Titled:   O'Connor details half-baked attempt to kill Supreme Court

O'Connor:

"Every member of the Supreme Court received a wonderful package of home-baked cookies, and I don't know why, (but) the staff decided to analyze them," the Fort Worth Star-Telegram quoted O'Connor as saying at the legal conference November 10 in the Dallas area. "Each one contained enough poison to kill the entire membership of the court."

In the same article:

Barbara Joan March, a 60-year-old Connecticut woman, was sentenced last month to 15 years in prison. She sent 14 threatening letters in April 2005 -- each with a baked good or piece of candy laced with rat poison -- to a variety of federal officials: the nine Supreme Court justices; FBI Director Robert Mueller; his deputy; the chief of naval operations; the Air Force chief of staff and the chief of staff of the Army.

Two basic pieces of advice are obvious here:

• Don't eat cookies sent to you by someone you don't know.
• Especially if they are accompanied by a threatening note.

Maybe someone should explain this to Ms. O'Connor.

The decision to charge Auckland gun shop worker Greg Carvell has come as a complete shock to his family.

The 33-year-old has been charged with possession of a firearm without lawful, proper, or sufficient purpose, following the shooting of man who entered the Penrose shop in possession of a machete.

The man received stomach injuries, and was later charged with assault with intent to rob.

Carvell will appear in the Auckland District Court on December 6, and his father Ray says this is news to the family.

He says his son has not formally been charged and they have had to hear the appearance date through the media.

Ray Carvell says this is extremely upsetting as his son was acting in self defence.

So a machete-wielding guy tries to rob a gun shop, presumably to obtain a gun with which to further other criminal acts, is stopped by the store owner using tools available to hand, without even killing him, and then he is arrested for not having a lawful, proper, or sufficient purpose?

What kind of backward, third-world country is this from?

New Zealand - a society based on British laws, part of the Commonwealth and relatively civilized.

It seems as if they still lack a spine...

Titled:   Gun 'Microstamping' Bill Passes California Senate

The California Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would require the "microstamping" of semi-automatic handguns -- giving cartridges fired from those guns a unique imprint, which according to gun control advocates, would help police solve crimes.

Supporters say microstamping would turn spent cartridges into potential evidence in civil and criminal cases. According the California Million Mom March, "when the police retrieve the bullet casing at a crime scene, they can quickly track down the legal owner of the handgun that fired it."

Nonsense, say Second Amendment supporters, who view the bill as yet another attempt to burden gun manufacturers and further restrict gun sales in the state. They say that gun makers, faced with the added expense of microstamping semiautomatic weapons, would either stop selling their wares in California or drastically raise prices.

The bill (AB 352) would "expand the definition of unsafe handgun to include semiautomatic pistols that are not designed and equipped with a microscopic array of characters, that identify the make, model, and serial number of the pistol, etched into the interior surface or internal working parts of the pistol, and which are transferred by imprinting on each cartridge case when the firearm is fired."

Watch the revolver become the "weapon of choice" among street gangs in CA.

But the California NRA Members' Councils says the microstamping would create false evidence trails.

"Micro-stamped cartridge cases fired and abandoned at government agencies facilities or private shooting ranges could be gathered and used to 'seed' crime scenes with the with 'evidence,' implicating law enforcement officers and citizens" in crimes they had nothing to do with, the group said in an analysis on its website.

The gun-rights group also said microstamped cartridges could not be recycled because they might implicate secondary users of reloaded cartridges. "Millions of pounds of metals will be turned into scrap and require expense disposal requirements imposed so it will not enter landfills."

And without the ability to sell and recycle used (microstamped) cartridge cases, the cost of firearms training will increase for government agencies, the gun rights group added.

Second Amendment supporters also note that microstamps can be easily defeated by replacing parts of the handgun that have been stamped; polishing the microstamp with abrasives or modifying the stamp; and in some cases, the stamped markings may be filled in with residue produced by normal firing of the gun.

A traffic stop in Detroit has led to serious suspicion, police said.

Detroit police officers pulled over a vehicle near Atkinson and Second streets on a traffic stop. When officers questioned the driver, the man said he was from West Africa.

In the trunk of the vehicle, police found license plates from different states, identifications cards and Arabic literature, Local 4 reported.

 

The man was taken in to custody on a traffic violation. Police will not comment on the items found in the vehicle, but did say they are working with federal authorities.

 

Titled:   Woman Faces Charges in Flight Scare

In a recent post I mentioned a frequent propensity for "Peace Activists" to very quickly go off the deep end.

True to form, another one has made a complete fool of herself on a trans-Atlantic flight:

A woman on a trans-Atlantic flight diverted to Boston for security concerns passed several notes to crew members, urinated on the cabin floor and made comments the crew believed were references to al-Qaida and the Sept. 11 attacks, according to an affidavit filed Thursday.

Catherine C. Mayo, 59, of Braintree, Vt., appeared in federal court Thursday on a charge of interfering with a flight crew on United 923 as it flew from London to Washington, D.C., Wednesday.

She was dressed in a Rolling Stones T-shirt and socks without shoes for the hearing and was ordered held pending a detention and probable cause hearing next Thursday.

Her attorney, federal public defender Page Kelley, said Mayo was "just barely lucid" when they spoke. "She's got some very serious mental health problems."

Mayo's son, Josh, 31, described his mother as a peace activist and said she had been in Pakistan since March. She traveled there often since making a pen pal prior to Sept. 11, 2001, he said. The pen pal hasn't been allowed to visit the U.S., he added.

Peace Activist / Pakistan / frequent bathroom trips / unruly behavior / banned substances / London / Dubai / Vermonter...

Yup - fits the M.O.

Titled:    Anti-Tailgating Strategy Backfires On Interstate 5

An anti-tailgating strategy on Interstate 5 backfired in the form of unexpected traffic jams, state transportation officials have discovered.

Officials from the state Transportation Department and Washington State Patrol planned to meet Monday to reassess the $35,000 Two Dots To Safety pilot program on a two-mile stretch of the freeway north of this Thurston County town. Similar programs are in use in Maryland, Minnesota and Pennsylvania.

Road crews painted dots 80 feet apart and posted signs telling drivers to stay at least two dots - 160 feet - from the vehicle ahead, based on the traffic safety principle of being at least two seconds behind another vehicle when going 60 mph.

Long backups developed Saturday, the day after the program began, when drivers slowed down because of heavy traffic and continued to maintain the two-dot separation, although that much distance was not necessary at slower speeds, said Lisa Mordock, a Transportation Department spokeswoman.

Road crews covered the signs later Saturday pending reconsideration of the program, including the wording on the signs, Mordock said.

The government tells us how to drive better and the law of unintended consequences takes effect.

But couldn't you just tell this was going to happen?

People tailgate because they are in a hurry and the roads lack sufficient capacity. Anything that slows them down or reduces the road capacity is only going to make things worse.

Besides, it's hard to count dots when you're eating your burger and talking on the phone...

Hat-tip to Wizbang

Titled:   Some of them do get it - it's just the MSM can't bring themselves to say it 

I wrote earlier about a cop who was reported to have said:

"We commend him," Higgins said. "But we don't encourage people to take that kind of risk. He could have been hurt."

This was in respect to a CPL holder that subdued a knife-wielding maniac that had just stabbed a number of people. 

It seems that the cops words were twisted by the MSM filter. He actually said something different:

The Sarge said that he had no problem with permit holders but if it were someone who had no training with firearms, did not know the law and had just grabbed up a gun it might not be a good idea.

Which I think we would all agree with.

He praised Mr. Cobb as a genuine hero from start to finish saying he acted in a totally professional manner through-out the entire ordeal. He then continued to say that concealed permit holders were top notch and he’d rather have some of them “…..backing me up than some police officers I know”.

Not the kind of thing they like to report, huh?

The man accused of barging into the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle and killing one woman and wounding five others will be prosecuted on state murder and attempted-murder charges rather than federal hate-crime laws, officials said.

SEC. 280003. DIRECTION TO UNITED STATES SENTENCING COMMISSION REGARDING SENTENCING ENHANCEMENTS FOR HATE CRIMES.

