"I can't find a compelling reason for anybody to have a gun in this courthouse," Commissioner Scott Gillenwaters said.You'd better pray a compelling reason never finds you, foolish man.
Off-duty law enforcement officers will be allowed to tote weapons in the courthouse, the panel decided in a separate vote.Ah, yes. As we've demonstrated countless times here at WarOnGuns, only "The Only Ones" are competent and trustworthy enough to bear arms.
Police Commissioner Ed Davis had barely been on the job two weeks when the gun violence that has ripped through Boston’s neighborhoods took another life - a 14-year-old middle school student.
Ten days later, another 14-year-old was shot to death. Less than two weeks later, a 13-year-old boy was gunned down.
Mexican drug gangs are armed with assault weapons bought at gun shows in the United States and smuggled across the border, a report says.Nice. The corrupt Mexican government does its utmost to facilitate illegal border crossings, and then complains the permeable border facilitates Mexican corruption.
Criticize the need for guns, the obsession with guns, and you're labeled unpatriotic, anti-Constitution or - horrors - a liberal.You forgot "Nazi."
"Goodfellas" actor Paul Sorvino pulled a gun on his daughter's ex-boyfriend after the man pounded on her hotel door and made threats, the daughter testified Tuesday.As I noted here, Sorvino was one of the few from the Hollywood set I recall who attended California Rifle and Pistol Association banquets back in the days when I was a "true believer" and went to such events myself.
Rep. Bartlett, of Maryland, has introduced HR 73. I'll paste its text in extended remarks below. It doesn't have a snowball's chance of getting out of Judiciary Committee, but the effort is praiseworthy.As usual, David Hardy's opinion is something we should heed.
Relying upon strategic creativity, Brigadier General Daniel Morgan and a mixed Patriot force rout British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton and a group of Redcoats and Loyalists at the Battle of Cowpens on this day in 1781.
The Rockport Police Department’s domestic violence officer has been charged with firing a weapon during a dispute with his wife.You cannot make this stuff up. Only "The Only Ones" can.
A police officer was accidentally shocked by another officer's stun gun while they were trying to subdue a teenager suspected of being drunk, according to a police report.Another electrifying moment for "The Only Ones."
A northern Virginia senator is taking aim at gun shows with legislation to require private sellers to run criminal background checks on their customers.
Sen. Jeanne-marie Devolites Davis, R-Fairfax, said Monday that the so-called gun show loophole makes it all too easy for criminals to get firearms.
British Admiral Sir George Rodney, with 18 “ships-of-the-line,” engages an inferior Spanish squadron of 11 battleships commanded by Don Juan de Langara off the southwestern coast of Portugal at Cape St. Vincent, in what comes to be known as “The Moonlight Battle.” (“Ships-of-the-line” is the 18th century term for ships substantial enough to be used in a battle line, a tactic of war in which two lines of ships faced off against each other.)
The program is a gun bounty program modeled after one in Jacksonville. It lets people turn in others who are carrying guns illegally, all to get a reward...
"We’re actually going to offer through CrimeLine $1,000 reward to anyone that turns in somebody that has an illegal gun or a gun that has been used in a crime of some sort. And that's a pretty significant reward, $1,000, and you can do it anonymously."
Dyer says the program has been effective in Jacksonville, but it’s impossible to calculate the exact impact it had on crime there.
Police investigating a report of shots fired early Saturday morning on the South Side arrested two men who allegedly had a gun stolen from a Schuylkill Haven, Pa., police officer.Thank goodness--another gun "off the streets."
It seems like more and more Hollywood women are taking a trip to the gun shop.That's fine, Ms. Keys. Taking responsibility for your own protection is a requirement of being a free and responsible adult.
Now, adding herself to the list, Alicia Keys says she is considering buying a gun for protection...
Having recognized the need for their territory to assert its independence from both Britain and New York and remove themselves from the war they were waging against each other, a convention of future Vermonters assembles in Westminster and declares independence from the crown of Great Britain and the colony of New York on this day in 1777. The convention’s delegates included Vermont’s future governor, Thomas Chittenden, and Ira Allen, who would become known as the "father" of the University of Vermont.I'm sure old Ira would have approved of this then...
