Talk about a prompt response

Just a few hours after our email to Scott county today, we received this image showing a sign with the offending language removed!

The judge-executive assures us that this was an oversight when they addressed the problem before, and apologized for the mistake.

We're appreciative of their speedy response, and of their willingness to do the right thing! If only all our efforts paid off this quickly.

Scott county politicos mock the law, still violating your rights

Because of this sign, photographed at the Great Crossing park and boat ramp in Scott county on September 12th, 2009 -

today we sent this letter to the county judge-executive and the magistrates of Scott county -

"Mr. Lusby - Our organization has contacted you about the illegal signs in Scott county parks previously.
In our last conversation, you assured me that you "didn't want to go getting into any trouble". You were scoffing and amused in your tone and didn't seem to take it seriously. Apparently you were not sincere in your assurances to us that the offending and ILLEGAL signs would be removed.
These photographs were taken at the Great Crossing boat ramp and park on September 12th, 2009.
It appears that you and whoever else has assisted you in the placement of these signs believed that once you had given us your false promises that we would stop watching or check back on the situation. That was a mistake. The citizens of this state are still watching you, and are vigilant for violations of their rights.
We expect that ALL such signs in ALL such public locations in Scott county will be removed forthwith, in accordance with the Kentucky revised statutes.
Should you fail to attend to this in a most timely fashion, the Kentucky Coalition to Carry Concealed will consult with the Attorney General of Kentucky for proceedings against the responsible persons for malfeasance by public officials. We are sure that the taxpayers of Scott county will not be amused that in these difficult financial times that their elected officials are wasting their money on illegal signs that violate their rights under Kentucky's laws and constitution.
I remind you that email constitutes a legal method of communication, and that this email carries the same weight under the law as a written letter delivered by post. Please do not make the mistake of ignoring or trivializing it as we do NOT consider this egregious conduct to be a trivial matter.
I have copied this email to the magistrates of Scott county in the hope that they will make sure that if you choose to ignore the law then someone in Scott county with more of a sense of responsibility will see to this matter. Hopefully they are better stewards of public funds than the persons responsible for these signs.
We look forward to your prompt reply - Charles Riggs, board of directors and co-founder, Kentucky Coalition to Carry Concealed"

We thought that this was done with. We were wrong, but stay tuned. We're not done yet. And it wouldn't hurt if all of you were to contact these folks and let them know what you think about this. The county's web page is here.

Federal judge rules in favor of open carry

A federal judge has ruled that in the absence of criminal behavior, the police can't detain or stop or otherwise interfere with persons who are carrying firearms openly on their persons, in compliance with the law.

See the story about it here.

Open Carry picnic cancelled

The city of Lexington decided to throw their weight around, and put a requirement for a MILLION DOLLAR insurance policy on the event, since it was advertised to the public.

So the Open Carry picnic set for Saturday the 29th is cancelled.

If you're out in the park on Sunday, the 30th, you might want to look around and see if you notice any like-minded persons out there. If you do, stop by and bring your picnic stuff.

Another step for concealed carry on campus

Not in Kentucky, but a good thing, nonetheless.

Read about it here.

Don't forget these important dates in September

Here's the dates for the Lexington and Louisville gun shows in September -

• Sep 19-20 Lexington, Heritage Hall of Lexington Center Map RK Shows (Kenny Woods Gun Show, LLC) 563-927-8176 email:kehrli8@n-vonnect.net
  
• Sep 12-13 Louisville, Map Kentucky Fair & Expo Center West Hall A&B RK Shows 563-927-8176 email:kehrli8@n-vonnect.net
  
• Sep 26-27 Louisville, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center 2100 tbls National Gun Day 513-523-3574

KC3 will have a table and representatives at each of these gun shows. If you'd like to come out and help us, get in touch with us via the comments section on this post.

Celebrating our rights!

The good folks at the Open Carry organization are going to be holding their first ever public event to demonstrate the fact that in Kentucky your right to carry a firearm openly on your person in public is constitutionally protected.

We hope that many of you will find the time to get out and show your support for this event.

In a time when so many forces in government are working to restrict or destroy your rights it's crucial that we take each and every opportunity we have to get out and show the world that we're here and we're decent people who keep the peace, just like everyone else.

