UPDATE: We have submitted a public records request and received confirmation (see bottom)

TAMPA TRIBUNE  – John Filippidis, silver-haired family man, business owner, employer and taxpayer, is also licensed to carry a concealed firearm.

He’d rather he didn’t feel the need, “but things aren’t like they used to be. The break-ins, the burglaries, all the crime. And I carry cash a lot of the time. I’m constantly going to the bank.

“I wanted to be able to defend my family, my household and the ground I’m standing on. But I’m not looking for any trouble.”

Filippidis keeps his gun — a palm-sized Kel-Tec .38 semiautomatic, barely larger than a smartphone in a protective case — in one of two places, always: in the right-hand pocket of his jeans, or in the safe at home.

“There are kids in the house,” Filippidis says, “and I don’t think they’d ever bother with it, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

He’s not looking for any trouble, after all. (more…)

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Business Insider reports:

A Chicago ban on gun sales within the city, aimed at reducing gun violence, is unconstitutional because it goes too far in barring buyers and dealers from engaging in lawful sales, a federal judge ruled on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang found that the U.S. Constitution’s protection of the right to keep and bear arms must include the right to acquire them, within limits.

The Judge stayed his ruling, however, giving the city until Monday to decide on how to respond.  It is expected that Mayor Emmanuel will direct the city to appeal.

The City claims that gun control is necessary to control gun violence; however, the majority of guns taken from criminals within the city were made using “straw man” purchases in neighboring counties – in and of itself, a “crime”.

The blog heyjackass continues to track gun violence in the Windy City, which shows no sign of slowing down.

(CNNMoney) — The family-owned business at the center of the hit TV show “Duck Dynasty” has launched its own line of guns.

The gunmaker Mossberg has teamed with Duck Commander, the company owned by “Duck Dynasty’s” Robertson clan, to release nine different shotguns, as well as two semiautomatic rifles and a semiautomatic pistol.
Mossberg has begun shipping some of the shotguns to distributors, according to spokeswoman Linda Powell. She declined to name specific retailers that will carry them.  (link)

Frohes Neues Jahr Citizen – wir Ihre volle Kooperation zu schätzen wissen

(Via TheBlaze ) A now-viral photo showing a long line of Connecticut residents waiting to register their guns and ammo is circulating across the Internet — and it’s sending chills down the backs of some gun owners.

Continue reading

Kitty Werthman is a 85 year old survivor of the Anschluss and after WWII suffered for 3 years under Soviet Occupation.

She has been speaking out about Liberalism, Socialism and its incremental advancement for over a decade.  She is the President of the South Dakota Eagle Forum and has been an advocate for liberty and family issues for many years.

In 2003, she wrote an essay warning about National Identity cards (the REAL ID that the government has been trying to enforce), loss of free speech that was deemed politically outlawed and gun registration, among other topics.
More recently, she gave a speech in New Jersey to a Tea Party which a You Tube subscriber interspersed with quotes from Obama about socialism, universal healthcare, gun registration and gun control.
“How could a Christian nation, almost 100%, elect a monster like Hitler?  The truth is, at the beginning, Hitler did not look like or talk like a monster at all.  He talked like an American politician ….”
(more…)

The family has spent much time in prayer since learning of the @duckdynastyae decision. You can read our reaction http://t.co/jkIxlxzp39

— Korie Robertson (@bosshogswife) December 20, 2013

We want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. The family has spent much time in prayer since learning of A&E’s decision. We want you to know that first and foremost we are a family rooted in our faith in God and our belief that the Bible is His word. While some of Phil’s unfiltered comments to the reporter were coarse, his beliefs are grounded in the teachings of the Bible. Phil is a Godly man who follows what the Bible says are the greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Phil would never incite or encourage hate. We are disappointed that Phil has been placed on hiatus for expressing his faith, which is his constitutionally protected right. We have had a successful working relationship with A&E but, as a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm. We are in discussions with A&E to see what that means for the future of Duck Dynasty. Again, thank you for your continued support of our family. (link)

Seniors Carl Schmidt and Brendon Mendelson were in yoga class at Arapahoe High when the shooting began. Their teacher hurried them promptly away from the door and into a closet. (link)

Seriously ? What type of schools have accredited Yoga Classes?

https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/411722030975692800

A classmate said Karl Pierson got a bit of a kick out of the fact that his first name was spelled the same way as Karl Marx. #ArapahoeHigh

— Sadie Gurman (@sgurman) December 14, 2013

We’re learning more about the gunman, too. A student who had econ with him called him opinionated, outspoken, a little odd, a socialist.
— Sadie Gurman (@sgurman) December 14, 2013

Denver Post – […]  Pierson’s parents  divorced in late 2011, according to court records. The  divorce was finalized in August 2012.
Thomas Conrad, who had an economics class with Pierson, described him as   very opinionated.
[…]  In one Facebook post, Pierson attacks the philosophies of economist Adam Smith who through his invisible hand theory pushed the notion that the free market was self-regulating. In another post, he describes himself as “Keynesian.” (more…)

INDIANA – An Iraq veteran who thought he was buying an iPad as a Christmas present after responding to a Craigslist posting, has been shot dead in an Indianapolis parking lot by the fake sellers.
New-dad Jim Vester, 32, was lured to an address on Wednesday in the west side of the city and brothers Tyron Kincade, 19, and Tyshaune Kincade, 18, have been arrested after Vester was shot dead leaving behind his one-year-old son, Gavin and wife, Jamie.

In the wake of the senseless murder, nearly 1,500 people have donated $58,000 to a YouCaring.com fundraiser set up by Vester’s family for the man described as a ‘great cook, loving father and faithful man.’ (more…)