(a) DEFINITION- In this section, `hate crime' means a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.
(b) SENTENCING ENHANCEMENT- Pursuant to section 994 of title 28, United States Code, the United States Sentencing Commission shall promulgate guidelines or amend existing guidelines to provide sentencing enhancements of not less than 3 offense levels for offenses that the finder of fact at trial determines beyond a reasonable doubt are hate crimes. In carrying out this section, the United States Sentencing Commission shall ensure that there is reasonable consistency with other guidelines, avoid duplicative punishments for substantially the same offense, and take into account any mitigating circumstances that might justify exceptions.

Haq, a U.S.-born Muslim, told authorities he was angered by the war in Iraq and U.S. military cooperation with Israel. According to a statement of probable cause, Haq told a 911 dispatcher: "These are Jews and I'm tired of getting pushed around and our people getting pushed around by the situation in the Middle East."

The venue:

The Jewish federation, a group covering the Jewish community around the Puget Sound region, had organized a large rally last weekend to demonstrate support for Israel in its fight against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

At a news conference on Friday, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said, "This was a purposeful, hateful act as far as we know, by an individual acting alone."

Titled:   Terrorist links may not lead to spot on no-fly list: sources

Being a member of a terrorist organization won't necessarily land someone on Canada's no-fly list, The Canadian Press has learned.

Proposed criteria would limit inclusion on the roster to those who pose "an immediate threat to aviation security," say internal briefing notes prepared by Transport Canada.

Draft regulations, disclosed by a source familiar with details of the plan, confirm the no-fly list will be tightly focused and reviewed every 30 days to keep it up to date.

"You cannot be put on the list on the sole basis that you're a member of a 'terrorist group'," said the source. "In addition, you have to be a demonstrable threat to aviation safety." 

It seems that the best way to reduce your chances of being involved in terrorism while travelling is to avoid Canadian airlines, airports and connecting links.

Paid-up and known members of Hezbollah can still board in Toronto as long as they haven't made threats or acted against the airlines:

The source said that under the proposed regulations, people involved in a terrorist group - either now or in the past - could be added to the list only if there were reason to suspect they may "compromise civil aviation, the security of any aircraft or aerodrome, or the safety of the public, passengers or crew."

And those on the list were almost warned in advance too, a gift for a terrorist to know he is under surveillance, except that resources are limited:

Under Ottawa's plan, people will not be notified in advance that they are on the Canadian no-fly list. The source said informing individuals was considered impractical because it would be difficult to locate some people, and it would severely limit the willingness of police and intelligence agencies to provide names for the list.

Aparently some known members of terrorist organizations are "difficult to locate" and the police would be unwilling to assist!

Still, it is CANADA we are talking about. At least the American public understands the threat we face... doesn't it?

A knife-wielding grocery store employee attacked eight co-workers Friday, seriously injuring five before a witness pulled a gun and stopped him, police said.

The 21-year-old suspect, whose name was withheld pending charges, was arrested and then taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pains, Memphis Police Sgt. Vince Higgins said.

The attack apparently stemmed from a work dispute, police said. Five victims, one in critical condition, were admitted to the Regional Medical Center, the main trauma hospital for the Memphis area. Three others were less badly hurt and treated at another hospital.

The attacker, chasing one victim into the store's parking lot, was subdued by Chris Cope, manager of a financial services office in the same small shopping center, Higgins said. Cope said he grabbed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from his pickup truck when he saw the attacker chasing the victim "like something in a serial killer movie."

"When he turned around and saw my pistol, he threw the knife away, put his hands up and got on the ground," Cope told The Associated Press. "He saw my gun and that was pretty much it." Police arrived within minutes and took the attacker into custody. "

He just kept saying, 'I'm insane. I wish I was never born' and that kind of stuff," Cope said. The attack started in an employee area of the Schnucks supermarket on the outskirts of Memphis and no customers were involved, Higgins said. Police said two large kitchen knives used in the attack were found at the scene.

Witness Frank Rector said the attacker held a knife high in a stabbing position as he chased a victim into the parking lot. The victim, Rector said, "was circling, trying to get away from him." The ages of the victims were not immediately released.

Higgins and a company spokeswoman said all the victims were employees of the store. The spokeswoman said officials from the St. Louis-based company were on their way to the scene. Higgins said police were pulling into the parking lot as Cope was confronting the attacker. "We commend him," Higgins said. "But we don't encourage people to take that kind of risk. He could have been hurt."

Yup - the police would rather have the perp running about stabbing people before they shoot him when they eventually arrive, than a responsible citizen quickly put a peaceful stop to the problem on the spot and show how armed citizens can do good.

At least they haven't arrested the guy with the gun... but then this is TN not CA.

Titled:   Feeding homeless outlawed

The Las Vegas City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday that bans providing food or meals to the indigent for free or a nominal fee in parks.
...
The city's new ordinance, which officials could begin enforcing as early as Friday, defines an indigent as a "person whom a reasonable ordinary person would believe to be entitled to apply for or receive assistance" from the government under state law.

Mayor Oscar Goodman, who has been a vocal advocate of cracking down on the homeless in city parks, dismissed questions about how marshals, who patrol city parks, will identify the homeless in order to enforce the ordinance, the violation of which would be a misdemeanor.

"Certain truths are self-evident," Goodman said. "You know who's homeless."

On this matter, Matthew, a frequently-quoted source, says:

And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'

Las Vegas - City of Sin, where feeding the homeless is now illegal...

Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed legislation Thursday that supporters say is aimed at strengthening and clarifying self-defense rights in Michigan. People now will be allowed to use deadly force, with no duty to retreat, if they reasonably think they face imminent death, great bodily harm or sexual assault.

They can use deadly force on their property or anywhere they have a legal right to be. The legislation also protects people from civil lawsuits if they have used force in self-defense.

"Law-abiding citizens will have the right to defend themselves against brutal violence without having to worry about being treated like a criminal," state Sen. Alan Cropsey, R-DeWitt, said in a statement.

The law also creates a "rebuttable presumption" -- a legal advantage that assumes, unless there's strong proof to the contrary, that people honestly and reasonably believe they face death, rape or great bodily harm when someone breaks into their home.

The presumption won't apply in domestic violence situations, disputes involving the police and if people using the force are breaking the law.

WLNS:

Mich. Governor Granholm has signed legislation that supporters say will strengthen and clarify self-defense rights in Michigan.

People now will be allowed to use deadly force -- with no duty to retreat -- if they reasonably think they face imminent death, great bodily harm or sexual assault.The law also protects people from civil lawsuits if they have used force in self-defense.

Critics says the law is NOT only dangerous but also unnecessary because prosecutors already don't charge people who have justifiably used deadly force to protect themselves.

Supporters say the law is needed to protect people from getting sued and partly because Michigan law previously required people to first retreat before using deadly force, putting them at a disadvantage.

The UN Small Arms Conference ended Friday in deadlock with no formal conclusions or recommendations. In the final analysis, the complexity of the issue and the concerns of hunters, sport shooters and firearms owners world-wide prevailed. No recommendations on ammunition, civilian possession or future UN meetings, or for that matter any other subjects, were adopted. The failure of this five-year program to impact the legitimate firearms industry, and the 2nd Amendment rights of U.S. citizens was total. Anti-gun NGOs and liberal governments served notice they would not give up and would present all of their issues to the UN General Assembly this fall.

Titled:   Senate votes to bar emergency gun confiscation

The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to prohibit the confiscation of legally owned guns during an emergency like last year's Hurricane Katrina, marking another victory for the gun lobby.

By a vote of 84-16, the Senate embraced an amendment by Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican. He attached his measure to a domestic security spending bill for the fiscal year starting October 1 that the Senate is expected to pass soon.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed its version of the spending bill and negotiators will have to decide whether to keep the gun provision. The House is usually sympathetic to gun owners.

Citing the constitutional right to bear arms, Vitter said that during an emergency people should be allowed to hold onto "legally possessed firearms to defend your life, your property" at a time when telephone lines and cell phones probably are not operating and victims "can't reach out to law enforcement authorities."

Progress - But it is a pity that we have to put into law what is already there.

"Shall not be infringed"

Of course there is always a hopeful idiot at hand:

Sen. Richard Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, added, "You send the National Guardsmen in ... and then snipers start shooting at them and the police make it known this is going to be a gun-free zone. We don't want any National Guardsmen killed because of this national emergency, this disaster. Is that an unreasonable thing?"

Yup - law abiding people waiting to ambush the National Guard. Happens all the time... such is the mindset of the crazy left. As if the criminals in an emergency are just going to hand them over peacefully...

