Saturday, August 1, 2015

Take Two Losses and Call Me in the Morning: Florida Court Again Sides With Patient Privacy, Hands Nosy Doctors Second Defeat


Take Two Losses and Call Me in the Morning: Florida Court Again Sides With Patient Privacy, Hands Nosy Doctors Second Defeat

Friday, July 31, 2015
Anti-gun doctors may need to get their own blood pressure checked after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit again upheld Florida’s Firearm Owners’ Privacy Act
As we reported last summer, the law was passed after an escalating series of events in which patients were harassed or denied access to services because they refused to be interrogated by their doctors about their ownership of firearms.  A group of Florida doctors committed to the idea of haranguing patients for exercising their Second Amendment rights sued, claiming a First Amendment right to grill patients about firearm ownership, even where it isn’t relevant to the patient’s care.
Unsurprisingly, the appellate court upheld the law last July, stating: “The essence of the Act is simple: medical practitioners should not record information or inquire about patients’ firearm-ownership status when doing so is not necessary to providing the patient with good medical care.” Far from a ban on doctors’ expressing their views about firearms or other public policy or medical issues, the court held, the Act merely “protects a patient’s ability to receive effective medical treatment without compromising the patient’s privacy with regard to matters unrelated to healthcare.” 
It’s no secret that the medical establishment has long been hostile toward the private ownership of firearms. No less a doctor than President Obama’s pick for U.S. Surgeon General has engaged in anti-gun activism.  Even WebMD.com, a common online source for medical information, counsels parents to “to avoid keeping guns and firearms in the home,” and only provides recommendations for “secure” storage when purging the home of firearms altogether “is not possible.” This history, as well as outright discrimination against patients who refused to discuss their gun ownership, formed the backdrop for Florida’s law.
It’s also no surprise that the plaintiffs and other gun control advocates were not happy with the loss the Eleventh Circuit handed to them back in 2014. “Censorship in Your Doctor’s Office,” huffed the New York Times. A Florida physician’s group called the decision “egregious” and “dangerous” and claimed it would silence “life-saving conversations.” 
In any case, the panel of judges that issued the original opinion decided on their own initiative to revisit their original analysis. The results of that reconsideration were issued on Tuesday, in a revised 77-page opinion. Spoiler alert: the doctors still lose and patient privacy still wins.
Whereas the original opinion characterized the regulated behavior more as conduct – i.e., medical practice – rather than pure speech, the revised opinion delves more deeply into the First Amendment claims raised by the plaintiffs. Finding that inquiries into gun ownership, entries about gun ownership in medical records, and even verbal “harassment” of gun owners are all forms of “speech” protected by the First Amendment, the court then considers the seriousness of the regulatory intrusion and level of scrutiny to be applied to it. 
The court observes, “All regulations of speech are not created equal in the eyes of the First Amendment.” Here, the court characterizes the regulated expression as “professional speech.” It then finds the government has a freer hand to regulate in this context because of “the authority—duty, even—of States to regulate the practice of professions to ‘shield the public against the untrustworthy, the incompetent, or the irresponsible.’” In this case, “The State made the commonsense determination that inquiry about firearm ownership, a topic which many of its citizens find highly private, falls outside the bounds of good medical care to the extent the physician knows such inquiry to be entirely irrelevant to the medical care or safety of a patient or any person.” The court therefore determines that “intermediate scrutiny” is the proper standard for evaluating the law.
The court identifies the state’s interests in enacting the law as “protecting the public by regulating the medical profession so as to safeguard patient privacy,” which it finds “substantial” enough to satisfy intermediate scrutiny. It then goes on to find that the law’s requirements have a “direct and material” relationship to alleviating those harms. Citing the legislative record of complaints against physicians, and the limited nature of the restrictions imposed by the law, the court determines “’simple common sense’ furnishes ample support for the legislature’s decision.” “The State need not point to peer-reviewed studies or conduct extensive surveys,” the opinion states, “to establish that proscribing highly intrusive speech that physicians themselves do not believe to be relevant or necessary directly advances the State’s interest in protecting its citizens from harmful or ineffective professional practices and safeguarding their privacy.”
We certainly agree, and we credit the Court for its thorough, well-reasoned opinion. Whether it’s the final word in the case, however, remains to be seen. One of the three judges hearing the case filed a lengthy dissent, echoing the familiar refrain that doctors’  must be free to address the “public health problem” posed by firearms according to their own beliefs. The plaintiffs still have the options of petitioning the full roster of Eleventh Circuit judges to hear the case en banc or to appeal directly to the Supreme Court. 
NRA ILA Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Friday, July 31, 2015

