Commentary

Sharyl Attkisson, a CBS News investigative correspondent based in Washington, wrote on the CBS News website recently that for more than a year, she has been investigating the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms' 'Fast and Furious' operation and the controversial tactic of 'gunwalking.'

Ohio’s concealed-handgun license law turned 8 years old on that Sunday afternoon. Notably absent from the festivities were blood in the streets, Wild West reenactments and an epidemic of accidental gun injuries. To understand the significance of this event and why today it seems completely unremarkable, simply Google “Ohio concealed carry 2003” and prepare to be astonished.

John Romano, columnist for the Tampa Bay Times newspaper, recently attended concealed carry classes in the Florida city and produced an even-handed account of the people at the classes and their motivations for taking the class. Excerpts:

At FOX 35 News in Orange County, Fla. comes this report: 'Forget about paying the bills with your tax refund, some are heading to the gun shop instead. Over at Shoot Straight employees say more people are taking a shot at a owning a gun, thanks to Uncle Sam.… As people debate the Stand Your Ground law, many worry about losing the right to own a gun, 'Any time people feel their second amendment right might be taken away or altered, they get concerned and buy the guns that they can buy now, while they can.'

David Kopel, adjunct law professor at Denver University and co-author of “Firearms Law and the Second Amendment”, wrote in the Washington Times this week: 'Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s visit to Washington last week featured his usual lecturing of Americans about gun control. This time, he had some good ideas, although he remains wedded to many bad ones, too. A polite guest, Mr. Calderon did not mention the “Fast and Furious” operation during his public events with President Obama. But reports indicate that he did bring it up privately, and he was furious - justifiably so.'

NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre spoke at the NRA Annual Meetings April 14, 2012. If you weren’t able to attend, a link to a transcript of his comments appears below, courtesy of the NRA. Or click the player window to watch the speech. 'All over this nation, people feel it in their hearts — that something has gone terribly wrong in our country. In almost every way you look at it, almost every aspect of American freedom is in some state of decline.

Larry Keane, general counsel of the NSSF, weighed in recently on the biased reporting about Remington firearms by NBC’s Rock Center program.

The editors of National Review Online recently did a clean, clear job of reacting to demands that self-defense laws enacted in many states to protect victims don't get repealed because of the Trayvon Martin case in Florida. From the article:

Katie Pavlich, news editor at Townhall.com, has written a new book called Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and the Shameless Cover-Up.

The Econo-Can is a patent-pending legal and registered silencer by American Specialty Ammo. It actually is an adapter that uses a removable expansion chamber — aka a car oil filter — to suppress the firearm. The video below shows that this device is as quiet as any 22 LR silencer we have tested. But it’s not a toy or novelty. It’s a registered silencer and must be treated as such. The adapter is threaded 1/2-28. This is a NFA item and all NFA rules and regulations apply. Price: $55.

Conservative rocker Ted Nugent accused President Obama of running a “vile, evil, America-hating administration” during a weekend appearance at the National Rifle Association convention. He was interviewed at the NRA Annual Meetings by NRA radio host Cam Edwards.

Larry Keane, general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, recently clarified just where guns in Mexico come from -- and it's not primarily the U.S. He wrote, 'During his recent visit to the White House, Mexico President Felipe Calderon renewed his call for a U.S. assault weapons ban as a solution to the drug cartel-caused violence that plagues his country. He also claimed, according to columnist Bill Press, that violence levels are directly related to the number of guns in circulation. Both of these assertions are demonstrably false.'