This can be found at CBS:
Navy Ships Under Swine Flu Quarantine
(AP) A group of Navy ships is under quarantine after several dozen sailors and Marines on board tested positive for swine flu.
Health officials say at least 69 people had been confirmed with the virus, and all of them have since recovered.
Navy officials say they are now quarantining an undetermined number of crew members with flulike symptoms on four ships that are part of the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, which arrived in Hawaii on Friday. The ships are docked at or near Pearl Harbor.
Thousands of sailors and Marines from the ships are currently on leave in Hawaii, but Cmdr. Dora Lockwood says no one with flulike symptoms has been allowed to go on shore.
A spokeswoman for the state Health Department says it has been notified of the outbreak.
====================================
What the article doesn't mention is that the outbreak of swine flu apparently came as a result of the ship's crew GETTING THE H1N1 VACCINE!
Do a Google search and you'll see this being discussed all over the net. Rumors...and I repeat...RUMORS are:
- that way more than 69 crewmembers were sickened
- two have died, including one ship's Captain
Wednesday
Take one rectally every day
Click on it and it's much easier to read. Be sure to read the vertical label on the right side as well.
Monday
Once upon a time at the firing range
Once upon a time, there was a man named GunRights4US, and he was a Marine guarding the US embassy in Kingston Jamaica. He and his fellows were armed with Uzi submachine guns, Remington 870P riot shotguns, and .38 revolvers.
One day the Gunny came in and said load up all the ammo in the truck and let’s head to the Jamaican police firing range.
“All the ammo Gunny?”
“That’s right boys. I said ALL of it.”
So we heaved-ho into the truck with all our goodies and trucked it out to the range. I no longer remember how many rounds of .38 we had. And I don’t remember how many shotgun shells we had. But one number sticks in my head, and that’s the 6,000 rounds of 9 mm ammo!
We had fresh stocks of ammo inbound from the big PX back stateside, and it was necessary to shoot up all the “old” stuff.
I remember being darned tired of loading magazines. And I remember one of the few times in my life I was actually ready to quit shooting. And I have a vague memory of a goat wandering into the firing line down near the targets, and observing as the bullet streams from no less than three Uzi’s were redirected onto the poor creature.
Ahhh those were the days!
Here's a picture taken that very day.
One day the Gunny came in and said load up all the ammo in the truck and let’s head to the Jamaican police firing range.
“All the ammo Gunny?”
“That’s right boys. I said ALL of it.”
So we heaved-ho into the truck with all our goodies and trucked it out to the range. I no longer remember how many rounds of .38 we had. And I don’t remember how many shotgun shells we had. But one number sticks in my head, and that’s the 6,000 rounds of 9 mm ammo!
We had fresh stocks of ammo inbound from the big PX back stateside, and it was necessary to shoot up all the “old” stuff.
I remember being darned tired of loading magazines. And I remember one of the few times in my life I was actually ready to quit shooting. And I have a vague memory of a goat wandering into the firing line down near the targets, and observing as the bullet streams from no less than three Uzi’s were redirected onto the poor creature.
Ahhh those were the days!
Here's a picture taken that very day.
Two inescapable rules of deer hunting
A good friend of mine went bow hunting this past weekend on a club where he and I are both members. It’s a new club to both of us so we weren’t sure what we were gonna find, and this was his inaugural hunt there.
He went in early Saturday morning before sunrise, and then found to his dismay when the sun came up that he should have done more advance preparation of his “shooting” lanes. Apparently there were all kinds of vines and limbs that would have tended to deflect any arrow he might have shot.
I can almost hear him grumbling as he got down out of his stand and left his bow at the base of the tree, while he set about doing some impromptu cleanup; I guess using hand-clippers of the sort most Southern hunters usually carry.
At some point, he heard the sound of crunching leaves in the swamp behind him, and turned to see a respectable 8 point buck walking directly at him – apparently unaware of his presence. Now his bow you will recall was back at the base of the tree where he left it. This demonstrates with maddening clarity two of the primary characteristics of hunting the elusive Odocoileus Virginianus, or Whitetail Deer.
First of all, they will usually appear from the direction you are least prepared to respond to; generally from your exact rear. Or if you’re a right handed gun shooter (which means you cover a left-handed field of fire) he’s going to come at you from the right. The opposite is invariably true if you’re left handed. It’s a principle I’ve come to count on in my thirty plus years of deer hunting. I don’t care how good that firebreak looks out in front of you – your intended quarry is going to come through that impenetrable thicket behind you!
Second of all, your trophy on the hoof will usually time his arrival at the precise moment you are least expecting him. That means the moment you lean your rifle or bow up against a tree to do whatever – that’s the moment Big Boy will pop out. I recall once sitting a stand on the coldest morning of the year, and come about 11 am, when I had not seen a single animal, I decided that enough was enough and I began the torturous process of getting out of my stand. Of course the moment I moved was the exact moment that I looked down in front of me to see a gorgeous ten or twelve point staring up at me from about 20 feet away! Given that I was on the edge of an eight-hundred yard long field, my scope was cranked all the way up to 9X, making it completely useless for locating something so close I could spit on it!
I once leaned a shotgun up against a tree while I watered the ground with internally processed coffee, and the moment I was occupied with “other matters” was the moment a buck decided to cross the open ground in front of me!
Let me pause and elaborate here that the aforementioned “rules” are mutually exclusive. By that I mean if he shows up WHEN you aren’t expecting him, it’ll be EXACTLY where he was expected to show. Conversely, if he shows up WHERE you were expecting him, it’s generally when you aren’t ready.
In another of my adventures I relate a morning hunt with my then 14 year-old son. That hunt led to the closest encounter with a living buck that I’ve ever had. He passed my position from a mere 8 to 10 feet away. Naturally I didn’t have so much as a pistol on me! Friends have suggested that I should have lunged onto the animal and chewed his throat out for the desired result. I’ll leave the reader free to imagine my response to that particular suggestion.
To finish my buddy’s adventure, he stared in agony upon the buck which walked straight towards him whilst his bow was out of reach at the base of the tree. In a frenzy of desperation he considered breaking game laws and reached for the pistol he was carrying in a waist holster. He tells me he’s had that holster for many years, and never once has had even a moment’s difficulty with the flap. Of course all those previous usages of the holster didn’t happen in the presence of an eight-point buck. And as we all know – weird things happen under that circumstance!
Needless to say, that buck remains whole and healthy, and I hope to see him behind me from a tree-stand soon.
He went in early Saturday morning before sunrise, and then found to his dismay when the sun came up that he should have done more advance preparation of his “shooting” lanes. Apparently there were all kinds of vines and limbs that would have tended to deflect any arrow he might have shot.
I can almost hear him grumbling as he got down out of his stand and left his bow at the base of the tree, while he set about doing some impromptu cleanup; I guess using hand-clippers of the sort most Southern hunters usually carry.
At some point, he heard the sound of crunching leaves in the swamp behind him, and turned to see a respectable 8 point buck walking directly at him – apparently unaware of his presence. Now his bow you will recall was back at the base of the tree where he left it. This demonstrates with maddening clarity two of the primary characteristics of hunting the elusive Odocoileus Virginianus, or Whitetail Deer.
First of all, they will usually appear from the direction you are least prepared to respond to; generally from your exact rear. Or if you’re a right handed gun shooter (which means you cover a left-handed field of fire) he’s going to come at you from the right. The opposite is invariably true if you’re left handed. It’s a principle I’ve come to count on in my thirty plus years of deer hunting. I don’t care how good that firebreak looks out in front of you – your intended quarry is going to come through that impenetrable thicket behind you!
Second of all, your trophy on the hoof will usually time his arrival at the precise moment you are least expecting him. That means the moment you lean your rifle or bow up against a tree to do whatever – that’s the moment Big Boy will pop out. I recall once sitting a stand on the coldest morning of the year, and come about 11 am, when I had not seen a single animal, I decided that enough was enough and I began the torturous process of getting out of my stand. Of course the moment I moved was the exact moment that I looked down in front of me to see a gorgeous ten or twelve point staring up at me from about 20 feet away! Given that I was on the edge of an eight-hundred yard long field, my scope was cranked all the way up to 9X, making it completely useless for locating something so close I could spit on it!
I once leaned a shotgun up against a tree while I watered the ground with internally processed coffee, and the moment I was occupied with “other matters” was the moment a buck decided to cross the open ground in front of me!
Let me pause and elaborate here that the aforementioned “rules” are mutually exclusive. By that I mean if he shows up WHEN you aren’t expecting him, it’ll be EXACTLY where he was expected to show. Conversely, if he shows up WHERE you were expecting him, it’s generally when you aren’t ready.
In another of my adventures I relate a morning hunt with my then 14 year-old son. That hunt led to the closest encounter with a living buck that I’ve ever had. He passed my position from a mere 8 to 10 feet away. Naturally I didn’t have so much as a pistol on me! Friends have suggested that I should have lunged onto the animal and chewed his throat out for the desired result. I’ll leave the reader free to imagine my response to that particular suggestion.
To finish my buddy’s adventure, he stared in agony upon the buck which walked straight towards him whilst his bow was out of reach at the base of the tree. In a frenzy of desperation he considered breaking game laws and reached for the pistol he was carrying in a waist holster. He tells me he’s had that holster for many years, and never once has had even a moment’s difficulty with the flap. Of course all those previous usages of the holster didn’t happen in the presence of an eight-point buck. And as we all know – weird things happen under that circumstance!
Needless to say, that buck remains whole and healthy, and I hope to see him behind me from a tree-stand soon.
Tips on improving your memory
BY PAULA SPENCER OF CARING.COM
Worried about fading brain power? If you’re older than 27, you have good reason. That’s the age when cognitive skills start to decline, according to new University of Virginia research. But while some changes in thinking and memory are inevitable as we age, the good news is that lifestyle seems to be able to blunt those effects — and keep many minds working sharply well into old age.
That’s reassuring, given headlines from the Alzheimer’s Association’s new annual report showing that every 70 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s (the most common form of dementia).
Debilitating memory loss doesn’t happen to everyone, though. Learn what you can do to preserve yours.
Read HERE for the full list and elaborative points.
Sunday
Peter Schiff on Gold, Bush and Obama
Peter Schiff, current republican senate candidate, and CEO of brokerage firm Euro Pacific Capital, has a few things to say on the aforementioned topics. I apologize for not embedding the video as I simply couldn't find the code to do so.
In short...
Gold is going to rise in value
Obama is doing all the wrong things
Past conditions & mistakes being repeated
Foreign stocks are way outperforming domestic ones
In short...
Gold is going to rise in value
Obama is doing all the wrong things
Past conditions & mistakes being repeated
Foreign stocks are way outperforming domestic ones
Saturday
A shocking portent of things to come
This all happened on the streets of Pittsburgh this week.
Watch these two videos and tell me with a straight face that we live in a free country!
Watch this one and note the mix-mash of uniforms. Are these police, military, or contractors? WTF!!!!
This reminds me for all the world of something you might see in Stalin's Russia or Mao's China.
Watch these two videos and tell me with a straight face that we live in a free country!
Watch this one and note the mix-mash of uniforms. Are these police, military, or contractors? WTF!!!!
This reminds me for all the world of something you might see in Stalin's Russia or Mao's China.
Friday
I'm starting to like French President Sarkozy
I guess he wasn't impressed with His Worship, the Great and Wonderful Messiah Obama. Here's some of his remarks to the foreign press (the American press doesn't believe YOU need to see this, so good luck finding it)
“President Obama dreams of a world without weapons … but right in front of us two countries are doing the exact opposite."
“Iran since 2005 has flouted five security council resolutions. North Korea has been defying council resolutions since 1993."
“I support the extended hand of the Americans, but what good has proposals for dialogue brought the international community? More uranium enrichment and declarations by the leaders of Iran to wipe a UN member state off the map,” he continued, referring to Israel.
The sharp-tongued French leader even implied that Mr Obama’s resolution 1887 had used up valuable diplomatic energy.
“If we have courage to impose sanctions together it will lend viability to our commitment to reduce our own weapons and to making a world without nuke weapons.”
Mr Sarkozy has previously called the US president’s disarmament crusade “naive.”
Source
“President Obama dreams of a world without weapons … but right in front of us two countries are doing the exact opposite."
“Iran since 2005 has flouted five security council resolutions. North Korea has been defying council resolutions since 1993."
“I support the extended hand of the Americans, but what good has proposals for dialogue brought the international community? More uranium enrichment and declarations by the leaders of Iran to wipe a UN member state off the map,” he continued, referring to Israel.
The sharp-tongued French leader even implied that Mr Obama’s resolution 1887 had used up valuable diplomatic energy.