.223, AR-15 upper from Texas Black Rifle Company

TBRC Upper Reciever
Our Low Price: $85.00

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Brand: Texas Black Rifle Company TBRC-M4-A-L
Item: ARR-1662

This fully assembled .223, AR-15 upper from Texas Black Rifle Company is a great start for any custom build. The flattop TBRC upper incorporates M4 feedramps, laser etched T-markings, forward assist, ejection port cover, and black milspec hard anodized finish.

Man shoots down drone hovering over house

Man shoots down drone hovering over house


Man shoots down drone hovering over houseWilliam Merideth, drone shooter. WDRB-TV screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET
We need to talk anti-aircraft weaponry.
More and more so-called enthusiasts are sending drones into the sky. This means that more and more normal humans are becoming enthusiastic about shooting them out of the sky.

Especially, as in the case of William H. Merideth, the drone is hovering over your house.
Merideth, 47, lives in Hillview, Kentucky. As WDRB-TV reports, a neighbor heard gunshots and called the police. Merideth allegedly told the police that a drone was hovering over his house, where his teen daughter (he has two) was sunbathing. So he pulled out his gun and gave it a merry death.
The drone's owner, police say, said he was flying it to take pictures of a neighboring house.
However, Merideth told WRDB: "Well, I came out and it was down by the neighbor's house, about 10 feet off the ground, looking under their canopy that they've got under their back yard. I went and got my shotgun and I said, 'I'm not going to do anything unless it's directly over my property.'"

And then it allegedly was.
Merideth explained: "I didn't shoot across the road, I didn't shoot across my neighbor's fences, I shot directly into the air."
He says that shortly after the shooting, he received a visit from four men who claimed to be responsible for the drone and explaining that it cost $1,800.
Merideth says he stood his ground: "I had my 40 mm Glock on me and they started toward me and I told them, 'If you cross my sidewalk, there's gonna be another shooting.'"
There appears not to have been another shooting. However, Merideth was arrested for wanton endangerment and criminal mischief. There is, apparently, a local ordinance that says you can't shoot a gun off in the city, but the police charged him under a Kentucky Revised Statute.
Shocking Find Made By Archeaologists

I have contacted both the Hillview Police Department and the FAA to ask for their view on proceedings. I will update, should I hear.
The FAA's recommendations include not flying above 400 feet and "Don't fly near people or stadiums." The FAA adds: "You could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft."
For his part, Merideth says he will sue the drone's owners. He told WRDB: "You know, when you're in your own property, within a six-foot privacy fence, you have the expectation of privacy. We don't know if he was looking at the girls. We don't know if he was looking for something to steal. To me, it was the same as trespassing."
It is, indeed, hard to know whether things that buzz in the sky have positive or negative intentions. Amateur drones disrupted efforts to fight recent California wildfires to such a degree that there's now a $75,000 reward for anyone who identifies those responsible. A Southern California lawmaker has created a bill that would make it legal for the authorities to shoot these drones out of the sky.

The CZ 858 cal. 7.69 x 39 mm is a semiautomatic rifle designed for sport shooting

CZ 858 TACTICAL


The CZ 858 cal. 7.69 x 39 mm is a semiautomatic rifle designed for sport shooting.


Technical Data

Caliber (rate of twist)7.62 x 39 (9,4")
Magazine Capacity30
Stocksteel
pressed wood
Trigger mechanism operationnon-adjustable
Sightsfixed
Overall length845 mm
Barrel length390 mm
Height255 mm
Width57 mm
Weight2,91 kg
Barrelbroached with chrom-plated bore
Target
The CZ 858 cal. 7.69 x 39 mm is a semiautomatic rifle designed for sport shooting. The weapon comes with two magazines and cleaning kit. The rifle with fixed wood stock version. Available with fixed or folding stock.