The Pentagon is hoping that a new type of suit will give its soldiers super-human powers. It would be made from a newly developed super-strong but super-lightweight fabric that could stop bullets and increase the soldiers muscle power up to a hundredfold.If and when they get the super-suit perfected, is there any question they'll be limited to the standing army/"Only Ones," and possession by the "militia" will be verboten?
A 28-year-old woman has died of water intoxication after taking part in a Californian radio station's water drinking contest.The answer, of course, is common sense water control laws, although some of us wonder if an outright ban on this dangerous substance might not be in everyone's interest.
She was in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" competition trying to win a Nintendo Wii video game system.
Calamia, a former Indialantic police officer and Brevard Community College criminal justice instructor, pleaded no contest in 1988 to the execution-style killing of former reserve Brevard County Sheriff’s Office deputy Gary Smith in 1987.So the issue shouldn't be what's he doing out of the country, or what's he doing holding an AK-47.
Former governor Mitt Romney, who once described himself as a supporter of strong gun laws, is distancing himself from that rhetoric now as he attempts to court the gun owners who make up a significant force in Republican primary politics...
But perhaps the most significant gun legislation Romney signed as governor was a 2004 measure instituting a permanent ban on assault weapons. The Legislature mirrored the law after the federal assault weapons ban, which was set to expire. According to activists at the time, the bill made Massachusetts the first state to enact its own such ban, and Romney hailed the move.
"These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense," he was quoted as saying. "They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people."
That's a lot more than just "rhetoric." Now that some are trying to help him erase the past, it would seem fair to require proof that he really has "reformed."Fincher's defense argued that the law under which he was charged is unconstitutional because it violates the 2nd Amendment's guarantee of citizens' rights to bear arms...Prosecutors told jurors the case was simple -- Fincher had the machine guns and they weren't registered as required."No, his defense didn't argue a thing--they were not allowed to by the judge. If your only source of news as "authorized journalists," this piece would make you think Wayne Fincher got a fair trial.
The results of this governmental abuse of power are the tragedies of an innocent man in jail, his family broken-hearted and the abusers celebrating their contrived victory.Dale Morfrey shares some candid observations.
This case truly has never been about the law, evidence and justice. If it had, Fincher would have remained a free man and would have been found not guilty by the jury.
On this day in 1784, the Continental Congress ratifies the Second Treaty of Paris, ending the War for Independence.I'm afraid the war for independence will never be over as long as there are those who make war against independence.
A narcotics team that shot and killed an elderly woman while raiding her home lied to obtain the search warrant, one team member has told federal investigators, according to news reports confirmed by a person familiar with the investigation who requested anonymity.You know, when you consider the whole point behind having a government in the first place is to protect our lives, our rights and our property...
A Valparaiso police officer's handgun and ammunition were stolen after someone broke into her home late Thursday or early Friday morning.So locking your gun up in one place and your ammunition in another is something "The Only Ones" only tell us to do...?
He's recorded the R&B/hip-hop single "Da Truth Hurts" as part of a new promotional campaign for Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal program created to reduce gun crimes through local programs.Project Safe Neighborhoods? Oh, yeah, the NRA management/George Bush-endorsed program that the feds used to bust Wayne Fincher.
"I support the right of individuals to keep and bear arms as guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution," said Romney, former governor of Massachusetts.Sure he does.
Ron Paul, the iconoclastic nine-term congressman from southeast Texas, took the first step Thursday toward launching a second presidential bid in 2008, this time as a Republican.I note some of the dullards on gun forums have already started naysaying this decision, which will lead eventually to accusations of wasting our votes and demands to fall in lockstep behind whatever gungrabber with an (R) after his name is imposed on us.
The unsuspecting Marcello dropped broad hints about his source inside the U.S. Marshals Service during conversations with his incarcerated brother in 2003. FBI agents heard every word about the man Marcello called "the babysitter."Nice to see "The Only Ones" can apparently be trusted to protect witnesses as well as they do our rights.
Deputy marshal John Thomas Ambrose surrendered Thursday to FBI agents who say he was the source who spilled to Marcello secrets about a federally protected witness to organized crime.