Titled:   Peace activist hit rocker in spat over girl, say UK police

A while back I wrote of a ungrateful, yet lucky guy who was rescued by accident from losing his head in Iraq. Ironically, Phil Sands owes his life to those he was trying to hinder.

Another human shield bus passenger who went to Iraq, Christiaan Briggs, is now on trial for putting a rock star into a coma.

Police say the incident occurred on June 22 when Briggs allegedly punched 19-year-old Billy Leeson, causing the rising rock star to hit his head on the ground.

Leeson, the lead singer with rock band Les Incompetents - who have supported Pete Doherty's group Babyshambles - was "still very ill", said Scotland Yard spokesman James Nadin.

His condition was described as "critical but stable".

Mr Nadin said an argument broke out between the pair after Briggs allegedly "made advances" towards Leeson's girlfriend.

... Briggs was a London-based list candidate for the Green Party in the 2002 election.

With "peace activists" like these, who needs terrorists?

From his blog:

The change I wish to see is not simply that of countless Iraqi lives spared, but that of possibly inspiring just a small group of people I know; my family, friends, and community (Napier, New Zealand), illustrating to them an unbelievably important and simple lesson I learnt recently: Wanna be happy? Just centre your life around making others happy.

Still got a lot of progress to go, it seems.

Michigan's repeal of the Duty to Retreat is making its way though congress.

Senate Bill 1046

Introduced by Sen. Alan L. Cropsey on February 15, 2006, to create a new law establishing that a person who uses deadly force for self defense in his or her home, contiguous private property or occupied vehicle need not first flee from a threatening attacker, and that a person who unlawfully and forcibly enters one of these is presumed is to be doing so with the intent to commit an unlawful act involving force or violence, with certain minor exceptions. This would place the “home is my castle” doctrine in statute. Also, to establish that a law-abiding person who is attacked in a place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat, and can “stand his or her ground” and meet force with force, including deadly force if necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.

Text and Analysis here.

House Bill 5142

Introduced by Rep. Tom Casperson on September 7, 2005, to establish in law that a person who uses deadly force for self defense in his or her home or contiguous private property need not first flee from a threatening attacker.

Text and Analysis here.

In an article a few months back, I wrote about colored guns.

I would imagine enterprising bank robbers will soon be sporting orange-tipped weapons to give them a few seconds edge on the police and concealed license holders. If they're willing to rob a bank armed, what makes you think they won't apply some orange paint?

"Just think about how sick it is," Bloomberg said. "What possible reason can you give to want to paint a gun so it looks like a child's toy gun, other than to put a police officer in one of those impossible positions?"

Although no painted guns have been recovered in connection with crimes, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, the proposed law is a pre-emptive move, intended to stop criminals from potentially tricking police officers with candy-colored weapons.

Titled: Gun buybacks make return to Boston

Boston officials said yesterday they have raised approximately $40,000 to resume a gun buyback program, which will offer $200 Target gift cards for each working gun that is turned in.

"We want guns that are on the street causing the violence and maiming and hurting and killing people."

Old guns, particularly dangerous ones, are now worth $200 in Boston, no questions asked...

That should attract a fair few into the area and provide much needed funds for the purchase of newer, more effective models.

Titled:    Smart gun' shows promise - and promises controversy

As police in Philadelphia struggle to stop a scourge of shootings, some New Jersey engineers say they are closing in on a "smart" solution: a gun that can be fired only by its owner.

The prototype, developed at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, has pressure sensors embedded in the gun handle that recognize a person's unique grip.

The team says a commercial model is up to five years away, but if it works, it will trigger a singular - and controversial - state law. Within three years, all handguns sold in New Jersey would have to be personalized, with this or some other recognition technology.

...

Various smart-gun efforts have flamed out in the past, amid vocal skepticism by the National Rifle Association. Many gun owners chafe at the notion of any restrictions on their Second Amendment right to bear arms, and warn that any such modifications would make guns more expensive.

Gun-control advocates, meanwhile, are split, with some warning that personalized firearms would give owners a false sense of security.

...

Once the shooter squeezes the trigger, the grip sensors spring into action, recording the pressure for one-tenth of a second. In that moment, the pressure applied by each finger varies enough that engineers can distinguish between shooters with a high degree of reliability. A grip's signature does not vary significantly from firing to firing, even in stressful situations, researchers have found.

A year and a half ago, a prototype recognized authorized users nine out of 10 times. Now, the rate lies between 95 and 99 percent, said Michael Cody, a computer science engineer on the team.

At the very least, the technology would cut down on violence committed with the 500,000 handguns that are stolen each year, said Stephen Teret, public health professor at Johns Hopkins University. "If all those guns had been personalized guns," Teret said, "they would be useless when they were stolen."

What the news article doesn't mention is that most of this violence is the result of street gangs, drug gangs, et al. Frankly, I wouldn't worry about the 28,000 legally licensed citizens concealed-carrying. I'd be more concerned about the thousands of criminals who haven't bothered (and never will) obtaining a permit. They're the ones commiting mayhem. Bust-up the mutant gangs, throw them in jail, and watch the violence decrease. Don't start leaving the haplass honest folk defenseless.

More at Day By Day

Titled:     The ABA Goes Wild

From the Powerline:

It's official: the American Bar Association is off the reservation. After several years of relatively good behavior, it has now drawn its knives and enlisted in the Democrats' 2006 campaign. Today, the ABA's judicial qualifications panel opined unanimously that Michael Wallace, nominated to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, is "unqualified" for the post.

This is ridiculous. Wallace's bio is here. He graduated from Harvard and (at the top of his class) the University of Virginia Law School. He clerked for the Mississippi Supreme Court, and for Justice Rehnquist on the U.S. Supreme Court. President Reagan appointed Wallace to head the Legal Services Corporation. For some years, Wallace has had what appears to be a top-notch litigation practice, with an appellate focus, in Jackson, Mississippi.

Based on Wallace's resume, there are two reasons why the Democrats at the ABA consider him "unqualified." The first is that he is a Republican. He is General Counsel of the Mississippi Republican Party, and--no doubt a key fact--he served as Special Impeachment Counsel to then-Majority Leader Trent Lott for the impeachment trial of President Clinton. The second reason is that Wallace is from Mississippi. I doubt whether the ABA would dare to pull the same stunt with a Northerner.

With this nakedly political move, the American Bar Association has once again forfeited any claim to credibility.

Titled:   'Give Me Your Money or I'll Kill You'

The gun-free shangri-las of the District and Maryland erupted yesterday in a rolling wave of violence, gunfire and car-jackings. This was an unchallenged romp by an armed gang that took full advantage of the safe, gun-free environment and took everything they wanted:

At a news conference outside police headquarters, D.C. officers said they believe the crimes started early Saturday in Northwest when a group of young men carjacked a Mazda 626. The next day, thieves stole a black Jeep Liberty parked near 12th and Varnum streets NE. Police believe that Jeep was used in many crimes that followed.

The next robbery, police believe, took place about 11:45 p.m. Sunday in the 600 block of Fairmont Street NW. The crimes picked up again about 1 p.m. Monday when armed men attempted a carjacking in Mount Rainier, police said.

In the next few minutes, heavily armed men committed three more robberies in the Hyattsville area, pistol-whipping four victims in one of the holdups.

And it didn't stop there. The police seem to be dumbfounded and are making a slow start towards investigating the crimes:

"Hopefully, we'll get some fingerprints," McCoy said. "There are definitely other people out there."

Police said they were still trying to piece together the exact number and sequence of robberies and carjackings and were culling through reports to see whether other crimes might be connected to the group.

The sheep people are concerned:

Yesterday, some of those who live or attend schools in neighborhoods targeted by the robbers said they were shocked by the brazen crimes.

"It's so scary," said Lauren Treacy, 18, a freshman at Catholic. "I know I have to be careful."

About two miles away, at Howard, where one of the carjackings occurred, freshman Kimberly Williams, 19, was trying to come to terms with the suddenness of it all.

"I wouldn't expect that to happen here in broad daylight," she said.

You usually get what you vote for.

Hat-tip to Ravenwood

Titled:   The state is looking after you

The Economist carries a disturbing article about the encroachment of government into the everyday lives and choices of its citizens. This newly-dubbed "soft paternalism" carries the promise of self-directed controls enforced by the state. Imagine contracting with the state to fine you if you visit donut shops more than once a week - or having to get a license to buy alcohol. Of course it would be voluntary... but then the most egregious infringements of our rights usually are... to start with.

