The Northern Muckraker

Pulling a fast one

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Via Net Right Nation, we learn that Senator Harry Reid is using some sneaky tactics to force a vote on the proposed "hate crimes" bill, since it doesn't seem to have a chance of passing on its own in the light of day.

This execrable legislation would pretty much make it a Federal offense (complete with tacking on extra penalties) to commit a crime against any person who isn't a white heterosexual male, effectively and completely nullifying the concept of equal treatment for all citizens under the law:

Here is the urgent note I just received from Lanier Swann, the special assistant to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell:

Friends,

Moments ago Majority Leader Reid filed a hate crimes amendment to the DOD Authorization Bill. He then filled the tree, which means no amendments can be offered to his amendment, and filed cloture on the amendment.

Thanks,

Lanier

In other words, Reid -- under the thumb of Obama and Holder -- is attaching the bill to an unrelated defense bill, in order to force senators to vote for it if they want to protect our troops. He is allowing no amendments. And he is calling for cloture to rush the bill through before any debate can take place.

Here's a clear example of just how unfairly this execrable legislation would be applied:

"Later in the same hearing, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) -- apparently trying to give Holder an opportunity to at least ameliorate his stated intention to override the 14^th Amendment’s “Equal Protection” provision – asked the AG if the recent murder of Army recruiter Pvt. William Long by a radical Muslim constituted a “hate crime.” Nope, proclaimed Holder; Mr. Long was the wrong color. Here’s the actual quote:

“What we are looking for here in terms of expansion of the statute are instances where there is a historic basis. See, groups of people who are singled out for violence perpetrated against them because of who they are. I don’t know if we have the same historical record to say members of our military have been targeted in the same way that people who are African American …”"

This law would create two classes of Americans, at least for criminal justice purposes, and would further wedge open the very racial divide that it purports to close.

We're contacting our Senators immediately, and hope that everyone else does the same.

The Jack-Booted Thug of the Week...

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:31:00 +0000

... is the unnamed Dallas police officer who assisted the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission in raiding the second gay bar in that metro area this month.

Unnamed, of course, because the good law-enforcement professional felt it necessary to don a black ninja mask during the roust in order to conceal his identity:

The reason given for the clandestine "high risk" operation on the Eagle bar in the first place?

"A guard at the Eagle says TABC officials were questioning whether the address on the liquor license was changed after the club reopened just yards from its previous location." (Emphasis mine)

That sure sounds like an minor administrative point to us. Why was it necessary to investigate it with black-clad thugs in the middle of the night instead of calling the bar's management and clearing up the point during the day, if this wasn't a blatant harassment attempt?

A DPD spokesman admits that it was probably one of their officers who was apparently so proud of his actions that he felt it necessary to cower behind his security blanket:

"[The spokesman] concurred it could have been one of their officers who do at time wear masks to conceal their identities, but they do not have the authority to shut down a bar."

Because checking the address on a liquor license is apparently comparable to busting a meth lab run by violent felons.

Those types of masks should only be specifically permitted during the service of truly high-risk search warrants, and not for garden-variety investigations such as this one apparently was, as the peasants certainly have a right to know which public "servants" are giving them such a hard time while they're attempting to enjoy a night out.

At least no one was injured this time, unlike what happened at a Fort Worth club three weeks ago, in which one man was reportedly hospitalized for a brain bleed from being assaulted by officers while numerous other people were arrested for public intoxication.

At a bar.

No reason has yet been given by the "authorities" for the Fort Worth raid. Perhaps they didn't have the requisite number of urinal cakes in the bathroom.

Thank you, Governor Brewer

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:21:00 +0000

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed into law the gun-rights bills that we previously noted had been approved by the state Legislature:

"Brewer signed into law a proposal that will allow the state's 125,000 carriers of concealed-weapons permits to bring their firearms into bars and restaurants. The measure allows bar owners to remain gun-free by posting signs prohibiting weapons. Permit-holders would be prohibited from drinking in a bar while carrying their firearms...

Brewer's approval of a second proposal will prohibit property and business owners from banning guns from parking areas, so long as the weapons are kept locked in privately owned vehicles...

Lastly, Brewer OK'd a proposal that allows any individual who feels threatened to indicate that they're carrying a weapon without violating intimidation statutes. The law only applies for instances of self-defense."

The new laws go into effect on September 30.

On behalf of all the freedom-loving people in Arizona, Governor, thank you very much. We won't soon forget your actions in support of us.

Why he's labeled as such around here

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:09:00 +0000

We have taken some criticism in the past day or so for referring to President Obama as "the Messiah", typified by this comment:

"I am getting tired (exhausted, in fact) by all of the twits calling the President "Messiah". He never called himself that, and none of his supporters did either."

We respectfully beg to disagree. There's a list right here that details just some of the many times he's been compared to a god by people. There's lots more examples over here .

