages to about 13 cents per round.
Currently, sporting goods stores are charging about $25 for a box of 20 .40-caliber rounds, which averages out to $1.25 per round. A box of 9mm rounds costs about $20.
Williamson did not ask for any extra money Tuesday. He said he simply wanted to inform the board of the situation.
Despite the shortage, all Sangamon County deputies have qualified with their weapons during shooting drills, according to the sheriff’s office.
Cmdr. Mark Bridges of the Springfield Police Department said that while he is aware of the supply problem, so far, the city is not running low on ammo.
The standard-issue sidearm for city officers is a semi-automatic, .357-caliber Sig Sauer. Later this year, possibly in April, officers will be switching to an updated Sig Sauer .357 model, which means they will have to be trained on the new weapon.
John Reynolds can be reached at 788-1524.
What supplies do county deputies use?
* .40 caliber — Used in the sidearms carried by deputies and some court security officers.
* .38 caliber — Used by some court security officers.
* 9mm — Used in some of the weapons carried by deputies on the tactical team.
* .223 caliber — Used in some of the weapons carried by deputies on the tactical team.
* .308 caliber — Used in sniper rifles as well as the M-14 assault rifles of some supervisors.
— John Reynolds
NOTICE HOW THEY FAIL TO MENTION MOST COPS CARRY 9mm AS WELL AS MOST CITIZENS!!!!
If you believe gun control is not about disarming all law abiding citizens, read the article below:
http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2008/03/10/columnists/guest_column/doc47d378148086d219115518.txt
Handgun problem can't be ignored
By FRED ABRAHAM
We recently witnessed, yet again, another case of firearm violence with the shooting deaths of five people on the Northern Illinois University campus. One of the most surprising things in the aftermath was an almost complete lack of discussion on the topic of gun control. The conversation that did occur centered mostly on keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally unstable. Have we as a country given up on the notion of limiting access to firearms for the general population?
Interestingly, in the Northern Illinois killings, even though the shooter had a shotgun, most of the shots were fired by the handguns he carried. He apparently fired only six of 54 shots from the shotgun. This makes tragic sense of course. Handguns are designed almost exclusively for the purpose of shooting people and they work well. More than 80 percent of all firearm-related homicides involve handguns. Further, over 85 percent of all firearm-related crimes involve handguns. In addition, about 45 percent of all suicides are with handguns. Over a third of all police officers who die in the line of duty each year are shot, mostly by handguns. Clearly, handguns are a problem, yet we do little about them.
The arguments against handgun control are familiar, old and tired: we need handguns to protect ourselves from bad people, whether criminals or invaders; the constitution guarantees our right to have them; arming the population lowers the crime rate. However, statistically, there is no validity to any of these and the constitution does not ensure people access to handguns. The rare occasions when handguns actually do protect safety — and this seldom happens — are far outweighed by deaths caused by them.
Be clear: It isn’t all firearms that need control. It’s primarily handguns. A large segment of our population enjoys hunting as a sport and should be allowed to continue. But, most hunting is done with rifles and shotguns, not handguns. Unfortunately, we seem to be unable to separate an acceptable purpose for firearm ownership — recreation — from an unacceptable one — killing people.
It isn’t that we are a particularly violent society. Our violent crime rate is about average for industrialized nations. Even as bad as TV and movies are about encouraging violence, we’re still not too far from the rest of the world. Where we differ is how we do our violence. David Hemenway, of Harvard University’s Injury Control Research Center says, “In general, guns don’t induce people to commit crimes. What guns do is make crimes lethal.” It’s an excellent point. A hold-up with a knife is a difficult business (even though it is frequently tried) and when confronted, the perpetrator frequently runs off. Not so gunmen. All too often, when they encounter resistance in a robbery, they shoot.
Interpersonal conflicts are much the same way. When disagreements get heated and violent, the violence frequently escalates to firearms and someone gets shot. Without the gun, there may be a fistfight but those are usually not as deadly. Do you remember when handguns were called “Saturday Night Specials?” It was a reference to guns used when domestic disputes resulted in violence. Tempers flared and the result was a shooting. But, no gun, no shooting. And have you ever heard of a drive-by stabbing?
So what can we do? One approach would be to allow the manufacture and sale of handguns only to law enforcement agencies. That would not infringe upon the right to “keep and bear arms” but the effect would certainly be to eventually curtail the availability of handguns. Or, how about tightly controlling the manufacture and distribution of ammunition? Both of these suggestions would control the supply of handguns and not directly restrict individual freedoms but would certainly have an impact.
Another approach would be to heavily tax either handguns, ammunition or both. Or a registration of $1,000 per year also might dissuade more than a few from purchasing handguns.
It’s clear any attempt to directly limit handgun ownership will cause huge constitutional battles but as suggested, there are other ways to accomplish the objective of limiting availability. There is no single magic solution to the handgun problem. Nonetheless, to continue to ignore the enormous human cost accompanying widespread distribution is an embarrassment. We should be a better society than that.
So what do I do you're probably wondering ?
Start at these sites and most importantly understand the purpose of the U.S. Constitution!
Recommended sites:
http://www.jpfo.org/
http://www.gunowners.org/
http://mp3.wtprn.com/Koernke08.html <-- LISTEN TO WEDS. SHOWS
http://www.molonlabearms.com/mla/
http://infowars.com
http://truthnews.us
http://www.riflebarrels.com/default.htm
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/
http://concealedcampus.org/
http://www.2asisters.org/
http://www.wagc.com/
http://www.a2dems.net/