Round one went to the government Friday...Friends: Fincher No Danger
Fincher's attorney, Oscar Stilley, vowed to appeal the verdict all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Wayne helped form this militia, in part, to prove his constitutional right to do so," said Don Bright, a longtime friend of Fincher's. "This is not a violent man by any means, but what we're seeing here is a jury that didn't get to hear his side of the story."Email from Paul W. Davis:
It has been another long day in Court, and again, not a pleasant one. I was very concerned when I saw the thrust of Oscar's summation last night. I prayed that he would not get cited for contempt, which was a very likely event given the drive to clamp down on anything that references the 2nd Amendment and the rights of Jurors.[More About Wayne Fincher via WarOnGuns]
Thus it was quite a blessing to see that the one objection the US Attorney had, the Judge overruled. It was plainly obvious that she did not like the argument Oscar made. However, the Judge allowed him to make it as the Jury Instructions were a directed verdict based upon the fact that Wayne never denied having the arms in question. Frankly, I'm surprised the Jury too as long as they did (almost 5 hours), if they followed the instructions given. Personally, if one followed the jury instructions, deliberations would have taken only as long as it takes to write "yes" twice on the forms. I am going to post the Jury Instructions, both as proposed, and as finally delivered. You will be shocked at what you see.
It was hard on Wayne's family, even though they were told last night to expect the worst. However, Wayne is not broken, and is determined to go on. When Oscar and I visited with Wayne prior to the jury returning from deliberations, he said it was worth it to expose the fraud that exists in the law, and how it is done in this country. Plainly, the Federal courts are corrupt, and are more interested in procedure and precedent, than in administering judgement and justice. This will be appealed.
However, there was one thing that happened today that disturbed me greatly. As Oscar and I walked back from lunch, he received a phone call in which it was brought to his attention that someone said that he should have done this or that, that he did or didn't do. Though I am not a lawyer, I am neither ignorant, nor stupid and I do know somewhat about the law. I can tell you that it is very hard to stand up there and get slammed to the carpet time and again and have the Judge angry at you repeatedly because you will not give up on pushing to get your arguments heard. Oscar was repeatedly called down by the Judge and told to essentially "shut up." Throughout this trial, Oscar has tried vigorously to get justice done, and was shut down at every turn. The Judge was not interested in the law, only procedure and precedent. In fact, if memory serves, the jury never actually read, or heard the text of either 18 USC 922(o) or 26 USC 5861. I believe the court record will bear out my recollection. Nonetheless, they were "able" to determine that Wayne had violated a law that they never knew exactly what the law said. Needless to say, before I left to go to court this morning I picked up my copy of Alexandr I. Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag Archipelago and took it with me to place on the table beside me.
All that being stated, I would that certain be careful about armchair quarterbacking as they were not there and not facing a totally hostile court. If Oscar told me once, he probably told me a good dozen times over the last four days that this is a tax case, meaning that they were playing dirty here just like in a tax case. However, I know that Oscar does not give up easily either (just like Wayne) and so he was not going to quit.
Now, that being stated as well, help would and will be greatly appreciated as Oscar was already busy and took the case because no one wanted to touch it, and he could not stand to see Wayne railroaded. At least now, we have a solid record of the proceedings and the things done had to be done in full view of the public.
Unfortunately, they found Wayne guilty on both counts. However, I know that good will come out of this. We now have to move forward to gather information about several things, not the least of which is information on all US Appellate court decisions that are firearms related.
In the early morning hours of January 13, 1776, British forces raid Prudence Island, Rhode Island, in an effort to steal a large quantity of sheep. But, upon landing on the island’s southern beaches, the British were ambushed by fifteen Minutemen from Rhode Island’s Second Company led by Captain Joseph Knight, who had been tipped off to the Brits’ plans and rowed across Narragansett Bay from Warwick Neck the previous morning.
It took a jury just under five hours to find Hollis Wayne Fincher guilty of owning illegal machine guns and a sawed-off shotgun.[Via US vs Fincher]
The indictment accuses Hood of using the Taser in August 2005 on a handcuffed man at a Colonial Beach motel. The indictment also alleges Hood used a Taser on a man in September 2005, causing him to fall backward and strike his head.What did Captain Renault say?
Hood then used his Taser on the man a second time as he lay on the ground, prosecutors said.
Turner is accused of completing false reports on both incidents.
While Turner asked for an FBI review of the Colonial Beach policy on Taser use, the indictment alleges the chief supplied false police reports and made false statements during the review.
"I'm shocked, shocked..."[More from "The Only Ones" files...]
AMERICAN states where more people own guns have higher murder rates, including murders of children, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have reported...
