Ruston Gun Club, Inc



Ruston Gun Club, Inc.

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1954 Wafer Road

Ruston, La. 71270 C.M.P. 42041

______________________________________________________ NRA Affiliate B2345

February 1, 2007

RANGE REFLECTIONS

WINTERSET

The Winter solstice has come and gone. Now the days begin to get just a tad longer. At the same time they get just more than a tad dreary and damp. Ah, but it is more pleasant to rake leaves in January than to shovel snow. And that is what I have been doing for exercise, raking leaves and grinding them with a mulching mower. While I was outside, I was heartened to see that the azaleas were already trying to bud, life is anxious to break out for Spring. Soon these gray days will pass and the joyous explosion of Spring will be all around us. I can only hope that you look forward to the Spring as much as I do. Spring is a happy season as the new life comes into bloom and the promise of Winter comes true.

My most recent trip to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center resulted in another good report that I am good to go for the next six months. For all of you who long for the good old days you can count me out. I thank God every day for the advances of modern science to allow me and so many others to be with our loved ones. Tis far better to make memories than to be one.

On the personal front I am pleased to report that modern science has now made me totally bionic. Gone is the walker and scooter and in their place are now two titanium artificial hip joints. I had always wanted to own something made of titanium but I had hoped for more of an offering from Smith and Wesson and in a major caliber rather than two new ball joints. Lest anyone worry I will not offer to show you my scars. I asked the doctor about getting some with grease fittings for easy lubrication but he wryly told me they were sealed bearings. Not only is he a good doctor he’s a good salesman, he sold me an extended warranty. One thing does concern me and that is what is considered drive train and what is considered suspension. Regardless it will be great to be a participant instead of being relegated to spectator. On that note I do want to let everyone know that we have several concealed carry 1 classes already scheduled for February 24, March 24,April 28 May 26 and June 23, 2007. In addition we are scheduling two CCW 2 classes for March 10 and May 19, 2007. The CCW 2 class is conducted entirely on the range and expends approximately 250 in simulating confrontation scenarios. The CCW 2 is a continuation of the range work incorporated into the initial class. It is highly recommended that you avail yourself of the opportunity to hone your self defense shooting skills. We will also be scheduling renewal classes for anyone who needs to renew. The renewal class is an abbreviated class with emphasis on marksmanship, carry issues and a refresher on new changes in the law. This can be done in about four hours and consists of an hour or two of range work, lunch and the refresher and update. There have been several developments that everyone should be aware of. Florida is once again on the crest of developments by repealing the ban on carrying concealed or having a firearm at all for that matter in Florida state parks and national parks located in Florida. Florida recently joined us in the inclusion of the castle doctrine for home defense and have gone us one better by removing the sign that still hangs in front of all Louisiana state parks that all residents are unarmed, criminals feel free to operate unmolested. That sign is one that you should always be on the lookout for, it says “firearms prohibited”. Evil is not deterred by such a sign it is emboldened. We should vow to see that every such sign comes down. To that end I spoke today with Senator Bob Kostelka about amending the regulations prohibiting possession of a firearm in state parks and wildlife management areas. His response was that if the Wildlife and Fisheries were opposed to it there would be no way to get such an amendment passed. The logic escapes me but then again I am not an elected official and doubt I ever could be. We are free and entitled to possess, carry, conceal and even brandish a firearm on property we own individually but we cannot even exercise a constitutional right, an unalienable right, in or on property which is owned collectively by all of us. The rights we have are only recognized on private property but not on public property. I know that an owner can prohibit the carrying of a firearm on his property but how does the state propose to prohibit the exercise of a constitutional right on property which we all own. The State after all does not own the property it is owned by all and just administered and maintained by the state through its employees. All of us should get behind a move to repeal these prohibitions that place our citizens at the disadvantage of being involuntarily disarmed on public lands.

On the update front I am pleased to report that Texas has now joined us in recognizing the right to carry a loaded firearm in a vehicle. The requirement for concealment remains. In Texas there is no open carry and that includes even when you are in a vehicle. The firearm must remain concealed at all times whether you are carrying it on your person or transporting it in a vehicle. One Texas statutory provision is that you must affirmatively notify a police officer that you are a concealed handgun permit holder and to allow yourself to be disarmed. Texas actually has a statute separate and apart from the prohibition against concealed carry making it a crime not to affirmatively notify any police officer you come in contact with in an official capacity. This should be a problem for no one holding a Louisiana concealed handgun permit because the same affirmative duty is imposed on a Louisiana concealed handgun permit holder.

In preparing for upcoming renewal classes I spent some time on the Internet and found two items that should be brought to everyone’s attention. The first is that Arkansas gives full recognition without any equivocation to Florida non-resident permit holders and has cleared up the confusion about concealed carry in restaurants to allow carry in restaurants even though alcohol may be served with meals. The prohibition against carry in bars remains and is the most logical interpretation. The other concerns what has become my candidate for the iffiest state as far as statutory interpretation is concerned, Alabama. Alabama does not specifically or as they put it officially recognize the Florida non-resident permit. Alabama does recognize a Florida resident permit but carefully words the statements concerning the nonresident permit to state that the unofficial interpretation is that the non-resident permit will be recognized but warns that a concealed permit holder should exercise caution. Louisiana does have reciprocity with Alabama so if you need to be able to carry in Alabama you will need to have a current Louisiana resident permit. The problem may arise for a Louisiana resident who has elected not to secure a Louisiana and is relying upon a Florida non-resident permit only. If you are a Louisiana resident relying upon a Florida non-resident handgun permit I cannot advise that you rely upon that Florida non-resident permit to carry in Alabama until the State of Alabama provides an unequivocal answer and does not include a bold cautionary disclaimer. Alabama has always been a state without definite answers when I was researching their state law. Under Alabama law a person has a “right” to open carry but it is further qualified that if a pistol is carried openly that it be fully visible and specifically that more than the butt be visible. What does that mean? It means to my mind that a pistol in a holster which naturally covers all but the butt is not open carry and is then concealed as only the butt is visible. The only option for open carry would be to carry it in your hand by the barrel so that more than the butt is visible or to carry it in a clear plastic bag. If you were to carry it in a brown paper bag the entire pistol would not be visible and therefore you are carrying a concealed weapon. The other alternative would be to carry it by the butt and then to risk being arrested for displaying and brandishing a weapon causing great consternation and apprehension among the populace.