A right unexercised is a right denied!

See you there.

More lies from the media about concealed carry

Here's an expose of some extremely shoddy work by the Violence Policy Center, a group that's notorious for bad research and extreme anti-gun positions.

In a recent release, they try to brand concealed carry as dangerous to the public because of the misconduct of some persons who had CCDW permits.

But people who read their study and took the time to analyze the data and pick it apart have written an article about it, and shown how hopelessly prejudiced and badly researched it was.

You can read about it HERE.

Truckers call for passage of national CCDW

There's an amendment being offered to a bill in Congress that would enable nationwide CCDW reciprocity.

Truckers are supporting it to improve their safety as they play their trade.

You can read about it here.

Here's an excerpt -

"OOIDA urges members to call lawmakers on concealed carry amendment

Truckers hauling high-dollar loads often find themselves targets for thieves looking to make a quick buck by robbing drivers of their possessions, freight and – in some tragic cases – their lives.

However, some thieves may think twice before approaching a truck if they know the driver might be armed.

This is why the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association sent out a national Call to Action on Tuesday, July 14, to its members, urging them to contact their senators to support an amendment that is being offered by Sen. John Thune, R-SD. Thune’s amendment would allow individuals who have concealed carry permits to carry a firearm in other states that also grant concealed carry permits."

Your work gets results

Check out the comments that accompany the story on this page about the illegal signage in Scott county!

Several of our members and readers contacted the Scott county judge executive about them, and they not only got replies, they got action. The signs are coming down, and the judge has apologized for them.

That kind of prompt action by a public official is encouraging, and now's the time to follow up by contacting them and thanking him for his quick response. And thanks to those of you who jumped up and sent the emails to make it happen!

Washington, DC is folding

Remember the Heller decision last year? Remember how some gloom-and-doomers were saying that it wouldn't change anything?

Initially the government of Washington, DC put into place a hatful of onerous restrictions in the effort to make the Heller decision moot, making life difficult for the citizens who decided to buy firearms to keep in their homes.

But in the wake of other court decisions, and to head off yet more costly lawsuits being brought against them for delay and obstruction, they're hastily expanding the list of permitted guns that one can own in DC.

Read about it here.

Please remember, friends, that great walls and massive obstacles of long standing are not brought down in one day. They're destroyed by patient men and women steadily chipping away at them. Perseverance pays off.

Michigan pulls ahead of Kentucky in the race for your rights

Dangit. Michigan beat us to the punch. Now we'll just have to try harder.

They now allow concealed carry on the campus of their colleges. Not in the buildings, but on the grounds. It's not what we want to do, but it's a start.

Read about it here.

An editorial you'll never see around here

Or at any rate, not one we'd expect to, no matter how sensible it is.

A paper in Oregon says it's already legal to carry openly, why bother to license concealed carry?

Read it here.

Some people never learn

A couple of years ago, KC3 contacted the Scott county judge executive's office to tell them that they had illegal signs at the entrance to their parks. Supposedly, they took them down.

Now the signs are back.

This one is at the entrance to a park on highway 25N.

Note the illegal language banning firearms and deadly weapons at rule number 5.

That's a no-no, Judge.

Did they think that our members weren't looking or were going to forget about it?

Did they think that they'd get away with it?

The citizen who sent the photos to us says that Scott county Judge-executive George Lusby was quoted in a newspaper article as saying that he didn't agree with the CCDW law. Apparently he or someone working for him in Scott county thinks that they don't have to comply with laws that don't suit them.

We made a phone call to him today and he assured us that he'd look into it and be sure that someone took care of it. He said gee whiz, gosh all golly, he sure didn't want to go to jail for those signs. Somehow it didn't sound very sincere.

He'd better be sure that he follows up on it, or we'll be looking into what it takes to charge a public official with malfeasance. That's also against the law in Kentucky. And if we were Scott county taxpayers we'd be asking him why he's wasting our tax dollars on illegal signs to suit his personal agenda. We aren't going to forget about it, judge.

If you want to tell him what you think about it, you can find his contact information on their web page here.

And tell him that KC3 sent you.

Don't forget - the Open Carry event is this weekend

The New Bethel church in Louisville, Kentucky is having an Open Carry Celebration this Saturday and everyone is invited to attend.

The event is intended to celebrate our right to personal defense and to be armed. You can read more about it on their web page here.

We think it's a good opportunity for the community of gun owners to come out into the public eye and show the world that we're not a bunch of redneck wackos, but everyday people just like the rest of the world. The difference is that we refuse to be victims, and we refuse to compromise on our human rights.

It's a good event for a good cause. We'll be there.

Gun-free school zones are nothing but killing zones

KC3 is dedicated to passing legislation this session that will allow CCDW permit holders to carry legally on school property in Kentucky, including colleges and universities.

Why are we doing this? Well, there are always stories like this one -

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A police spokesman says a custodian has been fatally shot at a middle school in Lexington, Ky.

Lexington police Lt. Ron Compton says the suspected shooter is a school employee as well and police are searching for that person. He said police don't believe there is an immediate danger to others.

Compton said school is out for the year and there were no students present when the shooting occurred.

Compton said police were called to Leestown Middle School shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Read more about it in this story from WAVE in Louisville here.

Shooters who are intent on homicide like to attack persons in schools because they KNOW that they'll be unarmed there, by state law.

This is but one example among dozens of why prohibiting citizens from being armed wherever they go is a bad idea that does nothing to contribute to public safety. Banning legally owned and carried firearms does nothing but proclaim that the school is free-fire zone for murderers. History will repeat itself until we make this change in our law.

We'll have more of these news items for you as we count down the days to the General Assembly in January. We hope that after the session is over, we'll be able to start printing articles about how shootings in schools were PREVENTED by armed citizens.

For more information about our petition and how you can help us collect signatures to present to the legislature and governor, contact us via the KC3 web page today.

Guns save lives!

While it's not a case of concealed carry, it's yet another reminder that armed citizens stop crimes, anywhere and everywhere.

Man with uses shotgun to shoot intruders - read it here.

Anyone want to work the gun show?

There's a gun show in Lexington, Kentucky this weekend, June 20th and 21st, and KC3 will be there, meeting and greeting the folks at our table.

As always, we can use some help in passing out literature and answering questions and selling raffle tickets. In any busy gun show, a lot of people will be stopping at the table and we always appreciate it when our members show up to give us a hand with all of this. And admission is free for those who come out to assist us in our work.

Contact us by calling by emailing either Bob Jaynes or Charles Riggs via the links at the KC3 web page here. Give us a phone number and we'll get right back with you. We look forward to seeing you, and thanks for supporting KC3!

Guns Save Lives!

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. -- A group of college students said they are lucky to be alive and they’re thanking the quick-thinking of one of their own. Police said a fellow student shot and killed one of two masked men who burst into an apartment.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones met with one of the students to talk about the incident. “Apparently, his intent was to rape and murder us all,” said student Charles Bailey.

An lawfully armed fellow student put on end to his predations. Gee, wonder why this one wasn't all over the headlines? Could it be because the mainstream media just can't bring themselves to acknowledge that guns have MANY more positive uses in everyday life in the USA than there are negative uses?
Read it all here.

The updated gun show schedule

• Jun 6-7 Louisville, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center 2100 tbls National Gun Day 513-523-3574
  
• Jun 20-21 Lexington, Heritage Hall of Lexington Center Map RK Shows (Kenny Woods Gun Show, LLC) 563-927-8176 email:kehrli8@n-vonnect.net
  
• Jun 26-28 Shepherdsville. Paroquet Springs Conf. Ctr. Knife Show. Kentucky Cutlery Assoc. Jerry, 502-968-5946
  
• Jun 27-28 Ashland, El Hasa Temple Map RK Shows (Kenny Woods Gun Show, LLC) 563-927-8176 email:kehrli8@n-vonnect.net
  
• Jul 11-12 Somerset, (Kenny Woods Gun Show LLC) The Center Map (2292 S. Hwy 27) RK Shows 563-927-8176 email:kehrli8@n-vonnect.net
  
• Jul 18-19 Louisville, Map Kentucky Fair & Expo Center West Hall A&B RK Shows 563-927-8176 email:kehrli8@n-vonnect.net
  
