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March 5, 2010 by
On Wednesday, Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal signed legislation adopting an official Wyoming state code based on the tenets known in the West as “Cowboy Ethics.”
Although the historic Code of the West was unwritten, cowboys, trappers, hunters and others in the U.S. frontier knew it was about maintaining honesty, integrity and courage in a wide-open region where the affects of government barely reached and laws were not always enforced.
More recently, the Ten Principles were outlined in a popular 2004 book, Cowboy Ethics: What Wall Street Can Learn from the Code of the West, by retired Wall Street investor James Owen.
The measure’s sponsor, Sen. Jim Anderson, (R-Glenrock), said Owen’s book captured his interest, and inspired him to introduce the bill after seeing the December premier of a related video project, “The Code of the West: Alive and Well in Wyoming.”
“There’s a work ethic in all things that we do, particularly in government,” Anderson said.
Here are the Ten Principles of Cowboy Ethics:
1. Live each day with courage
2. Take pride in your work
3. Always finish what you start
4. Do what has to be done
5. Be tough, but fair
6. When you make a promise, keep it
7. Ride for the brand
8. Talk less and say more
9. Remember that some things aren’t for sale
10. Know where to draw the line
Even though the bill is merely a symbolic gesture, carries no criminal penalties and is not meant to replace any civil codes, here at the Newshound, we think it reflects a pretty valuable ideology.
Perhaps Capitol Hill should adopt something similar. And adhere to it. What are your thoughts? We'd love to hear.
[ Read Full Post ] January 9, 2010 by
If you’ve been reading The Newshound in recent months, you’ve seen several references to the increasing number of women who own firearms in the U.S., both for hunting and for personal protection.
Just last week we told you about the growing popularity of firearms for women as Christmas gifts in 2009.
One woman who was fortunate to have a caring husband who gave her a handgun for protection this Christmas already learned the value of her gift when she thwarted a would-be armed robbery at her drive-in coffee kiosk located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Sunshine Espresso owner Michelle Cornelsen was working inside her shop last week when a 17-year-old male strolled up to the service window, pulled a gun and demanded money.
“I just said ‘You aren’t going to shoot me are you?’ And he said, ‘No, I don’t really want to. I just need you to put the money in the bag,’” Cornelsen later told Spokane (WA) TV station KREM.
When another customer approached the same window and temporarily distracted the armed teen, Cornelsen grabbed the 9mm Kel-Tec handgun she received just days earlier from beneath the counter.
“A customer came around on this side and he covered the gun with his hand,” she recalled. “I grabbed mine and put it in (the robber’s) face.”
That was enough to send the would-be perpetrator quickly hoofing down the street, where he was soon apprehended by one of Coeur d’Alene’s finest after Cornelsen called 911.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. I don’t want to hurt this guy (but) I’m a business owner and I’ve got to protect what I have,” said the pistol-packing barista.
Make mine a café mocha with a full metal jacket, please.
[ Read Full Post ]December 23, 2009 by
Having a difficult time deciding what to get those special women in your life for Christmas?
Well, those who track Americans’ purchasing and lifestyle trends say all the data points to firearms as one of the most popular choices for females this holiday season. In fact, some forecasters say the last 12 months of record-busting firearms sales will easily spill over into the Christmas season, especially for females who are both giving and receiving.
Asked what they‘d like to receive for Christmas gifts this year, women respondents to a Consumer Reports Money and Shopping Blog survey they’d be “thrilled to receive boots, purses, pajamas and guns.”
As further proof the gun sales boon is not wavering, data released this week by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,223,252 checks were conducted in November 2009, ranking the month in the top 10 for most NICS checks in the history of the system.
And consider this: In the 11 years since the FBI began conducting background checks on all potential gun buyers, November and December have been gun retailers’ busiest sales months, without exception.
Want more proof? The number of women participating in hunting and the shooting sports is increasing at an historic clip. Between 2003 and 2008, women who hunted with firearms increased an impressive 3.5 percent to 2.9 million, according to a new report released just last week by the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA).
During the same period, women who participated in bowhunting rose 1.5 percent to 600,000. In the past year alone, the number of licensed female hunters in Louisiana increased a whopping 12 percent, reaching record numbers for the fairer gender in The Bayou State.
