Cdn-Firearms Digest Wednesday, December 2 2009 Volume 13 : Number 594 In this issue: Seattle police kill suspect in officer slayings- Washington Post Zeiss Experience Offers Canadian Trophy Hunt- The Outdoor Wire Leupold & Stevens Re-Launches Redfield- The OD Wire Hamlet as War President Letter: Bill C-391 is not a bad law Re: Cdn-Firearms Digest V13 #593 ONTARIO: Deer, cormorant culls Wisconsin: Handgun microstamping bill gets hearing ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, December 1, 2009 11:21 pm From: "David R.G. Jordan" Subject: Seattle police kill suspect in officer slayings- Washington Post Seattle police kill suspect in officer slayings http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120100319.html?wpisrc=nl_pmheadline By GENE JOHNSON The Associated Press Tuesday, December 1, 2009 11:38 PM SEATTLE -- A lone officer on patrol in the middle of the night Tuesday spotted a stolen car, its hood up and engine running, and pulled over to check it out. As the patrolman sat in his cruiser, a burly man with a large mole on his cheek came up from behind. The officer turned, stepped outside and recognized the most wanted man in the Pacific Northwest - the ex-con accused of gunning down four cops at a coffee shop. Moments later, Maurice Clemmons, 37, lay dead in the street, shot by the patrolman after Clemmons made a move for a gun he had taken from one of the slain officers, police said. Clemmons' death brought to an end two days of fear across the Seattle-Tacoma area and one of the biggest manhunts the region has ever seen. Dozens of police officers milled around at the scene afterward, some solemnly shaking hands and patting each other on the back. "Good thing he wasn't able to get the gun out here or we might have had a different ending to this whole thing," Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. "The officer in Seattle did a good job of making sure he went home safe tonight." Clemmons eluded capture thanks to family and friends who provided him with shelter, cell phones, cash and first aid for the severe belly wound he suffered when one of the dying officers in Sunday's coffee-shop rampage got off a shot, police said. Six to seven of those associates were being arrested Tuesday. Among them, police said, was Darcus D. Allen, a convicted murderer who served in prison with Clemmons in Arkansas and allegedly drove the getaway truck after the coffee shop rampage; two men who later traveled with Clemmons as he eluded police; and Clemmons' sister, who bandaged him up and gave him a lift part way to Seattle. It wasn't immediately known if she or Allen had attorneys; the other two have pleaded not guilty. "Some are friends, some are acquaintances, some are partners in crime, some are relatives. Now they're all partners in crime," Troyer said. Troyer said paramedics were stunned that Clemmons lived as long as he did with the bullet wound. It had been packed with gauze and patched with duct tape. It was not clear exactly where Clemmons was while on the run. Police rushed from place to place, following tips that often came up empty or yielded only accomplices. They searched homes and apartments around the city and cordoned off a park after a report of blood in a restroom. On Sunday, Clemmons briefly took refuge at a house in the city's well-to-do Leschi neighborhood, slipping away before police surrounded the home in an all-night siege that ended when SWAT officers stormed the place and realized he wasn't there. Clemmons has a violent, erratic past, and authorities in Washington state and Arkansas - where then-Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2000 commuted his 108-year prison sentence for armed robbery and other offenses - are facing tough questions about why an apparently violent and deranged man was out on the street. On Sunday, six days after posting bail in Washington on charges of raping a child, Clemmons walked into the coffee shop in suburban Tacoma and killed four uniformed Lakewood police officers as they caught up on paperwork on their laptops, police said. "The only motive that we have is he decided he was going to go kill police officers," Troyer said. Investigators also reported that Clemmons told others the night before the shooting that he was going to kill police and they should watch the news, but they wrote it off as "crazy-talk." In a statement posted on the conservative Newsmax.com Web site, Huckabee said: "I take full responsibility for my actions of nine years ago. I acted on the facts presented to me in 2000. If I could have possibly known