• Sep 19-20 Lexington, Heritage Hall of Lexington Center Map RK Shows (Kenny Woods Gun Show, LLC) 563-927-8176 email:kehrli8@n-vonnect.net
  
• Sep 12-13 Louisville, Map Kentucky Fair & Expo Center West Hall A&B RK Shows 563-927-8176 email:kehrli8@n-vonnect.net
  
• Sep 26-27 Louisville, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center 2100 tbls National Gun Day 513-523-3574
  
• Oct 10-11 Cave City, Convention Center, A:$5 SH:Sat 9-5, Sun 9-4 S/T Promotions website 270-622-2185
  
• Oct 31-Nov 1 Somerset, (Kenny Woods Gun Show LLC) The Center Map (2292 S. Hwy 27) RK Shows 563-927-8176 email:kehrli8@n-vonnect.net
  
• Nov 21-22 Cave City, Convention Center, A:$5 SH:Sat 9-5, Sun 9-4 S/T Promotions website 270-622-2185
  
• Dec 12-13 Louisville, Kentucky Fair & Expo Center 2100 tbls National Gun Day 513-523-3574

Display boxes for newsletters are here

We now have the cardboard display boxes that you can use to display the KC3 newsletter.

If you have a business or gun store where you can put the KC3 newsletter out on the counter where your friends and customers can see it, please get in touch with us so that we can send a box and some copies of the newsletter to you.

The more you help us spread the word, the more we can grow to accomplish our mission of making Kentucky the most friendly state in the whole country for personal freedoms and our right to bear arms.

Email us or send us a letter today!

The 2009 annual meeting is history

No other way to describe it.  It was great!

A larger than usual crowd showed up to share lunch and ideas and discussions, and to take a chance on the Ruger LCP that we were giving away.

The winner was a man who'd only been in KC3 for two months.  We'd say he got his money's worth on his membership!

The barbeque and fixin's were excellent, and despite our careful planning we still had food left over, for which the staff at Open Range were most grateful.

There were some good things that happened.  We welcomed former board member Brock Hetherington back on board, and we look forward to wearing him out at gun shows and wracking his brains for new ideas to advance our cause.

The sad news was that long-time board member Jerry Geise resigned from the board.  After nine years with us, making him the longest-serving board member, Jerry's going to be taking time off for himself and his family.  Jerry has been to dozens of gun shows, made dozens of visits to gun stores and businesses for KC3 and has labored on a multitude of projects for the group in many capacities.

We'll surely miss him, because we can't replace him and we want to say THANKS, JERRY!!! for all his long, hard service to our cause!

The rest of the officers have stayed in their positions.  Kraig Keller will continue to steer things for us as we move into a new year of agitation and fighting for our freedoms.

Our new attorney, Chris Hunt of Lexington, came to spend some time with us and we're hoping that we haven't run him now that he's seen what a lot of radicals we are.

There's more to tell about the door prizes and the discussions, and photos to post of the proceedings, and more to say about where we plan to go with KC3, but that's all for now.  Be sure to read the June newsletter for more coverage of the event.

What did YOU do for your rights today?

People have a tendency to get in touch with organizations like ours with an issue that makes them mad, and then ask us what we're going to do about it.

The question is, what have THEY done about it before getting in touch with us?

So here's some questions for the people who read this blog -

What are YOU going to do about the signs that shouldn't be on the doors of the cell phone office?

We put the info on this blog. How many of YOU have gone to that store with the offending signs and told them they're wrong?

How many of YOU have called them about it?

How many of YOU have done NOTHING but read about it, or complain to us about it and want to know what WE'RE going to do about it?

How many of YOU aren't members of KC3 but want US to fix the things that aren't right here in Kentucky, the things that offend you?

How many of YOU just haven't taken the time to join KC3? Or to call your legislator? Or even

to VOTE?

No matter how many members we have, we can always use more. And we can use more support and more phone calls and more people out there spreading the word and passing out newsletters and writing letters to the editor.

So ask yourself what YOU are going to do about fixing the problem the next time you start to whip out that indignant email to us.

WE depend on YOU and your support to make things happen, to achieve change.

When we count noses to see who's with us, where will YOU be?