Need more? Here's video ol' Louis Farrakhan (whom we submit certainly counts as a supporter of Obama) specifically calling him a messiah:

Or how about artist Michael D'Antuono's painting, done to commemorate Obama's first 100 days in office?

You get the idea.

We can provide many other examples that further illustrate the godlike treatment Obama has received (the swooning and fainting at his campaign rallies, the Rolling Stone and Time magazine cover photos that seem to depict him surrounded by a halo, his enjoyment of a lack of any serious pre-election investigation into his secretive academic career and shady political associations, something given to no other Presidential candidate in history, among many others), but here's something from just the other day that will suffice to show how much people are still in the tank for him:

Notice how "news" anchor Mr. Lemon visibly starts and gets a sour look on his face when his worshipful bubble is burst by being informed that the friendly welcome Obama received on his Africa trip is merely typical of how other Western leaders have been treated, and how quickly the Lemon appears to want to end the interview once it becomes clear that the professional correspondent isn't going to reply to his blatantly leading question by gushing all over the screen about his hero.

So yes, in response to this onslaught, the moniker will stay. We hope you understand and will stay as well.

"The truth" about global warming comes out

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:37:00 +0000

Former Vice President Al Gore, the hypocritical and ostentatiously profligate energy-waster (conservation being only for the masses of unwashed peasants, and not for elites such as himself, you see), lets slip that all of this "global warming" claptrap isn't about the environment at all:

“But it is the awareness itself that will drive the change and one of the ways it will drive the change is through global governance and global agreements.” (Emphasis mine)

It's really about power and control on a worldwide scale.

If this man gets his way, a faceless bureaucrat located somewhere like The Hague or Brussels will soon get to decide what kind of car you can buy and drive, what light bulbs you may install in your house and how much water you can sprinkle onto your lawn, among many thousands of other examples.

Basically, your freedom to make most of the decisions, both large and small, that compose your current daily life will be taken away from you, and you will subsequently be issued official instructions outlining the rules for your miserable new existence, which you must follow to the letter or else face severe penalties for refusing to comply.

Mr. Gore? He'll no doubt still be living the good life in his Tennessee mansion, which uses more electricity than Dr. Frankenstein's castle, and riding around on his air-and-noise polluting Jet-Skis.

A snapshot of life

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:04:00 +0000

July 13, 2009
Scottsdale, Arizona
1:30 p.m.

Seen on the rear of a vehicle in a supermarket parking lot:

If you don't know the answer, get reading, as Rand's classic novel has never been more relevant than since the Messiah was sworn into office.

Today's TASER Travesty

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:22:00 +0000

Tucumcari, New Mexico Police Chief Roger Hatcher is on paid administrative leave while an independent investigative firm attempts to discern just why Hatcher felt it necessary to TASER a 14-year-old girl named Kailee Martinez in the head, causing significant injury:

"One of the probes lodged in Martinez’ head and was later surgically removed. The surgery left her with multiple staples and stitches"

Chief Hatcher's explanation for his actions seems a bit weak, at least to a layman:

"Hatcher said he found the 14-year-old girl, after she had a fight with her mother, walking near a city park. When she ran from him, he said he shot her with his Taser because he didn’t know where she was going and she had run into the street without looking."

Well, then that settles that. Obviously it's quite proper and appropriate to use a TASER to teach a young girl a lesson about properly crossing the street at a designated crosswalk. She won't be making that mistake again anytime soon, we'll wager.

The girl's attorney, Donald Schutte, hammers home the point that we've been attempting to make here for quite some time - that the TASER is in fact a "less than lethal" defensive weapon, not a convenient compliance tool for wrangling sullen teenagers:

'"Obviously she’s going to have some pretty significant medical expenses and we’ll be looking for the city to be paying for those,' Schutte said. 'We don’t have anything personal against either the chief or the police department. We just want to know whether or not this was an appropriate use of what’s essentially a weapon on a child.'"

Sounds like a very reasonable position for the girl's legal counsel to take.

We look forward to learning the private independent investigative company's findings in this incident. We also genuinely praise the city of Tucumcari for using such a resource, and wish that every municipality was as conscientious about ensuring such impartiality when serious allegations against their police departments are reported.

Now that's what we call "Special (people) Treatment"

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:50:00 +0000

A hypothetical question:

Does anyone out there think that if they happened to be tracked and recorded by a state police radar plane while speeding at up to 147 miles per hour on a motorcycle, that they would be given any sort of consideration when being called to account for their actions?

Yeah, right.

Yet "consideration" (to say the least) is exactly what was granted to off-duty Ohio State Police Trooper Jason Highsmith and his cycling buddy, off-duty Gahanna, Ohio police officer Christopher Thomas, on June 28, 2009.

Fellow OSP Trooper Bryan Lee performed the actual traffic stop on the side of the road, and here's pretty much how it went down:

"Lee turned off his audio before ever discussing the possibility of a ticket, of a reckless driving charge or even asking if the men were racing.