Sporting rifles

CZ 858 TACTICAL
CZ 858 TACTICAL

PISTOL SHOOTING TIPS

Tip: Trigger Pull Technique

“Pulling the trigger” is the action the operator performs to discharge a firearm. While very simple in concept, it creates problems for most shooters, even experienced ones.
“Pulling the trigger” is the action the operator performs to discharge a firearm. While very simple in concept, it creates problems for most shooters, even experienced ones.
Let me give you the basics first:
  • Hold the gun firmly with your proper grip
  • Align the sights on the target
  • Place the center of the first pad of your trigger finger on the trigger
  • Begin pressing the trigger rearward, smoothly, without moving anything else (or while moving everything else as little as possible)
  • Once you have created enough pressure on the trigger, it will move (sometimes imperceptibly) until the striker, firing pin or hammer in the gun is activated and starts the ignition process, firing the gun.
Several things happen in the gun to cause it to fire. The part you control is pulling the trigger. If done correctly, nothing moves, not your hands or the sight picture and the pistol fires a round exactly where you intended.
However, if you “jerk” or “flinch” before or at the instant you fire the gun, the shot will most probably head somewhere other than where intended.
In my experience, a good trigger pull is one of, if not the most important aspect of shooting well.
Serious shooters spend many, many hours perfecting their trigger pulling. Top marksmen can pull the trigger so well they never move the gun out of alignment.
New shooters have a tendency to pull the trigger in an abrupt manner that can move the gun quickly out of alignment and cause the shot to miss.
The old adage of “aim and squeeze the trigger slowly” is a perfect place to start for the new shooter.

Tip: Shooting Stance

To a great degree, how you stand may be dictated by your physical condition and surroundings.
To a great degree, how you stand may be dictated by your physical condition and surroundings. However there are a few key points you should try to address when developing your shooting stance.
We feel most comfortable when standing with equal weight on both feet and with our weight more on the heels than the balls of the feet. This is how our musculature is designed to hold our weight, with the joints more or less fully extended, or locked. This requires the least amount of muscle to keep us upright. However, this is NOT the optimal position for controlling and quickly shooting a hand gun.

Arm Position:

Arms should be fully extended when possible, but not necessarily locked out. Shoulders should be relaxed, not up around your ears.

Leg and Foot Position:

Front-to-back: Strong-hand side leg is rearward of other leg about 12 – 18 inches . The amount varies depending on each shooters level of balance, weight and strength.
Side-to-side: Typically, a hip-width distance between each foot is comfortable and stable.
Knees can be bent or locked, although I usually bend mine a little.

Body Position:

Your torso should lean forward slightly with no more than a small amount of bending forward at the waist. NEVER bend backwards at waist, hip or shoulder area. Shoulders should always be forward of the hips.

Balance:

Your weight needs to have a forward bias to counteract the kick of the gun. The idea is to get in a position that allows you to be active against the rearward force of the gun firing (recoil). This will enable you to control the gun properly and quickly return it from muzzle rise and recoil to the position back on target. The gun should never push you back so much that you become off-balance. If this happens, you need to move your balance and body position forward.

Grip:

Hold the gun tightly – tighter than you might think. This is, in my experience, the most common problem with new shooters. Grip is covered in detail in a separate blog.

Tip: Sight Alignment

By definition, a sight is a device used to assist aligning or the aiming of firearms, and is typically composed of two components, front and rear aiming pieces that have to be lined up.
By definition, a sight is a device used to assist aligning or the aiming of firearms, and is typically composed of two components, front and rear aiming pieces that have to be lined up.
Very simply put, the sights indicate where the gun is pointed. They are what we use to aim the gun.
The sights are comprised of the little post on the front of the slide (front sight) and the notched blade (rear sight) on the rear of the slide. There are many different kinds of sights, but the iron sights on all Springfield Armory® pistols are “post and notch” and therefore align the same.
Sights come in several sizes, shapes and colors; Some are all black, others have fiber optic tubes, painted dots or even inserts that glow in the dark. Most shooters quickly begin to favor one type of sight over another and their gun choice may actually be determined based on the sights.