"Our findings suggest that in the United States, household firearms may be an important source of guns used to kill children, women and men, both on the street and in their homes," said Matthew Miller, assistant professor of health policy and injury prevention, who led the study...
After dividing the states into four groups based on how many households had guns, the researchers found the states in the highest quartile of firearm ownership had overall homicide rates 60 per cent higher than states in the lowest quartile.
David,Via separate email, Mr. Davis also calls our attention to Document 26-1 of the Docket, giving us an update on how Mr. Fincher's health issues have been treated.
I cannot update you very much at this point as it is late, and it has been a difficult day. I am much reminded of the show trials of the Soviet Union in the 1920's: everything looked proper,but was very wrong. When this is all done I will be posting documents like mad to the Militia website. There will be many "must read" records from the court. I would highly encourage someone to setup a mirror site in the event this one is taken down. I do not expect it will be,but one never knows.
I spent about 45 minutes in private conversation with Wayne after proceedings were done for the day. Since Wayne is a dear friend, it was precious time to have. Wayne has not given in, and will not give up. After Oscar and I left the Federal Building, I told Oscar that the most honorable man in the courtroom today was Wayne Fincher. He agreed.
I will send more tomorrow.
Warmest regards,
Paul W. Davis
Hollis Wayne Fincher's machine gun trial will go to the jury today with the defense having presented no evidence or witnesses to the jury.So much for earlier reports that this creature was honorable.
The defense rested Thursday after U.S. District Judge Jimm Larry Hendren ruled Fincher's proposed testimony inadmissible.
On this day in 1777, American Brigadier General Hugh Mercer dies from the seven bayonet wounds he received during the Battle of Princeton.
The prosecution finished calling witnesses early this afternoon in the Wayne Fincher federal case.[More about Wayne Fincher from WarOnGuns]
Patrick Moser's lies cost the City of Middletown $400,000. They cost him his 16-year career as a cop. And now, they're going to cost him seven weekends in the Orange County Jail.
The state's top federal prosecutor is paying three Baltimore television stations more than $41,000 to air a new public service announcement starting today about the potential perils faced by felons charged with federal gun crimes...
"If we get the message to criminals and prevent them from carrying guns, we will save lives and we won't have to pay to prosecute them and incarcerate them," Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said in an e-mail yesterday.
THE ban on the carrying of licensed firearms in public places will start this Sunday.That's strange. I didn't see a statement from a spokesman for the violent criminals pledging compliance with the moratorium.
PNP Chief Oscar Calderon reminded the public that the PNP will suspend all the gun carrying privileges when the nationwide 150-day gun ban takes effect on January 14, the start of the election period for the May 14 national and local elections.
Hoping that the new Democratic state House will be more receptive to gun-control legislation, state Rep. Dwight Evans yesterday said he will reintroduce a series of gun bills that previously failed.And, naturally, all they "want is common-sense gun policies..."
A jury has been seated for the trial of a Washington County man accused of illegally having three machine guns and a sawed-off shotgun.Here's another account:
A five man, seven woman jury with two alternates was selected Wednesday in day one of the Wayne Fincher trial. Many Fincher supporters filed into the federal courtroom...all stood as Fincher entered.And finally, I got this very disturbing email from Paul W. Davis:
While Defense attorney Oscar Stilley said he expects to show Fincher is completely not guilty of any of the charges...during his opening statements the Prosecution had two objections to mention of the militia and the second amendment...
The Prosecution brought an ATF Special Agent on the stand to discuss the firearms found in Fincher's home and property.
The Judge came in this morning and virtually reversed his ruling from yesterday. In addition to that, I distinctly heard him say (and the court record proves it) that the Second Amendment was an individual right in that he spoke about the Bill of Rights and stated that they were individual rights that were protected by the first 10 Amendments.Mr. Davis adds he "will post the judge's ruling on the motion in Limine as soon as I have it and am able," and, of course, I'll link to that here.
This morning he totally reversed himself and stated that the 2nd Amendment conferred a collective right. Oscar argued with that and referenced the 2004 USDOJ paper and we also have an official copy of the 1982 Senate Subcommittee report that states that it is an individual right. However, the judge only accepts recent circuit court rulings and no other authority is sufficient for evidence or proof. Oscar argued that point strenuously and the Judge didn't seem to care.