Excellent editorial piece by Michael Barone

On guns and climate, the elites are out of touch

"Many years ago political scientists came up with a theory that elites lead public opinion. And on some issues they clearly do. But on some issues they don’t. Two examples of the latter phenomenon are conspicuous at a time when Barack Obama enjoys the approval of more than 60 percent of Americans and Democrats have won thumping majorities in two elections in a row. One is global warming."

Read it all here.

National concealed carry in parks bills passes the House

Victory at Last - National Park Service Gun Ban Repealed!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

"Gun Owners of America was the most consistent and loudest voice on
Capitol Hill in support of the effort to repeal the National Park
Service gun ban." -- Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Good news!
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill today that included an
amendment to repeal the gun ban on National Park Service (NPS) land and
wildlife refuges.
The amendment, sponsored by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) and attached to a
credit card industry reform bill, passed the House overwhelmingly by a
vote of 279-147.
For decades, law-abiding citizens have been prohibited from exercising
their Second Amendment rights on NPS land and wildlife refuges, even if
the state in which the land is located allows carrying firearms.

With some limited exceptions for hunting, the only way to legally
possess a firearm anywhere in a national park is by having it unloaded
and inaccessible, such as locked up in an automobile trunk.  A Bush
administration regulation partially reversed the ban, but that action
was singlehandedly negated recently by an activist judge in Washington,
D.C.  The Department of Interior decided not to appeal that ruling.

Senator Coburn believes, like you do, that Americans should not be
forced to sacrifice their Second Amendment rights when entering NPS land
and wildlife refuges.

GOA worked with Coburn on an amendment that simply allows for state and
local laws -- instead of unelected bureaucrats and anti gun activist
judges -- to govern firearm possession on these lands.

The anti-gun leadership in both the House and Senate went berserk and
fought to keep the Coburn amendment from being attached to the
underlying bill.  Sparks were flying on the floor of the House of
Representatives today.

Anti-gun Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) whined that a "very good" credit
card bill had been "hijacked" by the Coburn amendment.  To this, Rep.
Rob Bishop (R-UT) pointed out that gun control is the policy of tyrants,
as evidenced by the British attempt to confiscate firearms at Lexington
and Concord in 1775.
Congressional leaders and entrenched bureaucrats have fought GOA over
the NPS gun ban for the past eight years.
But your activism has finally broken through.  The late Senator Everett
Dirksen said, "When I feel the heat, I see the light!"  Well, you have
applied a lot of heat.  Members of Congress know that they oppose your
Second Amendment rights at their own peril.

As it stands today, both houses of Congress have now passed the Coburn
amendment -- and President Obama is expected to sign the provision into
law (only because it is part of a larger credit card bill that he really
wants).

So, congratulate yourself for winning this long, hard battle.  GOA was
the leading, and often only, national gun group involved in this fight.
You involvement was absolutely vital to achieving this win.

Of course, many more battles lie ahead.  President Obama continues to
push for the Senate to ratify massive international gun control
treaties.  There is a battle over a Supreme Court nominee coming up.
Anti-gun zealots in Congress are aggressively pushing to renew the
Clinton gun ban and close down gun shows.
And as the health care debate picks up steam in the coming weeks and
months, GOA is battling efforts to create a computerized national
healthcare database.  Such a database can be used to deny people their
Second Amendment rights in the same way that so many veterans have lost
their gun rights based only on the diagnoses of a doctor for things like
combat-related stress.
GOA will be calling for action on these and other Second Amendment
issues as they move through Congress.

In the meantime, have a safe Memorial Day as we remember those who gave
the ultimate sacrifice so that America would remain "Land of the Free."

Where is everybody?

No, we haven't all fallen asleep on the job.

The annual meeting was May 9th, and we'll have information and photos from that event on the blog soon.
But as you know, KC3 is a volunteer organization and we all have day jobs (and night jobs!) and kids and many other things that make demands on our time, so the blog and the volunteer business go to the back burner from time to time.
There'll be several items to read on the blog on Wednesday, so check back with us then.

Correct target for CCDW qualification

We recently received an email asking what's the correct target for the qualification shooting part of the CCDW course.