Aligning The Sights:

Properly aligning the sights on the target gives you the orientation or exact location / position the gun will shoot the bullet when fired. Many shooters refer to this a the “sight picture”.
So, how do you create the perfect sight picture?
  • Properly grip the gun and hold it at arms length.
  • Visually align the front sight post in the rear sight notch.
  • The top of the rear and front sights should be on the same plane or level.
  • The gap of light between the sides of the front sight and inside vertical edge of the rear notch should be equal.
  • Once you have aligned the sights with each other, place the sights on the target where you want the impact of the bullet to go. You are now ready to shoot!

Adjusting The Sights:

Our guns’ sights are typically regulated so the bullet will impact at the top of the front sight, with proper sight alignment. Many pistol models come with sights that can be adjusted to change the point of impact.

NRA Competitive Shooting Programs



img_blank-portrait NRA's Competitive Shooting Division offers a wide range of activities in all types of shooting, for everyone from the novice to the world-class competitor. The NRA sanctions over 11,000 shooting tournaments and sponsors over 50 national championships each year.
If you have any questions about the division, please call one of the numbers listed in the Competitive Shooting Functions Directory or, for more general competitions information, call 1-877-672-6282. For current information on a particular program, click on the appropriate department below.
We're here to help. For general information, FAQ's, and other relevant inquiries, send an email to Comphelp@nrahq.org with as much detail as possible, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
NRA Resolution on Competitive Shooting
NRA Tournament Sanctioning now Online: Click here to Sanction your tournament online.
NRA National Record Reporting Forms now Online: Use the new updated fill-in form and the updated Check List.
Open and Junior Sectional Sponsors
Due to the increased costs of printing and inventory management, printed copies of the sectional fee reporting forms, score cards, and programs will not be provided. Please click here to download fee reporting forms, programs, and score cards.
Click here for Smallbore Rifle Regional Program, Application, and Fee Reporting Forms.
NRA Club Champion Challenge
NRA Competitive Shooting is proud to offer a new recreational shooting event for clubs, businesses, and civic organizations! Our goal is to create an event that anyone can shoot, beginner to expert. These events are meant to be fun, and will encourage your club members to try a variety of disciplines and courses of fire. Learn more at NRA Club Champion Challenge, or read this informative online guide.


Due to numerous requests, scale drawings of silhouette targets, in PDF format, are available online. Click on Silhouette Programs below.
Air Gun Programs Black Powder & Muzzle Loading
Collegiate Shooting Disabled Shooting Services
NRA Action Pistol NRA Volunteers
Pistol Programs Postal Matches
Rifle Programs Silhouette Programs
Tournament Operations Tournament Reporting
The following NRA Information booklets and Guides are now available to download:
NRA Tournament Operation Guide Includes helpful information regarding tournament planning, range operations,statistics, awards, and much more to help you run an efficient competitive shooting event.
NRA Junior Progressive Pistol Program Includes information and how to get started in the NRA Junior Progressive Pistol Program.
MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup (NRA Action Shooting Championship) General information on the MidwayUSA/NRA Bianchi Cup.
NRA League Handbook How to start an NRA competitive shooting league. Gives details on scheduling, awards, etc. A must-read for those just starting a league.
NRA Collegiate Shooting Guide Recommended reading for those competitive rifle and pistol shooters wishing to start a marksmanship program in their school or college/university. Lists contacts for schools currently running a shooting program.
NRA National Trophy Donation Guidelines: Information for those interested in donating a trophy for NRA National Competition may be downloaded here. This includes a brochure and an application to be used by those wishing to donate a trophy.
NRA Rule Books are now available on line in PDF format: http://compete.nra.org/official-nra-rule-books.aspx
NRA National Records are now available for viewing on-line. To view these records go to:
http://compete.nra.org/national-records.aspx
Tournament and League sponsors may now submitt their applications online by going to /tournaments. You may continue to download, in PDF format, applications for Approved and Registered Tournaments. League applications are also available. Click on "Tournament Operations" above.
Sponsor Score Reporting Cards - Score Reporting Cards are now available in PDF format for sponsors to download. Click on "Tournament Reporting" above.
Competitors may now subscribe to periodic email updates on upcoming program and rule changes along with other information related to competitive shooting. To subscribe to this list, go to Request Email Updates.
Shooter Classification Check - Competitors in NRA Sanctioned Tournaments may now check their current classification on-line. Enter your NRA ID number where indicated, click the "GO" button, and a list of the shooting programs you are currently active in will be shown with your current classification and effective date.
NOTE: Rule 19.9 states that all classifications, except Master, shall become obsolete if the competitor does not fire in NRA sanctioned competition at least once during 3 successive calendar years (5 years for Masters). Files are purged annually.
Please note that the Competitive Shooting Division cannot respond to questions regarding membership or legislative affairs. Membership can be reached at membership@nrahq.org and the Institute for Legislative Affairs at ILA-Contact@nrahq.org.
NOTE: Most of the e-mail we receive requires us to reply asking for a mailing address and, in most cases, a phone number. This information must be included in your request so the information can be sent in a timely manner.
Collegiate & Schools Dept. collegiate@nrahq.org
Disabled Shooting Services dallen@nrahq.org
Division Administration compadmin@nrahq.org
High Power Rifle nrahighpower@nrahq.org
Marketing & Corporate Sponsorship comp-marketing@nrahq.org
NRA Action Pistol actionpistol@nrahq.org
Pistol Dept. pistol@nrahq.org
Postal Matches postals@nrahq.org
Smallbore Rifle rifle@nrahq.org
Air Gun / Adaptive Shooting dallen@nrahq.org
Black Powder silhouette@nrahq.org
Silhouette Dept. silhouette@nrahq.org
Tournament Operations Dept. tournopns@nrahq.org
Tournament Reporting Dept. tournrpts@nrahq.org
Volunteers Dept. volunteer@nrahq.org