“If we have courage to impose sanctions together it will lend viability to our commitment to reduce our own weapons and to making a world without nuke weapons.”
Mr Sarkozy has previously called the US president’s disarmament crusade “naive.”
Source
Excerpt from American Thinker Magazine
From an article by Kyle-Anne Shiver entitled Obama and the Trust Factor
Ousted Honduran dictator-wannabe, Zelaya, has received strident, meddling support from President Obama while the Iranian protesters risking life and limb for more freedom have gotten the cold shoulder. Poland and the Czech Republic got a big finger poke in the eye on missile defense, while Obama reaped the praises of the Russian Bear. Castro joined the cheers-to-Barack chorus Wednesday when Obama made his kumbayah-to-the-world speech at the UN. Iran is continuing her nuke plan and getting gasoline from Chavez, while Israel is having her face shoved in the mud. Obama's foreign policy is the most transparent thing about his administration.
President Obama never doubts himself or, apparently, our enemies. He saves all his doubts for the American people and our former friends around the globe. What's not to like? All the while, we dissenters are the ones who are in the President's eyes, "rude."
Oh, ye President of Thin-beyond-Thin Skin, a single, constrained shout-out of "You lie" and a few snarky posters don't even come close to the traditional incivility of the peculiar American bent.
Tar and feathers. Now, that's rude.
Ousted Honduran dictator-wannabe, Zelaya, has received strident, meddling support from President Obama while the Iranian protesters risking life and limb for more freedom have gotten the cold shoulder. Poland and the Czech Republic got a big finger poke in the eye on missile defense, while Obama reaped the praises of the Russian Bear. Castro joined the cheers-to-Barack chorus Wednesday when Obama made his kumbayah-to-the-world speech at the UN. Iran is continuing her nuke plan and getting gasoline from Chavez, while Israel is having her face shoved in the mud. Obama's foreign policy is the most transparent thing about his administration.
President Obama never doubts himself or, apparently, our enemies. He saves all his doubts for the American people and our former friends around the globe. What's not to like? All the while, we dissenters are the ones who are in the President's eyes, "rude."
Oh, ye President of Thin-beyond-Thin Skin, a single, constrained shout-out of "You lie" and a few snarky posters don't even come close to the traditional incivility of the peculiar American bent.
Tar and feathers. Now, that's rude.
Afterthoughts from the U.N. Address
By Jonah Goldberg
It was the most Obamaesque address to date.
"For those who question the character and cause of my nation," the president pronounced Wednesday, "I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months."
America is 233 years old. Some think that there are ample accomplishments speaking to our character and cause that predate Obama's ascension to the presidency.
Feh, Obama seems to be saying. Look instead to our new greatness, for we have elected a man like him!
Having anointed himself America's vindicator and redeemer, Obama's real purpose seems to be to become the leader not of the free world but, simply, the world.
"No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed," Obama said. "No balance of power among nations will hold. The traditional divisions between nations of the South and the North make no sense in an interconnected world; nor do alignments of nations rooted in the cleavages of a long-gone Cold War."
The United Nations is an odd venue in which to say such things. The Security Council is premised on nothing if not a balance of power, and the U.N.'s roots go nowhere if not deep into the chilled soil of the Cold War. It is odder still for the president of the United States of America to say such things. Is NATO - currently fighting what until recently Obama defined as a "war of necessity" in Afghanistan - now obsolete? What do the South Koreans or the Japanese think of such rhetoric?
More important, our alliances weren't merely the balancing of power, they represented a contest of values. The Cold War was informed by America's principled support for free nations over tyrannical ones. Compromises were made, to be sure, but our values were never abandoned.
The president's defenders say that there is realpolitik behind the U.N. boilerplate, that he is pursuing America's interests even if he sounds like he's agreeing with our enemies about pre-Obama America's flaws. Specifically, they argue that he is laying the necessary groundwork to contain and isolate Iran, coaxing the Russians into a new round of sanctions against the Iranians. If he succeeds in that regard, Obama should be congratulated.
The problem with this analysis, however, is that most of what Obama said Wednesday was a repeat of what he has said many times before, on the campaign trail, in Berlin, and in Cairo. He has said this stuff so often, some might be forgiven for thinking it is more than just words.
The greatest danger, Obama declared in Berlin, is not terrorism or global warming or even nuclear war. No, the "greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another."
This week he rehashed the same rhetoric. "The time," Obama assured us again, "has come for those walls to come down."
Walls often exist for a good reason. They mark clear lines between peoples and nations. The Berlin Wall was not built by us, but by those who could not tolerate liberty. It is good that it came down with our victory in the Cold War. But it would have been better to keep it up than lose that struggle.
Of course, Obama's objection isn't to physical walls but figurative ones. His real point is that the cult of unity that marked the worst excesses of his presidential campaign should go global. "Old arguments are irrelevant to the challenges faced by our people," he says. Rather, "the interests of nations and peoples are shared."
The problem with this notion of shared interests is not that it's untrue, but that it's a half-truth. Some interests are shared, others not. It was in Poland's interest for us to honor our commitment on missile defense. Obama concluded that it was better for us to appease Russia's interests.
A core attitude unites Obama's domestic and foreign-policy visions: Principled disagreements are not legitimate if they do not conform to the president's agenda, be it on health care domestically or global warming and nuclear disarmament internationally. Call it a progressive version of "if you're not with us, you're against us."
According to Obama, a highlight in his nine months of redemptive accomplishments was his decision to join the Human Rights Council, a corrupt, farcically bureaucratic carbuncle designed to vilify Israel and whitewash the abuses of evil regimes. Critics say we should not lend it more authority. But by Obama's logic, such concerns are rooted in old arguments and ancient, irrelevant cleavages.
Meanwhile, 53 paragraphs into a 63-paragraph speech, Obama said that we should not view the principles of democracy as an afterthought.
It was the most Obamaesque address to date.
"For those who question the character and cause of my nation," the president pronounced Wednesday, "I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months."
America is 233 years old. Some think that there are ample accomplishments speaking to our character and cause that predate Obama's ascension to the presidency.
Feh, Obama seems to be saying. Look instead to our new greatness, for we have elected a man like him!
Having anointed himself America's vindicator and redeemer, Obama's real purpose seems to be to become the leader not of the free world but, simply, the world.
"No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed," Obama said. "No balance of power among nations will hold. The traditional divisions between nations of the South and the North make no sense in an interconnected world; nor do alignments of nations rooted in the cleavages of a long-gone Cold War."
The United Nations is an odd venue in which to say such things. The Security Council is premised on nothing if not a balance of power, and the U.N.'s roots go nowhere if not deep into the chilled soil of the Cold War. It is odder still for the president of the United States of America to say such things. Is NATO - currently fighting what until recently Obama defined as a "war of necessity" in Afghanistan - now obsolete? What do the South Koreans or the Japanese think of such rhetoric?
More important, our alliances weren't merely the balancing of power, they represented a contest of values. The Cold War was informed by America's principled support for free nations over tyrannical ones. Compromises were made, to be sure, but our values were never abandoned.
The president's defenders say that there is realpolitik behind the U.N. boilerplate, that he is pursuing America's interests even if he sounds like he's agreeing with our enemies about pre-Obama America's flaws. Specifically, they argue that he is laying the necessary groundwork to contain and isolate Iran, coaxing the Russians into a new round of sanctions against the Iranians. If he succeeds in that regard, Obama should be congratulated.
The problem with this analysis, however, is that most of what Obama said Wednesday was a repeat of what he has said many times before, on the campaign trail, in Berlin, and in Cairo. He has said this stuff so often, some might be forgiven for thinking it is more than just words.
The greatest danger, Obama declared in Berlin, is not terrorism or global warming or even nuclear war. No, the "greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another."
This week he rehashed the same rhetoric. "The time," Obama assured us again, "has come for those walls to come down."
Walls often exist for a good reason. They mark clear lines between peoples and nations. The Berlin Wall was not built by us, but by those who could not tolerate liberty. It is good that it came down with our victory in the Cold War. But it would have been better to keep it up than lose that struggle.
Of course, Obama's objection isn't to physical walls but figurative ones. His real point is that the cult of unity that marked the worst excesses of his presidential campaign should go global. "Old arguments are irrelevant to the challenges faced by our people," he says. Rather, "the interests of nations and peoples are shared."
The problem with this notion of shared interests is not that it's untrue, but that it's a half-truth. Some interests are shared, others not. It was in Poland's interest for us to honor our commitment on missile defense. Obama concluded that it was better for us to appease Russia's interests.
A core attitude unites Obama's domestic and foreign-policy visions: Principled disagreements are not legitimate if they do not conform to the president's agenda, be it on health care domestically or global warming and nuclear disarmament internationally. Call it a progressive version of "if you're not with us, you're against us."
According to Obama, a highlight in his nine months of redemptive accomplishments was his decision to join the Human Rights Council, a corrupt, farcically bureaucratic carbuncle designed to vilify Israel and whitewash the abuses of evil regimes. Critics say we should not lend it more authority. But by Obama's logic, such concerns are rooted in old arguments and ancient, irrelevant cleavages.
Meanwhile, 53 paragraphs into a 63-paragraph speech, Obama said that we should not view the principles of democracy as an afterthought.
It's fun watching ACORN squirm
If you're like me, you're enjoying the fall of that bunch of sleezy Marxists at ACORN. I'm prepared to lend the covert filmmakers a hand financially if ACORN's lawsuit ever gets off the ground, but watching this video makes me think they don't have a leg to stand on.
ACORN's chief organizor (I wonder of they call her Dear Leader around the office) thanks the filmmaker's for uncovering this "handful" of problem employees. That fact is going to be hard to refute (on film no less!) in a court room. If you are grateful enough to "Thank", how can you then claim to be damaged from their actions?
It just keeps getting better and better folks!
Thursday
Is Kentucky starting to resist?
Below is my reaction to the news that a census taker in Kentucky was found hanged with the word FED written on his chest:
This is going to strike some as harsh, but I want to point out that this killing had the effect of ending door to door census taking for that county.
I am NOT reveling in the fact that a man was killed. He doubtless had family that will mourn his death. But didn’t every German soldier that we killed during WWII? Not every one of those men was a concentration camp guard you know. And the same is true of every other war Americans have fought in – as far back as The Revolution. Those British soldiers had families back home.
Now I am saying this to make the point that we freedom loving Americans are going to soon be faced with a simple choice: RESIST or SUBMIT.
We no longer live under the Rule of Law. We are now subject to the Rule of Man. If you doubt that is the case, then look how egregiously the Constitution is being trampled by every branch of government. Furthermore, I invite you to consider how little the politicians pay heed to the will of the people. Those people don’t care one whipstitch for how Americans feel about taxes, immigration, healthcare, etc. All they care about is perpetuating their power.
It’s broke – the entire system! And it’s NOT going to fix itself.
The soap box has failed. The jury box has failed. The ballot box has failed (thanks to ACORN). All that remains is the cartridge box. Resist, or submit. It all will boil down to that – and I believe very soon.
We are the last significant armed population on earth, and I believe in my heart that’s all that has prevented the slide into wholesale tyranny thus far. But having arms isn’t the same as having the will to use them. Our forefathers had the will but lacked the weaponry. We HAVE the weaponry, but we sure lack the will.
There are between 80 and 100 million armed Americans. If even one percent stood up to the Imperial Federal Leviathan, we could bring this mess to a halt tomorrow.
This is going to strike some as harsh, but I want to point out that this killing had the effect of ending door to door census taking for that county.
I am NOT reveling in the fact that a man was killed. He doubtless had family that will mourn his death. But didn’t every German soldier that we killed during WWII? Not every one of those men was a concentration camp guard you know. And the same is true of every other war Americans have fought in – as far back as The Revolution. Those British soldiers had families back home.
Now I am saying this to make the point that we freedom loving Americans are going to soon be faced with a simple choice: RESIST or SUBMIT.
We no longer live under the Rule of Law. We are now subject to the Rule of Man. If you doubt that is the case, then look how egregiously the Constitution is being trampled by every branch of government. Furthermore, I invite you to consider how little the politicians pay heed to the will of the people. Those people don’t care one whipstitch for how Americans feel about taxes, immigration, healthcare, etc. All they care about is perpetuating their power.
It’s broke – the entire system! And it’s NOT going to fix itself.
The soap box has failed. The jury box has failed. The ballot box has failed (thanks to ACORN). All that remains is the cartridge box. Resist, or submit. It all will boil down to that – and I believe very soon.
We are the last significant armed population on earth, and I believe in my heart that’s all that has prevented the slide into wholesale tyranny thus far. But having arms isn’t the same as having the will to use them. Our forefathers had the will but lacked the weaponry. We HAVE the weaponry, but we sure lack the will.
There are between 80 and 100 million armed Americans. If even one percent stood up to the Imperial Federal Leviathan, we could bring this mess to a halt tomorrow.
So true!
This cartoon is presented in honor of Obama's latest appearance in the Apologize for America show as seen live at the United Nincompoops.
Doesn't it bother anyone that Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi had nothing but praise for Obama?
How about Castro's praise for Obama making a "brave gesture"? Does that bother you?
Maybe Hugo Chavez's kind words for The Messiah will concern you? At least Chavez did make note of one thing:
"Sometimes one gets the sensation that there are two Obamas. One, who gave the speech, is good. The other, really, makes decisions that are contradictory to his speech."
Hmmm it's should be very enlightening when hard-core leftist dictators notice that O talks out of both sides of his mouth!
School children singing the praises of Obama
Didn't the Nazi's also spend alot of time and effort programming their children too? This evil man is intent on building a cult of personality for himself. This should frighten you. It certainly frightens me.
Is this America... or red china?
Slow posting of late...
An out of town business trip, followed by a stomach bug, has slowed me down considerably.
I'll try to get back in the swing either today or tomorrow.
I'll try to get back in the swing either today or tomorrow.
Wednesday
Obama as seen by Englishmen
The UN loves Barack Obama because he is weak
It is not hard to see why a standing ovation awaits Barack Obama when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly today, writes Nile Gardiner.
By Nile Gardiner
Published: 8:34AM BST 23 Sep 2009
Comments 143 | Comment on this article
Barack Obama’s Gallup approval rating of 52 percent may well be lower at this stage of his presidency than any US leader in recent times with the exception of Bill Clinton. But he is still worshipped with messiah-like adoration at the United Nations, and is considerably more popular with many of the 192 members of the UN than he is with the American people.
The latest Pew Global Attitudes Survey of international confidence in Obama’s leadership on foreign affairs shows strikingly high approval levels for the president in many parts of the world – 94 percent in Kenya, 93 percent in Germany, 88 percent in Canada and Nigeria, 77 percent in India, 76 percent in Brazil, 71 percent in Indonesia, and 62 percent in China for example. The Pew survey of 21 countries reveals an average level of 71 percent support for President Obama, compared to just 17 percent for George W. Bush in 2008.
As the figures indicate, Barack Obama is highly likely to receive a warm reception when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly today, whereas his predecessor in the White House was greeted with undisguised contempt and stony silence.
It is not hard to see why a standing ovation awaits the president at Turtle Bay. Obama’s popularity at the UN boils down essentially to his willingness to downplay American global power. He is the first American president who has made an art form out of apologizing for the United States, which he has done on numerous occasions on foreign soil, from Strasbourg to Cairo. The Obama mantra appears to be – ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do to atone for your country. This is a message that goes down very well in a world that is still seething with anti-Americanism.
It is natural that much of the UN will embrace an American president who declines to offer strong American leadership. A president who engages dictators like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez will naturally gain respect from the leaders of the more than 100 members of the United Nations who are currently designated as “partly free” or “not free” by respected watchdog Freedom House.
The UN is not a club of democracies - who still remain a minority within its membership – it is a vast melting pot of free societies, socialist regimes and outright tyrannies. Obama’s clear lack of interest in human rights issues is a big seller at the UN, where at least half its members have poor human rights records.
The president scores highly at the UN for refusing to project American values and military might on the world stage, with rare exceptions like the war against the Taliban. His appeasement of Iran, his bullying of Israel, his surrender to Moscow, his call for a nuclear free world, his siding with Marxists in Honduras, his talk of a climate change deal, have all won him plaudits in the large number of UN member states where US foreign policy has traditionally been viewed with contempt.
Simply put, Barack Obama is loved at the UN because he largely fails to advance real American leadership. This is a dangerous strategy of decline that will weaken US power and make her far more vulnerable to attack.
As we saw last week with his shameful surrender to Moscow over missile defence, the president is perfectly happy to undermine America’s allies and gut its strategic defences while currying favour with enemies and strategic competitors. The missile defence debacle is rightly viewed as a betrayal by the Poles and the Czechs, and Washington has clearly give the impression that it cares little about those who have bravely stood shoulder to shoulder with their US allies in Iraq, Afghanistan and the wider war on terror.
The Obama administration is now overseeing and implementing the biggest decline in American global power since Jimmy Carter. Unfortunately it may well take another generation for the United States to recover.
It is not hard to see why a standing ovation awaits Barack Obama when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly today, writes Nile Gardiner.
By Nile Gardiner
Published: 8:34AM BST 23 Sep 2009
Comments 143 | Comment on this article
Barack Obama’s Gallup approval rating of 52 percent may well be lower at this stage of his presidency than any US leader in recent times with the exception of Bill Clinton. But he is still worshipped with messiah-like adoration at the United Nations, and is considerably more popular with many of the 192 members of the UN than he is with the American people.
The latest Pew Global Attitudes Survey of international confidence in Obama’s leadership on foreign affairs shows strikingly high approval levels for the president in many parts of the world – 94 percent in Kenya, 93 percent in Germany, 88 percent in Canada and Nigeria, 77 percent in India, 76 percent in Brazil, 71 percent in Indonesia, and 62 percent in China for example. The Pew survey of 21 countries reveals an average level of 71 percent support for President Obama, compared to just 17 percent for George W. Bush in 2008.
As the figures indicate, Barack Obama is highly likely to receive a warm reception when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly today, whereas his predecessor in the White House was greeted with undisguised contempt and stony silence.
It is not hard to see why a standing ovation awaits the president at Turtle Bay. Obama’s popularity at the UN boils down essentially to his willingness to downplay American global power. He is the first American president who has made an art form out of apologizing for the United States, which he has done on numerous occasions on foreign soil, from Strasbourg to Cairo. The Obama mantra appears to be – ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do to atone for your country. This is a message that goes down very well in a world that is still seething with anti-Americanism.
It is natural that much of the UN will embrace an American president who declines to offer strong American leadership. A president who engages dictators like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez will naturally gain respect from the leaders of the more than 100 members of the United Nations who are currently designated as “partly free” or “not free” by respected watchdog Freedom House.
The UN is not a club of democracies - who still remain a minority within its membership – it is a vast melting pot of free societies, socialist regimes and outright tyrannies. Obama’s clear lack of interest in human rights issues is a big seller at the UN, where at least half its members have poor human rights records.
The president scores highly at the UN for refusing to project American values and military might on the world stage, with rare exceptions like the war against the Taliban. His appeasement of Iran, his bullying of Israel, his surrender to Moscow, his call for a nuclear free world, his siding with Marxists in Honduras, his talk of a climate change deal, have all won him plaudits in the large number of UN member states where US foreign policy has traditionally been viewed with contempt.
Simply put, Barack Obama is loved at the UN because he largely fails to advance real American leadership. This is a dangerous strategy of decline that will weaken US power and make her far more vulnerable to attack.
As we saw last week with his shameful surrender to Moscow over missile defence, the president is perfectly happy to undermine America’s allies and gut its strategic defences while currying favour with enemies and strategic competitors. The missile defence debacle is rightly viewed as a betrayal by the Poles and the Czechs, and Washington has clearly give the impression that it cares little about those who have bravely stood shoulder to shoulder with their US allies in Iraq, Afghanistan and the wider war on terror.
The Obama administration is now overseeing and implementing the biggest decline in American global power since Jimmy Carter. Unfortunately it may well take another generation for the United States to recover.
Sunday
This just bears a reminder every now and then...
Is there ANY way you would mis-speak YOUR OWN faith? Uh uh...I didn't think so!
Thursday
Another hunting tale
This was first posted in 2003
My son killed his first buck last season. Now if that isn’t a milestone in a young man’s life I don’t know what is. Sadly, there are too many young men who will never experience this milestone because of the changing values of this country. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that saw guns as tools, and hunting as both a pleasure and a necessity, and even though I am raising my family in the midst of suburban America, I still strive to impart to my boys the values of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. In my opinion, hunting is one of the best methods to do that. But that’s grist for an entirely different mill.
I’ll spare you all the burdensome details, but last fall I lost a valuable hunting lease in Baldwin county Georgia. It was about 1,000 acres of mixed farmland, hardwoods, and pine saplings that I shared with exactly zero other hunters for the vast sum of only $400. Fortunately I was able to secure one spot for myself with the hunting club that assumed the lease. But try as I might I couldn’t get more than a single spot. I was told that I could take my son, but only ONE firearm between the two us. It was a bitter pill to swallow to share property with five other hunters that for 10 plus years I’d had all to myself.
Josh and I missed opening weekend, but the second weekend found us on the stand in the predawn darkness. I picked out two side by side limbless trees that were close enough that I could whisper instructions to Josh, since I had decided that he would be the shooter this trip. We were in a good spot in the rear corner of the field, with a hardwood bottom to our backs and the perfect amount of cover between us and the edge of the field. This is about the point where Murphy made his appearance. I was so focused on helping Josh be quiet with his tree-climber stand that I fumbled and dropped a crucial wingnut in the weeds at the base of my tree. I had suffered the same loss of a critical wingnut years before, and I usually kept a spare taped to the stand. Now, standing there in the steadily lightening morning, I remembered using my spare wingnut on a home repair project during the summer. I had intended to replace it and had never gotten around to it. I cursed the ill luck and resigned to just stand quietly at the base of the tree.
Josh’s assembly of his stand, and his climb up the tree were about as quiet as a bull in a china shop! Clearly he had not practiced using his stand like I had instructed. My heart sank because I just knew that this would be a wasted hunt. The mosquitoes moved in for breakfast and my misery was complete.
Shortly after sunrise we watched three does work their way down along the far side of the field. Josh and I had already agreed that, even though it was a Doe Day weekend, we were there for horns! We enjoyed the view but we stuck to the plan. Seeing deer, any deer, always makes me feel good – even if I don’t shoot. I had begun to think that maybe Murphy would go ahead and leave us alone, but he made another appearance about this point.
I’ve been hunting deer for nearly thirty years, and one thing I’ve learned about the Whitetail buck is that he will usually show up when and where you least expect him. From the hardwood bottom to our left rear came a sound that makes a hunter’s ears perk up: the unmistakable noise made by a deer walking purposefully through dry leaves. In less time than it takes to tell about it, a nice six-point buck approached our stands. Josh, who had climbed to a height of only about ten feet above me, turned slowly and looked down at me with a look of absolute horror and frustration. At first I failed to understand why, but then it hit me. Josh is left-handed. His natural field of fire is to his right. The buck was coming from the one direction that would make it almost impossible for him to get a shot. Because of Josh’s height (in the tree), he couldn’t safely pass me the rifle. Because of how quickly the buck had appeared and how quickly he had closed the distance to us, there wasn’t time to make a move without making lots of unwelcome noise. I experienced the most incredible mix of frustration and thrill as I stood as still as a statue and watched the very shootable buck walk by at a distance of no more than ten feet! He never showed the first sign that he saw us, which is pretty remarkable since I was standing at ground level with my back up against a tree. That was the closest I have ever been to a deer “on the hoof”, and it was something I will never forget.
Later, as Josh and I trudged dejectedly to the house, we talked about all the things that we had done wrong. That afternoon, with a replacement wingnut and another one as a spare, we went back to our stands. This time we switched positions relative to one another. Josh sitting the right, and me to the left meant that he would cover the right and I would cover the left. The only route of an animal’s approach that we couldn’t adequately cover would be directly behind us. Of course, you know…that is exactly where the next buck came from: directly behind us.
The climb was much quieter than our morning climb since we had no setup noises to make, having left the stands at the base of the trees. Now we were positioned about 5 feet apart from one another, and about 15 feet high. Before us lay a mown hayfield, 200 yards wide and 800 yards long. The right side boundary of the field was formed by a tree line that ran the full length of the field, and at no point was wider than 20 yards. Its left boundary was a more substantial strip of woods that probably averaged 150 yards wide its full length. All the adjoining fields were backed by a low swampy bottom that stretched back to the Oconee River. And out of this bottom, straight behind us, came Josh’s buck.
Our prey was no trophy, but he was a buck of legal size sporting four points. I wouldn’t have shot this fellow, but then I have killed more deer than I can count [I feel compelled to write that this is not bragging. Many of mine were equally humble]. This would be Josh’s first kill, if he so desired. We had been back on our stands for about hour or so when the sound of the approaching animal came to our ear. Our visitor came up the incline out of the swamp, and entered the only bone fide thicket anywhere near our position. To my son’s extreme right, the tree line began. At this precise spot, the underbrush thickened to the degree that I would not advise a shot into it.
The buck first paused on the far side of the underbrush and began working a rub. All this time, Josh and I had stayed still as was possible given that hungry mosquitoes had passed the word to their sisters that the evening meal had arrived. We had mouthed a few things back and forth, but as the deer got closer we avoided all sounds and slowed down to the speed of minute hands. Even though he was barely 30 yards away, I communicated to Josh that he ought not to shoot through the brush. Better to wait and see if the buck moved into a different spot allowing a more clear shot.
The buck, oblivious to our presence, continued to work his rub for the next quarter of an hour it seemed. After a bit he began to move on up the tree line, in effect quartering away from us though increasingly thicker cover. Disappointment crept into Josh’s face but I whispered to him to hang on and see what happens. Something told me that the closer we got to sunset, the more likely our buck would leave the concealment of the tree line and venture out into the field. If he did that within a reasonable distance, “you’ll most definitely get a shot” I said.
You might wonder at the fact we were now speaking to one another with a deer still so close. But the truth is, our rambunctious young buck was fully committed to a new rub to the extent that he was making plenty of cover noise for us. Although he was now about 50 or 60 yards away, we couldn’t see a single bit of him. We could hear every sound he made however.
The minutes passed. Josh and I both relaxed some, but we stayed at the ready. I observed my son and was proud to note that he was practicing excellent movement discipline and noise discipline. He was showing the signs of being a deliberate and focused hunter, and to note that pleased me immensely.
As sunset was still three quarters of an hour away, we were more concerned that the buck would get too far away before he made his left turn out into the open. He had finished with the second rub and now was proceeding further away up the treeline. Josh is a good shot, but if the animal was 200 yards away across the field, the chances of an accurate shot with the 30-30 would be greatly reduced.
Suddenly the deer made an appearance on the edge of the field. He looked to be about 70 yards away. Josh tensed and watched the animal intently. The line of sight from the hunter to the prey was not yet clear of brush. He waited and watched patiently. I watched both deer and man.
After what seemed to be five minutes of browsing along the tree line our buck turned and stepped further into the field. The change in position brought a nearly clear view to Josh and without hesitation he slowly stood up to further improve his view. As he rose from his seat he slowly brought the rifle to his shoulder. In one very slow and deliberate move he put himself into the firing position he needed. Liking what he saw, he silently cocked the rifle and gently squeezed the trigger. The report was sharp and the impact was obvious. I witnessed a perfect shot behind the animal’s left shoulder. The buck winced and attempted to rush from the spot. A staggering leftward circle was never completed as the animal stumbled and fell within twenty yards.
We waited a couple minutes before starting down from our stands. I cannot give an adequate description of all that I felt and all that Josh felt during those next few minutes. Pride comes high on both our lists if we were to try and name all the emotions that possessed us. His pride at his first kill. My pride at seeing proof that the boy … was a boy no longer.
My son killed his first buck last season. Now if that isn’t a milestone in a young man’s life I don’t know what is. Sadly, there are too many young men who will never experience this milestone because of the changing values of this country. I was fortunate to grow up in a family that saw guns as tools, and hunting as both a pleasure and a necessity, and even though I am raising my family in the midst of suburban America, I still strive to impart to my boys the values of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. In my opinion, hunting is one of the best methods to do that. But that’s grist for an entirely different mill.
I’ll spare you all the burdensome details, but last fall I lost a valuable hunting lease in Baldwin county Georgia. It was about 1,000 acres of mixed farmland, hardwoods, and pine saplings that I shared with exactly zero other hunters for the vast sum of only $400. Fortunately I was able to secure one spot for myself with the hunting club that assumed the lease. But try as I might I couldn’t get more than a single spot. I was told that I could take my son, but only ONE firearm between the two us. It was a bitter pill to swallow to share property with five other hunters that for 10 plus years I’d had all to myself.
Josh and I missed opening weekend, but the second weekend found us on the stand in the predawn darkness. I picked out two side by side limbless trees that were close enough that I could whisper instructions to Josh, since I had decided that he would be the shooter this trip. We were in a good spot in the rear corner of the field, with a hardwood bottom to our backs and the perfect amount of cover between us and the edge of the field. This is about the point where Murphy made his appearance. I was so focused on helping Josh be quiet with his tree-climber stand that I fumbled and dropped a crucial wingnut in the weeds at the base of my tree. I had suffered the same loss of a critical wingnut years before, and I usually kept a spare taped to the stand. Now, standing there in the steadily lightening morning, I remembered using my spare wingnut on a home repair project during the summer. I had intended to replace it and had never gotten around to it. I cursed the ill luck and resigned to just stand quietly at the base of the tree.
Josh’s assembly of his stand, and his climb up the tree were about as quiet as a bull in a china shop! Clearly he had not practiced using his stand like I had instructed. My heart sank because I just knew that this would be a wasted hunt. The mosquitoes moved in for breakfast and my misery was complete.
Shortly after sunrise we watched three does work their way down along the far side of the field. Josh and I had already agreed that, even though it was a Doe Day weekend, we were there for horns! We enjoyed the view but we stuck to the plan. Seeing deer, any deer, always makes me feel good – even if I don’t shoot. I had begun to think that maybe Murphy would go ahead and leave us alone, but he made another appearance about this point.
I’ve been hunting deer for nearly thirty years, and one thing I’ve learned about the Whitetail buck is that he will usually show up when and where you least expect him. From the hardwood bottom to our left rear came a sound that makes a hunter’s ears perk up: the unmistakable noise made by a deer walking purposefully through dry leaves. In less time than it takes to tell about it, a nice six-point buck approached our stands. Josh, who had climbed to a height of only about ten feet above me, turned slowly and looked down at me with a look of absolute horror and frustration. At first I failed to understand why, but then it hit me. Josh is left-handed. His natural field of fire is to his right. The buck was coming from the one direction that would make it almost impossible for him to get a shot. Because of Josh’s height (in the tree), he couldn’t safely pass me the rifle. Because of how quickly the buck had appeared and how quickly he had closed the distance to us, there wasn’t time to make a move without making lots of unwelcome noise. I experienced the most incredible mix of frustration and thrill as I stood as still as a statue and watched the very shootable buck walk by at a distance of no more than ten feet! He never showed the first sign that he saw us, which is pretty remarkable since I was standing at ground level with my back up against a tree. That was the closest I have ever been to a deer “on the hoof”, and it was something I will never forget.
Later, as Josh and I trudged dejectedly to the house, we talked about all the things that we had done wrong. That afternoon, with a replacement wingnut and another one as a spare, we went back to our stands. This time we switched positions relative to one another. Josh sitting the right, and me to the left meant that he would cover the right and I would cover the left. The only route of an animal’s approach that we couldn’t adequately cover would be directly behind us. Of course, you know…that is exactly where the next buck came from: directly behind us.
The climb was much quieter than our morning climb since we had no setup noises to make, having left the stands at the base of the trees. Now we were positioned about 5 feet apart from one another, and about 15 feet high. Before us lay a mown hayfield, 200 yards wide and 800 yards long. The right side boundary of the field was formed by a tree line that ran the full length of the field, and at no point was wider than 20 yards. Its left boundary was a more substantial strip of woods that probably averaged 150 yards wide its full length. All the adjoining fields were backed by a low swampy bottom that stretched back to the Oconee River. And out of this bottom, straight behind us, came Josh’s buck.
Our prey was no trophy, but he was a buck of legal size sporting four points. I wouldn’t have shot this fellow, but then I have killed more deer than I can count [I feel compelled to write that this is not bragging. Many of mine were equally humble]. This would be Josh’s first kill, if he so desired. We had been back on our stands for about hour or so when the sound of the approaching animal came to our ear. Our visitor came up the incline out of the swamp, and entered the only bone fide thicket anywhere near our position. To my son’s extreme right, the tree line began. At this precise spot, the underbrush thickened to the degree that I would not advise a shot into it.
The buck first paused on the far side of the underbrush and began working a rub. All this time, Josh and I had stayed still as was possible given that hungry mosquitoes had passed the word to their sisters that the evening meal had arrived. We had mouthed a few things back and forth, but as the deer got closer we avoided all sounds and slowed down to the speed of minute hands. Even though he was barely 30 yards away, I communicated to Josh that he ought not to shoot through the brush. Better to wait and see if the buck moved into a different spot allowing a more clear shot.
The buck, oblivious to our presence, continued to work his rub for the next quarter of an hour it seemed. After a bit he began to move on up the tree line, in effect quartering away from us though increasingly thicker cover. Disappointment crept into Josh’s face but I whispered to him to hang on and see what happens. Something told me that the closer we got to sunset, the more likely our buck would leave the concealment of the tree line and venture out into the field. If he did that within a reasonable distance, “you’ll most definitely get a shot” I said.
You might wonder at the fact we were now speaking to one another with a deer still so close. But the truth is, our rambunctious young buck was fully committed to a new rub to the extent that he was making plenty of cover noise for us. Although he was now about 50 or 60 yards away, we couldn’t see a single bit of him. We could hear every sound he made however.
The minutes passed. Josh and I both relaxed some, but we stayed at the ready. I observed my son and was proud to note that he was practicing excellent movement discipline and noise discipline. He was showing the signs of being a deliberate and focused hunter, and to note that pleased me immensely.
As sunset was still three quarters of an hour away, we were more concerned that the buck would get too far away before he made his left turn out into the open. He had finished with the second rub and now was proceeding further away up the treeline. Josh is a good shot, but if the animal was 200 yards away across the field, the chances of an accurate shot with the 30-30 would be greatly reduced.
Suddenly the deer made an appearance on the edge of the field. He looked to be about 70 yards away. Josh tensed and watched the animal intently. The line of sight from the hunter to the prey was not yet clear of brush. He waited and watched patiently. I watched both deer and man.
After what seemed to be five minutes of browsing along the tree line our buck turned and stepped further into the field. The change in position brought a nearly clear view to Josh and without hesitation he slowly stood up to further improve his view. As he rose from his seat he slowly brought the rifle to his shoulder. In one very slow and deliberate move he put himself into the firing position he needed. Liking what he saw, he silently cocked the rifle and gently squeezed the trigger. The report was sharp and the impact was obvious. I witnessed a perfect shot behind the animal’s left shoulder. The buck winced and attempted to rush from the spot. A staggering leftward circle was never completed as the animal stumbled and fell within twenty yards.
We waited a couple minutes before starting down from our stands. I cannot give an adequate description of all that I felt and all that Josh felt during those next few minutes. Pride comes high on both our lists if we were to try and name all the emotions that possessed us. His pride at his first kill. My pride at seeing proof that the boy … was a boy no longer.
The Stand - a hunting tale
This story originally posted in 2004, but as hunting season approaches I tend to think more and more about getting in the woods.
You know, not every “hunting” story involves shooting a big buck. There’s a lot that goes into getting ready for hunting season, and this is one of those little adventures that precedes the ultimate adventure of getting that granddaddy whitetail.
Last hunting season I had placed a ladder stand along the St. Mary’s river. It was a 15-foot tall stand and I positioned it about 50 yards from the bank of the river. Recently I secured lease rights to a prime piece of property up around Milledgeville, Georgia, so it was necessary to go recover my best stand so I could take it up to my new hunting grounds. My 14 year-old son went with me to help retrieve it and I’m sure glad he did too because I’d have never been able to manage it alone.We drove up early on Saturday morning, and when we got to the boat ramp we were shocked to discover that the boat ramp, picnic area and parking area was all under about 9 feet of flowing water! The road down the hill to the parking area had become the de facto boat ramp. So we went ahead and launched my little boat there and proceeded on up river to where we thought the ladder stand would be.
The St. Mary’s was higher than I’ve ever seen it in ten years of exploring it in motorboats and canoes. The water had risen to approximately 14 feet above normal obscuring the banks on both sides. The river literally extended back into the woods and out of sight. Talk about current! Boy we had plenty of it, even back in the flooded woods. It was all my little 10-horse kicker could do to take us upstream.
When we finally reached the bend in the river where the stand was located, another problem presented itself. The piece of flagging tape that I had tied about 6 feet up a tree was completely underwater. With the river spilling over its banks to such an extent, nothing looked familiar. It took about a half an hour of cruising back and forth until we spied the stand back among the trees. I had fully expected to be wading in a couple of feet of water while retrieving the stand. Now I was shocked to see that only the top three or four feet of the 15-foot stand was visible above the water! Clearly this would be, at least in part, an underwater operation.
I aimed the boat at what looked like the best avenue of approach through the flooded trees, gunned the motor to get some momentum, and then killed the engine. We got to the stand with a combination of paddling and pulling ourselves along using tree limbs. There was actually a respectable amount of current to be considered as well so it was necessary to tie up next to the stand. I even dropped the anchor! Sitting there in the boat we were perfectly level with the seat of the stand. Obviously the floodwaters were over our heads.
Because of the hour’s drive followed by a twenty minute boat ride, I had emphasized to Josh that we needed to bring along everything we could possibly need while there. Toward that end I had even brought along a large pair of bolt cutters in case the padlock on the chained stand refused to cooperate after ten months of exposure and non-use. It was at about this point that Josh pointed out that we should have brought along some swim fins and dive masks if we wanted to be fully prepared. I could hardly argue with him.
We removed the chain with no trouble and while still seated in the boat. Thankfully the lock worked with no difficulty. So did the strap and ratchet assembly that secured the upper part of the stand firmly to the tree. However, somewhere down below the swirling water was another ratchet and strap coupled with a stabilizer pole that had to be dealt with, and there was no way to do that while remaining dry. So…Josh and I stripped down to our skivvies, and he led the way by climbing out onto the top rung of the submerged ladder stand and down into the dark water of the flooded St. Mary’s river. I toyed with him for a second by staying on the boat and urging him to hurry up and dissemble the stand. But his look of outrage at the very idea was enough to get me on down into the water.
As we both attacked the stand while treading water, I was struck by the thought that this would be exactly the time that we wouldn’t want to entertain any visits of the local reptilian variety, namely snakes and “gators”. I said as much to Josh and watched the look on his face change to grave concern. We continued working on disassembling the stand and after a few moments I extended my leg under water and purposely bumped him on the thigh. The response was immediate! He hollered and almost leaped vertically out of the water. My roar of laughter was enough to change his fear to anger, but later when we were safe and on our way home he agreed that I “got him good”.
Piece by piece we managed to deconstruct the heavy metal stand and get it into the boat. The final indignity was when it came time for me to hoist myself back into the boat without the benefit of having anything underwater that I could stand on. With just upper body strength I managed to heave myself aboard, but I was certainly pretty well spent by that point. I’m sure not as young as I used to be!
The ride back to the boat ramp and the drive back home were uneventful, except that we decided we should go ahead and drive on up to the hunting lease and get our stands in position since hunting season’s opening day would rapidly be upon us. So early the following morning we made the four-hour drive to the area near my brother’s home outside Milledgeville in order to go ahead and place our stands. It was a beautiful morning, and the drive and the time spent with my son were both great. Evaluating the exact location for putting up the stands was now much easier since it wasn’t being done in the pre-dawn darkness of opening day. And even the short visit with my brother followed by another four-hour drive home was enjoyable since it was quality time spent with my boy.
I’ve hunted all my life, and I’ve had lots of great and some not-so-great experiences while hunting. At this point in my life, I’ve also learned that the actual experience of the kill is not the only enjoyment to be had. The camaraderie of being around other hunters, the preparation for and anticipation of the coming season, and time spent with your son, are all aspects of an enjoyable hunting experience. And now I’ve also learned one additional lesson: the next time I go to recover a tree stand placed along a river, I’ll take some scuba gear with me.
You know, not every “hunting” story involves shooting a big buck. There’s a lot that goes into getting ready for hunting season, and this is one of those little adventures that precedes the ultimate adventure of getting that granddaddy whitetail.
Last hunting season I had placed a ladder stand along the St. Mary’s river. It was a 15-foot tall stand and I positioned it about 50 yards from the bank of the river. Recently I secured lease rights to a prime piece of property up around Milledgeville, Georgia, so it was necessary to go recover my best stand so I could take it up to my new hunting grounds. My 14 year-old son went with me to help retrieve it and I’m sure glad he did too because I’d have never been able to manage it alone.We drove up early on Saturday morning, and when we got to the boat ramp we were shocked to discover that the boat ramp, picnic area and parking area was all under about 9 feet of flowing water! The road down the hill to the parking area had become the de facto boat ramp. So we went ahead and launched my little boat there and proceeded on up river to where we thought the ladder stand would be.
The St. Mary’s was higher than I’ve ever seen it in ten years of exploring it in motorboats and canoes. The water had risen to approximately 14 feet above normal obscuring the banks on both sides. The river literally extended back into the woods and out of sight. Talk about current! Boy we had plenty of it, even back in the flooded woods. It was all my little 10-horse kicker could do to take us upstream.
When we finally reached the bend in the river where the stand was located, another problem presented itself. The piece of flagging tape that I had tied about 6 feet up a tree was completely underwater. With the river spilling over its banks to such an extent, nothing looked familiar. It took about a half an hour of cruising back and forth until we spied the stand back among the trees. I had fully expected to be wading in a couple of feet of water while retrieving the stand. Now I was shocked to see that only the top three or four feet of the 15-foot stand was visible above the water! Clearly this would be, at least in part, an underwater operation.
I aimed the boat at what looked like the best avenue of approach through the flooded trees, gunned the motor to get some momentum, and then killed the engine. We got to the stand with a combination of paddling and pulling ourselves along using tree limbs. There was actually a respectable amount of current to be considered as well so it was necessary to tie up next to the stand. I even dropped the anchor! Sitting there in the boat we were perfectly level with the seat of the stand. Obviously the floodwaters were over our heads.
Because of the hour’s drive followed by a twenty minute boat ride, I had emphasized to Josh that we needed to bring along everything we could possibly need while there. Toward that end I had even brought along a large pair of bolt cutters in case the padlock on the chained stand refused to cooperate after ten months of exposure and non-use. It was at about this point that Josh pointed out that we should have brought along some swim fins and dive masks if we wanted to be fully prepared. I could hardly argue with him.
We removed the chain with no trouble and while still seated in the boat. Thankfully the lock worked with no difficulty. So did the strap and ratchet assembly that secured the upper part of the stand firmly to the tree. However, somewhere down below the swirling water was another ratchet and strap coupled with a stabilizer pole that had to be dealt with, and there was no way to do that while remaining dry. So…Josh and I stripped down to our skivvies, and he led the way by climbing out onto the top rung of the submerged ladder stand and down into the dark water of the flooded St. Mary’s river. I toyed with him for a second by staying on the boat and urging him to hurry up and dissemble the stand. But his look of outrage at the very idea was enough to get me on down into the water.
As we both attacked the stand while treading water, I was struck by the thought that this would be exactly the time that we wouldn’t want to entertain any visits of the local reptilian variety, namely snakes and “gators”. I said as much to Josh and watched the look on his face change to grave concern. We continued working on disassembling the stand and after a few moments I extended my leg under water and purposely bumped him on the thigh. The response was immediate! He hollered and almost leaped vertically out of the water. My roar of laughter was enough to change his fear to anger, but later when we were safe and on our way home he agreed that I “got him good”.
Piece by piece we managed to deconstruct the heavy metal stand and get it into the boat. The final indignity was when it came time for me to hoist myself back into the boat without the benefit of having anything underwater that I could stand on. With just upper body strength I managed to heave myself aboard, but I was certainly pretty well spent by that point. I’m sure not as young as I used to be!
The ride back to the boat ramp and the drive back home were uneventful, except that we decided we should go ahead and drive on up to the hunting lease and get our stands in position since hunting season’s opening day would rapidly be upon us. So early the following morning we made the four-hour drive to the area near my brother’s home outside Milledgeville in order to go ahead and place our stands. It was a beautiful morning, and the drive and the time spent with my son were both great. Evaluating the exact location for putting up the stands was now much easier since it wasn’t being done in the pre-dawn darkness of opening day. And even the short visit with my brother followed by another four-hour drive home was enjoyable since it was quality time spent with my boy.
I’ve hunted all my life, and I’ve had lots of great and some not-so-great experiences while hunting. At this point in my life, I’ve also learned that the actual experience of the kill is not the only enjoyment to be had. The camaraderie of being around other hunters, the preparation for and anticipation of the coming season, and time spent with your son, are all aspects of an enjoyable hunting experience. And now I’ve also learned one additional lesson: the next time I go to recover a tree stand placed along a river, I’ll take some scuba gear with me.
Time to ban axes!
By BRIGITTE CASPARY, Associated Press Writer Brigitte Caspary, Associated Press Writer – 38 mins ago
ANSBACH, Germany – An 18-year-old student armed with an ax and Molotov cocktails wounded nine pupils at his high school in southern Germany on Thursday, then was shot and arrested by police, authorities said.
The teenager entered the Carolinum High School in the Bavarian town of Ansbach and threw two of the explosive devices, but they caused no major fires, fire service official Horst Settler said. Police could not confirm media reports that the attacker had lobbed Molotov cocktails into a classroom.
Source
ANSBACH, Germany – An 18-year-old student armed with an ax and Molotov cocktails wounded nine pupils at his high school in southern Germany on Thursday, then was shot and arrested by police, authorities said.
The teenager entered the Carolinum High School in the Bavarian town of Ansbach and threw two of the explosive devices, but they caused no major fires, fire service official Horst Settler said. Police could not confirm media reports that the attacker had lobbed Molotov cocktails into a classroom.
Source
Wednesday
What's the definition of...
Dictionary.com has this definition:
A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
Any of this look familiar today?
Try reading it again, but this time use the following word substitutions:
a. Change Dictator to Messiah
b. Change Nationalism to Globalism
c. Change Racism to Reverse Racism
Recognise it now? This is the definition of FASCISM.
A lot of folks don't know this, but fascism did not acquire its racist label under its 1919 founder Benito Mussolini. It wasn't until later under Adolf Hitler and the NAZI party that fascism became automatically equated with racism.
So ... the next time you hear someone call Obama a socialist, I suggest you politely correct them.
HE'S A FASCIST!
A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
Any of this look familiar today?
Try reading it again, but this time use the following word substitutions:
a. Change Dictator to Messiah
b. Change Nationalism to Globalism
c. Change Racism to Reverse Racism
Recognise it now? This is the definition of FASCISM.
A lot of folks don't know this, but fascism did not acquire its racist label under its 1919 founder Benito Mussolini. It wasn't until later under Adolf Hitler and the NAZI party that fascism became automatically equated with racism.
So ... the next time you hear someone call Obama a socialist, I suggest you politely correct them.
HE'S A FASCIST!
Cut the president some slack
Kanye West showed his ass at the Video Music Awards (surprise surprise) and Obama chimed in with his opinion.
"He's a jackass" Listen to the audio here.
This is history in the making! GunRights4US and Obama agree on something!
But don't worry. I promise not to start supporting the communist in chief just because he got it right one time. As my daddy used to say: "Even a blind hog gets an acorn once in a while".
"He's a jackass" Listen to the audio here.
This is history in the making! GunRights4US and Obama agree on something!
But don't worry. I promise not to start supporting the communist in chief just because he got it right one time. As my daddy used to say: "Even a blind hog gets an acorn once in a while".
Osama bin Laden endorses Jimmy Carter's new book
Okay, so the world's chief terrorist releases a new statement this past week, and in it he gives recommendations for books that Americans ought to read. One of those books is Jimmy Carter's latest scribbling entitled: PALESTINE: PEACE NOT APARTHEID
Its good to see that SOMEONE has finally recognised Carter as the appeasement monkey he really is!
Americans die so Afghans don't have to!
Ambushed Marines' Aid Call 'Rejected'
September 10, 2009
Agence France-PresseNATO-led forces are investigating the death of four Marines in eastern Afghanistan after their commanders reportedly rejected requests for artillery fire in a battle with insurgents, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
Tuesday's incident was "under investigation" and details remained unclear, press secretary Geoff Morrell told a news conference.
A McClatchy newspapers' journalist who witnessed the battle reported that a team of Marine trainers made repeated appeals for air and artillery support after being pinned down by insurgents in the village of Ganjgal in eastern Kunar province.
The U.S. troops had to wait more than an hour for attack helicopters to come to their aid and their appeal for artillery fire was rejected, with commanders citing new rules designed to avoid civilian casualties, the report said.
Morrell said the helicopters were not hampered by any restrictions on air power but had to travel a long distance to reach the Marines at the remote location near the Pakistan border.
"I think that it did take some time for close air support to arrive in this case, but this is not a result of more restrictive conditions in which it can be used," he said.
"It was the result, as is often the case in Afghanistan, of the fact that there are great distances often between bases where such assets are located and where our troops are out operating."
Morrell could not confirm whether appeals for artillery fire were denied by commanders.
According to the McClatchy report by Jonathan Landay, the U.S. advisors assisting Afghan forces had been assured before the operation that "air cover would be five minutes away."
The incident comes after the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, issued new restrictions on the use of military force and air raids in a bid to prevent civilian deaths.
McChrystal has warned that civilian casualties caused by the NATO-led force risk alienating the Afghan population and jeopardizing the war effort.
But the general and other top military officials have insisted air support and fire power would not be restricted when U.S. troops were under direct threat.
