Sen. Pam Roach once again hosts legislative day at the range!

It's that time of year! Pam Roach, who is one of a few brave conservatives in the Washington legislature, organizes a legislative day at the range every year that just took place. How cool is that? Our March issue of Western Shooting Journal will feature Assemblyman Brian Jones of the California legislature, who also organizes a legislative day at the range every year. Click here for the story by Dave Workman.

Western Shooting Journal joins sister magazine Northwest Sportsman at the Washington Sportsmen's Show this week!

Western Shooting Journal is excited to accompany our sister hunting and fishing magazine Northwest Sportsman Jan. 22-26 in Puyallup, Wash., at the Washington Sportsmen's Show. Northwest Sportsman will be at booth 971 where you can get subscription specials with premiums such as knives, sunglasses, or the first-ever Real Women of Northwest Fishing calendar! I will be conducting live video interviews with those in the hunting and fishing industries. Please stop by and say hello.

Sportsmen’s shows are always a great chance to meet guides, charters, gear and boat manufacturers, fish and wildlife personnel and others, plan 2014 trips, catch up with friends, get free back issues of Northwest Sportsman magazine, and just walk the halls amongst fellow hunters and anglers.

Click here for more information on this show. For more information from Northwest Sportsman about this and other upcoming sportsmen's shows, click here.

Indoctrination in Washington's public schools

High School Sex Ed Indoctrination Reaching Dangerous Levels

I was astonished recently when one of my stepdaughters arrived home from public high school in Washington state with a red ribbon painted on her cheek. Sex education in the schools – which conservatives have tried to limit to abstinence-only – has now gone well beyond simple education. Today's students are being coerced into promoting and acting out the politically correct views taught them. It is being done so sneakily, using the authoritative stamp of approval by the public schools, that even my conservatively raised children were cajoled into participating.

There was no way to pull your child out of the day-long event. The entire school “celebrated” HIV/AIDs Awareness.” A student group formed to educate other students about AIDs was responsible for putting on the event, and took over the front part of the school with tables and displays. On the tables were baskets of mint-flavored condoms, and students working the tables encouraged others passing by to take them.

Every few seconds, a loud gong would sound and someone would announce, “Every 12 seconds, someone is infected with AIDs, and every 16 seconds, someone dies from AIDs.” The windows throughout the school were covered with HIV/AIDs awareness messages and posters were plastered on the walls. Almost every light throughout the hallways was turned off for further dramatic effect. The main staircase inside the school was covered with red ribbons. There was a giant wheel that students were encouraged to spin in order to see what disease they would contract. Students were lured into spinning it with the promise of a prize.

Read the rest of the article at Townhall

My interview with the NRA's Cam & Co. about Obamacare and gun control

Watch Your Guns Around Obamacare

What does gun control have to do with health care? As odd as it seems, Obamacare contains provisions that jeopardize gun ownership, especially for veterans. Anti-gun provisions were added to initial drafts of Obamacare legislation under the pretext of prohibiting people with mental illness – which can include PTSD - from owning guns. Fortunately, the NRA stepped in and got some of the worst language revised last December. Senate amendment 3276, Sec. 2716, part c.prohibits the creation of a firearms database and stops doctors from disclosing or collecting information relating to a patient’s firearms. Ironically, this provision was probably the only positive result of most members of Congress not bothering to read the bill before voting on it.

However, the provision does not go as far as prohibiting doctors from asking their patients if there are any firearms in their home. In January, Obama issued 23 executive actions and orders regarding firearms. Order 16 stressed that Obamacare does not prohibit doctors from asking patients about their firearms, and the fact sheet includes, “Clarify that no federal law prevents health care providers from warning law enforcement authorities about threats of violence.” What constitutes a “threat of violence” could be very arbitrary. This puts doctors in a difficult position by suggesting they act as pseudo-law enforcement agents. It is damaging to doctor-patient privilege. If doctors have a patient with PTSD or mental illness, and they fail to ask the patient about their firearms, or report them to law enforcement, they could be on the hook later. It encourages them to err on the side of snooping into their patients’ guns. This is especially troubling considered the definition of mental illness keeps expanding.

The state of Florida implemented legislation that would have severely restricted a doctor’s ability to ask a patient about guns at home, but a federal court struck it down as unconstitutional. After the NRA got that provision added, the organization backed off on pressing for further changes, no doubt because trying to get more changes done at that time would have been impossible with the Democratic-controlled Senate and presidency. But there are still areas within our healthcare laws that could prohibit Americans from owning firearms – specifically our veterans.

Read the rest of the article at Townhall

Washington PTA eyes gun control advocacy

By Dave Workman

When the Washington State PTA gathers for its Legislative Assembly Oct. 18-19 at the SeaTac Marriott, one of the issues it apparently will address has nothing to do with the Three R’s, but with “GR” —gun rights — as they consider a proposal to “initiate and/or support legislation or policies” regarding background checks on firearms.

Examiner learned of this issue Friday from a member of the Northwest Firearms forum, where a lively discussion is now in progress. That member is a parent of a kindergarten student. A check of the Washington PTA website revealed that the proposal was submitted Aug. 27 with the explanation that extending background checks to all gun purchases is a step that can be taken to “make our kids safer.”

Read the rest of the article at The Examiner

First Annual Northwest Freedom Shootout tomorrow

Western Shooting Journal friend and contributor Dave Workman of the Second Amendment Foundation has a great writeup on this exciting event tomorrow!

It’s going to be a noisy afternoon and evening at the Evergreen Sportsmen’s Club near Olympia tomorrow when the Freedom Foundation hosts the first annual Northwest Freedom Shootout, an event that promises to attract gun rights activists and serious shooters from throughout the Puget Sound region.

Read the rest of his writeup at The Examiner