what Clemmons would do nine years later, I obviously would have made a different decision. But if the same file was presented to me today, I would have likely made the same decision." The Seattle patrol officer who killed Clemmons, Benjamin L. Kelly, 39, a seven-year law enforcement veteran, will be placed on leave, which is standard procedure after a shooting. The officer was driving in a working-class neighborhood of south Seattle at about 2:45 a.m. when he came across a stolen car, its engine running, Assistant Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel said. As he sat in his cruiser, beginning paperwork on the car, he sensed movement, turned and saw someone approaching, Pugel said. The officer stepped out and immediately recognized the man, whose face had been all over TV and mugshot fliers memorized by every officer in the region. The patrolman ordered Clemmons to freeze and show his hands, but he kept moving, and the officer fired several rounds, hitting the man at least twice, Pugel said. Police said Clemmons would have died eventually of the gunshot wound he suffered in the coffee-shop rampage. At the time of his arrest in Washington state earlier this year, investigators said Clemmons had visions that he was Jesus Christ and that the world was on the verge of the apocalypse. He also "told the officer President Obama and Lebron James are his brothers, Oprah (Winfrey) is his sister and referred to himself as 'the beast,'" according to court papers obtained by The News Tribune of Tacoma. A psychological evaluation in October found he was a risk to public safety, but not enough of one to justify committing him, the newspaper reported. - --- Contributing to this report were Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Curt Woodward in Tacoma, Donna Blankinship and George Tibbits in Seattle, Jill Zeman Bleed in Little Rock, Ark., and researcher Judy Ausuebel in New York. - --- --- Related Articles After police killings, Huckabee defends clemency for suspect http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/12/01/ST2009120103523.html?sid=ST2009120103523 Video: Huckabee: Why I commuted Clemmons sentence http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2009/12/01/VI2009120103415.html © 2009 The Associated Press ------------------------------ Date: Tue, December 1, 2009 11:49 pm From: "David R.G. Jordan" Subject: Zeiss Experience Offers Canadian Trophy Hunt- The Outdoor Wire The Outdoor Wire for Tuesday, December 1 Contact: editor@theoutdoorwire.com The Outdoor Wire Archives http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/archives.html To Subscribe to The Outdoor Wire;: http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/subscription.php Zeiss Experience Offers Canadian Trophy Hunt http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/story/1259660969xzzn01vunf9 The ZEISS Experience Contest will allow one lucky individual the opportunity to accompany a representative of Carl Zeiss Sports Optics on a hunt in the pursuit of trophy black bear during the spring season of 2010 at the incredible Agassiz-Waterhen River Lodge in Manitoba, Canada. In addition, the winner will receive a ZEISS Conquest 3-9X40 MC riflescope and Conquest 8X40 binocular to use during the hunt and then enjoy for future time spent afield. The ZEISS Experience Contest runs until January 31, 2010. Describe how or why Carl Zeiss Sport Optics has made a difference in your hunting success while afield. Attach a photo of you with your trophy (preferably with the ZEISS optics used during your hunt). Whether Africa or Alabama - the focus should be on the difference of how by using ZEISS while afield has made possible or contributed to the result of your success story. Visit www.zeiss.com/sports for more information and to download the entry form in pdf format! Contact: Justin Ellison (804) 425-8468, (804) 318-7722 (mobile) or; jellison@zeiss.com THE OUTDOOR WIRE DIGITAL NETWORK > FISHING WIRE : http://www.thefishingwire.com/ SHOOTING WIRE : http://www.shootingwire.com/ TACTICAL WIRE : http://www.thetacticalwire.com/ DEALER WIRE : http://www.thedealerwire.com/ WOMEN'S OUTDOOR WIRE http://www.womensoutdoorwire.com/ © Copyright 2009 The Outdoor Wire. All Rights Reserved. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, December 1, 2009 11:59 pm From: "David R.G. Jordan" Subject: Leupold & Stevens Re-Launches Redfield- The OD Wire The Outdoor Wire for Tuesday, December 1 Contact: editor@theoutdoorwire.com The Outdoor Wire Archives http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/archives.html To Subscribe to The Outdoor Wire;: http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/subscription.php Leupold & Stevens Re-Launches Redfield http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/story/1259661032sb15mp9fm93 Redfield's new line of riflescopes and other sports optics signals the rebirth of a legendary American brand, rejuvenated specifically for American hunters seeking the utmost in quality and performance at commonly affordable prices. Acquired by Leupold & Stevens, Inc. in 2008, Redfield® has become a brand of the Oregon-based company. Revolution™ riflescopes, the first products in the new Redfield line, are built at the plant near Beaverton, Ore. Other product offerings will include imported Rebel™ and Renegade™ binoculars, Rampage™ spotting scopes and Raider™ rangefinders, all designed, built and tested according to Redfield's exacting specifications. "Redfield will be a complete line of affordable, quality optics that appeal to American hunters, whether they are young or old, inexperienced or very experienced," said Andy York, Redfield's vice president of sales, marketing and technology. "For example, the Revolution is an ideal choice for the whitetail deer hunter who wants a 'best in class,' American-made riflescope for around $130.00 All the new Redfield products will have a cool edge to them in terms of look and feel, and offer quality and performance that hunters can depend on in all field conditions." York added, "We are especially proud of the fact that Revolution riflescopes are built in our Oregon facility by American workers. They embody the Soul of the American Hunter™ and their craftsmanship is second to none. Our workers' skills, hunting backgrounds and experience, combined with state-of-the-art design, manufacturing, assembly and testing techniques, will ensure that the Revolution will be an outstanding riflescope in every way." The Redfield Gun Sight Company was founded in 1909 by John Hill Redfield. Over the years, Redfield became one of the leading American manufacturers of hunting optics, known for the accuracy, ruggedness and reliability of its products. In 1998, the company went out of business and closed its facility in Denver, Colo. Redfield mounts are not associated with the new Redfield optics line. The new Redfield optics are covered by a warranty, but Leupold® did not assume the former Redfield warranty and does not service previous Redfield products. For more information, go to www.redfield.com Approximately 600 people are employed in Leupold's state-of-the-art facility near Beaverton, Ore. Leupold is a fifth-generation, family-owned company whose products are sold worldwide to hunters, wildlife observers, competitive shooters, law enforcement officers and special operations military personnel. The product line includes rifle, handgun and spotting scopes; binoculars; rangefinders; flashlights; mounting systems; and optical tools and accessories. For more information, go to www.leupold.com Contact: Jeff Patterson, Swanson Russell (402) 437-6410 or; jeffp@swansonrussell.com THE OUTDOOR WIRE DIGITAL NETWORK > FISHING WIRE : http://www.thefishingwire.com/ SHOOTING WIRE : http://www.shootingwire.com/ TACTICAL WIRE : http://www.thetacticalwire.com/ DEALER WIRE : http://www.thedealerwire.com/ WOMEN'S OUTDOOR WIRE http://www.womensoutdoorwire.com/ © Copyright 2009 The Outdoor Wire. All Rights Reserved. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:29:45 -0600 From: Joe Gingrich Subject: Hamlet as War President http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=34623 Hamlet as War President by Patrick J. Buchanan 12/01/2009 Led by a conflicted president of a divided party and nation, America is deepening her involvement in a war in its ninth year with no end in sight. Only one parallel to Barack Obama's troop decision comes to mind: the 2007 decision by George W. Bush to ignore the Baker Commission and put Gen. David Petraeus in command of a "surge" of 30,000 troops into Iraq. That surge succeeded. Baghdad was largely pacified. The Sunni of Anbar, heart of the resistance, accepted Petraeus' offer of cash and a role in the new Iraq. Together, Americans and Sunni began to eradicate al Qaeda. In July, the surge ended and U.S. troops withdrew from the cities. In August and October, however, the Finance, Justice and Foreign ministries were bombed. The Sons of Iraq now say the Shia government reneged on its pledge to pay their wages and bring them into the army. Jockeying in parliament for the inside track to power in January's elections may