The one shown below is the correct target. It's the traditional B21 standard 50 yard target, sized 35x45 inches.
The 'reduced size' version that's listed by some target vendors is intended for use at 25 yards for some courses of fire, but that version is NOT allowed for use in the CCDW classes.
There is also another traditional target, the B27, but it's a different shape and is not authorized for use in the concealed carry classes. You can see it here.
There are variations of the B21 that have different scoring rings, but they're okay to use. It's the overall shape, size and silhouette of the target that's important.
If your instructor is using any other target besides this one, please advise him to check with the Dept. of Criminal Justice Training for information about the right target to use.

RSVP form for the annual meeting

If you intend to come to the meeting May 9th and want to have lunch with all of us, please use this form. You can click on it to enlarge it, then print it and mail it in to KC3. We must receive your RSVP by May 1st so we can order the correct quantity of food for the event.

We look forward to seeing you then.

(click to enlarge form in another window for printing)

KC3 Annual meeting reminder

The Kentucky Coalition to Carry Concealed annual meeting is only two weeks away!

We wanted to remind you once more about the date of the meeting.  And don't forget that if you intend to attend this year's meeting and want to eat lunch with the rest of us before the meeting, you MUST submit the RSVP form that's in the most recent issue of the newsletter.

We'll be posting a copy of it here on the blog ASAP so that you can download it from here and mail it in.  The form MUST be mailed in not later than MAY FIRST for it to be accepted.  Emails and phone calls will NOT be accepted as a form of reply.

We're doing this to save money and avoid squandering resources, which I'm sure we can all appreciate when we're watching the insane spending spree going on in Washington, DC.

The meeting will be held at the Open Range in Crestwood, Ky.  

Registration starts at 11 AM and lunch will be at 12 noon.  The annual meeting will start at 1 PM with the board of directors meeting to follow that.

If you need to renew your membership you can send in the form from the newsletter or get in touch with us by email via the web page on the 'contact us' page.  You MUST be a member to participate in the meeting!

Clear your calendars and be there if you want to be part of the process.  We look forward to seeing all of you.

Milwaukee police chief suspends civil rights in his city

(Chief Ed Flynn - Milwaukee)

There was a recent advisory opinion issued by the Wisconsin Attorney General that confirmed that the mere act of carrying a firearm openly on your person, as provided for by law in that state, did NOT constitute disorderly conduct or any other illegal act.

Unfortunately, Ed Flynn, the chief of police in Milwaukee has announced that he's not going to be guided by this advisory.  He's telling his cops to put citizens on the ground, disarm them and THEN determine if they're doing anything wrong!

We anticipate that there will be some lawsuits forthcoming if the police in that city are as stupid as their chief and try this tactic on law-abiding citizens.

Read more about it here and here.

Citizens gun rights group plans open carry event

More and more groups that advocate the citizens right to be armed have begun holding public events in order to focus attention on this issue.  

One group in Pennsylvania is holding a picnic where their members will carry openly.  You can read about it here.

There's a lot of disagreement in the firearms-owning community about this issue.  Basically we at KC3 believe that it's necessary to exercise our rights, to show the nation that we're not going to be intimidated by bad laws and bullying politicians who want to intimidate us into being reluctant to go public with our beliefs.  Carrying openly helps to dispel the myth that having a gun must inevitably lead to its misuse.

We're lucky that in Kentucky the right to carry openly is recognized, but the reason that KC3 exists is that at one point in time, some police departments made it their business to harass lawful gun owners who tried to carry openly in accordance with the law.

It's great not to have to carry openly, but it's also good to do it sometimes just because you can, because it's your RIGHT.

Congratulations!

The Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog celebrated the posting of its 4000th self-defense incident this week.

Think about it.  That's 4000 times that a firearm has been used in a legitimate, legal manner to save lives or prevent crimes, and this is just since they began keeping track in 2003.

We hear from the mainstream media all the time about the tragic cost of guns and 'gun violence' but not nearly so often about the greater number of incidents in which lives and property were defended by gun owners.  And we know from various studies done over the decades past that the number of actual incidents is much greater than the average of two per day that their blog has posted.

Hats off to Clayton Cramer and David Burnett, the authors of the blog.  Mr. Cramer is a well-known professor and blogger of many years standing, and Mr. Burnett is a member of the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, which you can find more info about on this blog.