Bombing runs by coalition forces have declined sharply since McChrystal took over command in June, U.S.A Today reported on Wednesday, citing military statistics.
Tuesday's firefight in eastern Afghanistan involved a 13-member team of U.S. Marine and Army trainers assigned to the Afghan national army, the report said.
Eight Afghan soldiers and police and an Afghan interpreter also died in the battle, which lasted for hours with insurgents unleashing a barrage of gunfire and rockets from mountain positions, the report said.
When an Afghan soldier demanded helicopter gunships, U.S. Major Kevin Williams replied through an interpreter: "We are pinned down. We are running low on ammo. We have no air. We've lost today."
The Americans were assisting Afghan forces in an operation that called for Afghans searching the hamlet for weapons and then meeting village elders to plan police patrols.
But U.S. officers suspected insurgents were tipped off about the operation beforehand, as the coalition and Afghan forces were ambushed as they approached the outskirts of the hamlet at dawn, the report said.
Tuesday
My correspondence with the mayor
I am currently exchanging emails with my city’s mayor, John Peyton over his membership in NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s organization: Mayors Against Illegal Guns. It's probably a waste of time, but I feel compelled to do it.
My original letter:
Mayor Peyton,
I am writing to ask that you reconsider your membership in Mayors Against Illegal Guns. There is so much wrong with that organization that it’s difficult to know where to begin enumerating it all.
Do you really want to be associated with Mayor Bloomberg and his illegal sting operations against legitimate gun dealers in other states? Shouldn’t that be the job of the federal authorities?
Doesn’t it bother you that MAIG is attempting to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, and consequently it is opposed by the BATF, the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, and the Southern States Police Benevolent Association?
Mr. Mayor…there are upwards of 80,000,000 gun owners in America today, the huge majority of which are law abiding productive citizens. The wise men who founded this country strongly felt that an armed populace was vital to the security of the nation from threats both within and without. I and millions like me deeply resent what we see as continuous depredations of a God-given right!
Until I hear that you have disassociated yourself from this disgusting organization, I am sorry to say that I cannot support you in any way.
Respectfully,
GunRights4US
His response:
Dear Mr. GunRights4US,
Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding my membership in the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition. I, along with more than 450 mayors throughout the country, joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns because the bi-partisan organization represents my interest in protecting the safety of citizens in Jacksonville by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals.
It is an unfortunate distinction that for nearly a decade Jacksonville has lead the state of Florida in murders. The overwhelming majority of these homicides are committed by criminals with illegal guns. In 2008, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office recovered and traced more than 3,000 firearms seized from the streets of Jacksonville . Also in 2008, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 66.7% of all statewide murders were committed with a firearm and incidents of forcible rape with a firearm increased 18.4%. As Mayor, it is my responsibility to assist in keeping the residents of our city safe from illegal gun violence.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns has no intention of taking away law abiding citizens’ rights under the Second Amendment. Rather, we are focused on enforcing existing gun laws, closing gaps in the gun sale background check system, and giving law enforcement the best tools for preventing the flow of illegal guns on to the streets of Jacksonville and cities like ours throughout the country.
I, along with the members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, will continue to fight to prevent the flow of illegal guns into our cities while respecting our citizens’ rights under the Second Amendment to legally purchase firearms.
Sincerely,
John Peyton
Mayor
My response:
Mr. Mayor,
Thanks you for your response. However you contradict yourself in your own missive. In one sentence you say that MAIG "has no intention of taking away law abiding citizens' rights under the second amendment". In the very next sentence you say you're interested in "closing gaps in the gun sale background check system".
Sir, if you would study the issue as it exists beyond the political rhetoric, the so-called gun show loophole is a complete lie! Those guns that you mention that have been traced by police did NOT come from private sales at gun shows. The great preponderance of them were stolen from citizens (or law enforcement officers). So there is nothing to be gained by limiting private undocumented sales except further infringement of God-given rights. By supporting the closure of the “gunshow loophole” you are playing right into the hands of the disarmament crowd who would prefer there to be NO private gun ownership in America ! How can you say with a straight face that you and your organization doesn’t seek to further abridge my 2A rights? Don’t insult my intelligence (or – with all due respect - are you just revealing your own ignorance?)
I would like to hear an actual response to the points I’ve raised, rather than just some one-sized-fits-all boilerplate nonsense. To reiterate my original point: Until I hear that you have disassociated yourself from this disgusting organization, I am sorry to say that I cannot support you in any way.
Regards
GunRights4US
My original letter:
Mayor Peyton,
I am writing to ask that you reconsider your membership in Mayors Against Illegal Guns. There is so much wrong with that organization that it’s difficult to know where to begin enumerating it all.
Do you really want to be associated with Mayor Bloomberg and his illegal sting operations against legitimate gun dealers in other states? Shouldn’t that be the job of the federal authorities?
Doesn’t it bother you that MAIG is attempting to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, and consequently it is opposed by the BATF, the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, and the Southern States Police Benevolent Association?
Mr. Mayor…there are upwards of 80,000,000 gun owners in America today, the huge majority of which are law abiding productive citizens. The wise men who founded this country strongly felt that an armed populace was vital to the security of the nation from threats both within and without. I and millions like me deeply resent what we see as continuous depredations of a God-given right!
Until I hear that you have disassociated yourself from this disgusting organization, I am sorry to say that I cannot support you in any way.
Respectfully,
GunRights4US
His response:
Dear Mr. GunRights4US,
Thank you for your recent correspondence regarding my membership in the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition. I, along with more than 450 mayors throughout the country, joined Mayors Against Illegal Guns because the bi-partisan organization represents my interest in protecting the safety of citizens in Jacksonville by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals.
It is an unfortunate distinction that for nearly a decade Jacksonville has lead the state of Florida in murders. The overwhelming majority of these homicides are committed by criminals with illegal guns. In 2008, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office recovered and traced more than 3,000 firearms seized from the streets of Jacksonville . Also in 2008, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 66.7% of all statewide murders were committed with a firearm and incidents of forcible rape with a firearm increased 18.4%. As Mayor, it is my responsibility to assist in keeping the residents of our city safe from illegal gun violence.
Mayors Against Illegal Guns has no intention of taking away law abiding citizens’ rights under the Second Amendment. Rather, we are focused on enforcing existing gun laws, closing gaps in the gun sale background check system, and giving law enforcement the best tools for preventing the flow of illegal guns on to the streets of Jacksonville and cities like ours throughout the country.
I, along with the members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, will continue to fight to prevent the flow of illegal guns into our cities while respecting our citizens’ rights under the Second Amendment to legally purchase firearms.
Sincerely,
John Peyton
Mayor
My response:
Mr. Mayor,
Thanks you for your response. However you contradict yourself in your own missive. In one sentence you say that MAIG "has no intention of taking away law abiding citizens' rights under the second amendment". In the very next sentence you say you're interested in "closing gaps in the gun sale background check system".
Sir, if you would study the issue as it exists beyond the political rhetoric, the so-called gun show loophole is a complete lie! Those guns that you mention that have been traced by police did NOT come from private sales at gun shows. The great preponderance of them were stolen from citizens (or law enforcement officers). So there is nothing to be gained by limiting private undocumented sales except further infringement of God-given rights. By supporting the closure of the “gunshow loophole” you are playing right into the hands of the disarmament crowd who would prefer there to be NO private gun ownership in America ! How can you say with a straight face that you and your organization doesn’t seek to further abridge my 2A rights? Don’t insult my intelligence (or – with all due respect - are you just revealing your own ignorance?)
I would like to hear an actual response to the points I’ve raised, rather than just some one-sized-fits-all boilerplate nonsense. To reiterate my original point: Until I hear that you have disassociated yourself from this disgusting organization, I am sorry to say that I cannot support you in any way.
Regards
GunRights4US
A Nation of Cowards - Do You Feel Lucky?
by Jeffrey Snyder
In 1991, when then-Attorney General Richard Thornburgh released the FBI's annual crime statistics, he noted that it is now more likely that a person will be the victim of a violent crime than that he will be in an auto accident. Despite this, most people readily believe that the existence of the police relieves them of the responsibility to take full measures to protect themselves. The police, however, are not personal bodyguards. Rather, they act as a general deterrent to crime, both by their presence and by apprehending criminals after the fact. As numerous courts have held, they have no legal obligation to protect anyone in particular. You cannot sue them for failing to prevent you from being the victim of a crime.
Insofar as the police deter by their presence, they are very, very good. Criminals take great pains not to commit a crime in front of them. Unfortunately, the corollary is that you can pretty much bet your life (and you are) that they won't be there at the moment you actually need them.
Should you ever be the victim of an assault, a robbery, or a rape, you will find it very difficult to call the police while the act is in progress, even if you are carrying a portable cellular phone. Nevertheless, you might be interested to know how long it takes them to show up. Department of Justice statistics for 1991 show that, for all crimes of violence, only 28 percent of calls are responded to within five minutes. The idea that protection is a service people can call to have delivered and expect to receive in a timely fashion is often mocked by gun owners, who love to recite the challenge, "Call for a cop, call for an ambulance, and call for a pizza. See who shows up first."
Many people deal with the problem of crime by convincing themselves that they live, work, and travel only in special "crime-free" zones. Invariably, they react with shock and hurt surprise when they discover that criminals do not play by the rules and do not respect these imaginary boundaries. If, however, you understand that crime can occur anywhere at anytime, and if you understand that you can be maimed or mortally wounded in mere seconds, you may wish to consider whether you are willing to place the responsibility for safeguarding your life in the hands of others.
In 1991, when then-Attorney General Richard Thornburgh released the FBI's annual crime statistics, he noted that it is now more likely that a person will be the victim of a violent crime than that he will be in an auto accident. Despite this, most people readily believe that the existence of the police relieves them of the responsibility to take full measures to protect themselves. The police, however, are not personal bodyguards. Rather, they act as a general deterrent to crime, both by their presence and by apprehending criminals after the fact. As numerous courts have held, they have no legal obligation to protect anyone in particular. You cannot sue them for failing to prevent you from being the victim of a crime.
Insofar as the police deter by their presence, they are very, very good. Criminals take great pains not to commit a crime in front of them. Unfortunately, the corollary is that you can pretty much bet your life (and you are) that they won't be there at the moment you actually need them.
Should you ever be the victim of an assault, a robbery, or a rape, you will find it very difficult to call the police while the act is in progress, even if you are carrying a portable cellular phone. Nevertheless, you might be interested to know how long it takes them to show up. Department of Justice statistics for 1991 show that, for all crimes of violence, only 28 percent of calls are responded to within five minutes. The idea that protection is a service people can call to have delivered and expect to receive in a timely fashion is often mocked by gun owners, who love to recite the challenge, "Call for a cop, call for an ambulance, and call for a pizza. See who shows up first."
Many people deal with the problem of crime by convincing themselves that they live, work, and travel only in special "crime-free" zones. Invariably, they react with shock and hurt surprise when they discover that criminals do not play by the rules and do not respect these imaginary boundaries. If, however, you understand that crime can occur anywhere at anytime, and if you understand that you can be maimed or mortally wounded in mere seconds, you may wish to consider whether you are willing to place the responsibility for safeguarding your life in the hands of others.
My favorite protest sign of all time!
This was seen in Washington last Saturday as "right-wing extremists" took to the streets in protest of the policies of Hopey Changey:
How will they confiscate your guns?
by John A. Sutter
in California
For decades I have heard gun owners claim that the government would never be able to confiscate our firearms because the government would lose too many men. The implication being, of course, that gun owners would actively resist confiscation, even to the point of shooting back. But I believe this thinking is outdated and doesn’t align very well with reality. But before you tell me how big your honor guard in Hell will be when that day comes, let’s think about how the government could really do it.
Suppose, for the sake of argument, the government bans all civilian possession of firearms at the end of this month. Congress passes a total ban and the President cuts his own re-election throat by signing it. Gun owners get some grace period to turn them in, even beyond the deadline, without being charged with a crime. If we use Australia and Britain as examples there will still be a significant number of firearms that are not turned in. Some estimates put the Australian turn-in at less than 25% and the British faired only about 28%. But Australians and the British have long been used to obeying almost every gun control law. Not so the Americans. When laws are passed that we don’t like, we bite. We scratch. We vote. So here we sit after the guns have been collected and the amnesties have run out. Now what? Send out the personnel carriers, swat and shock troops to seize the guns from those militia “terrorists” who refused to turn them in? Don’t be silly.
