The Gun Counter

PAGE NINE -- No. 61
by Alan Korwin, Author
Gun Laws of America

I've created a special feature for the print media and broadcasters ("Page Nine" regardless of where or when it runs), that covers stories afresh, not the way news rooms typically flavor things. It would help reduce the distrust so many news consumers feel and could be the most avidly followed item you carry -- if you carry it. It certainly is well received by my audience.

This casual sample might make you say, "We'll NEVER run that!" but Page Nine is being built around ad revenues from clear-thinking mainstream businesses.

Alan Korwin, Author
Gun Laws of America
"The Uninvited Ombudsman"



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PAGE NINE

The Uninvited Ombudsman Report, No. 61
by Alan Korwin, Mar. 10, 2009

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Contents:
(searchable by item number)

1- Gun Sales Astronomical
2- 4473 Form Shortage
3- Bloomberg Shot Down
4- Hate Crime Hoax
5- Not Obama's Budget
6- Book Beats Socialism
7- Barack Born Again
8- Obfuscating AIG's Malfeasance
9- "Ban" Becomes "Change"
10- Freest States Identified
11- Baloney From Stem-Cells
12- Government Schools Shrinking


STARTERS:

Accountability plan of the month: "Compel members of Congress to wear uniforms like NASCAR drivers, so we can identify their corporate sponsors." Thanks to business consultant Brad Harper.

Underreported (as in, not reported): "I was at Bass Pro Shops in Mesa the other day and the gun/ammo guys said they get two shipments per week and there is usually a line of people waiting at the elevator inside the store when they bring it up. It usually never makes it to the shelves (which were increasingly barren). --JD" And: "My family and I went to the desert Saturday to have some fun and do some target shooting. It took 3 different stops at three different stores before I could find any 40 caliber shells. --CT"


The NRA Annual Convention will be in my home town this year, Phoenix, May 14-17. They expect 60,000 interesting people and scores of leaders of the pro-rights movement. You should plan to hang out with these people -- your compatriots -- no matter how you feel about "lobbies" per se, and push the attendance to 120,000, wouldn't THAT send a message. Join me there. http://www.nraam.org

*** Back in print again at last (in plain English) ***
Gun Law Guide for MICHIGAN!
Gun Law Guide for MASSACHUSETTS!
Gun Law Guide for OHIO!
Gun Law Guide for NEW HAMPSHIRE!
Gun Law Guide for SOUTH CAROLINA!
http://www.gunlaws.com/books.htm

Plus, the new 2009 gun-law guide for all 50 states:
http://www.gunlaws.com/travel.htm

Plus -- we're introducing the Armed Response series of self-defense DVDs, truly excellent, take a look: http://www.gunlaws.com/videos.htm

CORRECTIONS:

I forgot to mention that Eric Holder, according to "news" reports wants to ban guns to stop the flow of grenades and machine guns to Mexico, but grenades and machine guns are not openly available to the public in stores (a very limited inventory of MGs nationally can be obtained with special FBI and local LEO clearance at $10K and up each); he also wants to ban the sale of "cop killer" bullets, which is actually two mistakes -- any bullet aimed at a cop is a potential killer and totally illegal already (with death penalty as punishment), and special ammunition so named by the Brady gun-ban group is already banned to the public. Thanks to Howard Nemerov for pointing out these shortcomings, and noting, "Holder proposes to ban something that is already banned... so he can dramatize 'doing something about crime' on the public stage." Mexican drug lord sources for grenades and MGs was not reported.

Regarding the human intelligence article ('our nation of cowards won't discuss race'), of course intellect is distributed across the globe, but it is not EVENLY distributed. Why else would at least one continent still be having a hard time figuring out indoor plumbing? I left out the "ly" on "evenly." Ooops. Sorry.

I failed to detect another gross error in AP's report on their preposterous swim-across-the Atlantic-stories, when they said, "Benoit Lecomte... French long distance swimmer... first man to swim across the Atlantic Ocean... for cancer research... tribute to his father... electromagnetic field to ward off sharks... took him 72 days, with 6-8 hours spent swimming each day..." Bob Solomon, who like me also owns a "calculator" figured Lecomte's 5,980 kilometer route would require about 10 km/hr. -- but the 10 km open water Olympic marathon last summer achieved only 5.36 km/hr. (for a 2-hour race). I apologize for not noting the AP's additional ridiculous blatant error.