Further, the number of woman taking firearms self-defense instruction and applying for concealed-carry permits has shot off the charts for most of 2009. Female enrollment in the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “First Shots” Program has set new records all year.
Just as the name implies, the program introduces people to handgun shooting for their first time—along with expert coaching and safety instruction. In the classes, women also learn about safe handling and storage of firearms, state and local permitting processes, how to purchase a handgun, what model and caliber is right for them, how to determine proper fit, holsters, apparel and that some handguns even come in colors designed to be more appealing to women.
Not only does such training impact a woman’s outlook on personal protection, but it also influences her buying habits—a fact increasingly addressed by today's major handgun manufacturers and firearms marketers.
The St. Petersburg Times reported last week that firearms retailers across Florida say they’ve witnessed more women shopping for guns and training this holiday season than ever before.
“The mama instinct is big-time,” said Mark Rutan, a salesman at Pinellas Park Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park. “Mamas want to protect their babies, and they will.”
[ Read Full Post ] September 28, 2009 by
The ten-month surge in the sale of firearms and the accompanying increase in applications for concealed carry permits in the U.S. have been well documented by the pro-gun media. But a relatively under-reported related gun-sales story has everything to do with sex.
Did that get your attention?
By all accounts, women are buying guns for personal protection like never before and seeking firearms training and education in increasing numbers.
Last week it was reported that in 2009 nearly 12,000 new pistol permits were issued in Connecticut, a state with one of the historically lowest gun-ownership rates in the country. Between January and May the state saw a 90 percent increase in the number of pistol permits over the previous year, with retailers and safety instructors reporting a spike in first-time gun purchases, particularly by women.
“I think that the percentage that you’d see of women coming for the first time has quadrupled,” John Petricone, a staffer at Tactical Arms in Torrington, told the Danbury Republican-American. Pistol safety classes that once drew about nine men for every woman are now evenly split, Petricone said.
That contention was all but confirmed by survey results released this week from the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “First Shots” program.
“First Shots” is just what the name implies: a program that introduces people to handgun shooting for their first time—along with expert coaching and safety instruction.
Of the 3,106 participant surveys tabulated from handgun events as of this June, a total of 1,498 participants (48 percent) identified themselves as female. In addition, 64 percent of the female participants indicated the First Shots seminar marked their first-ever experience shooting a handgun.
In a follow-up survey conducted six months after attending the seminar, 20 percent of the female participants said they went on to take formal handgun training such as basic handgun, concealed carry, defensive handgun, NRA safety instruction and other formal programs. Further, nearly half of the responding female First Shots participants reported to have met their state’s requirement to own or purchase a handgun.
[ Read Full Post ] September 2, 2009 by
St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols—who knows a thing or two about hitting and distance—receives some pointers from Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Thompson about the preferred platform for long-distance communication by Navy SEALs. Pujols and All-Star reliever Ryan Franklin were among five Cardinal players who toured the Naval Special Warfare facilities while in San Diego for a series with the Padres August 20-23.
[ Read Full Post ] July 13, 2009 by
If Mark Twain were still with us, he might contend that the rumors of the firearms industry’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Selected Wall Street investment analysts announced downgrades to some firearms manufacturer’s stocks last week, based on the premise that the unprecedented spike in the sales of certain guns and ammunition since the November General Election is nearing the end of its historic run.
“THE OBAMA GUN RUN IS SLOWING,” shouted the lead line in Barron's Senior Editor Bill Alpert’s feature, “Shooting a Hole in the Outlook for Gun Stocks.”
“When the Democrats swept into Washington in November, gun fanciers scrambled for 15-round pistols and tactical rifles equipped with grenade launchers, flash suppressors and bayonets—in fear the new administration would reinstate a ban on the sale of such weapons,” Alpert wrote.
Grenade launchers, flash suppressors and bayonets?
Based on the arrogant and sarcastic tone of the article, one wonders whether the author’s contention that the increase in firearms sales and related jump in concealed-carry permit applications may be waning is based more on wishful thinking than facts and accurate data.