An excerpt:

Most people would accept that a healthy diet is hard to achieve, financial matters are confusing and cigarettes kill too many. The state is tempted to step in, not only because of the harm that smokers, lushes, spendthrifts and gluttons may do to others, but because of the harm they are doing to themselves. In Scotland last month the government banned smoking in offices, restaurants and pubs. In Massachusetts, the state legislature has passed a bill requiring everyone who can afford to buy health insurance to do so, on pain of higher taxes.

This is hard paternalism. The softer sort is about nudging people to do things that are in their best interests. The purest form involves setting up systems for sinners to reform themselves: in Missouri for instance, some 10,000 compulsive gamblers have banned themselves from riverboat casinos; if they succumb to their habit (and are caught) they face tough punishments. In most cases, though, soft paternalism means the government giving people a choice, but skewing the choice towards the one their better selves would like to make.

Be wary - very wary.

Titled:   Boy turns in knife but may still be expelled

Zero tolerance rears its ugly head again in Indiana.

Elliot, 14, said he was walking to the school entrance in the brisk weather March 3 and had placed his hands in his coat pocket when he felt the Swiss army pocketknife in the pocket.

 

"I went straight to the office right inside (the front door)," he said.

 

He said he handed the knife to Teri Donahue, the school's treasurer, and told her he had brought it to school by mistake.

 

As a result of Elliot's actions, the school's principal, Jimmy Meadows, suspended Elliot for the maximum 10 school days as allowed by law and recommended Elliot be expelled. A confidential expulsion hearing is scheduled for April 10.

Dave Kopel has written a detailed summary of current Concealed Carry laws.

Nebraska and Kansas have finally joined the shall-issue club, making 40 shall-issue States in the Union.

Progress is slow, but it is being made.

Titled:    Anti-gun advocate's son facing weapons charges

As is becoming all too frequent, the anti-gun activists are demonstrating an "OK for me, but not for you" attitude and failing to deal with reality even in their own homes.

"I have nothing to hide," Farquharson said to police. However, she was not the focus of the investigation.

Police were there because of her son Kadafi Farquharson, 23. He was arrested on weapons charges.

The mother and anti-gun violence advocate said someone else must have put the weapons in her house.

She berated officers as they left her home.

Police officers offered to show Farquharson the results of their search. Items allegedly found by investigators included a rifle magazine, a disassembled handgun and a quantity of ammunition.

After seeing what police had allegedly collected, Farquharson said she does not believe it. "No, my son wouldn't carry a gun, no," Farquharson said.

The son of a Toronto anti-gun violence activist faces multiple gun-related charges after he was arrested with two sawed-off rifles hidden down his pants.

Police from the Emergency Task Force surrounded the house of Kadfi Farquharson, 23, on Duncanwoods Rd. in the Finch and Islington area just before 4 p.m. yesterday after being called to the area by a man who said someone had tried to shoot him.

"I just want to hope that in the future there are a lot more programs like this," graduate Kadafi Farquharson told reporters. "Because we need a lot, lot, lot more programs like this to get more kids off the street."

Farquharson and the other graduates accepted their diplomas from Mayor David Miller himself. The program was part of Miller's Community Safety Plan and cost the city $27,000.

"We have to make sure our young people grow up safely, and we have to make sure they have a chance," Miller told CTV News. "If they don't have a chance, they get sucked into the gun and gang culture. Programs like the one we're at today give young people a real chance."

It certainly didn't seem to work for young Kadafi.

Titled:   Man charged in road rage incident

A 36-year-old Lansing man has been charged in an incident that ended with a gun being pulled outside a Burger King.

Two drivers heading north Monday on Cedar Street got into an argument, according to the Ingham County Sheriff's Office. The Lansing man struck the other vehicle with his own. Both men then stopped and got out of their cars. The Lansing man approached the other driver with a baseball bat. That man - who has a valid concealed weapon permit - pulled out a gun and ordered the man to drop the bat. The driver with the bat was arraigned on two counts of felonious assault, authorities said.

A CPL holder uses a gun to stop and diffuse a violent incident without injury to either party. And the police seem to have understood the situation and arrested the aggressor. And the local press has covered it.

Maybe there is hope after all.

Titled:   Nation sees a sharp drop in gun dealers

The number of licensed gun dealers in the US is down.

People who held the government's most basic gun-dealer license totaled nearly a quarter-million in 1994. Last year, the number fell to fewer than 55,000, according to a recent report by the nonprofit Violence Policy Center, based in Washington.

The gun-grabbing VPC are quick to grab onto this as a victory, believeing it one of the few in a time when they are losing battles left, right and center:

"The sharp drop in gun dealers is one of the most important - and little noticed - victories in the effort to reduce firearms violence in America," said Marty Langley, a policy analyst for the Violence Policy Center.

What they won't say though is that this is mostly due to increased fees under Clinton-era reforms ($30 up to $200) and ATF pressure on dealers that due to local ordinances couldn't get suitable business zoning for their houses.

Many of the kitchen-table top dealers who bought and sold a couple of guns a year to friends baulked at the increased costs, legal hurdles and the photos and fingerprinting required and handed in their licenses.

I see this as a victory in some ways for regular gun owners. All this has done is drive gun sales off the books, with less registration, vetting, tracking and logging by the ATF. Licensed dealers are required to run background checks on new purchases, whereas in most states, unlicensed gun owners can buy and sell rifles and shotguns without checks.

This forms the basis of the mythical "gun-show loophole" in which owners and dealers gather to buy and sell firearms. The gun-grabbers are annoyed that all show sellers don't have to run checks.

Isn't it ironic that the very victory claimed by the VPC is the basis of one of their big headaches?

According to the ATF, the number of guns in the United States was at an all-time high last year, with an estimated 223 million firearms.

Titled:   Portland jail empty, despite rise in crime

The Seattle Times tells us of one part of this story:

The Wapato Facility, in the city's northern outskirts, took $59 million and two years to construct. But in the nearly two years since its completion — as Portland has struggled with a crime surge — not a single inmate has set foot in the building.

And the New York Times brings us the second part:

Especially in the country's inner cities, the studies show, finishing high school is the exception, legal work is scarcer than ever and prison is almost routine, with incarceration rates climbing for blacks even as urban crime rates have declined.

There seems to be a pattern here. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that if you lock up enough criminals, there is a decrease in crime. And if you leave them loose on the street, more crime happens.

Yet both media outlets seem to transfixed with the idea that if the crime rate is dropping, you should start releasing existing offenders and refrain from locking up new ones.

The Progressive Community may believe that "prisons are no cure for crime", but I can guarantee you that a prisoner, while locked in prison, is not committing crimes on the streets.

Hat-tip to Opinion Journal

Titled:    Man Shoots, Kills 'Ninja' Attacker Near Home

This is from a couple of weeks ago but still worthy of attention:

Police Chief Susan Jones said the identification of the man who was killed is unknown because he had no identification. Jones said the man appears to have been in his 30s. He was dressed in a black ninja-style mask, black gloves and black clothing, Jones said.

The man was near the home's garage or carport when he attacked 64-year-old Sandra Phillips, Jones said. The two struggled and Phillips ran screaming into the house.

Her cries awoke her husband, 68-year-old Lou Phillips, who grabbed a .357 revolver and shot three times at the intruder who had one hand on Sandra Phillips and was holding what appeared to be a firearm, Jones said.

Icarry.org carries the following letter:

Larry R. Buechler

Chief of Police
P.O. Box 121,
Coal Valley,
Illinois 61240
309-799-5416
fax – 309-799-3651
LRBCVcHF@AOL.COM

February 2, 2006

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE

Dear Fellow Chiefs: As our troops fight for our freedoms overseas, as have American troops since the formation of this Republic, I question what freedoms we’ll have left to enjoy, considering the inclination of our several governmental bodies to enact legislation at the urging of every “squeaky wheel” group that comes along.

As police chiefs, it is our responsibility to protect the rights, freedoms, and liberties of those we serve, and I would suggest that the citizens we serve are then ill served by our support of the proposed ban on so-called assault weapons. While it may be true that “no law abiding citizen needs an Uzi or and AK-47 to be safe or to hunt,” as the talking points try to sway us, I would then allow, on the other side of the argument, that it is not our place to say what a law abiding citizen needs, or does not need. Certainly, the law abiding citizen does not pose a threat to our officers, or to the public in general for that matter, through the possession of any firearm. It is the criminal element that poses the threat. If then you consider the statement true, as I do, that if these weapons are outlawed, only outlaws will have these weapons, then the legislation proposed does nothing to negate the threat. Indeed, only the law abiding citizen will follow the guidelines of the statute, the criminal will not. What then have we accomplished other than to unfairly restrict or penalize the person that does not pose a threat in the first place?