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1- Gun Sales Astrobomical

The lamestream media told you:

The economy is so far in the tank it's hopeless and you're all doomed.

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

Overlooked somehow by the "news" media, retail firearm sales leaped 23.3 percent in February to 1,259,078, compared to 1,021,130 in February 2008, based on the number of NICS background checks performed by the FBI. The increase follows a 29 percent rise in January, a 24 percent rise in December and a stunning 42 percent jump in November, when a record 1,529,635 background checks were performed. Actual sales are higher, since the government cannot track private sales between citizens.

The continuing increase in firearm sales coincides with a BATFE announcement that firearm retailers may continue to photocopy the Form 4473 -- the federal document required for purchase of a firearm from a retailer -- since the Distribution Center for the forms is swamped with backorders. President Barack Obama's threats to gun rights have been credited with the massive order stimulus.

2- 4473 Form Shortage

The lamestream media told you:

Nothing.

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

The federal Bureaucracy of Alcohol and Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives has run out of Form 4473, the form federal firearms dealers use to permanently record the retail sales of guns in America.

The form, which has grown to six pages from its original two, is printed on yellow paper, and the bureaucracy has apparently run out of yellow paper too, in addition to printing delays. The source of this information is from BATFE itself in a plea to its dealers. http://www.atf.gov/firearms/030209notice-to-ffls.htm

It seemed clear that the massive sales of guns, which have left dealer shelves bare nationwide and manufacturers in frenzied backorder production mode has led to the shortage of forms. The bureaucracy has taken the unusual step of allowing dealers to make their own copies of the forms, provided all six pages are made, stapled together, permanently stored, and "of good quality."

The shortage of record keeping paper and printed forms comes at an embarrassing time for the government, while it is trying to hand out hundreds of billions of dollars to every manner of avaricious gaping maw and keep track of the action. Skeptics question whether agencies that can't keep forms in stock for tracking innocent people can take over the health care industry, run the car manufacturing business, manage the banks, control the world's climate and justify 8,000 earmarks it formerly said it would quash, while ensuring the public it can do this without any problem and that our money is perfectly safe.

The effect on crime of 7.5 million sheets of yellow paper used to record and store innocent people's purchase records in February is unknown, but at least federal officials didn't have to pick, pack and ship the paper to dealers everywhere last month.

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3- Bloomberg Shot Down

The lamestream media told you:

[center]--YEAH--[/center]

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has conducted a private sting operation to halt the flow of illegal guns into New York City, where guns are thankfully banned to most of the public. Using private investigators, the city's wonderful mayor has identified stores in backward southern states and elsewhere that could be persuaded to sell guns they shouldn't, which would end up "on the streets." Everyone applauds the brave mayor's efforts to rid our streets of gun crime.

"A federal judge said that Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration did not commit a crime when it sent undercover investigators into gun shops to attempt illegal weapons purchases," according to the AP last year.

Emphasis mine

The Uninvited Ombudsman notes however that:

Putting an end to nine years of litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear New York City's request to continue a lawsuit that sought to hold firearms manufacturers responsible for the criminal misuse of firearms. "We are very pleased by today's ruling to not review lower appellate court rulings that dismissed cases based on the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act," said Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

"These baseless lawsuits against responsible, law-abiding companies are the type that Congress intended to prevent by passing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act in 2005." A federal judge threw out the New York lawsuit, originally filed in 2000. Then in April of 2008, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision, saying the new law was constitutional. New York's final recourse was to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the court refused the case this week.

Regarding the illegal stings orchestrated in distant states by the maverick mayor, he has been roundly criticized for exceeding his authority, conspiring to break the law, falsely using private citizens as law enforcement officers, and prompted a number of states to enact statutes banning such activity with prison terms and fines for future violations. http://tinyurl.com/cwyvqc.

"Bloomberg's gun sting was a criminal stunt." (Charleston.net); "Mayor Bloomberg is taking the law into his own hands." (NY Post); "U.S. Department of Justice refused to prosecute any of Bloomberg's targets. It told Bloomberg that his actions lacked 'proper law enforcement authority' and opened agents he sent out on such stings to 'potential legal liabilities.'" (Reason).

"Gun manufacturers have been sued dozens of times by city and state officials across the country, without success," says the New York Times. The gun dealers attacked in courts with the public's money however do consider that a success.

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continued.....................