Ironically, the same day Barron’s announced what appeared to be the death knell to the present booming firearms market, gunmaker Smith & Wesson announced a 20 percent increase in sales for the company’s fiscal 2009 ending on May 31. The Springfield, Mass. manufacturer reported a net profit of $7.4 million, or 14 cents per share, more than doubling earnings from the same quarter last year and beating analyst estimates.
(In the interest of full disclosure, the writer is an investor and has owned Smith & Wesson stock for nearly 10 years.)
And last week, data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) indicated a 15.4 percent leap in background checks on the sale of firearms in May when compared to the same month a year ago. Background checks totaled 1,023,102 in May 2009, up from 886,183 reported in May 2008.
The May increase came on the heels of a 30.3 percent increase in April, a 29.2 percent gain in March and rises of 23 percent in February, 28 percent in January, 24 percent in December and 42 percent in November—when a record 1,529,635 background checks were performed.
Granted, the May 2009 NICS numbers fall somewhat short when compared to those from preceding months. But it’s hardly a cause for alarm for anyone but those naysayers who contend the current high interest in firearms ownership for personal protection is fabricated and lacks legitimacy.
[ Read Full Post ]July 9, 2009 by
As a direct result of the resurgent interest in 1930s bank robber John Dillinger with the July 1 release of the blockbuster movie “Public Enemies,” a pair of firearms inextricably linked to the Depression-era bad guy will be auctioned in coming days.
First, the Remington .41 cal. rimfire double derringer found hidden in Dillinger’s sock at the time of his January 1934 arrest in Tucson, Ariz. will be auctioned by Dallas-based Heritage Galleries on July 25. The historic gun is expected to fetch between $35,000 and $45,000, according to the auction company’s Web site.
In addition, a .38 Colt Army Special carried by Capt. Timothy O'Neil of the East Chicago Police Department on the day Dillinger was shot and killed outside the Biograph Theater will be offered for auction on July 22—a date that coincidentally marks the 75th anniversary of the gangster’s demise.
Press material from the auctioneer notes that the derringer “bears serial #L97255 and retains most of the original blue on screws, hammer, and trigger; the balance with the original blue-gray matte finish mixing with gray patina. Perfect grips, mint bore, mechanically fine.”
The tip of the barrel release lever is broken, something that is not uncommon with the model, according to gunsmiths and collectors of the vintage gun.
Manufactured by Remington Arms, the unique firearm marked the first of the derringer genre, with each barrel able to fire individually by means of a pivoting firing pin operating on a ratchet. About 150,000 of the guns were manufactured between about 1866 until around 1935.
Frankly speaking, the .41 rimfire cartridge of the era was considered anything but a powerhouse caliber, to be sure. It was sometimes said that a bullet fired from the pocket pistol would bounce off gun leather and fall harmlessly to the ground.
At the same time, some infamous gunfighters of the 1920s and 30s admitted they would rather take a slug from a .45 than from a .41 rimfire. They reasoned that a .45 cal. bullet would probably pass through a man and offer a treatable wound, while a .41 would probably remain imbedded, potentially festering and lead to deadly infection. (Remember, these were pre-penicillin days.)
During coordinated raids taking place from January 22 to January 25, 1934, Pima County (AZ) Sheriff’s deputies arrested Dillinger (using the alias Frank Sullivan) along with gang members Henry Pierpoint, Russel Clark and Charles Makley, and Dillinger’s “moll,” Billie Frechette.
In July 1934 Dillinger was extradited to Indiana where he faced murder charges. While incarcerated awaiting trial, he famously broke out of jail armed with a pistol carved out of wood.
Five weeks after his escape, on July 22, 1934, he was killed “in a hail of gunfire” while leaving the Chicago theater by FBI agents and other authorities, including Capt. O'Neil. Though some law enforcement historians question whether bullets fired from O’Neil’s .38 Colt actually hit “Public Enemy Number One” on that sultry July evening, the gun is expected to bring as much as $12,000 at this month’s auction.
[ Read Full Post ] May 27, 2009 by
From Colorado's Greely Tribune:
"A Loveland man suffered serious injuries when he was hit by lightning Monday afternoon while skeet shooting east of Lucerne.