They talk another four minutes, exchange handshakes and drive away. No paperwork was filled out. Driver’s licenses weren’t checked."

That's right. Once the informal pleasantries (including the ritual showing of the magic tickets) were accomplished,

"Trooper Bryan Lee: 'Either one of you have anything on you I need to know about?'

'No sir. A couple badges is all,' one of the motorcyclists said."

Trooper Lee subsequently killed the audio recording of the stop (a major no-no), and then proceeded to let his two fraternal scofflaws off with no citations whatsoever.

(By the way, we're glad to report that Officer Thomas seems to be feeling much better these days:

"Thomas has been on injured leave from the Gahanna police department since last December after he slipped and fell on ice.

Thomas continues to receive pay and benefits, including vacation time."

Racing around at triple-digit speeds must be an integral part of his physical therapy.)

After video and details of the (non) stop became public, Highsmith and Thomas were belatedly issued garden-variety speeding tickets but were not charged with reckless driving, a circumstance that has incensed local defense lawyers, at least some of whom (rightly) are now planning to make this incident a central part of their pleadings on behalf of their peasant clients who have had the book thrown at them for traveling at much less rates of speed:

"[Attorney Michael] Probst said his clients have been charged with reckless driving for going 20 miles over the speed limit."

Fortunately, in an emphatic illustration of the concept of "equal justice under law" (which only happens to be engraved on the Supreme Court building, by the way), Licking County Judge David Branstool has apparently decided that he isn't going to let these maniac public service employees get away with receiving such special treatment:

"Branstool said the lack of charges didn’t matter and that he could use his discretion to suspend Highsmith’s license for as much as three years for driving in reckless circumstances."

Many thanks, Your Honor, for reminding these two fools that they could easily have killed someone with their (completely ironic) total disregard for public safety, and for reinforcing the concept that what jobs people do for a living should have absolutely no bearing on those same persons being held accountable for their actions, should they commit crimes while on their own time.

Those tactics won't wash anymore

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:32:00 +0000

Dave at the The Defensive Handgun Blog reports that a legislative proposal generously "allowing" people who live in public housing to possess handguns for self-protection (just like any other person in the country, save for those poor saps in Chicago) is steaming right along with bipartisan support at a pace that has reduced virulently anti-gun zealot Carolyn McCarthy of New York to promising to pull some shady procedural dealings to give some cover to her fellow Congressmen if she could only find someone, anyone, to oppose the bill with her:

"Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., a longtime gun control advocate, said opponents of the Price amendment would try to remove the language from the bill at a later point in the legislative process, without subjecting the issue to a recorded vote.

'What we’re trying to do will not involve votes,' McCarthy said." (All emphases mine)

Thereby imposing their will on the American people in a sneaky and underhanded manner, and without being held accountable at all for their actions. Just as with the execrable way Congress is approaching the health care proposal, how proud must these legislators of their labors if they feel they need to enact their latest freedom-robbing schemes in the middle of the night while cowering under the protection of anonymity?

"'There was a time during the ’70s and ’80s when public housing developments were considered killing grounds,' said Emanuel Cleaver II , D-Mo., who grew up in public housing. 'It is just foolhardy to place guns in developments of poor people'"

Personal protection is only for the rich and powerful such as yourself, eh, Mr. Cleaver? The stupid peasants are just going to have to lie back and be the helpless victims of violent thugs because they're too stupid to defend themselves, is that it?

We don't see you living in that neighborhood these days, sir.

Sorry, Ms. McCarthy and Mr. Cleaver. Any cohorts you may gin up are going to have to stand up and put their names on this one like the legislators they purport to be, which is why your last-ditch effort to continue to deny poor people their Second Amendment right to self-protection is most likely doomed to fail miserably.

And just to remind everyone just how incredibly clueless and ignorant McCarthy is on the very subject on which she shamelessly attempts to unilaterally impose her will, and because we giggle like a schoolgirl every time we view it:

(Tamlink)

Sorry, no sale

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:19:00 +0000

The Arizona Republic has seen fit to inform us in a front-page article today that America's evil and unfair enforcement of its sovereign borders (something every country, including Mexico, has a right to do) is causing all sorts of havoc with the Mexican economy, and is a prime cause of suffering for millions of Mexicans who depend on the money sent home by illegal aliens for their main source of income.

(By the way, it remains a felony to be in Mexico illegally. Who has the harsher policy?)

Oh sure, the worldwide recession is also cited as a reason for the current hard times there, but the main thrust of the piece obviously targets the fact that it's getting a lot harder to sneak into and remain in the U.S. these days, largely due to increased border enforcement as well as stepped-up raids by local law-enforcement.

The article comes complete with the obligatory photo of a visibly pregnant 21-year-old woman with her toddler child looking forlornly into the camera, as if her situation is somehow completely the fault of the American people. Sorry, but our immigration policies just aren't responsible for her current position in life. We beg to differ with the Catholic Church, the 800-pound gorilla of morality and family life in Mexico, but if one can't afford to have multiple children at such a young age, then perhaps one shouldn't do so until such plans become financially feasible.

