We're the Only Ones "To Catch a Predator" Enough

City Officer Kills Himself; Was Under Investigation For Child Porn

And Chris Hansen wasn't even involved.

I'm sure had they been taking a non-"Only One" into police headquarters, we'd have been armed, uncuffed and able to exit the patrol car, too.

[Via Avg Joe]

Weapons Check

The following is an email I received this morning. it should be evident why I'm posting it without identifying the author:

David,

Really enjoy reading your posts and the Examiner column. Keep up the good fight.

This is a little something that happened to me the other day, that struck me as a bit ominous.

The military, despite being an organization whose bread and butter is firearms, is one of the most namby-pamby outfits when it comes to personally owned firearms. If you reside on post or wish to bring your weapon on post to use the post range, all weapons must be registered by serial number with the Provost Marshall. When you turn this information in, the Provost Marshall will conduct a NICS background check on you to see if you are even eligible to own these weapons, and presumably to see if there are any serial numbers listed as stolen with local law enforcement. These serial numbers are now in a federal data-base that is maintained on the post where you reside and with the unit commander. If a soldier is E-4 and below and lives in the barracks all weapons must be stored in the unit arms room and are accounted for daily through the unit armorer's inventory inspection. If a soldier is E-4 and below and lives in government housing the commander may authorize the soldier to keep the weapon in his quarters, but often does not. Regardless of the soldier's rank, if there are allegations of domestic violence, the commander may order all personally owned weapons to be surrendered to the arms room.

Nothing too crazy here, this has all been policy for years. Yesterday, however there was something different that immediately made me take notice. Our squadron is preparing for a regimental command inspection, and as part of that regiment will be looking at the commander's list of all personally owned weapons. In preparation for this, all soldiers were ordered to make sure that all weapons were registered with the Provost Marshall, whether they lived on post or not. I asked for clarification on this and it seems the squadron commander (O5/LTC) wants all personally owned weapons registered regardless of where they are stored.

There are a couple of possible explanations for this. It may be that the SCO is being over-zealous in his efforts to show what a good scout he is. The army has a trend towards, "You can add to, but not take away from", any given procedure or regulation. You may have seen this effect in Alaska, where that knucklehead post commander banned the troops stationed there from any kind of concealed carry.

This directive, if it did not come from our squadron command, may have come from regiment or from the post commander. If it did than it is likely little more than someone's personal agenda being exercised. Field grade officers are funny creatures. Utterly convinced of their righteousness, they can come up with some downright goofy stuff. I once had a battalion commander who was convinced that the NRA was an extremist organization and soldiers were not allowed to be present at functions affiliated with them. Wow.

If however, this directive did not come from any of these sources then it came from higher up in the army, and I find that troubling. It seems like a minor point, but it would indicate a major shift in policy. I will let you draw your own conclusions as to possible motives, if this is indeed the case. I have made no more inquiries, but I am keeping my ear to the ground,

I cannot speak for the other soldiers in this command, or their on how likely they are to comply with this directive. As for me, I am moving from this post in a few weeks and will not bother with this. When I get to where I am going I will be residing off post, nor will I ever live on post again.

I may decide to never own a firearm again...but my wife is sure nuts about her gun collection.

Your experiences along these lines will be welcome. Please feel free to share them in "Comments."

And the Lightworker Said...

...Let us make a nation in our image, after our likeness...

Nice to see the religious ecstasy wasn't just a campaign ploy, and we can look forward to at least four years of eye-rolling idolatry.

Where's that "wall of separation" when you really need it...?

The Laws of War

"The question they want answered is whether we can build automated weapons that would conform to the laws of war. Can we use ethical theory to help design these machines?"

I think one of the reasons we may get into so many wars is we've convinced ourselves they have laws.

Enemies of human dignity and liberty don't recognize rules. The only way they've ever been defeated is when we've been so desperate that we had to do monstrous things to them, to utterly destroy their capabilities and their will.

That's why we should never get involved in war unless there is absolutely no other choice and our freedom depends on it. And unless we have the will to do whatever it takes to win.

It's a terrible thing to contemplate, isn't it?

Thing is, we can't avoid thinking about it and preparing for it if we wish to remain free. And we owe it to everyone involved, including aggressors and those abetting them, to understand how horrible it would be.

I would think our best hope to prevent such horror would be to amplify, not diminish that understanding.

[Via Lane]

The First Line of Defense

Officials are considering a plan that would have fourth- and fifth-graders trained to help fight off an armed gunman should one enter their elementary school.

Why does that remind me of this?

Not everyone is for it (naturellement).

In truth, neither am I--at least the way it's being proposed. It's not a child's job to protect adults who are too stupid and cowardly to do what it takes. Now if you want to require as a condition of employment that all teachers, administrators and staff be armed and undergo tactical training, and if you also want to include competent age-appropriate defensive training for children, including in firearms, we can probably do a lot to make schools less attractive and vulnerable targets.

But if we're talking some aging liberal arts major, who is essentially qualified to shriek and evacuate their bowels, telling kids to throw bookbags and trash cans, come on...

Do what you can to teach your children how anything can be a weapon, but especially how to escape. Because we've seen how well lockdowns, waiting to be rescued and listening to the "experts" work.