There are thousands of sportsmen in this state that do nothing wrong other than to immerse themselves in the quiet enjoyment of their hobby or pastime with friends and family. These are collectors, target shooters, and firearms enthusiasts that enjoy the shooting sports, and are not strictly limited to those seeking a method of self-defense, or those with an interest in hunting. Let us deal harshly with the person that possesses or uses any firearm during the commission of a criminal act and leave the innocent man alone. In my opinion, there is no greater misdeed than to punish the many based on the unlawful acts of a few, and, with that said, I will close simply by expressing my best wishes and assurance that I remain,

Sincerely and Respectfully Yours,
Larry R. Buechler
Chief of Police

Hat-tip to TheWarOnGuns

Titled:   Pivotal Ohio Gun Rights Activist Passes Away

Titled:   Chief’s Counsel: Responding to Gun Possession Reports

A well written and thought out opinion from the General Counsel of Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association on how cops should handle reports of gun possession:

Enforcement Guidelines
Where a police officer receives a report that a person is in possession of a firearm, but the weapon is not visible to the officer, the following options are available:

• Engage in a voluntary contact and simply ask the person if he or she has a firearm.
  
• If he or she confirms he or she is in possession of a gun, the officer may ask the person to voluntarily hand it over just while the interview takes place, or insist that they hand it over if there is a reasonable belief that the safety of the officer or public is in jeopardy, or that the person has used it in a crime or is about to do so.
  
• If the person denies having a firearm or refuses to answer, and the officer does not otherwise have (legally sufficient) reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, the officer must allow the person to continue on his or her way.
  
• If the person denies having a firearm or refuses to answer, but the officer has a reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and presents a danger to the officer or public, the officer may conduct a stop and frisk the person. If the officer finds a weapon, the officer may hold it while conducting the field inquiry. As long as the person is properly licensed, and no arrest takes place, the officer must return the gun at the conclusion of the interview.
  
• If the officer has a warrant or has probable cause to arrest the person for a crime, the officer may conduct a thorough search (not merely a frisk) and take possession of any weapon.
  
• Where the person appears to be a minor and therefore too young to have firearm (in most states), the police may have reason      to believe that a crime is being committed (unlawful carrying of a firearm) and may therefore conduct a stop rather than a mere encounter.

There is more, and it is well worth the read, if only to suggest that not all Massachussettes residents are crazy.

Hat-tip to SayUncle

Titled:   Anger over UK gun register delay

Just as Canada learns that gun registration is a thankless and expensive task, the UK marches onwards with plans to repeat the exact same experiment and hopes to achieve different results:

The government has said it still plans to set up a UK gun register amid mounting criticism over its delay.

Commons Leader Geoff Hoon said the government was still committed to a register as the UK prepares to mark 10 years since the Dunblane massacre.

...

Mr Hoon replied: "I recognise the disappointment, and I share it, that the national firearms licensing management scheme has taken so long to deliver.

"The Government remains fully committed to the project and it is planned to be rolled out to all forces in England and Wales from June, assuming that the final pilot in May is successful."

Titled:   Scalia says don't link guns only to crime

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia fondly remembers carrying a rifle around New York as a boy and says outdoorsmen should attack the idea that guns are used only for crimes.

An avid outdoorsmen who has hunted with Vice President Dick Cheney, Scalia spoke Saturday at the National Wild Turkey Federation's annual convention.

"The attitude of people associating guns with nothing but crime, that is what has to be changed," Scalia told the audience of about 2,000.

"I grew up at a time when people were not afraid of people with firearms," said Scalia, noting that as a youth in New York he was part of a rifle team at the military school he attended.

"I used to travel on the subway from Queens to Manhattan with a rifle," he said. "Could you imagine doing that today in New York City?"

We've some edumucating to do.

Titled:   Rocketry Hobbyists versus the BATFE

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals has handed down a stinger of a decision against the BATFE and in favor of small children, science teachers and boys of all ages. Yes, ever since someone woke up in a bad mood and decided to classify model rocket engines as explosives, this hobby has faced increased regulations and costs. The judges had this to say (emphasis mine):

"The problem in this case is that ATFE's explanation for its determination that APCP deflagrates lacks any coherence. We therefore owe no deference to ATFE's purported expertise because we cannot discern it. ATFE has neither laid out a concrete standard for classifying materials along the burn-deflagrate-detonate continuum, nor offered data specific to the burn speed of APCP when used for its 'common or primary purpose.' On this record, the agency's decision cannot withstand judicial review."

It's a pity it wasn't in reference to "sporting purposes" or the current rules regarding US content of imported firearms, but it's a start in the right direction.

Hat-tip to TriggerFinger 

Titled:    Civil liberties fear as US terror suspect list rises to 325,000

Now that 325,000 names appear on the US terror suspect list, I'm beginning to wonder where this will end. The numbers have increased four-fold in the last two-and-a-half years. At this rate, in twelve years we will all be on it.

Maybe we could speed things up - If every suspect could provide just a couple of new names each year, we could cut that down to eight years. That would reduce the demand for flying somewhat.

Thousands of Americans have only discovered their name, or a similar one, is on the list when they have been prevented from taking a commercial flight. Senator Edward Kennedy found himself in that position in 2004.

Senator Kennedy has, however, found himself in many positions we wouldn't like to be in either.

And so far, booking a commercial flight, has been the only proven way of finding out if you're on the list.

Titled:   Don't mention the walk

With Europe still trying to work out exactly what it believes in concerning when cartoons and Freedom of Speech collide, Germany is making restrictive policy of its own. English fans visiting Germany for the soccer World Cup are banned from certain traditional activities, namely walking in a funny way and making jokes about the war. Not the War on Terror, mind, but WWs I and II - yes, those of over 60 years ago.

The Sun Online reports:

GERMAN cops will use sweeping powers to collar England fans doing Basil Fawlty-style Hitler impressions at the World Cup.

Yobs will be instantly banged up for TWO WEEKS if they goose-step like John Cleese in his most famous Fawlty Towers scene.

And hard core louts who give Nazi salutes — like the one jokingly made by Michael Barrymore in Celebrity Big Brother — could be hauled before a judge within 24 hours.

If convicted of inciting hatred they will face jail terms of up to THREE YEARS.

Wearing joke German helmets or any offensive insignia will also result in a stretch behind bars.

Given the British penchant for anti-German humor, I would expect a large portion of the crowd to be herded off into pens to await the end of hostilities the competition.

I guess that imprisonment for alcohol-induced insensitivity is a step more civilized than burning down embassies, but it is time that the so-called developed countries decide that free speech, in all its forms, is worth protecting.

Titled:   Does the Census Bureau go too far?

SayUncle brings up the American Community Survey. Every year, one in forty households are asked to answer a long series of questions, concering a myriad of topics as diverse as "What time do you leave for work in the morning" to the amount you pay for your mortgage each month. 

You can see the 2005 survey here.

The law, Title 13, Sections 141, 193, and 221 of the U.S. Code, authorizing the American Community Survey, also provides that your answers are confidential. No one except Census Bureau employees may see your completed form and they can be fined and imprisoned for any disclosure of your answers.

The same law that protects the confidentiality of your answers requires that you provide the information asked in this survey to the best of your knowledge.

The GAO published a paper investigating the Legal Authority for the ACS and finds in the conclusion:

For the reasons set forth above, the Bureau has authority under 13 U.S.C. §§ 141 and 193 to conduct the American Community Survey.  The Bureau also has authority to require responses from the public to this survey.  

It does however note the following:

While Census clearly has authority to conduct the ACS, we found no public laws, committee reports, or other congressional actions in which Congress has required the Bureau to develop and implement the ACS. 

So this would seem to be an example of unneccesary prying, though legal, at the behest of unelected and unanswerable bureaucrats. Please note that refusing to answer carries a fine of $100 and that for pretending to be an Eskimo and other false information is $500.

Titled:   Think the police will protect you?