The Federation for American Immigration Reform's Jack Martin is quoted as outlining what we've been advocating for quite some time - that this turn of events will hopefully force the Mexican people to do what they've been putting off for generations - deal with their corrupt and incompetent government:

"[Martin says] the decline in remittances may force Mexico to create jobs at home and tackle income inequality, describing the cash transfers as a "crutch that the Mexican government has leaned on for quite awhile."

Absolutely. As we've noted on a number of occasions, Mexico is a country incredibly rich in natural resources, and enjoys a hardworking, friendly population. There is no reason whatsoever (aside from generations of entrenched governmental stupidity) why it can't easily be self-supporting.

The reporter, Chris Hawley, is also apparently extra-careful to choose a town to profile that's located out in the middle of Nowhereland, as if this further tale of hardship will somehow gin up some extra sympathy for illegal immigration:

"Some areas of Mexico can fall back on fertile farmland or factory jobs when remittances drop.

It's not clear what else could save Pacula.

The town is so geographically isolated that getting there requires a one-hour drive on a rocky dirt road that hugs a sheer mountainside."

We hearken back to the sage advice of the late comedian Sam Kinison, who once commented that Africans in similar circumstances should maybe consider moving to where jobs and food are available, instead of continuing to live in an area that isn't economically viable without outside dollars rolling in to prop it up. That's certainly what we would do, if we found ourselves in that predicament.

Perhaps this latest crisis, which is mostly of their own government's making, will convince the Mexican people to finally clean house once and for all and install some competent leadership that will allow them to join the rest of North America in peace and prosperity.

No "change" for you

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:18:00 +0000

The Messiah's stalwart Number Two doesn't have "private meetings that are closed press" (very, very bad), you must understand, only meetings that are "closed to the press" (good!):

Andrew Malcolm of the Los Angeles Times clues us in:

"And we've wondered aloud how this Democratic VP's private meetings with unnamed people on unnamed subjects differs from the private meetings with unnamed people that his evil predecessor had that got so many Democratic senators and representatives worried about nefarious secrets."

Because they're in charge now, obviously, and are now free to blatantly ignore their own bogus solemn vow to become "the most transparent administration in history".

Don't worry about a thing, good peasants - they've purely got your best interests at heart. You don't need to worry about a thing. Kindly disregard those sneaky fingers reaching into your pocket, by the way.

Why I carry a handgun for protection, Vol. 19

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:23:00 +0000

So that if myself and my loved ones happen to be standing outside a friend's home after watching fireworks on July 4, just like this family of four (including two teenagers) in Akron, Ohio happened to be doing, and we are assaulted by "dozens of teenage boys" (up to 50, the story reports) who are shouting things such as "This is our world'' and ''This is a black world", we will be able to successfully defend ourselves from such an unprovoked brutal attack.

"Akron police say they aren't ready to call it a hate crime"

Hmm. A large number of feral youths suddenly attack a family of a different race for no apparent reason, all the while chanting racist slogans.

Those circumstances sure sound like what our betters in government insist on labeling a "hate crime" to us, and which undoubtedly would have happened here as well had the racial makeup of the involved parties simply been reversed.

We here at the Muckraker don't believe in the concept of hate crime legislation, in which people are given harsher penalties for the exact same crime based on what they may or may not have been thinking at the time that crime is committed.

If one is going to insist on charging people in such a manner, however, this Ohio incident would certainly seem to obviously fit the criteria.

We'll see if the "authorities" end up seeing it the same way.

Come again, ma'am?

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:04:00 +0000

"Yes, the ruling about that surprised me. [Harris v. McRae — in 1980 the court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of Medicaid for abortions.] Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of. So that Roe was going to be then set up for Medicaid funding for abortion. Which some people felt would risk coercing women into having abortions when they didn’t really want them. But when the court decided McRae, the case came out the other way. And then I realized that my perception of it had been altogether wrong." (Emphasis mine)

- Supreme Court Justice ~~Margaret Sanger~~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg discussing abortion rulings, New York Times, July 7, 2009.

Wow.

Imagine the immediate explosive (and justified) media outcry had usual boogeymen Antonin Scalia or Clarence Thomas come out with that little gem.

Well, where are those same dominant news types now that one of the most reliable liberal doctrinaires on the Court has apparently been exposed as a closet eugenicist?

(Liberty's Teeth via The War on Guns)

Maybe Pfizer should hire him to pitch Viagra. It would at least solve his tax issues

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:34:00 +0000

Boy, this really brings back memories from our youth in the Washington, D.C. area.

We note with amusement that the Marion Barry Follies continue unabated in our nation's capital, up to and including the surreal sight of his spokeswoman, Natalie Williams, holding an 11:00 p.m. (!) press conference in order to defend the disclosure that Barry had put his latest girlfriend (who had the former mayor arrested over the July 4 holiday for allegedly stalking her) on the city's payroll as a "leadership recruiter" (at $60,000 a year).