Right now, I sit at the defense table as I am assisting Oscar. It is also a good opportunity to visit with Wayne when the Judge demands that counsel meet him in chambers.
You need to post that we actually live in the Land Down Under, and our courts reflect it.
Francis Salvador, the first Jew to hold an elected office in the Americas, takes his seat on the South Carolina Provincial Congress on this day in 1775.
A man charged with possessing illegal machine guns will be able to argue at trial federal gun laws are unconstitutional, a judge ruled Tuesday. But, the judge is not going to allow the trial to digress into a freewheeling, uncontrolled debate of the Second Amendment in front of the jury.This could be huge.
Our latest Talkin' to America interview focuses on "War on Guns" blogger David Codrea! Listen to this fascinating interview to learn more about the injustice our government is bringing to bear on a man who is being denied his right to even _discuss_ the US Constitution or the law in court! You'll also find some commentary on the NRA that you may find useful as well.
Don't miss the latest Talkin' to America! You can download it or read the transcript at www.jpfo.org/talkamerica.htm.
Rep. David Orentlicher has proposed three modest and sensible bills to the state legislature to address the problem of gun homicide that plagues our city...
Restricting handgun purchases to one per month and requiring the same background checks at gun shows that dealers use now are intended to slow the flow of guns to criminals. The third bill would simply give the city the chance to address gun violence without pre-emption from the state. These measures could help reduce the appalling toll from gun violence...
I don't know how much of an impact the proposed measures would have, but if even one criminal found it more difficult to buy a gun, the bills are worth the effort.
Police say a security guard at the Anderson County Library fired his gun at a car after the driver triggered a security alarm.Put down that overdue book and come out with your hands up!
Boston, facing a spike in gun violence and murders, will press the new Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives to come up with tougher national gun laws, Boston's mayor said on Tuesday.Great idea! Make everywhere in the land just like Boston! That way, the whole country can achieve record murder rates!
While in exile aboard a warship in Cape Fear, North Carolina’s Royal Governor Josiah Martin issues a proclamation calling on the king's loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the rebels, raise the royal standard and restore the province to its former glorious freedom. These North Carolina Loyalists were to march to the sea, where General William Howe intended to provision them with arms and supplement their numbers with troops from Boston and Ireland.
Renée Zellweger wants to buy a gun to protect herself..."I don't want to own a gun, but sometimes I do think about it."
I hate guns. In today's society there is no need for the average citizen to own or carry a gun...
Tighter gun control? I'll go so far as to say ban guns. That's the only way.
Carol Solnom
New eyewitness accounts of a deadly police shooting differ with what police initially said.
Investigators said the suspect was killed after he attacked an officer with his own Taser in southeast Houston.
“I could see everything that happened,” said Yolanda Perry.
From the front porch of the Greater Lighthouse Church, where her husband serves as minister, Perry said she watched in disbelief.
“He got out his handcuffs and he handcuffed him. And after he handcuffed him he got out his gun and he shot him,” she said.
I just got off a conference with the Court and opposing counsel. At 9:00 AM, I objected to the conduct of any court proceedings outside the public eye. Judge Hendren overruled the objection.[Via Joe & Barb McCutcheon]
Earlier this afternoon during our conference the judge, on his own motion, explained that he thought his earlier ruling was incorrect and reversed it. He set forth the legal test for excluding the public, based upon research by his personnel, and stated that he did not believe that there was a sufficient reason to exclude the public from part of the proceedings.
He said that his concern this morning was the logistics involved in keeping the jurors out of the courtroom while arguments and rulings on motions and other preliminary matters took place. I don’t question in the slightest that this was the actual reason for the initial ruling.
This afternoon, Judge Hendren said that his solution was to postpone the jury selection process until Wednesday morning. This will give us more seating for the pretrial matters, which are absolutely critical in this case. So we have a win-win situation with this ruling.
I will still go back in chambers. I have no objection to that, and I trust that the public will not be concerned about that. My objection was to keeping any official proceedings out of the public eye. Judge Hendren has agreed that the importance of allowing the public to view all recorded proceedings outweighed any logistical difficulties. I told Judge Hendren that I was very grateful for the ruling and that is the truth.
There is a new schedule. Pretrial will be at 8:30 AM Tuesday morning, the 9th. We will adjourn after those proceedings conclude. At 8:30 on Wednesday morning we will commence jury selection.
