It ran once and was discarded. I cannot fathom why…

Then again it is Friday Night and we paaaartey!

Dude! I’d understand if some South Floridian messes up a long and complicated eastern European name the same way we are used to see news media in the north misspell complicated words in Spanish.: It happens. But Ecuador? And in South Florida? and the right spelling was just right above?

You had ONE job…

The NRA Alert just dropped in my In Box.  I had forgotten about a couple of bills so this covers it.

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DATE:   February 21, 2014
TO:       USF & NRA Member and Friends
FROM:  Marion P. Hammer

             USF Executive Director

NRA Past President

Thank you for your help this week.  If you want to review the bills, click on the blue, underlined bill numbers, they are the most current versions of the bills.

On Monday, February 17, 2014

SB-544 by Sen. Wilton Simpson  was heard in the Senate Agriculture Committee on Monday, February 17, 2014

SB-544 is a bill to allow the Division of Licensing to designate qualified Tax Collectors to conduct the  “Fast-Track” concealed weapons licensing application process in their respective counties.  This brings the process closer to the people and makes it more convenient for applicants.  The bill PASSED by a VOTE of 6-0.

On Tuesday, February 18, 2014

HB-523 by Rep. James Grant  was heard in the House Business & Professional Regulation Committee on Tuesday Feb. 18, 2014. (When you click on the link to review this bill, you will see the bill in amendment form.  That is currently the actual language of the bill awaiting action by the bill drafting staff to incorporate it into formal bill format)

HB-523 is a bill to allow the Division of Licensing to designate qualified Tax Collectors to conduct the  “Fast-Track” concealed weapons licensing application process in their respective counties.  This brings the process closer to the people and makes it more convenient for applicants.  The bill PASSED by a VOTE of 10-2.

HB-525 by Rep. James Grant was heard in the House Business & Professional Regulation Committee on Tuesday Feb. 18, 2014.

HB-525 is a bill to assure that Tax Collectors and their employees hold all license applicant and license holder personal identifying information confidential and exempt from public records.  The bill PASSED by a VOTE of 10-2.

On Wednesday, February 19, 2014

HB-255 by Rep. Matt Gaetz was heard in the House Civil Justice Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014.

HB-255 is a bill to stop insurance companies from discriminating against gun owners. An amendment was added in this committee to also stop discrimination based of possession of ammunition.  The bill PASSED by a VOTE of 8-2.

On Thursday, February 20, 2014

HB-89 by Rep. Neil Combee (R) & Rep. Katie Edwards (D) was heard in the House Judiciary on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014.

HB-89 is a bill to stop abusive prosecutors from using 10-20-LIFE to prosecute people who, in acts of self-defense, merely threaten to use deadly force against an attacker as a means to stop an attack.  The bill PASSED by a VOTE of 15-2.

The 2014 Legislative Session begins Tuesday, March 4, 2014 and runs for 60 consecutive days ending on May 2, 2014 — if the legislature completes its work.  If the legislature fails to complete its work in 60 days, they may extend the session or adjourn and be called back into Special Session.

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So far we are headed in the right direction. Now we need them to be voted in the floor and signed by the Governor.

One step at the time……

We must bow to the Government because, you know, they are the Government. Don’t be an insurrectionist!  The article by Max Fisher talks about a research he did showing that when civilians take up arms, the likelihood of triumph goes down. But there is a money quote that gets lost in the shuffle and in the minds of those who suck up to the state:

It’s really, really difficult to overstate the importance of the military in moments of mass popular protest or uprising: ultimately, they have the monopoly on force, and they can decide the outcome if they want to.

And in many countries with strict gun control and a populace that might be facing a 50 – 100 armed personnel against one armed civilian, I believe the outcome would not be a nice one.  But in a country where armed civilians outpace military and LEO by 26 to one,  a country where the Monopoly on Force (killing) does not exist, the conclusion by Mr. Fisher simply does not hold a lot of ground nor is safe to assume by a government with dictatorial intentions. And that is assuming the LEOs and Military would stay on the side of a corrupt government.

American Exceptionalism is more than just a slogan.  Some may want to remember that.

A dream of gun-control advocates for decades, the Armatix iP1 is the country’s first smart gun. Its introduction is seen as a landmark in efforts to reduce gun violence, suicides and accidental shootings. Proponents compare smart guns to automobile air bags — a transformative add-on that gun owners will demand. But gun rights advocates are already balking, wondering what happens if the technology fails just as an intruder breaks in.

via ‘We need the iPhone of guns’: Will smart guns transform the gun industry? – The Washington Post.

But according to the Violence Policy Center (The same people who invented the term “assault Weapon”) it is not such a hot idea, in fact they consider it pretty much useless and go on lengths to explain why in their fact sheet Smart Guns Backgrounder.

Now, they are not stating their opposition to Smart Guns because they suddenly had a change of heart and are now fully respectful of the Second Amendment, no sir; they just don’t want guns in the hands of the Citizens of this country …period.  A Smart Gun is still a gun that shoots and kills busloads of innocent children on their way to buy Skittles for a abandoned-puppies fundraiser.

I want to see the reaction of other Gun Control groups on this. It is gonna be funny as hell as I predict some level on internecine conflict plus the Media being absolutely confused….and good measure of laughing on our part.

An online initiative to soften Russian gun laws by radically broadening the legal definition of self-defense has gathered over 100,000 signatures and must now be considered by parliament.

The petition titled “My home is my fortress” was launched by the Right to Arms organization – a relatively new group that actively promotes the liberalization of gun laws in Russia. The essence of the proposal is that any resistance citizens offer to intruders inside their homes must be considered as necessary self-defense.

Currently, the law only lists as necessary self-defense the actions aimed at protection of personal safety, and against actions that threaten or could potentially threaten human lives. Charges of murder or inflicting grievous bodily harm can be lifted if the suspect proves that he was necessarily acting in self-defense. The Right to Arms initiative suggests that if a confrontation takes place inside a home between the owner and an intruder the burden of proof lies on the intruder.The activists claim that this would prevent cases in which people faced trial and sometimes conviction for protecting themselves and their families against violent aggressors.

via Pro-gun lobby wants to turn Russian homes into fortresses — RT Russian politics.

I always found funny how the Constitutions of many countries cite the inalienable right citizens have to life but have no problem blocking them from obtaining the tools to defend them. Kinda makes you wonder if they really believe it in the first place.