Ms. Williams also threw said girlfriend under the proverbial bus at the conference by revealing that the girlfriend had been diagnosed by a psychiatrist with "compulsive behavior disorder and clinical depression" (isn't that a serious HIPAA violation? It would be for any other employer in the country. We guess it's completely hunky-dory to publicly broadcast confidential medical information about an employee if you 1.) rate special treatment because you're City Council royalty instead of being a peasant like everyone else, 2.) you're banging her and 3.) she really is crazy), only to have the girlfriend in question pretty much prove Williams right by showing up in person and arguing right back with the flack:

Ms. Williams deserves a significant raise for keeping a straight face during that presser.

Keep on being classy, Mr. Mayor.

Shame on the voters who insist on rewarding this idiot, who keeps causing them worldwide embarrassment on a regular basis, with term after term in cushy government "service".

Own it, pal

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:10:00 +0000

Retired General Colin Powell, a Republican who strongly endorsed the Messiah for President apparently solely based on the fact that they share the same skin tone, is now having himself a serious case of buyer's remorse:

"I'm concerned at the number of programs that are being presented, the bills associated with these programs and the additional government that will be needed to execute them,"

"one of the cautions that has to be given to the president -- and I've talked to some of his people about this -- is that you can't have so many things on the table that you can't absorb it all."

"And we can't pay for it all,"

Duh.

And to think we once enthusiastically supported Powell's running for the Presidency himself.

Don't act so surprised, General. President Obama is merely putting into motion the astounding number of freedom-sapping measures he vowed to impose on American society while campaigning last fall. Maybe you had wax in your ears then or something.

You wanted him enough to stump for him and pull his lever in the election booth; now shut up and deal with the consequences. We don't want to hear any more of your whining, sir. It's unbecoming a man of your accomplishments.

Our patience is rapidly ending

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:58:00 +0000

Certified letter out to U.S. Marshal David Gonzales this morning:

Marshal Gonzales:

I received your letter dated May 18, 2009, acknowledging your intent to review and investigate the circumstances regarding my interaction with Court Security Officers on April 6, 2009, and the subsequent rude and unprofessional treatment I received from Deputy Marshal Jennifer Harkins when I attempted to politely follow up with her about the matter. In your response, you stated that you will be contacting me “shortly with a formal response in this matter”. Thank you very much for your quick and professional reply.

As it has now been 35 business days since your communication to me, and 62 business days since I filed my original complaint with L/CSO Juan Prieve, I am writing to respectfully inquire if your investigation has ended, what findings have been reached and what retraining or sanctions, if any, have been deemed appropriate.

I greatly appreciate your time and attention in assisting with this matter. For your convenience, I have enclosed copies of my letter to you, as well as your response.

Sincerely,

Douglas J. Hester

Cc: U.S. Attorney Diane J. Humetewa

Enclosures:

Letter to Marshal David Gonzales dated 5/13/09
Response from Marshal Gonzales dated 5/18/09

We think that we've allowed a quite reasonable interval for this matter to be fully investigated, and we look forward to learning in the near future just how Marshal Gonzales plans to resolve our complaint.

(A side note: The clerk at the post office who helped us this morning apparently used to work at another mail facility located quite near to the offices where these letters were posted, and he politely asked us why we were contacting these individuals. When we explained the situation, he looked at us quizzically and asked, "You were taking pictures of the outside of the building? What's wrong with that?"

Why is it that everyone in the country seems to understand that concept, save for Federal Courthouse Security officers and Deputy U.S. Marshals?)

A straight shooter, in more ways than one

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:01:00 +0000

Another police officer that "gets it", and isn't afraid to say so publicly:

"First, fear of federal government intrusion into our lives. Every time I look at or listen to the news, there is something new and intrusive coming out of the Obama administration and this Congress. New tax schemes, government-run Canadian-style healthcare, a volunteer citizen defense force (whatever that is, what happened to the National Guard?) equipped with funding similar to our military, forced voluntary “service” after retirement, a lack of a southern border with hordes of illegal and criminal aliens pouring over our border, the swine flu scare as well as government forced closing of thousands of privately held Chrysler and GM dealerships, which will be the final nail in the coffin for these companies and the list goes on and on."

And not just any ol' cop, either:

"Scott Wagner is a Police Academy Commander and Professor at Columbus State Community College in Columbus Ohio, and Commander of the 727 Counter Terror Training Unit. A 29 year law enforcement veteran, and current Deputy Sheriff, he is the Precision Marksman for the Union County Sheriff’s Office SRT Team."

Read the entire "Note From a Cop". We agree with Billy Beck, in that Professor Wagner is correct indeed to be worried about himself, his colleagues and his loved ones should there be a massive peasant backlash against the current daily assaults by the Federal Government against everyone's freedoms and liberties.

We fervently hope that Wagner's concern is overblown and misguided. We also worry that it is not.