Alabama further compounds the confusion and iffiness by prohibiting the carrying of a pistol accessible in a car. So you can carry it by the barrel or in a plastic bag to your vehicle but then you have to lock in the trunk so it doesn’t bite anyone. You can solve this problem by securing a concealed handgun permit but then the question becomes which one. Once again my advice is to get both, carry concealed only and observe all of the laws of whatever jurisdiction you find yourself in.

Now that I am ambulating in the upright and locked position we are scheduling two Civilian Marksmanship Program Shooting Clinic in order to be able to purchase surplus rifles and ammunition from the CMP we are scheduling two this year, the first will be held on May 12, 2007 and the second on September 8, 2007. The fee is $45.00. You can shoot any center fire rifle with iron sights. The course of fire is 50 shots at 100 yards from a standing, sitting and prone positions. This Clinic provides the proof of competence required to allow you to order M1 Garands and Springfields at attractive prices. You should get in touch with me at your convenience to discuss this clinic if you are interested in participating.

A while back I was asked if I knew anything about Scott Helveston. I had to admit that I did not recognize the name and then I was told that he had been one of the four American contractors killed, burned and hung from a bridge in Fallujah on March 31, 2004. When he said that I did remember the incident but what I recalled was that Dan Rather declined to show the photographs because he, in his infinite wisdom, felt the images would be disturbing. Other than that the only thing I remembered was some statements that they had begged for their lives before being killed. The event stayed with me and recently during convalescence I had the opportunity to investigate it a little further. The real story should have been the lead story on CBS but not that they had been killed but that they had lived and lived as Americans. These four men were all former special forces operators and Scott Helveston was a former Navy SEAL which is the short name for Sea, Air Land. The more I looked into this event and the men involved the more interested I became. Helveston in particular was an outstanding American. Apparently Scott Helveston was born in 1967 and had the distinction of being the youngest individual to complete SEAL training. He served with distinction until he found as so many other servicemen and women have found that he could make a lot more money out of the service contracting with the government to do the same thing he did before in the service. He had also done a series of exercise videos based upon the physical training program on the Navy SEALs. I found several mentions of him on the Internet and apparently his work out videos were quite popular and that he had been involved with reality television programs named “Man vs. Beast“ and “Combat Mission“. Unfortunately I did not watch his program any more than I have ever watched the Survivor series. He was the training advisor for Demi Moore when she starred in the movie “G.I. Jane.” In a television interview on “Extra” he demonstrated that he was a confident, assured and self effacing individual who could tell the difference between real combat and the pretend world of film by saying “In real combat, you die.”

He had contracted with Blackwater International to work as a security consultant in Iraq and was working as a private contractor at the time of his death. Exactly what the four contractors were doing in Fallujah is not clear. Some accounts have them providing security for a convoy but the account that makes the most sense for the services of these particular men and their training is that they were investigating reports of suicide bombers planning attacks on American military convoys or installations. The account that seems the most credible also indicates that they were lured there into a prepared ambush. Four Americans in two vehicles carrying only small arms meaning rifles and handguns drove into a planned and prepared ambush by several hundred bloodthirsty jihadis. What the jihadis got was far more than they had bargained for. Paradise may have run low on virgins that day as there was a run on. What happened to those four men is the real story. Four Americans with only their personal arms engaged a vastly larger enemy force. Four Americans killed a confirmed 123 jihadis and wounded several hundred more before they ran out of ammunition and were overrun. Can you think of what might have happened if they had been carrying more ammunition or had been carrying a squad weapon like a heavy machine gun. Literally what would have been the outcome if the four contractors had been prepared for what they encountered. The jihadis had far greater numbers, had heavy weapons including machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. Scott Helveston and the other three Americans were brave men and represent the quality of the American fighting man. If you have any question what is the worth of one American the answer is quite clear. One American is worth 30.75 jihadis. Special Forces operators are referred to as force multipliers and we now know what the minimum multiple is. I say minimum because these four men were lightly armed with only the arms you can buy at your local gunshop. But it shows what can be done with small arms and that it is the operator that makes the difference. Stephen “Scott” Helveston, Mike Teague, Jecko Zovko and Wesley Batalona. Four Americans, Four Fathers, Four Men, Four Heroes who should be remembered and honored. You probably haven’t heard it on the news. You should have. You should have seen these four brave men rather than Cindy Sheehan or Jane Fonda. You should be filled with pride that such men lived and that we can all share with them the distinction of being American. Always remember the example of these four brave Americans. You never lose until you give up. Peace follows in the footsteps of the victorious warrior.

Hooyah.

________________________________________

ALBERT W. BLOCK, JR.

P.O. Box 3096

West Monroe, La. 71294

318 366-4368

318 396-9511 Fax

E-mail address Legalworxs@

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