If you'd like to support their ongoing work, please make sure to hit the donations tab on the Gun Self Defense blog when you visit.  Their link is here on the left side of our page.  It's worth the look and worth your time to read the reports.

"Fight back! Whenever you are offered violence, fight back! The aggressor does not fear the law, so he must be taught to fear you. Whatever the risk, and at whatever the cost, fight back!" - Jeff Cooper

Concealed carry on campus

Update on the Thunder Over Louisville situation

Good news!  The Louisville Metro Police were asked at a press conference today about the ban on firearms that is posted on the TOL web page which we told you about.  They stated that there is NO such ban!

They clarified that the only place where legally concealed firearms would not be permitted would be INSIDE the beer tents, and that those areas would be correctly posted, as required.

They stated that concealed carry by persons with legitimate CCDW permits would be allowed on the Great Lawn and other open areas, in accordance with Kentucky statutes.

We're still waiting for the Kentucky Derby Festival people to fix their web site, but for the time being this is a very significant victory for us.  In the past, Louisville's city government simply ignored any attempts to reverse their discriminatory policy.

Thanks for your help and support!  We'll keep you posted as this situation evolves.

Louisville decides not to obey Kentucky laws

It's Kentucky Derby time again, time for festivities and activities, balloon races and mini-marathons and for the great fireworks and aviation show called "Thunder Over Louisville". But in a stunning show of sheer gall, Louisville's rulers have decided that they are a law unto themselves.

Kentucky has a law that says that only the General Assembly may make laws relating to firearms, what's called our preemption law. But Louisville's Metro council doesn't care.
Anther law states that no unit of government may ban CCDW in the open areas of parks. That doesn't concern mayor Jerry Abrams and his happy band of gun-haters.
Kentucky's constitution plainly says that you may carry firearms openly about your person, with few restrictions and none that relate to this situation. Louisville seems to be making up their own constitution.
Why are we saying this?
Read what's here on the "Thunder Over Louisville" web page about what you can and can't bring into the Derby festival area along the waterfront - http://www.thunderoverlouisville.org/frequently-asked-questions.html -

What can't I bring to Thunder Over Louisville?

For safety reasons the following are not permitted in the event area, which goes south from the Ohio River to Main Street between Clay Street and 10th
Street:

No Tents

No cans or bottles are allowed at the event site. Plastic bottles and food are permitted. There is also plenty of food and soft drink stands to take care of any needs you may have. Beer is available at the Chow Wagon at Waterfront Park and the Belvedere Beer Garden.

No alcoholic beverages are allowed.

No bikes, skateboards or skates are allowed in the event venue. You will be asked to walk them in for pedestrian safety.

No firearms are allowed.

Please leave any pets at home.

Due to increased security - all persons and parcels are subject to search.


So, by decree of the Metro council, they have announced that they have suspended your rights for an area extending 15 blocks east-to-west, and 3 blocks north-to-south!
In blatant violation of the laws and constitution of Kentucky, the Louisville Metro county government has revoked the right to self-defense - and will be searching you at random to enforce their decree!

We were just apprised of this outrage today and have already started the effort to reverse it. Check back here for updates on the situation.
In the meantime, take advantage of the contact page on the Kentucky Derby Festival web site here to get in touch with them, but be warned the email link for info@kdf.org on that page doesn't appear to work so you might have to call them. You can use these addresses to reach their media contact people - aboyd@kdf.org and mshallcross@kdf.org - which ought to shake them up a bit. Please tell them that you won't be spending your money at the Derby or any related events as long as this policy is in place.
They got away with this in the past. We're going to do our best to see to it that it ends now.

Stupid signs just won't go away

(click on sign to enlarge image for viewing)

Okay, so you have a business in Kentucky?  Why would you post signs that quote Ohio law on the door of that business?

Apparently some business people in northern Kentucky either aren't sure which side of the river they're on, or they're too lazy or too cheap to have signs printed up just for their Kentucky locations.

These signs were found on a Cincinnati Bell Wireless store in the Crestview Hills shopping center by KC3 member Scott Berger.

The address of the store is: 2895 Dixie Hwy, Crestview Hills, Ky. 41017.