Why I carry a handgun for protection, Vol. 18

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:16:00 +0000

So that if my wife and I are violently assaulted and robbed by a pair of brutal street thugs while returning to our motel room after a night at the movies, as what happened to a fifty-something Florida couple on June 23 in Wilmington, Delaware (and which was captured on a "security" camera), I can at least try to defend us from such a vicious attack, and will have the means to attempt with every fiber of my being to protect my beloved spouse from being pounded into the pavement by the likes of those scumbags.

The attackers are still at large.

By the way, that camera really provided a lot of "security", didn't it?

Addendums to the English Insanity List

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:51:00 +0000

A couple of other incidents out of Britain that we neglected to include in our list the other day:

1. England is preparing to unleash a horde of green-jacketed "environmental police" on thousands of companies doing business there, as the country's Environment Agency prepares to implement its own version of the "carbon emissions" law being currently being considered in the U.S. Senate:

"The agency is creating a unit of about 50 auditors and inspectors, complete with warrant cards and the power to search company premises to enforce the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), which comes into effect next year... [the unit] will also be able to demand energy bills from utilities without the companies under investigation knowing they are being watched." (All emphases mine)

Imagine the scenario of a British small business owner who has his door broken down by the green-clad thugs, who have no probable cause but conveniently are in possession of magical all-access warrant cards, who demand to immediately inspect the company's compliance records, no matter how small the alleged violation happens to be or how inconvenient the timing of the ~~raid~~ inspection is for the owner.

Think it won't happen in that manner? We are certain that's exactly how it's going to go down.

How long until these sorts of frightening Big-Brotherish tactics are proposed in the U.S. in order to better fight the "scourge" of carbon dioxide, which is not a pollutant but rather a vital part of our ecosystem?

2. Immigration officials in England have denied a foreign visitor entry into their country solely
"because visa officials ruled it "not credible" that anyone would want to spend a week in Gateshead."

We're sure the local Chamber of Commerce and Tourist Bureau appreciated that boneheaded move.

Since we're boycotting travel to England until such time as the peasants there regain their senses and dump their oppressive government, we are unable to travel to Gateshead personally to observe what's so wrong with the area that the government refuses to believe that anyone would want to visit there.

Maybe the residents there are different than the rest of the English sheeple and bravely refuse to surrender their freedoms on demand, and this is part of their punishment.

How much farther down the drain can they get over there?

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:33:00 +0000

Some choice tidbits of insanity from the Nanny State lunatic asylum that England has sadly become. We honestly don't know whether to laugh or cry at these:

1. 39 prisoners have escaped from Holleseley Bay Prison in Suffolk, England between January 2007 and March of this year. Prison "authorities" would no doubt dearly love to have some of their houseguests back, but they refuse to publicize the names and pictures of the escapees because it would violate the privacy rights of the prisoners:

"They say releasing their names would breach obligations under the Data Protection Act."

What about the law-abiding citizens, the protection of whose rights presumably caused the inmates to be put away in the first place? Anyone? Bueller?

Amazingly, this isn't the first time this sort of situation has happened over there:

"In January 2007 Derbyshire Police refused to release pictures of two convicted murderers on the run from jail. Chief Constable David Coleman said Jason Croft and Michael Nixon posed "no risk'' and the force had to consider the Human Rights Act and data protection laws when asked to publish photographs. The force later denied human rights had been a factor." (All emphases mine)

Murderers apparently "pose no risk" in Britain.

Huh.

Silly us, that's why the English peasants don't need weapons with which to defend themselves. Just invite the violent thugs in for a cup of tea, and everything will be just dandy. Carry on, then.

2. Seven retirees in Cambridgeshire, England, have been informed by the local Health and Safety busybodies that they may no longer gather at the local library on Tuesday mornings for their coffee group (which they've been doing for four years now without incident) because of concerns that one of the poor old feebs just might spill their coffee on one of the youngsters:

"Coffee club member Derek Taylor slammed the 'laughable' move and claimed they had usually finished their drinks by the time the toddlers arrived for their half hour visit."

If it's so "laughable", Mr. Taylor, then why did your group meekly submit and decide to move the meetings to your private homes like the good sheeple you've been trained to be, instead of fighting back against this lunatic policy?

Here, we'll give you some ammo to use, free of charge:

"However, we understand that is not the case at all, because we have always finished our drinks before the children even arrive, and that it is the case that the librarian doesn't want to wash up extra cups."

You mean to tell us the librarians consume hot beverages when the precious little snowflakes are around? Horrors!! You'd best immediately point that fact out to Health and Safety, and then quiz them on exactly why there are two different policies in place. We're betting they'll let you right back in, instead of cruelly cutting off their government colleagues from their precious coffee and tea. We'd love to see those librarians attempt to deal with a bunch of screaming youngsters while simultaneously being afflicted with raging headaches from caffeine withdrawal.