force a postponement of the elections, and of the U.S. timetable for withdrawal. Kurds and Arabs are battling over Kirkuk. Iraqis seem to be going back to fighting one another. What hope can there be then for a U.S. troop surge in Afghanistan, a larger, wilder, less accessible, more backward country, whose regime is less competent and more corrupt than that in Iraq? Conservative columnist Tony Blankley, who supported the Iraq war and surge, has come out against more troops in Afghanistan. His reasoning: Obama will be sending many hundreds of young Americans to their deaths and thousands to be wounded in a war about which he himself has doubts. While it may speak well of Obama as a man that he has reflected, agonized, debated within himself and conducted nine war counsels with scores of advisers before acceding to Gen. McChrystal's request, what does this say of him as commander in chief? Whatever one may say against George W. Bush, he was decisive. As was James K. Polk when he sent Winfield Scott to take Mexico City. As was Abraham Lincoln when he congratulated Gen. Sherman on his barbarous March to the Sea. As was Harry Truman, who ordered the dropping of an atom bomb to jolt Tokyo into accepting unconditional surrender. One may condemn the wars these president fought. One may deplore their tactics. But they and the most successful American generals -- Stonewall Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Douglas MacArthur, George Patton -- were not Hamlets. They did not agonize over why they were fighting or whether it was worth it. How does a president lead a nation into a war where he is not wholly and heartily committed to victory and from which, say his aides, he is even now planning the earliest possible exit? When Dwight Eisenhower took office, he concluded that the price of uniting Korea under a pro-U.S. government meant years more of war and scores of thousands more U.S. dead. He decided on an armistice. In six months, the war was over. Ike was as decisive as Obama is diffident. From tapes of his conversations with Sen. Richard Russell, LBJ agonized over Vietnam as early as 1964. He worried about the U.S. casualties and whether we could prevail in a country of little interest to him and of no vital strategic interest to the United States. Out of fear that Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater would call him the first president to lose a war, Johnson plunged in. And rather than win swiftly and brutally as we had with a mighty Japanese Empire, LBJ fought Vietnam as the conflicted war president he was, babbling on about building "a Great Society on the Mekong." One senses Obama is escalating for the same reason: He is not so much exhilarated by the prospect of victory and what it will mean as he is fearful of what a Taliban triumph and U.S. defeat would mean for America - -- and him. And he is right to be. A U.S. withdrawal leading to a Taliban triumph would electrify jihadists from Marrakech to Mindanao and mark a milestone in the long retreat of American power. Pakistan, having cast its lot with us, would be in mortal peril. NATO, humiliated in its first war, would become more of a hollow shell than it already is. To prevent this, Obama plans to send tens of thousands more U.S. troops to hold off a resurgent Taliban, even as he plans for their eventual withdrawal. The United States is today led by a commander in chief who does not believe military victory is possible, who is not sure this war should be fought and who has a timetable in his own mind as to when to draw down our troops. And we face a Taliban that, after eight years of pounding, is stronger than ever, and believes God is on its side and its victory is assured. Who do we think is ultimately going to prevail? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, December 2, 2009 10:03 am From: "Dennis & Hazel Young" Subject: Letter: Bill C-391 is not a bad law MID-NORTH MONITOR - DECEMBER 2, 2009 Bill C-391 is not a bad law By Michel Trahan http://www.midnorthmonitor.