Their telephone number is (859) 331-1000.

You can also contact their corporate HQ at 'contact us' link at the top of their web page here.

If you live up that way, we wish that you'd stop in and talk to them, or give them a call on the phone.  Tell them, politely please, that the signs are stupid for a couple of reasons.

One, this is Kentucky so quoting Ohio law means nothing.

Two, signs don't stop criminals from robbing their stores or threatening their employees.

Three, stupid signs keep responsible citizens from spending their money in stores that post stupid signs.  You don't want to burden them with your money if that's how they really feel about honest people who carry for their own safety.

They need to hear from all of you before we give them a visit or send them a letter so that they know that you don't appreciate their disregard for your safety and your freedoms.

And tell 'em KC3 sent you!

Missouri moves for major changes in CCDW law

As our members and friends know, KC3 is now in the process of collecting signatures on a petition in support of changing our statutes to legalize the possession of firearms on school property.

Missouri was behind us in getting their CCDW law passed, but they're making up for lost time in a big way -

"Jefferson City — Legislation lowering the minimum age for obtaining a concealed-weapons permit and allowing concealed guns at public colleges and universities received first-round approval Wednesday in the Missouri House." (You can read the rest of it here -)

It goes to show that we can't rest on our laurels and be content with what we have now. We have to keep pushing to expand our rights. That means getting those signatures and being ready to hit the General Assembly hard in 2010 so we get the improvements that we know we need!

Contact KC3 for copies of the petition or copy it from your newsletter, then mail the signed copies in to us.

Excellent thinking in a well-written essay about guns and freedom

So many people write about guns and about our freedoms. But few have written so concisely and cogently as "Armed Liberal" has in this piece at the Winds of Change blog.

Here's an excerpt -

"We are left with the choice between the tragedy of funerals we have today and the tragic farce of placing our face quietly under Orwell's eternal boot. And the tragedy - the real tragedy of that choice - is that it isn't a choice; because what we would get at the end of choosing it, I believe, is the worst of both worlds where law abiding citizens place themselves at the mercy of both an intrusive and useless state and of violent criminals the state cannot control."

Read all of it here.

Gallup poll shows no new support for gun control

A poll conducted before the most recent rash of shooting showed no new increase in support for gun control in this country.

There's good reason to believe that this reflects the possibility that more Americans are getting the news that gun control laws don't work.  Disarming potential victims and ordinary citizens will never persuade maniacs from their intent to commit mayhem.

You can read the Gallup poll story on their web page here.

WLKY report on guns and CCDW in Kentucky

More Kentuckians Apply For Concealed Carry Permits

By Steve Burgin, WLKY news
Read the whole story on the WLKY web page here.
(watch part one here) (watch part two here)


LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Target 32 investigation has found a dramatic increase in the number of Kentuckians applying for concealed carry permits.

Applications in Jefferson County more than tripled in December of 2008. Weapon and ammo sales are up as well, and people are packing gun safety classes, which are required before a person can get a concealed carry permit.

A change in the administration and a troubled economy are the two main reasons given for this increased desire among Kentuckians to carry concealed weapons. As a result, business has shot through the roof at Open Range Sports in Crestwood, Ky. Barry Laws runs Open Range.

"We are starting to love Obama right now," he said. Laws said there's a fear among his customers that President Barack Obama will move toward more gun control.
"It's a double-edge sword," he said. "People want to buy a lot of firearms, but there aren't a lot available."

Stacy Triplett, who recently received her concealed carry permit, was shopping for a way to hide her 9 mm pistol. "It's a fundamental right to bear arms and we are concerned that right might be curtailed," she said.

According to state records obtained by WLKY News, applications for concealed carry licenses, jumped from 12,292 in 2007 to 16,503 last year -- an increase of 34 percent.

Charles Riggs, a member of the board of the Kentucky Coalition to Carry Concealed, said the message behind those numbers is clear. "That says when I go out of my house, I'm responsible for myself. I'm responsible for my own well-being," he said. "I have the right to live my life unmolested by criminals."

Since passing the law in 1996 and through the end of last year, the commonwealth has issued nearly 146,000 concealed carry permits.

(read it all and watch the videos on their web page here)