Due to the need for seats for the jury, some of the public and perhaps the press as well, may have to wait outside due to lack of space. That’s ok, an overflow crowd is a good thing, not a bad thing. We will probably discuss the logistics of this a bit more in the morning. However, as soon as seating is available it will be opened to the public. Jury selection may be over when most of the seating comes available, but the court will accommodate the public as best as he can.
I am grateful, so grateful for this ruling, and hope that the rest of the interested public is too. It takes courage to do what Judge Hendren did, and for that he deserves our highest respect.
Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birth-right of an American ... the unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.--Tenche CoxeI hope I see a position issued from this new group that they believe the keeping and bearing of knives is a right guaranteed by the Second Amendment, and that their strategy will include challenges to infringements on those grounds.
Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" is published in Philadelphia. The 50 page pamphlet is highly critical of King George III and attacks allegiance to Monarchy in principle while providing strong arguments for American independence. It becomes an instant best-seller in America. "We have it in our power to begin the world anew...American shall make a stand, not for herself alone, but for the world," Paine states.
American firearm owners’ rights already at issue during the 110th Congress...Any possibility that gun control and the individual Second Amendment civil right to keep and bear arms would be shelved as legislative and political issues during the 110th Congress came to a crashing end last week as Representatives were sworn in on Capitol Hill.There has been no shortage of observers soothing us with predictions that citizen disarmament will be on the back burner because "we" elected so many "pro-gun Democrats." I agree with Mr. Snyder. This group of radical subversives hasn't even started rolling up its sleeves yet, but gun owners haven't been forgotten.
A New Jersey woman has accused the Clarke County coroner of taking guns from her father's Bogart house after he pronounced the 86-year-old dead of heart failure, a charge that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation may investigate...We all got that, right? If it was anyone besides "an elected official," there'd be no doubt of an investigation. But regardless, he overstepped his bounds, because WE'RE "The only Only Ones" who should have taken the guns. Just "for safekeeping" of course.
"The mere fact that my father's body was still in the garage just under the room that Mr. Tribble was searching leaves me extremely distressed," Sharpe said. "It appears that rifling through my father's belongings took preference over having his body taken care of. This is certainly a most despicable act on the part of Mr. Tribble"...
"If it wasn't an elected official, there's no doubt we'd investigate it as a theft," Holeman said. "There was no reason for (Tribble) to go any farther than the garage, and if anything needed to be taken for safekeeping, it should have been taken by us."
They were startled from their sleep by heavily armed police officers shouting at them through a loudspeaker to leave their house one by one with hands up.
Police had a warrant to search the Atlantic Avenue house for a black, long-barrelled seven-millimetre handgun, a leather holster and 10 rounds of ammunition. A confidential police source had told investigators the gun was there, but officers later learned the source made a mistake.
Police handcuffed Cerros and put him in one police car. Horyski and her son were put in the back seat of another.
Inside the two-storey house, one officer fired his Glock service pistol into the wall of a bathroom that was under renovation. Police say the officer tripped on a carpet runner and fired accidentally. A single round was shot through seven sheets of drywall leaning against one wall and created a large hole in the bathroom wall.
Federal agents said they started investigating the militia after a report and photographs about the group appeared in The Morning News. The report noted the group had automatic weapons. Agents subsequently sent an undercover agent to join the group.So that's enough to prompt an undercover BATFU plant/full-blown investigation?
On this day in 1790, President George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address to the assembled Congress in New York City.
A teenager harassed by police in St. Louis, Missouri caught the incident on tape. Brett Darrow, 19, had his video camera rolling last month as he drove his 1997 Maxima, minding his own business. He approached a drunk driving roadblock where he was stopped, detained and threatened with arrest when he declined to enter a conversation with a police officer about his personal travel habits...This is one gutsy, intelligent and mature young man. He gives me hope for the next generation.
Brett: Why am I being detained officer? (directed toward Officer #4)
Officer #4: You better stop runnin your mouth or the other officer will find a reason to lock you up tonight.
Boston city councilors, law enforcement officials, and community leaders are pressing City Hall to come up with $1.5 million to buy a promising acoustic gunshot- detection system.Hmmm...where have I heard about that before?
PRINCE William's girlfriend Kate Middleton will soon be under round-the-clock guard by gun-toting women police officers.