The government has lots of records about you. If you purchased a firearm since 1968, chances are that they have some record of it somewhere. Most likely, it will take quite some time for them to compile all the serial numbers of “surrendered” guns (surrendered essentially at gunpoint) and cross off the ones you turned in. It’ll take more time for them to attempt to “clean up” their data. Say, about two years, maybe three. Add to that the hordes of people keypunching in hundreds of thousands of sales and registration records from hundreds of gun stores forced out of business. At some point the government decides they have something approaching a “good” database of unaccounted-for guns.
The next thing you’ll get from the government is an official looking notice that they think you still have a firearm. Their information will probably include all the information from registration forms, right down to the serial number. That notice will tell you that you’re in violation of the law, subject to prosecution and imprisonment. It will give you some period of time to surrender the gun. It will also give you a very limited number of days to return the form with an explanation of why you don’t have the gun, any proof you have, and your signature that the gun was lawfully disposed of. For many people the idea that the government “knows” they didn’t turn in that pistol or rifle and they have the detailed information about it will be enough to get them to surrender the gun. Some people will ignore the letter, others will scrawl a note that “I sold this in 1982 in a private sale”. After some time, the government will figure out how many guns are still out there and what the “compliance rate” is with the gun ban. More importantly, they’ll start sorting their database by the number of guns someone supposedly has “unaccounted”.
If you think they’ll come at these multiple-gun owners with a swat team, guess again. Their most likely tactic will be yet another letter (maybe two more) that generate what they’ll call “insufficient responses”. That means they can’t track a gun after you owned it. This they’ll use as fodder for a search warrant and/or perjury charges at a later date if they can. My guess is that the time between April and August will be a bad time for a lot of “former” gun owners. Remember that the BATF is an arm of the Treasury department and they control the IRS. You’ll probably get a notice in the mail that the IRS has some questions about your taxes or wants to audit you. When you make the appointment to visit the IRS they will pass that information to the BATF. While you are sweating over your deductions, the BATF and local police will execute a search warrant and search your home looking for guns. With you safely off site and distracted, essentially forced into “the royal presence” of the IRS they will snag your guns. Expect them to use slow-scan and ground penetrating radar to search walls, yards, under the patio or deck, the basement, etc. You might even find your hot tub has been drained and moved. Yes, they’ll search your car in the IRS parking lot too.
If you are one of the those people they suspect of having multiple guns and they don’t find any guns at your home, expect them to find and search storage facilities, safety deposit boxes and other places you might use. Warn your relatives who live nearby that they can expect a visit too, even (or perhaps especially) if they never owned a gun. If they are thorough, I’d expect the government agents to check your neighbors to see which of them previously owned a gun and perhaps search their homes, arguing that your neighbor could have held your guns while agents searched your home. Remember that at this point the government authorities don’t have much to fear from the general population. And by the time your complaints are run through the mill, rejected and turned into lawsuits, they’ll have changed the rules.
But you only have one gun you say? Fine. They won’t come looking for it. But they will make sure that possession of ammunition is also a serious crime. Don’t leave any loose cartridges around and where will you hide that case of ammo you rushed out to buy? Expect any “gun parts” to be made illegal at some point in time too. Spare magazines, maybe even old cleaning kits. Anything that says “gun” will be interpreted as “probable cause” to search your entire home. Also expect that you can never use that gun without becoming a serious felon in the eyes of the government. Even if some thug has repeatedly stabbed you with a large knife and threatened to rape your six year old daughter, they won’t forgive you for having the gun. They may even give you extra penalties for using it to save your family. Especially if you are one of the first few hundred people caught this way, they will use you to “set an example”. This will cause people to “bury” their guns away in hiding places, making them all but useless. If the government does come to confiscate it, you won’t be able to get to it fast enough and they will probably find it.
You’ve moved several times since you bought a gun? Remember showing your ID when you bought a gun? Remember writing down your place of birth? Why do you think the government has so many computers? Linking you to your new driver’s license in another state shouldn’t be too hard. Besides, the Treasury folks know where you work. Think you’re safe because you had unregistered guns? Think again. I would expect that the government’s database will contain a lot of old data. Some of it might indicate that a gun was sold to a resident at your address. If they can tie you to ammo sales or range use with your credit card in the previous 2 years you might get a surprise visit. Or that seller might have remembered you bought that gun from him and filled out his gun notice to get “off the hook” for that gun.
The point of this article is that by thinking in limited terms of a “raid” to confiscate guns we lose sight of the alternative methods the government can use. Put yourself in the government’s position and think of your own methods to avoid a conflict. Meanwhile, let’s ensure that every gun owner votes for gun rights this year and the next. You can think of a thousand excuses not to vote, not to help a campaign, not to help another gun owner register to vote. I can think of one important reason to do all of those.
The Right to Keep and Bear Arms
in California
For decades I have heard gun owners claim that the government would never be able to confiscate our firearms because the government would lose too many men. The implication being, of course, that gun owners would actively resist confiscation, even to the point of shooting back. But I believe this thinking is outdated and doesn’t align very well with reality. But before you tell me how big your honor guard in Hell will be when that day comes, let’s think about how the government could really do it.
Suppose, for the sake of argument, the government bans all civilian possession of firearms at the end of this month. Congress passes a total ban and the President cuts his own re-election throat by signing it. Gun owners get some grace period to turn them in, even beyond the deadline, without being charged with a crime. If we use Australia and Britain as examples there will still be a significant number of firearms that are not turned in. Some estimates put the Australian turn-in at less than 25% and the British faired only about 28%. But Australians and the British have long been used to obeying almost every gun control law. Not so the Americans. When laws are passed that we don’t like, we bite. We scratch. We vote. So here we sit after the guns have been collected and the amnesties have run out. Now what? Send out the personnel carriers, swat and shock troops to seize the guns from those militia “terrorists” who refused to turn them in? Don’t be silly.
The government has lots of records about you. If you purchased a firearm since 1968, chances are that they have some record of it somewhere. Most likely, it will take quite some time for them to compile all the serial numbers of “surrendered” guns (surrendered essentially at gunpoint) and cross off the ones you turned in. It’ll take more time for them to attempt to “clean up” their data. Say, about two years, maybe three. Add to that the hordes of people keypunching in hundreds of thousands of sales and registration records from hundreds of gun stores forced out of business. At some point the government decides they have something approaching a “good” database of unaccounted-for guns.
The next thing you’ll get from the government is an official looking notice that they think you still have a firearm. Their information will probably include all the information from registration forms, right down to the serial number. That notice will tell you that you’re in violation of the law, subject to prosecution and imprisonment. It will give you some period of time to surrender the gun. It will also give you a very limited number of days to return the form with an explanation of why you don’t have the gun, any proof you have, and your signature that the gun was lawfully disposed of. For many people the idea that the government “knows” they didn’t turn in that pistol or rifle and they have the detailed information about it will be enough to get them to surrender the gun. Some people will ignore the letter, others will scrawl a note that “I sold this in 1982 in a private sale”. After some time, the government will figure out how many guns are still out there and what the “compliance rate” is with the gun ban. More importantly, they’ll start sorting their database by the number of guns someone supposedly has “unaccounted”.
If you think they’ll come at these multiple-gun owners with a swat team, guess again. Their most likely tactic will be yet another letter (maybe two more) that generate what they’ll call “insufficient responses”. That means they can’t track a gun after you owned it. This they’ll use as fodder for a search warrant and/or perjury charges at a later date if they can. My guess is that the time between April and August will be a bad time for a lot of “former” gun owners. Remember that the BATF is an arm of the Treasury department and they control the IRS. You’ll probably get a notice in the mail that the IRS has some questions about your taxes or wants to audit you. When you make the appointment to visit the IRS they will pass that information to the BATF. While you are sweating over your deductions, the BATF and local police will execute a search warrant and search your home looking for guns. With you safely off site and distracted, essentially forced into “the royal presence” of the IRS they will snag your guns. Expect them to use slow-scan and ground penetrating radar to search walls, yards, under the patio or deck, the basement, etc. You might even find your hot tub has been drained and moved. Yes, they’ll search your car in the IRS parking lot too.
If you are one of the those people they suspect of having multiple guns and they don’t find any guns at your home, expect them to find and search storage facilities, safety deposit boxes and other places you might use. Warn your relatives who live nearby that they can expect a visit too, even (or perhaps especially) if they never owned a gun. If they are thorough, I’d expect the government agents to check your neighbors to see which of them previously owned a gun and perhaps search their homes, arguing that your neighbor could have held your guns while agents searched your home. Remember that at this point the government authorities don’t have much to fear from the general population. And by the time your complaints are run through the mill, rejected and turned into lawsuits, they’ll have changed the rules.
But you only have one gun you say? Fine. They won’t come looking for it. But they will make sure that possession of ammunition is also a serious crime. Don’t leave any loose cartridges around and where will you hide that case of ammo you rushed out to buy? Expect any “gun parts” to be made illegal at some point in time too. Spare magazines, maybe even old cleaning kits. Anything that says “gun” will be interpreted as “probable cause” to search your entire home. Also expect that you can never use that gun without becoming a serious felon in the eyes of the government. Even if some thug has repeatedly stabbed you with a large knife and threatened to rape your six year old daughter, they won’t forgive you for having the gun. They may even give you extra penalties for using it to save your family. Especially if you are one of the first few hundred people caught this way, they will use you to “set an example”. This will cause people to “bury” their guns away in hiding places, making them all but useless. If the government does come to confiscate it, you won’t be able to get to it fast enough and they will probably find it.
You’ve moved several times since you bought a gun? Remember showing your ID when you bought a gun? Remember writing down your place of birth? Why do you think the government has so many computers? Linking you to your new driver’s license in another state shouldn’t be too hard. Besides, the Treasury folks know where you work. Think you’re safe because you had unregistered guns? Think again. I would expect that the government’s database will contain a lot of old data. Some of it might indicate that a gun was sold to a resident at your address. If they can tie you to ammo sales or range use with your credit card in the previous 2 years you might get a surprise visit. Or that seller might have remembered you bought that gun from him and filled out his gun notice to get “off the hook” for that gun.
The point of this article is that by thinking in limited terms of a “raid” to confiscate guns we lose sight of the alternative methods the government can use. Put yourself in the government’s position and think of your own methods to avoid a conflict. Meanwhile, let’s ensure that every gun owner votes for gun rights this year and the next. You can think of a thousand excuses not to vote, not to help a campaign, not to help another gun owner register to vote. I can think of one important reason to do all of those.
The Right to Keep and Bear Arms
Monday
Cameras and cell phones will NOT protect you!
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In case you haven't been following the case of the missing Yale student, you need to read the whole article here.
But in that article this paragraph just jumped out at me!
Le, who worked in a laboratory in the five-story building's basement, was reported missing last Tuesday. Surveillance video shows her arriving at around 10 a.m., but police could find no video of Le leaving, despite some 75 surveillance cameras operating around the complex. Her ID, money, credit cards and purse were found in her third-floor office.
When will people ever understand that you cannot delegate responsibility for your personal protection? That young girl was 4'11" and weighed all of 90 pounds. But she might have had a chance at survival if she carried a gun!
But in that article this paragraph just jumped out at me!
Le, who worked in a laboratory in the five-story building's basement, was reported missing last Tuesday. Surveillance video shows her arriving at around 10 a.m., but police could find no video of Le leaving, despite some 75 surveillance cameras operating around the complex. Her ID, money, credit cards and purse were found in her third-floor office.
When will people ever understand that you cannot delegate responsibility for your personal protection? That young girl was 4'11" and weighed all of 90 pounds. But she might have had a chance at survival if she carried a gun!
Sunday
Revealed: The ghost fleet of the recession
The biggest and most secretive gathering of ships in maritime history lies at anchor east of Singapore. Never before photographed, it is bigger than the U.S. and British navies combined but has no crew, no cargo and no destination - and is why your Christmas stocking may be on the light side this year.
The size of the idle fleet becomes more palpable when the ships' lights are switched on after sunset. From the small fishing villages that dot the coastline, a seemingly endless blaze of light stretches from one end of the horizon to another. Standing in the darkness among the palm trees and bamboo huts, as calls to prayer ring out from mosques further inland, is a surreal and strangely disorientating experience. It makes you feel as if you are adrift on a dark sea, staring at a city of light.
Read the whole article here.
The size of the idle fleet becomes more palpable when the ships' lights are switched on after sunset. From the small fishing villages that dot the coastline, a seemingly endless blaze of light stretches from one end of the horizon to another. Standing in the darkness among the palm trees and bamboo huts, as calls to prayer ring out from mosques further inland, is a surreal and strangely disorientating experience. It makes you feel as if you are adrift on a dark sea, staring at a city of light.
Read the whole article here.
My favorite film of all time - Cyrano de Bergerac
Oh to be able to speak like this! Jose Ferrer won the 1950 Academy Award for Best Actor (back when that actually MEANT something notable)with this magnificent performance.