[Via Brian F]

This Day in History: December 11

...there Situation is such (being on two Peninsula’s very strongly fortified and surrounded by Ships of War and Floating Batteries) that we cannot get to them and they do not choose to come to us. This being the case we have spent the Summer in drawing Lines of Circumvalation round them – cutting of all supplies of fresh Provisions by Land; and, latterly by water; For finding no great prospect of a visit from them, I fitted out (in behalf of the Continent) Six armed Vessels; with which we have Intersected their Provision Boats from Nova Scotia & Canada, and taken some others from G. Britain & the West Indies with Stores for the use of the Garrison...

'You Got to Protect Yourself'

Enter Mike Ditka, showing more bone-in meat between his ears than that 30 oz. "Tomahawk" ribeye they serve at his namesake restaurant...

Browns coach Romeo Crennel showed a much more reasoned approach...

Defense shouldn't be that hard of a concept for a football coach to grasp.

Here's today's Gun Rights Examiner column.

Tell a friend?

Why Obama Supporters Want You Disarmed

Apparently so they can, like, rape you.

We're the Only Ones Valedictorian Enough

The State Patrol is recommending felony theft charges against nine troopers accused of buying fake diplomas to win a pay increase.

What? This doesn't count as "Only One" higher education?



[Via The Bitter Clinger]

A More Likely Explanation

In Nassau County, New York, a revised handgun application went into effect in January 2007. A new question asks: “Have you used or still use narcotics, tranquilizers or anti depressant [sic] medication? If YES, record doctor's name, address and phone number, (attach).” If the applicant answers in the affirmative, a list of those medications is also required.

The new question may have been added as a means of increasing public safety, but Nassau County licensees have maintained a nearly spotless record in this area. A more likely explanation is that this could be the next practical step in denying exercise of the Second Amendment.

If it comes from Nassau County, that's the only explanation.

Dr. Paul Gallant and Dr. Joanne D. Eisen talk about a lethal mix: guns, drugs and government.

I Second the Nomination...

...for Quote of the Year.

Except I'd be inclined to say "Century."

FDA Says "No" to Palm Pistol.

Yesterday the inventor of the Palm Pistol, intended primarily to allow arthritic old people to settle beefs, claimed it had been approved as a medical gadget by the FDA. On the matter, the FDA had this to say: "NO."

"Settle beefs."

Nice.

As are most of the comments from their technowimp readers, who would no doubt glowingly approve of this device--assuming they're not already wearing them.

[Via The Bitter Clinger]

UPDATE: Be sure and read Ned's comment. Well said. I love it when people take these posts and do something with them.

Sign of the Times

Actually, the rarer the earth, the more expensive it becomes...

Forget Ammunition Accountability

I'll settle for moral accountability from these useful idiot rope sellers.

[Via Avg Joe]

We're the Only Ones Occupying Enough

...Commissioner Ray Kelly has come out with guns blazing - with a plan to get all 1,000 rookie cops ready to use heavy artillery in time for New Year's Eve, The Post has learned.

The NYPD wants all 1,000 Police Academy recruits trained to use M4 automatic machine guns - which are now carried only by the 400 cops in its elite Emergency Service Unit - in time for the holiday celebration in Times Square.

The recruits currently at the academy will get three days of training to familiarize them with the weapon, police said.

What, weapons of war? Things with no purpose but to kill as many people as possible? Bullet hoses?

Oh, excuse me. I mistakenly used the gungrabbers' description for semiautos.

And three days is all it takes to turn rookies loose on the rest of us?

Dang, good thing they're fledgling "Only Ones," and are thus so much more trustworthy and competent and...yeah, good word...elite than the rest of us, who would get over six years if they presumed to be as equal.

A Word About Blago

I was away from the computer yesterday when the news broke, and while I have tips in my inbox to dozens of reports, other "gun bloggers" have pretty much covered the story, including the delicious irony of Blagojevich having his FOID suspended without due process.

At this point, Nelson Muntz pretty much speaks for me and says what I want to say.

Another Idiot to Boycott

Blue Ridge Arsenal in Virginia...

I love the purported excuse: the owner didn't know the camera was running when he said he voted for Obama.

Oh, that makes it all better.

Hedging His Bet

So convinced am I of this that during several email exchanges, online and offline, with gun nuts, I bet them no gun bill would get through Congress any time during the next four years.

I see, "Fudd" offends Comrade Schnieder, but "gun nut" is OK.

Why not make it as many terms as he servess, Bill, and include presidential directives/emergency actions/BATFU "interpretations"? And I notice you're not saying the incoming administration won't try...

Forget narrowing the criteria. How about if we cut to the essentials? I bet during Obama's tenure as president, the right of the people to keep and bear arms will be subjected to further infringements. After all, that's what it's all about.

And let's all pray another mass shooting in a victim disarmament zone doesn't accelerate the schedule.

[Via jpr9]

We're the Only Ones "Do You Feel Lucky?" Enough

The constable was giving a lecture to employees and showing the kind of weapons police officers can come up against.

While he was demonstrating the Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, the gun used by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies, it suddenly went off.

See, he "had no idea the handgun was loaded with live ammunition." Neither did "a second official."

We all know how difficult it is to check that on a revolver. And if a UK "Only One" credited with being a "marksman" could make such a mistake...I mean, be so victimized by a gun...thank goodness they're not permitted for mere subjects...

[Via Jeet]

This Day in History: December 10

The volunteers in the Connecticut service were enlisted until December 10, 1775, those from the other New England states until the end of the year. The men were dressed for the most part in homespun clothes and armed with muskets of varied types; powder and ball were short and only the barest few had bayonets.