Despite not yet being a member of the Royal Family, Kate, 25 next week, will be protected by her own unit from Scotland Yard's elite Royal Protection Squad.
The women are being trained in unarmed combat and weapons after the move was requested by Prince Charles, who is worried for Kate's safety.
Normally she would not get gun guards until she was engaged to William, 24, who is expected to propose within months.
[T]he idea of hereditary legislators is as inconsistent as that of hereditary judges, or hereditary juries; and as absurd as an hereditary mathematician, or an hereditary wise man; and as ridiculous as an hereditary poet laureate.
Catherine Crowley tried to change a state gun law after her 18-year-old son killed himself with a shotgun he bought at a Wal-Mart.
Her endeavor fell short when lawmakers rejected her idea to require a waiting period for young people to buy guns in Maine. But her effort can now be seen in a new documentary.
The 55-minute film, "There Ought To Be A Law," provides a look at Crowley's experience navigating the legislative system in hopes of getting a law on the books to make it harder for young people to get their hands on guns.
We went [to see] dad this morning. He is weak but feeling better. They took him to the hospital last night. He is back in jail this morning. He is in good spirits. Mr. Stilley was there to see him also. The inmates are helping him out by giving him extra food. He has lost about 40 pounds. He says not to worry about him. He is ready to go to trial. I will be sending a letter that an inmate wrote as soon as I get it typed up. Thanks to everyone for all the help and prayers that you have giving us and dad. We been putting signs up everywhere but someone or somebody is taking them down. We are going to put up more. Also the court day is for Tuesday Jan.9th. Everything has been crazy around here this week sorry it has taking me so long to get news to everyone. Thanks. Connie Fields
Mr. Hollis Wayne Fincher,
I've spent a lot of times in hospital,jails,and multiple prisons around the United States. A career criminal if you would. I've never met a Greater and most Wonderful man in my life- my own father included. Mr. Fincher has had a profound effect in my life. He has taught me about God & Country. I feel like this man has been treated so unjust by this goverment. The very thing Mr. Fincher loves most. Never has a man in my life either on T.V.,Radio, Teacher, College Professor, Preacher or other ever had such a profround effect in my life. I will always cherish his friendship in my heart. I pray that someday we are able to meet on different grounds under much freer circumstances. I know that God has His hand on your sir. The men in BB Pod (BAD BOYS POD),are all in agreement that you are the best man in the Pod. With the Utmost respect we thank you for your presence. A real blessing from God.
Respectfully,
An inmate in Sebastian County Jail
From Philadelphia, Samuel Adams writes to his friend Colonel James Warren that the idea of a confederation, or loose political union, among the colonies "is not dead, but sleepeth.” To those who believed they would see the confederation completed long ago Adams wrote, “I do not despair of it -- since our Enemies themselves are hastening it.”
Should federal licensing be required to own fully automatic weapons?You need to register to vote, but can view results without doing so. At this writing, the correct answer is leading with over 71% of the votes.
I have a suggestion for a somewhat different type of reality show. Maybe a network such as Fox would be interested. Numerous bloggers as well as the NRA have long cataloged the fleeting newspaper accounts of firearms being used defensively to protect life and property.Thank you, Jeff Soyer--I guess great minds really do think alike, or at least yours understands my inferior one :)
How about a weekly docu-drama TV show that recreates some of these news stories where civilian possession of a firearm saves a life? Such reenactments would have all the necessary ingredients for a ratings hit: Drama, excitement, tension, a potential victim being stalked, a bad guy, and a happy ending!
I'm sure we could get someone such as David Codrea or Clayton Cramer for series producer.
Here's a mock-up TV schedule ad I created with scissors and tape. Note I was proposing Eric Estrada as host. He was a fairly regular attendee at California Rifle and Pistol Association annual banquets at the time, along with Robert Stack and Paul Sorvino, which meant that he was not afraid to identify himself with the pro-gun community, and I just thought he'd be a natural. Note this was all in the "blue sky" proposal stage and we never advanced to the point of approaching him on this, so this was done without his knowledge or consent, and without the knowledge and consent of UPN 13, whose logo I appropriated for the mock-up:
A Santa Clara Pueblo officer was arraigned in Santa Fe County Magistrate Court on Friday on charges stemming from an incident during which he fired his service revolver in a home near a 3-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, according to a statement of probable cause.Firearms and fire water bad medicine--especially for "Only Ones."