3. St. Sidwells Primary School in Devon, England has banned its students from wearing swim goggles in their pool, as they apparently become slippery when wet (doesn't everything?) and one of the precious little snowflakes could put their eye out with them:

"Authorities at the school say they're following advice from the British Association of Advisors and Lecturers in Physical Education (BAALPE).

The BAALPE advice states: 'Head teachers should inform parents and carers that goggles can be a hazard and cause permanent eye injury.'

'Wet plastic is very slippery and frequent, incorrect or unnecessary adjustment or removal of them, by pulling them away from the eyes instead of sliding them over the forehead, can lead to them slipping from the pupil's grasp with the hard plastic causing severe injury.'"

Words escape us.

4. Matthew Nice, an Essex, England man, has been ordered by his housing association to remove his kids' trampoline from his yard because it poses a "safety risk", in that criminals might use it to jump through his neighbors' windows and burglarize them:

"Mr Nice, a social housing tenant at the three-storey block in Wicklow, Essex, has refused to comply, saying that his eight-year-old daughter Yasmin plays on the 12 in high trampoline every day"

We'd pay to see the Olympic burglar that could gain access to a second story by getting a whopping one foot of bounce.

Bonus points - guess what Mr. Nice does for a living? If you answered "Health and Safety Inspector", give yourself a nice trinket from the prize box.

It has now apparently come to the point in Britain where the ever-more-intrusive Health and Safety thugs, having throughly sanitized the rest of that country from any risk (and freedom) whatsoever, are now reduced to cannibalizing each other.

"Shared responsibility" = Socialism

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:54:00 +0000

Democratic Senators Kennedy and Dodd have taken time out from making "waitress sandwiches" to proudly announce that their dream health care legislation will involve forcing every American (meaning only those who actually make a decent living, of course) to buy health insurance whether they wish to or not, and that they plan on fining those peasants who refuse to play the game $1,000 or more:

"Called “shared responsibility payments,” the fines would be set at least at half the cost of basic medical coverage, according to the legislation. The goal is to nudge people to sign up for coverage when they are healthy, not wait until they get sick."

"Nudging" isn't usually done at gunpoint, with the promise of jail time for those who don't acquiesce. We guess that's just more of the wonderful hope and change we've been showered with lately.

This wonderful plan basically means that a given peasant will be forced to purchase a service they may have zero interest in receiving, solely to finance giving that same service away to someone else for free,

"The government would provide subsidies for the poor and many middle-class families, but those who still refuse to sign up would face penalties."

and that poor peasant will be heavily fined should they refuse to participate, in order to end up making them pay for this Ponzi scheme anyway (think it isn't? Seen the frightening projections for Medicare lately?).

We state again: We will not participate in a socialized medicine program, nor will we pay any fines levied against us for failing to do so. We don't need anyone else to "share responsibility" for our lives.

Today's TASER Travesty

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:16:00 +0000

It wasn't enough for three Gwinnett County, Georgia police officers (a corporal and two sergeants, to boot) to regularly show up at a Waffle House restaurant and fill up with free food, in direct violation of department policy.

Nope, they had to further abuse their authority by teasing the young waiter mercilessly (all the while scarfing their ill-gotten breakfasts) by constantly threatening the poor fellow with a TASER:

"[Daniel] Wilson said the officers often pointed the red laser from their Taser at him playfully. They would do so when Wilson picked a song they didn’t like on the jukebox or when telling him not to mess up their order, Wilson said."

Yessir, it was all hilarious fun and games (at least for the cops), right up until the day that Corporal Gary Miles actually walked up behind Wilson and TASED him for real, for no apparent reason whatsoever other than to get some sick kicks:

"Then on Feb. 16, Wilson was chatting with [the two sergeants] when Miles sidled up behind him. Without saying a word, Miles zapped him with the Taser, Wilson said."

The two superior officers, instead of being horrified and immediately reporting Miles for his action, merely laughed it up along with the corporal. Wilson sought an apology from Miles a few days later; instead of being remorseful or apologetic, here's what the good corporal had to say for himself, according to the waiter:

“Who says I did it by accident?”

Fortunately for the other law-abiding residents of Gwinnett County, Miles has been fired and charged with "misdemeanor battery and violating his oath as an officer". Sergeants Christopher Parry and Joseph Parkerson were allowed to resign in disgrace before they got pink-slipped, but the local prosecutor hasn't ruled out charging them in the incident as well.

Wilson has filed a lawsuit against the department seeking damages, and as part of that legal action his attorney seeks to

"bar Gwinnett police from carrying Tasers until their policy and training is evaluated".

That sounds quite reasonable to us, based on the fact that three of their command officers felt that the "less than lethal" defense weapon was issued to them to be used as some sort of souped-up joy buzzer.

Are the media zombies finally beginning to wake up?

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Things got a little "chippy" at the White House press briefing yesterday when Chip Reid of CBS began pinning spokesman Robert Gibbs down as to just how "public" the public town hall meeting on health care really was:

"The point is the control from here. We have never had that in the White House. And we have had some control but not this control. I mean I'm amazed, I'm amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency and have controlled..."

