Commentary

The Department of Defense has announced it has scrapped a new policy that required destruction of fired military cartridge brass.

John Lott, Jr., noted gun-rights advocate and author of Freedomnomics, had a reasoned response to recent shootings in Alabama and Germany, which spurred new calls for gun confiscation:

NEW YORK -- 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.

A new ruling by a federal appeals court means managers in a growing number of states must accept that their employees have the legal right to keep guns in their cars at work, said attorney James P. Anelli, an attorney in law firm LeClairRyan's Labor and Employment Group.

On Feb. 26, John R. Lott, Jr. wrote this on the Fox News website: It is pretty hard to seriously argue that a new so-called 'assault weapons' ban would reduce crime in the United States. Even research done for the Clinton Administration couldn't find that the federal assault weapons ban reduced crime.

The NRA's Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) published a response to the ABC News item last week about Attorney General Eric Holder's comments that the Obama Administration will seek to ban some imported semi-autos, misrepresented as assault weapons.

From Barron's, the financial publishing firm: 'The stay-at-home hobbyist speculator crowd has been manically betting that societal unrest will have us all arming ourselves.'

ABC News reports what gun owners feared from Eric Holder: A statement that the Obama Administration will seek to ban currently legal semi-auto rifles and other self-defense firearms.

JUNEAU - Governor Sarah Palin encouraged U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to support recently adopted regulations allowing concealed weapons in national parks and wildlife refuges. Secretary Salazar has directed a review of the regulations that were approved by the previous administration.

WASHINGTON, D.C.–The Brady Campaign has released its annual state scorecards, which the group claims 'rate each state on the strength of its gun laws.'

Writing on SCOTUSblog, a website that reports on Supreme Court activities, Lyle Denniston said:'On a pace that very likely will put them in the Supreme Court at its next term, three significant test cases on the scope of the Second Amendment — the “gun rights” Amendment — are moving along in the lower courts. Briefing on the core question of whether state and local governments must obey the Amendment — and thus allow private ownership of handguns, for example — will be completed in the Seventh Circuit Court by mid-March. Argument and a decision by summer appear likely.

This from Alice Tripp of the Texas State Rifle Association: 'House Bill H.R. 45, introduced in Congress on 1/6/2009, aka 'Brian Holt’s Bill,' is an interesting read. Apparently, every gun owner will need to get a license [under this bill]. To get one, you’ll need the following: