Blog
Violence
Assault on MTA bus driver part of so-called 'knockout game'
Yet again!
FLINT, MI – Police say a Mass Transportation Authority bus driver was punched in the face as part of the so-called "knockout game" that's gained national attention.
The "knockout game" has been blamed for attacks in several cities and involves suspects punching strangers for no reason.
The Flint bus incident occurred around 6:40 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, when a man was attacked while driving the bus.
The driver suffered several facial injuries, according to police. Another teen filmed the incident as it took place.
Police originally said the incident occurred because one of the suspects was upset about having to pay a bus fare, but further investigation showed it was a planned attack, said Flint police Capt. Collin Birnie.
"This was planned, orchestrated and filmed," he said.
"It's not a game; it's a crime," said Leyton.
The juveniles have been charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm, he said.
"The driver has serious injuries and we will seek to hold the juveniles accountable," said Leyton.
Ed Benning, MTA general manager, said the driver had to undergo surgery to repair broken bones around the eye as a result of the punch.
Another aggravated assault, a.k.a. "knockout game." This time the victim was the operator of a loaded bus.
It would be wise to study the pattern of these attacks and be ready to deal with the threat.
/fl
Gun Business
No bluff, just fact!
Back on February 25, 2013, it was announced that Beretta USA, the domestic division of the Italian firearms manufacturer, had informed the state of Maryland that it would move operations out of the state if a law aimed at the Second Amendment was enacted. Jeff Reh, a member of the Board of Directors for Beretta U.S.A. Corp., told lawmakers that the company opposed Maryland Senate bill 281, otherwise known as the Firearm Safety Act of 2013.
In a letter to lawmakers, Beretta’s Jeff Reh said legislation proposed by Gov. Martin O’Malley will “treat as dangerous millions of people who lawfully and safely own semi-automatic rifles and the tens of millions of people who lawfully and safely own magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. It tells those people that you can protect your life, your family or your business, even against multiple assailants, as long as you can get do so in 10 rounds or less. It tells all of these people that in Maryland there is a limit on the extent to which you can exercise your 2nd Amendment rights, a limit that does not apply, by the way, to police officers who buy these products for the same protective reasons that are desired by the general public.”
“Enact such measures at your own risk,” the company told lawmakers, according to Bizpac Review.
Guess what!
Beretta, one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers, announced that they will be moving manufacturing operations to Gallatin, Tennessee bringing more than 300 jobs to the region.
One of the great things about living in a federal republic is the ability to pick up and move away from a region that is suffering from socio-political decay. Moving a business is an aggravating and expensive thing to have to do, but at least we are still free to do it! Hopefully, the pendulum will swing back for the people of Maryland. In the meantime, the people of Tennessee are reaping the reward of several hundred new jobs.
/fl
Home Invasion
Dog dies after Phoenix burglars use samurai sword to stab it in its kennel
I have long said that home invasion is the most heinous crime that there is. This video illustrates the reason. A person's home is a special place; it's more than their "castle." A home is often the only 'harbor of refuge' that a person has from the storms of this world.
In this case, there was insult added to injury; the homeowner's dog was killed.
When caught in the act, or convicted, home invaders should be summarily removed from the face of the earth!
Addendum: As far as the proposal, in the above video, to put animal abusers on the same list as sex offenders, I can't see that working thanks to wacko groups like PETA that would insist that every hunter be placed on the list.
/fl
Firearms Safety
Senator Rand Paul to Offer Amendment concerning Post Offices
On Wednesday, January 29, Senator Rand Paul will offer an amendment, in committee, to the Postal Reform Act (S. 1486).
The amendment will allow you to drive into a post office parking lot with your gun, and will allow you to carry it into the post office, to the extent state law would allow you to carry that firearm in any other venue.
This proposal makes good sense when it comes to safety. A citizen with a CCW permit has demonstrated their ability to safely and responsibly carry a firearm. What has normally not been demonstrated is their ability to safely fumble around with the firearm while seated in a parked vehicle in a parking lot.
Wag of the tail to GOA.
/fl
Violence
Maryland Mall Gunman Darion Marcus Aguilar Had No Criminal Record, Police Say
The gunman who killed two people at a Maryland mall was a teenage skateboarding enthusiast who had no criminal record before he showed up at the shopping center armed with a shotgun, plenty of ammunition and a backpack filled with crude homemade explosives, authorities said Sunday.
"I mean, what can you say?" [victim Benlolo's grandfather] said. "You go to work and make a dollar and you got some idiot coming in and blowing people away."
This is exactly the reason why you need to be prepared to defend yourself at all times.
/fl
Law and Order
The 'what now' dilemma
The police are called on to investigate all types of "unusual behavior." The investigation demands extreme caution on their part when it involves guns.
When a brief investigation reveals that there is no criminal liability associated with a person's "unusual" behavior, some cops seem to hit the wall. Then there are others who do their best to withdraw from the confrontation in a congenial manner—a skill that comes from their upbringing as much as their duty experience.
LESSON: If you are a law-abiding citizen, and you intend to exercise your freedom by packing a gun, and some hoplophobe calls the cops on you, you can only hope that the responding police are intelligent, congenial, and educated—it would be nice if they all were. But remember, there are still "junkyard dogs" that are dumbfounded by the 'what now' dilemma. Have as much sympathy as you can....
/fl
Ignorance is their strategy
"Guns in the home raise suicide, homicide risk, review confirms"
Reads the headline to an article on the NBC News website.
Having guns in the home triples the risk of suicide and doubles the risk of homicide, researchers reported on Monday.
Well, if a person is prone to either homicide or suicide, then having access to a gun would definitely raise the risk!
However, to the "duh generation," this fact is morphed into
“Firearms cause an estimated 31,000 deaths annually in the United States"
Risk equals cause?
Does fuzzy thinking tickle the brain?
/fl
Society
Think about it!
Here is a good example of the reason why you have to pay more for trash bags that bear the printing "DO NOT PLACE THIS BAG OVER YOUR BABY'S FACE", or as one viewer commented "This is why land mines have a label that says "DO NOT EAT."
And, have you noticed that guys like de Leon always seem to be able to find at least one 'useful idiot' in a police uniform to act as a backdrop!
/fl
Crime and violence
Yes, it's a true fact; it's still a true fact; it's always been a true fact; it will always be a true fact!
Detroit’s police chief recently made waves when he advocated people arm themselves for self-defense. In this video, economist John R. Lott, author of More Guns, Less Crime, explains why concealed carry is the most sensible position.
You would think that the debate over guns in a free constitutional republic would be a settled issue by now, but some people still seem surprised to hear that more guns equal less violent crime—or they are just in denial.
/fl
Civil Rights
Federal Court Decision Affirms Both Citizens Right to Buy Firearms and Lawful Commerce
NEWTOWN, Conn. – In striking down the City of Chicago’s 2010 ordinance banning the sales of firearms within city limits, U.S. District Court Judge Edmond E. Chang in his ruling released Monday provided important recognition that the right of Americans to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment also necessitates that they have the right to acquire those firearms through lawful commerce.
“Even as this ordinance was doing nothing to reduce criminal activity, it was clearly infringing upon the rights of law-abiding citizens to have firearms for self-defense and other lawful purposes, as was affirmed by the Supreme Court in the Heller and McDonald decisions,” said Lawrence G. Keane, senior vice president and general counsel, National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). “This federal court has not only recognized another aspect of constitutional protection for citizens, but in a sense it also recognized that lawful commerce itself is protected, which is an important determination for our industry.”
Weather
Wind direction is momentous
In wintertime Pensacola, the wind direction determines how you dress. When the wind is from the North, we bundle up; when the wind is from the South, we wear lightweight clothing. And, it's always wise to be prepared for a wind shift...
I can put up with an occasional bundling up in the winter when I recall scenes like the one below.
In the 1950's, before we had air-conditioning, during the summertime, I used to swim in the Lake Michigan water pictured below; and, it didn't seem to be a whole lot warmer than it is in this picture—that is what made Lake Michigan such a treat during the hot days of summer!
But, I prefer winters in Pensacola!
/fl
History
Outdoor Life's 9 Biggest 2nd Amendment Stories of 2013
The year of 2013 saw more political battles over gun control than any time since the Clinton era. Some good bills were passed, some detrimental bills were passed, but most of the legislation never survived Congress.
It's history now. To help put the year 2013 in perspective, Outdoor Life's John Haughey summarized his version of the "9 biggest 2nd Amendment stories of 2013."
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Freedom
‘Looks Like Weimar Germany’
A now-viral photo showing a long line of Connecticut residents waiting to register their guns and ammo is circulating across the Internet — and it’s sending chills down the backs of some gun owners.
Occasionally we are provided with a reminder, like this one, that it was only 3 percent of the colonial British subjects that resisted the King during the revolutionary war; we owe our freedom to a relatively small percentage of patriots. Obviously, the people in the above photo fall into the 97 percent category.
The following historically relevant photo was posted on another blog under the title "1942: Jews line up for registration."
/fl