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2202922 Dear editor, I am quite certain Ms. Akerman means well, but I certainly wish she would research the subject a little more thoroughly before writing about gun control. The Long gun registry has not saved any lives. Just as many Canadians as before are been murdered, just as many Canadians as before are been assaulted, just as many Canadians as before are committing suicide. Sick and disturbed individuals are only using a different object to commit their deed. . As far as the police accessing the registry 10,000 times a day, this alone should be reason enough to get rid of it. Because 10,000 queries a day, 365 days a year, for 10 years and not one single crime solved (never mind prevented) equals one big waste of time and money. If we want to make Canada a safer place, we need to focus on programs that will have a positive impact on society. As an example, if Kimveer Gill had received better treatment when seek help for his depression, the Dawson college shooting might have been averted. Unfortunately for us, their wasn't any resources available to help him... because bureaucrats were too busy burning money printing registration certificates. Have a good weekend, Michel Trahan, Verdun, QC ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 12:48:15 -0600 From: Larry James Fillo Subject: Re: Cdn-Firearms Digest V13 #593 The best guide to the issue is found in the books by Gary Shelton of Bella Coola, British Columbia. "Bear Attacks the Deadly Truth" part 1 is a black covered book and part 2 has a green cover. There has been a significant increase in the number of attacks by wild predators on humans in Canada, particularly in Western Canada. More in the last 25 years than in the previous 100. This includes maulings, as well as fatalities. That many of these are predator attacks on prey by black bears, wolves(one in Sask./one in Ontario) are undeniable. The engineering student killed wolves in Northern Sask a few years ago...well when they recovered his remains the next day, 66lbs was all that was left of a full grown man. I'd suspect that the coroner's report on Taylor Mitchell may indicate predator behavior even though she was, according to reports, still alive. As we see in the uncensored wildlife documentaries from Africa predators start eating when they feel safe even though their prey animal is still alive. When the RCMP found her they had to shoot one of the coyotes before it would leave is an indication of predators protecting a food supply. There have been notable fatalities in Quebec and Ontario and the recent case of Taylor Mitchell in Nova Scotia. I don' know of anyone keeping track of wildlife attacks nationally, though fatality records should be kept by provincial Dept. of Resource management or whatever name they go by. They may also be keeping track of attacks, too. I'd suggest some internet searches may bring up a list. The federal government's C.W.S. still didn't list any wolf attack fatalities last time I checked it. They live in denial. On 1-Dec-09, at 10:44 PM, Cdn-Firearms Digest wrote: > Date: Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:29:52 -0700 > From: Bill Farion > Subject: Re: animal attacks *NFR* > > Hi, > Has anyone seen a decent list of attacks by wild animals on humans by > city or province. > Newspapers are not much good. > I know the Calgary Sun trivializes them or blames the victim! > Same thing happened to Taylor Mitchel! > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, December 2, 2009 1:52 pm From: "Dennis & Hazel Young" Subject: ONTARIO: Deer, cormorant culls Deer, cormorant culls remain part of Presqu'ile plan Posted By Sue Dickens for The Community Press - December 1, 2009 http://www.communitypress.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2201353 Brighton - The public has until Dec. 11 to comment one more time on a resource management plan for Presqu'ile Provincial Park that includes controlling the number of deer and cormorants in the park. Culls of two species have generated controversy in the past. "It says directly in [the plan] we will look at deer reduction under the guidance of Ontario Parks which will set a target population that represents the best scientific judgment as to how many deer the habitat can sustainably support," park superintendent Tom Mates told The Community Press. Neither this plan or one prepared in 2000 specifies a desired number of cormorants or deer, although the earlier document estimated 35 deer was ecologically sustainable, based on such factors as weather and food availability. The latest plan outlines Ministry of Natural Resources concerns over an "hyper-abundance" of white-tailed deer on the mainland and the two islands, High Bluff and Gull. "There is no question you cannot sustain healthy forests and habitat without managing deer densities and there is a strong body of science that supports that," said Ed Reid, a wildlife biologist with Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters in Peterborough. Deer population densities of more than 10 deer per square kilometre result in "damage to natural forests and ecosystems ... in terms of a loss in biodiversity, in the loss of rare plants and long-term loss of tree species that cannot regenerate," Reid said. "A reasonable deer management plan will have a deer density target of eight to 10 per square kilometre in the park." Reid said efforts to reduce the deer numbers began in 2003 when about 87 were "harvested,", with another 48 taking place later the same year. In January 2005 another 23 were culled and 11 in 2007. "What we want to know, for both the mainland and the islands, is what the deer population is now," he said. The OFAH also supports controlling the number of cormorants in Presqu'ile," communications co-ordinator Lezlie Goodwin said. "When culling was not employed in 2007 and 2008, total nests on the islands rose from 2,819 (2006) to 3,855 (2007) and 4,152 (2008) respectively. It is clear that culling is an effective and necessary management tool." Reid said there are too many adult cormorants and they're destroying the islands. "As a result of the guano they produce, the phosphorous levels beneath those cormorant colonies would be like commercial fertilizer and if humans caused it, it wouldn't be tolerated," Reid said. "No one is advocating the elimination of cormorants," he added, but as a biologist he is concerned that their presence is having a significant impact on water quality as well as Ontario Parks said it counted 3,872 cormorant nests on High Bluff Island this year. Each nest represents two adults but but there are also a number of juvenile (non-breeding) birds present in the population. There were no cormorant nests on Gull Island. The resource management plan can be viewed online at http://www.ontarioparks.com/English/pres_planning.html ------------------------------ Date: Wed, December 2, 2009 1:55 pm From: "Dennis & Hazel Young" Subject: Wisconsin: Handgun microstamping bill gets hearing WISCONSIN RADIO NETWORK Handgun microstamping bill gets hearing by Bob Hague on December 2, 2009 http://www.wrn.com/2009/12/handgun-microstamping-bill-gets-hearing/ A new gun identification technology was the subject of a hearing at the state Capitol Tuesday. It's called microstamping, and allows semiautomatic handguns to be traced from their spent shell casings. Advocates for the technology tout it as a crime solving tool, but James Fendry, a former Milwaukee police officer and the director of Wisconsin Pro-Gun Movement, is a skeptic. "You go to the cops on the street, and you talk to them, and in this case you have to go to the cops in rough areas, and they'll tell you what I'm telling you: it doesn't make a difference them (criminals)." Fendry told members of a state Senate committee. "No matter what kind of laws we have, it's not going to have any impact." But William Morales, another former Milwaukee officer, thinks microstamping could be useful at "shots fired" incidents. "From a law enforcement perspective, from a police officer perspective, from a cops on the street perspective, I want the tools in the coppers hands to find the shooters," said Morales, who's now with the city's Office of Violence Prevention. Morales also believes microstamping could prove useful in tracking so called straw buyers of semiautomatic handguns used in certain crimes. "Those guns are the ones that have been typically found in these straw purchases. With this technology we would be able to find the first purchaser." NRA lobbyist Jordan Austin disputed that, and said it makes more sense toughen criminal penalties on straw purchases, citing a bill from state Representative Scott Gunderson which would make straw purchases a felony. The bill is being offered by state Representative Leon Young -another former Milwaukee police officer - and Senator Spencer Coggs. ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V13 #594 *********************************** Submissions: mailto:cdn-firearms-digest@scorpion.bogend.ca Mailing List Commands: mailto:majordomo@scorpion.bogend.ca Moderator's email: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@scorpion.bogend.ca List owner: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@scorpion.bogend.ca FAQ list: http://www.canfirearms/Skeeter/Faq/cfd-faq1.html Web Site: http://www.canfirearms.ca CFDigest Archives: http://www.canfirearms.ca/archives To unsubscribe from _all_ the lists, put the next four lines in a message and mailto:majordomo@scorpion.bogend.ca unsubscribe cdn-firearms-digest unsubscribe cdn-firearms-chat unsubscribe cdn-firearms end (To subscribe, use "subscribe" instead of "unsubscribe".)