TriggerFinger brings us news of San Francisco's lack of success in solving homicides and the difficulties of working with the police department to protect citizens. The original article from December 2005 at sfgate.com reports that 80% of homicide cases from 2005 remain open.

San Francisco supervisors turned their attention to the city's surging homicide rate Monday, holding an inaugural meeting of a new committee on gun and gang violence and receiving a grim briefing on the scale of the mayhem and failure to hold perpetrators accountable.

Words such as "surging", "grim", "mayhem" and "failure" do suggest that all is not well in the pistol-free City of Peace and Love.

Titled:   Glue gun will mean police can stick to fleeing drivers

The Times Online tells us of a new plan that will enable LA police to avoid chasing and catching criminals. The concept is to shoot a trackable GPS unit at the fleeing driver's car so that they can find it later. Assuming that word of this will spread around the criminal community, especially after the press coverage, this means that crimes that risk a police chase have now got much safer for the criminals.

“Rather than pushing them because they are going 70-80 mph and we are attempting to keep up with them, we will just basically monitor where they are going,” said William Bratton, the police commissioner.

“Let them run. We will just basically track them to where they dump the car. We do that now with helicopters.”

No more televised chases across town through traffic, ramming, shoot-outs and foot chases. Now the stolen getaway vehicle will be free to roll across town, drop off the crims at a convenient pick-up point near their other vehicles, with the police just having to pull up later and tow the original vehicle away.

“Banning pursuit is probably a good idea if all you care about is public safety, because if you ban pursuit there won’t be any chases or any risk to the public,” said Geoff Alpert, the head of the criminology department at the University of South Carolina, who has endorsed the new technology.

Way to go, LA! 

“This is incredible technology,” said Commissioner Bratton. “We are going to test it out. We are really optimistic that this may be one of the next big ideas in American policing.”

It will keep police in jobs forever, simply by letting criminals go free each time, free to steal another car and escape over and over. And the police will win too! Their record for recovery of stolen cars will skyrocket. Pity about their record of captured thieves.

Titled:      Going postal in gun-free zones

We'll start the new week with a well-put together piece on TownHall which describes the effect on mass murder suicides, which points out that the most popular places for multiple murders are places that ban concealed weapons and don't provide armed security. Schools, churches and postal depots are typical of this arrangement, unlike airports which at least have have uniformed armed security.

Suicidal murders may be deranged, but they are not dim-witted.

They do seem to actively seek out east targets.

Society needs to disregard the baseless calls for more restrictions on honest gun merchants and citizens. Their guns are not a significant source of criminal weapons.

Some will always have gun phobias, and this is unfortunate. Education helps. A personal encounter with an armed assailant helps even more.

Well worth the time to read.

Titled:     Shift on the Bench Has Already Begun

The failure of Democrats to appease their base and fillibuster Alito's appointment to the Supreme Court has resulted in a shift to the bench, but not in the way you may expect.

Alito is now on the extreme far right - of the bench, that is:

As the junior associate justice, Alito will occupy the end of the bench farthest to the courtroom audience's right during oral arguments. Justice Stephen G. Breyer, who has sat there since October 1994, will move across to the audience's extreme left.

Alito also now gets to answer the door during the court's closed conferences, and report the justices' votes to the clerk of the court.

Breyer was the court's junior member for 11 years, 181 days, about a month shy of the record set by Joseph Story, who served during the 19th century.

That's a long time to be a noob.

This article was submitted to the Liberty1st site by Paul A. Ibbetson. He maintains a website devoted to researching the Patriot Act here. I am still on the fence when it comes to the Patriot Act and that is why I find articles like this fascinating and thought provoking.

The Patriot Act: Searching for Monsters in the Closet

When you were young, did you have a monster in your closet? Many a child has lost sleep to the monster that must certainly reside just inside the bedroom closet. If you think back on your monster, it probably was the end product of watching late night horror movies or creative tales spun with school buddies on sleepovers. Everything is fun and games until the monster actually comes to visit the next night when all your friends are long gone. Now the thing about the closet monster is that it’s crafty and clever. It won’t show itself when friends are around and never in the daylight. No, it waits until your head is turned or, worse, when you’re sound asleep. The closet monster has power, a power that can make you freeze for endless minutes fearing that any slight motion might cause it to burst from the closet, ending in your certain death. Thank goodness a magical thing happens somewhere along life’s path. We grow up. It does not happen all at once but step-by-step we gain perspective about what’s real and what’s not and the monster loses some of its power. Then on some special night this gained knowledge bolsters bravery to the point of a confrontation with the closet door and the monster is exposed for what he really is--nothing.

It would be nice to say that there are no monsters in real life, but that would not be true. As a nation, America has seen monsters in many forms. Adolph Hitler’s Nazi Germany or Hideki Tojo’s Japan are examples. America, though always diverse in thought and ideas, came together in a united effort to defeat those monsters at a time when indecision could have cost the world freedom as we know it. Our country is again at that crossroads. While it is reasonable and logical to draw distinctions from World War II and The War on Terror, there are chilling similarities.

Hitler wanted to eliminate all groups of people not fitting the mold of the master Arian race. Al-Qaeda and other radical Islamic groups have an unholy mission to exterminate Israel and its ally, America, which both fall into the category of “the Zionist unbelievers.” Similarities are evident between the Japanese kamikazes of World War II and the terrorists of today are willing to fly passenger planes into buildings, or strap explosives to their own bodies. Yes, monsters existed in the past and they walk amongst us today.

Hitler walked across Europe, taking country after country, forging deadly alliances and double-crossing all those naïve to his deadly intentions. On December 7, 1941, America was struck with a devastating surprise attack at Pearl Harbor.Al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, along with terrorist groups that share this warped mentality, have repeatedly attacked American interests (e.g., 1993 World Trade Center Bombing,1998 U.S.S. Cole Bombing, Embassy Bombings in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania)  Osama Bin laden funneled money to terrorist cells around the world for the purpose of Jihad. In 2001, America was struck with a second devastating surprise attack, suffering a death toll that surpassed the number of deaths at Pearl Harbor. At both times in history this country faced a monster that wanted to destroy it. 

Unfortunately, America is not responding to today’s monsters the same way America responded in the past. Part of the problem is that many in the country have become terribly confused in what makes up a monster, and what does not. Some civil rights groups portray the Patriot Act as an uncontrollable monster that roams the streets gobbling up people’s rights. This fear maintains, even though after years of usage there have been no documented cases of abuse. In case that slipped by I’ll repeat it, NO CASES OF ABUSES! The Patriot Act has been audited for abuses by many organizations, including the ACLU. In fact, the Patriot Act has served to move national security forward by leaps and bounds by clarifying ambiguous laws, updating outdated laws, and, yes, strengthening some older laws to help in fighting a new type of war. Regardless of the obvious factual basis for the existence and usage of the Patriot Act, groups such as the ACLU maintain a constant search, with torches and pitchforks at the ready, for any reason to slay this law for protecting our national security. 

Others have identified the President George W. Bush as the monster for everything from the usage of National Security Letters (NSL’s) to when the wind blows the wrong way. Any attempt to challenge these naysayers with facts is met with the usual accusations that “fruitful debate” is being quashed. Meanwhile time passes and division, indecision, and, worst of all, inaction, is the order of the day. The failure of the Patriot Act to be renewed after the creation of a compromise package bill is a glaring example of the fact that many Democrats feel the war on terror should be prosecuted in a different manner.

Surpassing the issue of the Patriot Act renewal, Democrats have set a dangerous precedent in time of war by the actions of the “Coalition of Opposition.”  Our enemies are coordinated and motivated. Their agenda is clear--destroy America. The impression resulting from an inability of Congress to come together on legislation for fighting terrorism, and the willingness of some to kill the Patriot Act altogether, will be seen by our enemies as a sign of weakness. We know that Hitler advanced on those who appeared weak; we should expect no less from today’s fanatical terrorist groups. Democrats have failed to learn what all children come to terms with, that is, eventually you have to confront the monster.

Paul A. Ibbetson is a published author and lecturer on the Patriot Act. He is a former Chief of Police of Cherryvale, Kansas, and member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. Paul received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Wichita State University, and is currently completing his PhD. in sociology at Kansas State University. Author of the book “Living Under The Patriot Act: Educating A Society” coming out in early 2006, Paul welcomes questions or comments on this, or any other of his Patriot Act related articles at:  contact@patriotactresearch.com or visit the Patriot Act Research Website at: www.patriotactresearch.com

Titled:     Questions from the Audience?