- Helen freakin' Thomas (!), who is about as liberal as it gets in the major media. It's about time she started doing her job correctly by questioning the Messiah's deceptive tactics.

She knows from secretive and controlling administrations, too, since she's covered every White House since Kennedy.

"'Calling reporters the night before, telling them they’re going to be called on — that’s shocking,' Thomas said, referring to an incident last week when Huffington Post blogger Nico Pitney was given advance warning that he would be called on to ask a question on behalf of the Iranian public."

Welcome back, Ms. Thomas.

Keep yukking it up, Mr. Gibbs. You look oh so professional with your smarmy dismissals of the reporters' legitimate and tough (it's about time) questions.

Oscar-worthy

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:39:00 +0000

That seemingly heartwarming ~~blatant attempt to generate some sympathy~~ little "town meeting" that the Messiah was forced to put on yesterday because his nationalized health care scheme isn't getting much traction in Congress, where he supposedly took questions from the "general public"?

It was pretty much all a setup:

"The president called randomly on three audience members. All turned out to be members of groups with close ties to his administration: the Service Employees International Union, Health Care for America Now, and Organizing for America, which is a part of the Democratic National Committee. White House officials said that was a coincidence." (Emphasis mine)

With a straight face, no doubt. That sure doesn't sound "random" to us. We'd love to go hit Vegas with odds like those.

How bad must this socialistic nightmare of a health care plan be, if Obama has to resort to lies and trickery to sell it to the peasantry?

A great day for gun rights in Arizona

reaver33@gmail.com (Douglas Hester) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:21:00 +0000

The Arizona Legislature has passed, and Governor Jan Brewer is rumored to have already signed into law (we can't confirm this just yet), Senate Bill 1113, which allows law-abiding handgun carry permit holders to bring their firearm into bars and restaurants that serve alcohol by the drink. There are a few restrictions, however:

1. The firearm must be concealed.

2. The permit holder may not drink alcohol while carrying.

3. The establishment may ban firearms by posting a sign stating that fact in a specified location.

Failure to abide by these rules is a class 3 misdemeanor.

Naturally, the anti-gun Chicken Littles are screeching bloody murder about the new law, including online commenter RBJohnson of Minnesota, who opined in part:

"I guess I'll be back in Arizona when/if this bill is repealed. No way I'm bringing myself, much less my wife and kids, into a situation where drunks are even allowed to carry guns, much less encouraged to do so.
To the people who are here saying they've been in states with similar laws without a problem, good for you. Not a choice I'll be making."

(We don't have the heart to clue Mr. Johnson in on the fact that Minnesota has never banned carry permit holders from bars and restaurants, and that the 60,000 or so law-abiding people who have obtained their permits since the state went "shall-issue" in 2003 haven't caused any problems whatsoever in such establishments. We suppose ol' Mr. Johnson had better immediately begin searching for a more Socialist, freedom-sapping state in which to reside. May we recommend Illinois?)

The Legislature also passed, and Governor Brewer is expected to sign:

Senate Bill 1168, which "prevents any private or public employer, property owner, etc. from banning any person from keeping a firearm in a locked vehicle in a parking area on the property, with specific, limited exceptions."

Senate Bill 1243, which "establishes a justification defense for referring to, showing, or grasping a firearm in a defensive manner when confronted with physical or deadly force."

and Senate Bill 1449, which "would make the 2006 Castle Doctrine/Burden of Proof changes retroactively applicable to all cases pending at the time of passage that the defendant had not pled guilty to. Similar to a bill that the previous Governor vetoed."

(All bill descriptions are from the good folks at the Arizona Citizens' Defense League, an all-volunteer organization of regular people devoted to preserving and expanding gun rights in Arizona. They're a good bunch; we know because we're a member.)

This last bill is vitally important in the case of Harold Fish, a retired schoolteacher who used deadly force to defend himself against an assault by a man named Grant Kuenzli and his three aggressive dogs while on a hiking trail in 2004. Fish was not permitted to use the applicable self-defense burden of proof statute in his defense (even though it became law while his trial was being held), and his attorney was not allowed to present evidence of "at least 10 other incidents in which Kuenzli had gotten violent with people, charged them in a manner similar to Fish's description and even assaulted them. Some of the incidents involved dogs."

There were many other procedural problems in the prosecution of Fish, as evidenced by the fact that the Arizona Court of Appeals has just yesterday thrown out his conviction and ordered a new trial in the case. It is hoped that the Coconino County Attorney will just decline to retry the case, rather than put an innocent man through a second trial.

All in all, a fantastic and special day for rights, especially gun rights, in sunny Arizona.

Special thanks again must go to the Dave Kopp, Fred Dahnke and the rest of the leaders at the AZCDL for their tireless work in helping to pass this legislation. If you're an Arizona gun owner and are not a member, shame on you.