Leon Gallegos, 29, of Alcalde was charged with assault against a household member, kidnapping, abandonment or abuse of a child and negligent use of a deadly weapon. According to the statement, U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs officers received a report of "shots fired" in a home at 2:48 a.m. Monday.
Gallegos' girlfriend told police she had heard seven gunshots in the home as she was leaving it, the statement said. She said Gallegos had been drinking alcohol, and two small children were in the home when the shots were fired...
A former D.C. police officer pleaded guilty to gun charges yesterday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.A lot about this story makes absolutely no sense to me--but then again, I'm not trained to think like an "Only One."
Edwin Kennedy, 36, of Chesapeake, admitted to illegally transporting a firearm and having an illegal shotgun. According to a statement of facts entered in court, Kennedy found a shotgun in Washington last year while on duty. He then took it home, and with the help of his 15-year-old daughter, sawed off the barrel to 14 inches, an illegal length. Kennedy then took the illegal gun back to Washington, where he arranged for the D.C. police to recover it.
When Kennedy learned he was under investigation for the modifications, he purchased a different shotgun and cut that barrel down to a legal length. Then prosecutors say he took pictures of it and showed those to authorities as if it were the original shotgun. But he later acknowledged to authorities that it was a different gun. He will be sentenced in May.
When President Bush sent National Guard troops to the border, no red-blooded American would have guessed that their orders would be to retreat in the face of border aggression. And yet that's exactly what happened Wednesday night (1/3/07) when a group of armed men stormed the border and headed right for the National Guard.Jennifer Freeman of Liberty Belles senses we need a lot less of the new "Homeland Security" and a lot more old-fashioned "Civil Defense."
THE PROTEST IS ON!![Via Countertop]
Maniacal New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Mayors' Coalition Against Illegal Guns will be meeting for a one day "National Summit" at the DC Capitol Hilton (corner of 16th and K at 1001 16th Street NW) on Tuesday, January 23rd - see http://tinyurl.com/yxyvjg
Bloomy's summit runs from 9:30 AM until 2:30 PM followed by an evening reception at 5 PM at the Capitol Hilton.
VCDL's headquarters will be at the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel at 14th and K, where at 2:00 PM we will rally members and hand out picket signs, and march on to the Capitol Hilton 2 blocks away to begin protesting.
After two significant victories over the British in Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey, General George Washington marches north to Morristown, New Jersey, where he set up winter headquarters for himself and the men of the Continental Army on this day in 1777. The hills surrounding the camp offered Washington a perfect vantage point from which to keep an eye on the British army, which was headquartered across the Hudson River in New York City. Morristown’s position also allowed Washington to protect the roads leading from the British strongholds in New Jersey to New England and the roads leading to Philadelphia, where the leaders of the American Revolution were headquartered.
Last year, the CHP had eight suicides among its 7,200 officers - a rate five times the national average for law enforcement. Experts are calling the suicide cluster - 13 total since September 2003 - the most serious among law enforcement agencies nationwide...So the CHP (incidentally, the group sent to New Orleans to help disarm citizens wanting to protect themselves) has a suicide rate over four times that of the general population, and LEOs in general have a rate up to twice that of "the whole people."
There doesn't seem to be a common theme nor precipitating stress aside from the victims being mostly men and using firearms to kill themselves...
The comparable suicide rates: CHP has had an average 45 per 100,000 annually over the past four years, spiking to 111 per 100,000 last year; versus an annual average at LAPD of 17 per 100,000, and the Sheriff's Department at 3.4 per 100,000.
National law enforcement suicide rates run between 18 and 22 per 100,000. The suicide rate for the general population is about 11 per 100,000. [More]
"Two offers by gov. to plea. I say no deal!"Just to let you know the books we sent to Wayne Fincher for Christmas were returned yesterday. The jail explanation was that the book on Jefferson and the Constitution was too heavy.[More from WarOnGuns]
Don’t we all feel safer now?
American traitor and British Brigadier General Benedict Arnold enjoys his greatest success as a British commander on this day in 1781. Arnold’s 1,600 largely Loyalist troops sailed up the James River at the beginning of January, eventually landing in Westover, Virginia. Leaving Westover on the afternoon of January 4, Arnold and his men arrived at the virtually undefended capital city of Richmond the next afternoon.