Titled:   Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Concealed Carry Bill

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle says he will veto a bill that would legalize the carrying of concealed weapons in Wisconsin.

"Violence is not the answer," said Doyle. "If we keep guns illegal, the police will know that whoever has a gun is a criminal."

Asked how victims should protect themselves, Doyle responded that they shouldn't. "We have to stop the cycle of violence," said Doyle. "Allowing victims to return fire only perpetuates the cycle. Victims should 'turn the other cheek' to their attackers."

Doyle asserted that most criminals will not shoot unarmed victims unless it is necessary to eliminate them as witnesses. "If you avert your gaze from your attacker he may see that you will not able to identify him and let you live," observed Doyle. "Even if the criminal does shoot you, we will have just a single casualty. If victims return fire we could have multiple casualties."

Where does one start? Perhaps by trying to understand how Wisconsin allows someone this detached from reality to be Governor.

He is quite clearly saying that if you are being shot at, you should remain passive in case the perpetrator gets injured. If, as a CCW holder, I get shot, then surely I am one person who can no longer stop the criminal from harming others.

As for averting your gaze in the hope that a psychotic killer might decide you didn't see anything and let you live - I think Gov. Doyle is just crazy. You cannot project your mindset onto another human who is already working outside of your own frame of thought. In other words, you can't expect someone acting abnormaly to think the same way you do, and have the same morals, ethics and thoughts as you. If you are not the type that routinely attacks innocents with lethal force, then what makes you think you can understand those that do. That is the major mistake people make when dealing with criminals, terrorists, drug users and downright crazies. You cannot assume they will do as you would do.

I refuse to become that "single casualty" whose life is in the control of someone who is deciding whether or not I'm a potential witness. And that's why I also refuse to visit Wisconsin, live in Wisconsin and invest in Wisconsin while people like Gov. Doyle are in power and its citizens support people like him.

Titled:   New Federal Police

UrbanSurvival.com brings us news of a new uniformed federal police force, as laid out in Section 605 of the USA PATRIOT IMPROVEMENT AND REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005.

This new development doesn't seem to be initially for general nation-wide use, but mainly for anywhere the President, VP or other home and foreign dignitaries may be stationed or visiting. The US SS Uniformed Division will be armed, carry police powers and will be at the command of the Director, United States Secret Service.

It also provides protection for former Presidents and their spouses. Look for pictures of Hillary flanked by the new secret police uniformed police soon.

Titled:   Italy approves self-defence law

The Italian parliament has passed legislation allowing people to shoot robbers in self-defence.

The new law will allow people to use legally registered weapons to protect themselves or others, and their property and the property of others, from harm.

It applies if there is a danger of aggression and the attacker does not desist.

Wow. It sounds like the Italians finally get it.

Justice Minister Roberto Castelli backed the new law.

"Today criminals will have more to fear while there will be fewer problems for honest people," said Mr Castelli, who belongs to the Northern League.

However, the centre-left opposition expressed concern that it would encourage violence and lead to increased use of firearms.

Hopefully it will encourage violence and the increased use of firearms towards the perpetrators, not the victims as has been the case.

We should keep an eye on the crime figures over the coming months.

(Hat-tip to John Lott)

Titled:    Unarmed Cop Shot At By Gun Nut

It is hard to believe how quickly a country can go from a respect for firearm rights to their total demonization. This story comes from Airstrip One the UK and is full of the rich language of gun hate that is now creeping into US media reports. The longer this type of language appears and the more frequently it is used, the more it gets ingrained into the minds of the readers.

An unarmed policeman had a miracle escape when a gun nut fired a hail of bullets during a terrifying late night chase, it emerged today.

The gunman fled on foot after cops pulled over his Volkswagen Passat in south London in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The unarmed officer, who has not been named, cornered him in an alleyway off Croxted Road in Dulwich, but the ruthless thug pulled a gun and opened fire.

The brave cop dived for cover, escaping unharmed.

So lets look a little further into the miraculous escape: 

Police marksmen surrounded the scene but found no trace of the gunman who is believed to have fired at least three rounds.

Three rounds - a hail of bullets? Must have been one of those machine-gun thingys.

Chief Superintendent Ian Thomas, head of Southwark Police, vowed to hunt the gun nut down.

He said: "This was very serious. For someone to fire at officers with absolutely no provocation is extremely worrying.

"Absolutely no provocation" such as a car chase with sirens and flashy lights, a chase on foot with a cop carrying a long stick, handcuffs and probably pepper-spray, plus undoubtably some criminal guilt thrown in? I'm sure the gun nut, gunman, ruthless thug guy was in fear of his personal liberty for the next few years at least for firearm possession alone.

They sure do have fun writing this stuff.

Titled:   Bills give victims more right to use force

An encouraging piece that shows the move towards protecting users of firearms is gaining ground across the nation.

What makes this unusual is that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution starts with a very bi-partisan message:

Republicans, Democrats and the National Rifle Association are backing bills this session that would give people more leeway to use deadly force to defend themselves and others from serious crimes, such as robbery and rape.

A House version, sponsored by Democrats, even offers protections against civil lawsuits.

Democrat support for the rights of gun-owners? Almost enough to make me choke on my cornflakes! So I read a little further and all became clear. Despite the support of a few Democrats, their true nature still poked through:

Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), an attorney, said: "I am very concerned about any legislation that expands the perception that people should use guns against other people.

"There's too much gun irresponsibility, and there are too many trigger-happy people for me to feel comfortable giving people the perception they can shoot people in their yard anytime they want to."

Yup - that's a good weekend for us simple gun-owning types - sitting on the porch shooting at passers-by. I don't see anything that says that people should use guns against other people. This is about using guns to protect you and your family against criminals invading your home and car when you are in them. If you shoot without reason, the full weight of the law will still fall upon you. I guess that is just too difficult for this representative of the people to understand. Maybe she went to college recently? 

Titled:     Capital gun crime rises by 50 per cent

The War on Guns Blog highlights continued coverage of the UK's slow-but-steady slip into depravity.

Record levels of gun crime are being blamed on the fact that more people than ever are carrying firearms as fashion accessories.

Figures published this week by the Home Office are expected to show that offences involving guns have soared by as much as 50 per cent in some parts of the country.

The greatest rises have been in the number of people found in possession of firearms and in the number of attempted murders.

Removal of any warning stickers or any protective markings, such as the 10 mm blaze orange tip will violate federal law and store warranty. Furthermore, federal law states that the use of any look-alike, toy gun in a crime carries the full ramifications of a real firearm.

At a news conference following the shooting Friday at suburban Orlando's Milwee Middle School, authorities put the pellet gun side-by-side with a Beretta. It appeared to have black paint covering the red or pink markings on the muzzle that may have indicated to officers that it was a nonlethal weapon.

"As you can see, it doesn't take a professional to see how close this looks to the real thing. I would not be able to tell the difference,'' said Joyce Dawley, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement special agent in charge of the investigation.

Patrick Lafferty, a 15-year-old neighbor who has known Penley about six years, said he wasn't surprised by what happened. He said Penley was a loner who "told me he wanted to kill himself dozens of times.''

Titled:    From North of the Border

House Bill 1639-FN, prohibits the confiscation of lawfully owned and lawfully carried firearms during a state of emergency, making a felon of any law enforcement officer who attempts to seize such a firearm during a disaster.

Titled: Assembly Bills Target Gun Violence

New York gives notice that it intends to commit suicide deepen its problems in this article outlining new proposed gun ban control laws.

Cracking Down on Illegal Street Gun Trafficking
The bill, sponsored by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale), requires stringent recordkeeping and reporting to prevent gun sales to criminals. Additionally, under terms of the legislation, gun dealers must implement a security plan, require employee training and prohibit minor's access to guns.

Besides the fact that selling guns to criminals is already a crime, records are already kept and the FBI is consulted on every dealer sale, this is just futher harassment of dealers and owners. I can't imagine a gun dealer that doesn't already have a security plan, training and access policies. 

Banning Armor Piercing Ammunition
This measure, sponsored by Assemblyman David Koon seeks to rid New York streets of deadly armor piercing ammunition and ammunition that is designed to fragment or explode upon impact.

Most rifle ammunition pierces the type of armor issued to the police. Fragmenting ammunition is a safety feature designed to avoid pass-through injuries to bystanders and explosive ammunition is already strictly regulated.