Josh Renuch, 32, was one of two men injured in the incident shortly after 2 p.m. Monday, said Margie Martinez, spokeswoman for the Weld County Sheriff’s Office. She identified the other man as Brent Kuehne, 32, of Greeley.
Martinez said the two men were with a group of seven people shooting skeet at a farmhouse 2 to 3 miles east of Lucerne. She said the incident occurred just before a heavy thunderstorm moved through the Greeley area.
“There was no storm out there at the time, but obviously, there was lightning.
“Apparently, a skeet had just been launched, and the lightning may have hit the shotgun because it pretty much exploded in (Renuch’s) hands,” Martinez said.
She said Kuehne was knocked down by the lightning. A woman who was with them, along with a person from a nearby residence, gave first aid to the two men until emergency personnel arrived. The woman, Martinez said, was not injured, but she and the others at the site were taken to North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley.
Because of patient confidentiality, the hospital could not give the conditions of those injured.
Meanwhile, the heavy rain that started around 2 p.m. Monday in downtown Greeley continued well into the afternoon. It resulted in some minor flooding problems in the area of 9th Avenue and 16th Street shortly after 3 p.m. There was no serious problems, however, according to Greeley police.
About 4 p.m., amateur radio spotters in southwest Greeley reported floodwater running over Weld County Road 54 and Two Rivers Parkway, about eight miles southwest of Greeley, according to the National Weather Service, which issued a flash flood warning for the area. Water up to hub caps on vehicles was reported, and the weather service said Doppler radar indicated as much as 3 inches of rain had fallen in the area.
Martinez said there was runoff from a field near Weld 54 and Two Rivers Parkway, and west of there, small hail covered about a mile area.
“It was small hail, but there was tons of it,” she said, noting it was 3-4 inches deep in that one area.
Other sites reported upward of 1.25 inches on Greeley’s northwest side and more than half an inch near Highland Hills Golf Course. Near Kersey, 0.6 of an inch to more than an inch was reported at automated weather stations, while other areas of Weld had a trace up to 0.3 of an inch or a little more.
[ Read Full Post ]
March 9, 2009 by
A pair of Southwest Florida ne’er-do-wells didn’t exactly give police specific directions to one of their homes after allegedly committing a home burglary last week—but they might as well have.
Responding to a report of a home burglary and theft on Tuesday, police in Ft. Myers, Fla. were told that among the items taken were a dirt bike, flat screen TV, computer, Ford SUV and a gun safe containing various firearms.
With minimal detective work, the cops easily identified scrape marks in the yard of the burglarized residence indicating that the gun safe had been dragged behind the stolen SUV. From that starting point, authorities followed about 800 yards of continuous drag marks in the ground and gouges in the pavement, leading from the residence, across the street, and through several vacant lots.
Straight to the home of Jarvis B. Bowens, 23.
A subsequent search of Bowens’ residence revealed many of the missing items. The stolen SUV was found in a nearby wooded area.
The Ft. Myers News-Press reports that Bowens and Wayne Blanks, 19, were jailed and charged with 36 felonies for theft and burglary.
[ Read Full Post ]February 19, 2009 by
Based on new scientific data indicating that nearly three times the number of black bears live in the state than previously estimated, the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board voted unanimously last week to increase the bear kill quota by 55 percent
As a result, for the 2009 Wisconsin bear-hunting season, the quota will be raised to 4,585 and the number of hunting permits raised to 7,310, a 57 percent increase.
As recently as 2007 the Wisconsin DNR estimated that there were 13,000 black bears in the state, but a comprehensive research study completed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2008 revealed a bear count closer to 37,000.
Last week’s DNR staff recommendation was praised by representatives of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress Bear Committee, the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation prior to the board’s vote.
In the past, the DNR monitored the bear population by using the age of bears that are killed, permit success rates, agricultural and nuisance complaints, and visitations at bear bait stations.
The study by University of Wisconsin graduate student Dave MacFarland with guidance from Timothy van Deelen, Ph.D., was more detailed.
“We believed there were more bears than we were being told. We were skeptical about the DNR doing anything about it,” said Bob Welch, representing the Bear Hunters Association. “We are very happy about the way this came out, and very pleased how the department adopted the study.”
[ Read Full Post ]
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