Enjoy...
Enjoy...
Thousands? Tens of thousands? How many?
The LapDog media are doing everything in their power to dismiss the depth and intensity of the American public's anger over Obama's policies. When they can, they just ignore it. When they can't ignore it, they spin it. We're being told that all these "right-wing extremists" have been paid by the insurance companies, or the republican party. And if you believe THAT crap I have a bridge I'll sell you!
The TEA party that took place in Washington yesterday was not just about healthcare. It was about the dawning awareness by the masses that their liberty is being stolen! And these aren't party functionaries or political activists either. They're Mr & Mrs John Q Public, and they're getting madder by the day!
Take a look at this excellent time lapse video and decide for yourself. If you listen to MSNBC you might hear them say a "handful" of protesters. But seeing is believing!
For a bunch of great still photos of the crowd and their signs, go here.
Here's a great example! yes...that's the second amendment tattooed on his back!
The TEA party that took place in Washington yesterday was not just about healthcare. It was about the dawning awareness by the masses that their liberty is being stolen! And these aren't party functionaries or political activists either. They're Mr & Mrs John Q Public, and they're getting madder by the day!
Take a look at this excellent time lapse video and decide for yourself. If you listen to MSNBC you might hear them say a "handful" of protesters. But seeing is believing!
For a bunch of great still photos of the crowd and their signs, go here.
Here's a great example! yes...that's the second amendment tattooed on his back!
Saturday
Developed for Iraq...but now deployed in America!
SONIC WEAPONS USED IN
A Joint Investigative Report by East
By Miriam Raftery
September 11, 2009 (
The device was stationed by San Diego County Sheriff deputies at a recent town hall forum hosted by Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) in
A public records search conducted by East County Magazine has confirmed that the device is an LRAD 500x manufactured by San Diego-based American Technology Corporation (ATC). Capable of use as an effective loudspeaker, the LRAD also has the ability to emit a deafening tone aimed at incapacitating and dispersing a crowd without use of lethal force.
Read the entire article here.
Don't think for one second that our rulers will hesitate to use this on Americans! Can you spell TYRANNY boys and girls?
Kevin Keenan, of the ACLU, said, "We think that local law enforcement shouldn't be using military style weaponry like that."
On Tuesday, Ed Musgrove of the sheriff's department told 10News the device was only being used for good, like helping search-and-rescue teams and warning residents during fires or floods.
"So, it will never be used in San Diego as a weapon?" asked 10News' Ariana Duarte.
"No, not by the Sheriff's Department, no," said Musgrove.
"And that's a guarantee?"
"Yes."
Then why the hell was it brought to a townhall meeting? Liar!
Friday
A Nation of Cowards - The Gift of Life
by Jeffrey Snyder
The Gift of Life
Although difficult for modern man to fathom, it was once widely believed that life was a gift from God, that to not defend that life when offered violence was to hold God's gift in contempt, to be a coward and to breach one's duty to one's community. A sermon given in Philadelphia in 1747 unequivocally equated the failure to defend oneself with suicide:
He that suffers his life to be taken from him by one that hath no authority for that purpose, when he might preserve it by defense, incurs the Guilt of self murder since God hath enjoined him to seek the continuance of his life, and Nature itself teaches every creature to defend itself.
"Cowardice" and "self-respect" have largely disappeared from public discourse. In their place we are offered "self-esteem" as the bellwether of success and a proxy for dignity. "Self-respect" implies that one recognizes standards, and judges oneself worthy by the degree to which one lives up to them. "Self-esteem" simply means that one feels good about oneself. "Dignity" used to refer to the self-mastery and fortitude with which a person conducted himself in the face of life's vicissitudes and the boorish behavior of others. Now, judging by campus speech codes, dignity requires that we never encounter a discouraging word and that others be coerced into acting respectfully, evidently on the assumption that we are powerless to prevent our degradation if exposed to the demeaning behavior of others. These are signposts proclaiming the insubstantiality of our character, the hollowness of our souls.
It is impossible to address the problem of rampant crime without talking about the moral responsibility of the intended victim. Crime is rampant because the law-abiding, each of us, condone it, excuse it, permit it, submit to it. We permit and encourage it because we do not fight back, immediately, then and there, where it happens. Crime is not rampant because we do not have enough prisons, because judges and prosecutors are too soft, because the police are hamstrung with absurd technicalities. The defect is there, in our character. We are a nation of cowards and shirkers.
The Gift of Life
Although difficult for modern man to fathom, it was once widely believed that life was a gift from God, that to not defend that life when offered violence was to hold God's gift in contempt, to be a coward and to breach one's duty to one's community. A sermon given in Philadelphia in 1747 unequivocally equated the failure to defend oneself with suicide:
He that suffers his life to be taken from him by one that hath no authority for that purpose, when he might preserve it by defense, incurs the Guilt of self murder since God hath enjoined him to seek the continuance of his life, and Nature itself teaches every creature to defend itself.
"Cowardice" and "self-respect" have largely disappeared from public discourse. In their place we are offered "self-esteem" as the bellwether of success and a proxy for dignity. "Self-respect" implies that one recognizes standards, and judges oneself worthy by the degree to which one lives up to them. "Self-esteem" simply means that one feels good about oneself. "Dignity" used to refer to the self-mastery and fortitude with which a person conducted himself in the face of life's vicissitudes and the boorish behavior of others. Now, judging by campus speech codes, dignity requires that we never encounter a discouraging word and that others be coerced into acting respectfully, evidently on the assumption that we are powerless to prevent our degradation if exposed to the demeaning behavior of others. These are signposts proclaiming the insubstantiality of our character, the hollowness of our souls.
It is impossible to address the problem of rampant crime without talking about the moral responsibility of the intended victim. Crime is rampant because the law-abiding, each of us, condone it, excuse it, permit it, submit to it. We permit and encourage it because we do not fight back, immediately, then and there, where it happens. Crime is not rampant because we do not have enough prisons, because judges and prosecutors are too soft, because the police are hamstrung with absurd technicalities. The defect is there, in our character. We are a nation of cowards and shirkers.
All done in the name of Allah
Watch the news coverage today very closely. See how many times you hear the words either Muslim or Islam. I'm betting you won't hear them at all.
Wake up America! You're being programmed.
Col. Cooper on resistance to the state
"It is interesting to hear certain kinds of people insist that the citizen cannot fight the government. This would have been news to the men of Lexington and Concord, as well as the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan. The citizen most certainly can fight the government, and usually wins when he tries. Organized national armies are useful primarily for fighting against other organized national armies. When they try to fight against the people, they find themselves at a very serious disadvantage. If you will just look around at the state of the world today, you will see that the guerrilla has the upper hand. Irregulars usually defeat regulars, providing they have the will. Such fighting is horrible to contemplate, but will continue to dominate brute strength."
Jeff Cooper
1920 - 2006
Thursday
A Nation of Cowards - Introdution
A NATION OF COWARDS
Jeffrey R. Snyder
OUR SOCIETY has reached a pinnacle of self-expression and respect for individuality rare or unmatched in history. Our entire popular culture -- from fashion magazines to the cinema -- positively screams the matchless worth of the individual, and glories in eccentricity, nonconformity, independent judgment, and self-determination. This enthusiasm is reflected in the prevalent notion that helping someone entails increasing that person's "self-esteem"; that if a person properly values himself, he will naturally be a happy, productive, and, in some inexplicable fashion, responsible member of society.
And yet, while people are encouraged to revel in their individuality and incalculable self-worth, the media and the law enforcement establishment continually advise us that, when confronted with the threat of lethal violence, we should not resist, but simply give the attacker what he wants. If the crime under consideration is rape, there is some notable waffling on this point, and the discussion quickly moves to how the woman can change her behavior to minimize the risk of rape, and the various ridiculous, non-lethal weapons she may acceptably carry, such as whistles, keys, mace or, that weapon which really sends shivers down a rapist's spine, the portable cellular phone.
Now how can this be? How can a person who values himself so highly calmly accept the indignity of a criminal assault? How can one who believes that the essence of his dignity lies in his self-determination passively accept the forcible deprivation of that self-determination? How can he, quietly, with great dignity and poise, simply hand over the goods?
The assumption, of course, is that there is no inconsistency. The advice not to resist a criminal assault and simply hand over the goods is founded on the notion that one's life is of incalculable value, and that no amount of property is worth it. Put aside, for a moment, the outrageousness of the suggestion that a criminal who proffers lethal violence should be treated as if he has instituted a new social contract: "I will not hurt or kill you if you give me what I want." For years, feminists have labored to educate people that rape is not about sex, but about domination, degradation, and control. Evidently, someone needs to inform the law enforcement establishment and the media that kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, and assault are not about property.
Crime is not only a complete disavowal of the social contract, but also a commandeering of the victim's person and liberty. If the individual's dignity lies in the fact that he is a moral agent engaging in actions of his own will, in free exchange with others, then crime always violates the victim's dignity. It is, in fact, an act of enslavement. Your wallet, your purse, or your car may not be worth your life, but your dignity is; and if it is not worth fighting for, it can hardly be said to exist.
Jeffrey R. Snyder
OUR SOCIETY has reached a pinnacle of self-expression and respect for individuality rare or unmatched in history. Our entire popular culture -- from fashion magazines to the cinema -- positively screams the matchless worth of the individual, and glories in eccentricity, nonconformity, independent judgment, and self-determination. This enthusiasm is reflected in the prevalent notion that helping someone entails increasing that person's "self-esteem"; that if a person properly values himself, he will naturally be a happy, productive, and, in some inexplicable fashion, responsible member of society.
And yet, while people are encouraged to revel in their individuality and incalculable self-worth, the media and the law enforcement establishment continually advise us that, when confronted with the threat of lethal violence, we should not resist, but simply give the attacker what he wants. If the crime under consideration is rape, there is some notable waffling on this point, and the discussion quickly moves to how the woman can change her behavior to minimize the risk of rape, and the various ridiculous, non-lethal weapons she may acceptably carry, such as whistles, keys, mace or, that weapon which really sends shivers down a rapist's spine, the portable cellular phone.
Now how can this be? How can a person who values himself so highly calmly accept the indignity of a criminal assault? How can one who believes that the essence of his dignity lies in his self-determination passively accept the forcible deprivation of that self-determination? How can he, quietly, with great dignity and poise, simply hand over the goods?
The assumption, of course, is that there is no inconsistency. The advice not to resist a criminal assault and simply hand over the goods is founded on the notion that one's life is of incalculable value, and that no amount of property is worth it. Put aside, for a moment, the outrageousness of the suggestion that a criminal who proffers lethal violence should be treated as if he has instituted a new social contract: "I will not hurt or kill you if you give me what I want." For years, feminists have labored to educate people that rape is not about sex, but about domination, degradation, and control. Evidently, someone needs to inform the law enforcement establishment and the media that kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, and assault are not about property.
Crime is not only a complete disavowal of the social contract, but also a commandeering of the victim's person and liberty. If the individual's dignity lies in the fact that he is a moral agent engaging in actions of his own will, in free exchange with others, then crime always violates the victim's dignity. It is, in fact, an act of enslavement. Your wallet, your purse, or your car may not be worth your life, but your dignity is; and if it is not worth fighting for, it can hardly be said to exist.
Tommy was right !
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
An abortion post
I didn't write this, but it communicates something that I feel is very important about this issue. Who wrote it is irrelevant really. It's the idea that counts, not the author. Please read this carefully, and thoughtfully, and consider it with the full depth of your mind:
...because abortion as a form of birth-control is hardening the psyche of America into not seeing persons (as Jeffrey Snyder so well described in his essay "The Right Right"). Once a society begins to label people as "non-persons" because they are "unterMensch" (subhumans, e.g., Jews), or "mud-people" (e.g., blacks), or "vermin" (e.g., WW2 Japanese Americans) -- nobody is ever truly safe from not being seen as a person.
That is the greatest danger of an abortion culture. Who next will be stripped of his/her status of a person entitled to equal protection under the law? Prisoners? The terminally ill? The aged poor? The politically dissident? Terrorists?
Beware...
...because abortion as a form of birth-control is hardening the psyche of America into not seeing persons (as Jeffrey Snyder so well described in his essay "The Right Right"). Once a society begins to label people as "non-persons" because they are "unterMensch" (subhumans, e.g., Jews), or "mud-people" (e.g., blacks), or "vermin" (e.g., WW2 Japanese Americans) -- nobody is ever truly safe from not being seen as a person.
That is the greatest danger of an abortion culture. Who next will be stripped of his/her status of a person entitled to equal protection under the law? Prisoners? The terminally ill? The aged poor? The politically dissident? Terrorists?
Beware...
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