Tracking Guns Involved In Crimes
Another bill included in the package would require law enforcement personnel to submit ballistic information to the new State Police Ballistic Identification Databank whenever spent bullets, shell casings or guns come into their possession.

And what a success all the other databases have been! Even country wide systems like Canada has have been huge, expensive failures, reducing funding for more traditional and effective policing.

Keeping Guns Out of the Hands of Violent Felons
Another bill would eliminate a loophole that allows a convicted violent felon to obtain a firearms license and possess a gun after being granted a legal waiver.

This should be a question for the issuer of the waivers, who should set fair policy, not a blanket law that allows no exceptions.

The Children's Weapon Accident Prevention Act
This legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach), seeks to protect children from accidental shootings. Five new categories of crime would be created under the bill's provisions for negligent storage of a weapon.

Lock 'em up, unloaded, with the ammo stored elsewhere to avoid fines and jail time. Making self-defense weapons all but useless. Nothing like trying to unlock a gun, find the ammo, load and aim while someone is threatening you and your family.

Childproofing Firearms
This bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-East Setauket), would seek to reduce child-related shootings, particularly those tragedies of children shooting children. This bill would make it a Class A misdemeanor to sell guns without childproof features. Covered under provisions of the bill are pistols or revolvers manufactured 12 or more months after the effective date of the bill. Design features could include making the weapon more difficult to fire by adjusting the trigger resistance of the gun to at least a 10-pound pull, altering the firing mechanism so that an average five-year-old child's hand would be too small to operate the gun or to require a series of multiple motions in order to fire the gun.

10 pound trigger pulls make for lousy handguns, increasing the risk of badly-aimed shooting. This law is aiming to make guns more expensive, more difficult to use under stress and is a roundabout way of forcing manufacturers to make firearms just for New York or lose the right to sell there. With over 200 million firearms in circulation already in the US this is just another step onto the slippery slope of a total national ban.

Stopping Assault Weapons
This legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman John Lavelle (D-Staten Island), would ban assault weapons. Seeking to address the void when President Bush and Congress allowed the federal assault weapon ban to expire, the Assembly proposal would expand the definition of assault weapon to prohibit more of these deadly guns in New York - including guns that have been modified to work like assault weapons.

Under the gun-grabbers definition of "assault weapons", this would cover just about any semi-automatic firearm.

Banning 50-Caliber Weapons
Another proposal, sponsored by Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington (D-Patchogue), would ban 50-caliber sniper weapons, which can be used to disable commercial aircraft and helicopters and are powerful enough to penetrate steel plating.

Another law attempting to follow The Peoples Republic of California. Our right is to have military grade weapons, not sporting arms. The 2nd is NOT about hunting. 

Domestic Violence
Sponsored by Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell (D-Manhattan), this measure seeks to protect victims of domestic violence by requiring criminal or family court judges to inquire about the existence and location of firearms owned or possessed by a defendant when an order of protection is sought.

Pick a crazy partner who thinks a piece of paper is going to protect them and your rights are gone forever. Not only will the court take away these rights, it will now be forced in enquire about the locations of all weapons in your possession. 

Oh, how deluded these lawmakers prove themselves to be over and over again. I know I'm undoubtably preaching to the choir here, but laws do not affect criminals. That is why they are called criminals. Laws only affect victims, making more of them and making their right to a peaceful and safe life more difficult.

One argument is to allow the states to pass whatever they want and then see where the people move to as the cities decay into chaos. Unfortunately while we can use information to choose a place to live, once you are there, it is a significant burden to uproot and escape the madness. Once one state starts to impinge on our rights, the others often follow. 

Please do whatever you can to stop the madness now, before it is too late.

Titled: N.Y. Times Editor-Reporter Dies After Attack in NW

It is often said a liberal is a conservative who hasn't been mugged yet. Often, this violent and unexpected shock is enough for people to open their minds a little and consider options previously considered out-of-bounds. In the above story, David E. Rosenbaum was killed and robbed near his home in Washington D.C., a city with a blanket gun ban in place, despite constitutional protections. And the local people's reaction?

"We have very small children. We'll have our guard up even more, use our alarms more religiously," Bass said.

Yup - that will do it. Just like those appalling ADT commercials on TV, where the guy in black breaks open the back door, the alarm sounds and the family huddles hopelessly together awaiting the call from the montoring center. "Are you OK? Help is on its way." I'd just like them to show what happens in the intervening 15 minutes. Or an alternative version, where the family replies "Yes we're fine, but we need someone to come take the body away."

So citizens of D.C., set your alarms. Especially the ones you use when walking around in that oh-so-safe city of yours?

Titled: Twisting saga of one man's motorbike (minor registration required)

In this cautionary tale, the theft of a motorcycle and an offer to help the police apprehend the thief leads to disaster. This is a classic case of a citizen trying to help, only to get ensnared in the clutches of bureaucratic red tape. Again, we see how the unintended consequences of policy meant to help has led to disaster for Joe Public, involving ever-increasing fees, the police, the court system and city hall. So far, the only winner seems to be the towing company although the final verdict is still to come in.

Titled: AG Sprays Machine Gun Opinion (registration required)

Anyone who lawfully — key word being lawfully — owned a federally registered machine gun on or before May 19, 1986, can keep the gun and transfer it if the transfer is approved by the U.S. Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Attorney General Mike COX issued his opinion about the possession and transfer of federally registered machine guns in response to a request Rep. Leon DROLET (R-Clinton Twp.).

Mike SESSA Jr., who lives in Harrison Township and has worked with Drolet since the early 1990s to advocate for Second Amendment rights, sent the request to Drolet.

There was some confusion as to whether a license was needed to obtain the gun. The question was whether the document that has to be filled out in order to get a license is actually considered a "license." According to the Cox opinion, the document is enough to qualify as a license because it follows all federal guidelines.

Anyone who doesn't meet the requirements and fill out the documents but possesses a machine gun can go to jail under state and federal law.

So now you know

Just in case you missed the latest occurence of government intrusion into the lives of everyday folk, Kipper at xrlq.com has a round up of California's new laws that came into effect this week.

Titled: Martin backs effort to keep gun-crime suspects in jail; race tightens

Martin agreed to support "reverse onus" bail conditions, which would require those accused of gun crimes to demonstrate why they should be released. The promise was part of a pledge during a Saturday phone call to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto Mayor David Miller, who have vowed to end the gun violence that most recently claimed the life of a 15-year-old Toronto girl...

...Reid acknowledged that the reverse onus provision will require justification under the Charter of Rights, but the Liberals believe the courts will recognize that "the importance of protecting citizens against gun violence is paramount."

I was just browsing M-Law's Lawsuit Abuse Watch site and came across these great examples of the term frivolous.

Two Alpena, Michigan men set an arson fire in their store with the hope of collecting insurance money. They admitted that they intended to simply have a small, smokey fire that would damage their inventory, which apparently wasn't selling very well, so they could collect on their insurance policy. However, when the fire spilled over into the adjoining store, the men sued the insurance company. They argued that they set the fire in their own store, but that the fire next door was accidental and therefore they should receive coverage for the damage to the other building. A panel of the state Court of Appeals amazingly reversed the trial court's decision to dismiss this ridiculous case, but the Michigan Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, eventually reversed the Court of Appeals and ruled that the fire "cannot be characterized as an accident

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According to a Michigan Assistant Attorney General testifying before the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee, frivolous prisoner lawsuits are overburdening state and federal courts. In Case No. 9650302, a prisoner sued the state blaming the food in prison for his flatulence problem. The Attorney General's Office estimates the annual cost of defending the state against frivolous prisoner lawsuits to be several million dollars, all paid for by the state taxpayer

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A Michigan couple sued the owners of a nearby business claiming that dust, noise and vibrations invaded their property and therefore were trespassing. A jury actually found in their favor, but a Court of Appeals panel overturned the jury's verdict. The Appeals court stated that noise, vibrations and dust are intangible objects and can not be considered as trespassers.

Reform. Please Hurry. They also have a contest for the wackiest warning labels here. My top three favorites are:

1. A label on a baby stroller warns: “Remove child before folding
2. A warning on an electric drill made for carpenters cautions: “This product not intended for use as a dental drill.”
3. A box of birthday cake candles says: “DO NOT use soft wax as ear plugs or for any other function that involves insertion into a body cavity.”