NRA National Championships Information & Program Request
National Action Pistol Championship (NRA Bianchi Cup) bianchicup@nrahq.org
National Rifle & Pistol Championships
Pistol & High Power Rifle – Camp Perry, Ohio
comphelp@nrahq.org
National Rifle & Pistol Championships
Smallbore Rifle – Bristol, Indiana
smallborerifle@nrahq.org
National Silhouette Championships silhouette@nrahq.org
National Collegiate Rifle Club & Pistol Championships collegiate@nrahq.org
National Black Powder Target Rifle Championship silhouette@nrahq.org
National Indoor Rifle & Pistol Championships (Sectionals)
Pistol
Rifle
Collegiate
pistol@nrahq.org
rifle@nrahq.org
collegiate@nrahq.org
NRA National Junior 3-Position Air Rifle Championships dallen@nrahq.org
National Police Shooting Championship mlipp@nrahq.org
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Brookings to host NRA Youth Sportsfest

Brookings to host NRA Youth Sportsfest


BROOKINGS - The 13th annual NRA Youth Sportsfest will be held on Saturday, August 8, from 1-5 p.m. at the Brookings Gun Club, located two miles east of Brookings on U.S. Highway 14.
Various activities for youth to participate in include trap shooting, skeet shooting, air rifle/air pistol shooting and 3-D archery, black powder shotgun and tomahawk throwing.
Animal and bird identification will be presented by the Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Club, reloading demonstrations and range (distance) demonstrations by the National Wild Turkey Federation. The Fire Department and Brookings County Sheriff’s Department will be on hand to allow youth to explore a fire truck and police vehicle.  
All youth ages 18 years and under are invited to attend. The Sportsfest is free of charge to all youth attending and will use monies from a grant received from the NRA Foundation’s South Dakota State Fund Committee to help fund this event.  
Various stations for youth will be set up including a 4-H station where air pistol, air rifle and archery are offered. No experience is necessary, and all firearms, ammunition and targets are provided. This is an event where skilled and experienced volunteer instructors share what they enjoy with youth.
One of the goals is to increase the interest in shooting sports and love of the outdoors starts at a young age.
“Last year we had duck blinds set up where youth truly experienced shooting in a hunting atmosphere. This brought a lot of excited smiles to youth participating and the adults watching,” said Jon Greseth, Chairman of the Sportsfest.
A highlight of this event is Ed Krueger’s hunting dog demonstration. The excitement of the hunt, using well trained dogs, offers knowledgeable advice to those interested in this sport.