Philly Struggles With Rising Murder Rate

As far back as March, when the city endured a spate of 22 killings in nine days - 20 of them by gunfire - Mayor John F. Street pleaded for help in stopping the violence.

"We are stymied to protect our citizens" because of the state's permissive gun laws, Street wrote in a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell.

Help never came. As of Friday afternoon, 365 people had been killed in this city of 1.6 million, the highest number in at least seven years and up 35 from last year, according to FBI statistics.

"Permissive gun laws"? But wasn't Gov. Rendell standing shoulder-to-shoulder with NRA officials when they promised everyone that Project Exile would do the same thing for Philadelphia that it had for Richmond?

What's that?

Richmond's murder rate is climbing, too?

I see Boston's 10-year-high murder rate is mentioned as well. You know, the city that implemented Operation Cease Fire, another program hailed by NRA as a success...

Never mind.

My favorite hand-wringing Bloodance quote in this story comes from Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson:

"We have the most lax handgun law in the entire nation."

Right. You can carry concealed without a permit, like in Vermont or Alaska, or you can carry openly without interference, like in Arizona.

No?

You mean a police official would tell a flat-out, agenda-driven LIE, and the ethics-obsessed Watchdog Press would swallow and print it not only without challenge, but with enthusiasm?

Brits Fear Santa Terrorizes Kids

A VISIT from Father Christmas could be "terrifying" for small children, says advice on a government website...The advice for teachers on teachernet.gov.uk said: "Younger children in particular have a wide range of fears. For very young children, Father Christmas can be terrifying.

No doubt. After all, children in the UK under 14 aren't considered old enough to be trusted with pens.

Thank goodness they're old enough for their teachers to have sex with!

H.G. Wells miscalculated. He didn't need to send his Time Traveller all the way to "the year Eight Hundred and Two Thousand odd" in order to find the Eloi.

Or the Morlocks, either, for that matter.

Chief Cuts Penalty for Officer in Firing of Weapon

Even though she first tried to get away with not reporting it and went to her union rep first, and even though investigators think she fired it deliberately, not accidentally, and even though there is credible testimony she abused and threatened a citizen under color of authority...

If you and I had done this, we'd deservedly be in the slammer. She gets a 15 day suspension. And we're supposed to believe this is all on the up-and-up?

Oh, that's right--they don't care what we think. They don't have to. Lift a finger against them and die.

UPDATE: Blognomicon puts things in perspective.

A Tale of Two Cities

"Gun-plagued Toronto" wants to "perform a 'Boston Miracle.'"

Meanwhile, Alphecca tells us Boston's murder rate has hit a 10-Year High...

My head hurts.

"Partial Reprieve" for SA Gun Owners

Gun owners who fail to renew their licences in terms of the new gun-control regulations will not overnight become criminals in possession of illegal firearms - at least, not until July 2009.

Translation: Noncompliance has been so massive and overwhelming we know we'll appear to be utter, impotent fools if we don't act like we're doing something to get tough.

Translation: If the people get it in their heads that they can defy us with impunity, they might cease fearing us. And if they cease fearing us...

Flynn Gets Probation on Gun Charge

Of course he does.

After all, "He had...a long history of service to the State."

Speaking of Republicans...

...it looks like George Pataki is doing what he can to hasten our plunge into a total police state. But then, we've already established that cop lives are more important than, say, butcher, baker or candlestick maker lives...

Boy, that New York gun control sure must be working well if they feel a need to "refine laws against gun trafficking and heighten penalties for illegal possession and use of guns, particularly for shooting cops."

Nobody's obeying the law so we'll make things even more illegal...

And whaddya know, another police state champion, Martin Golden, is also a Republican. So why did Democrat "Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver [depict] the GOP as being 'in the pocket' of the National Rifle Association"?

Democrats Recast Gun Control Image

I'll bet they do.

And I'm sure there are plenty of our countrymen stupid and lazy enough to choose image over substance.

Meanwhile, the Republicans are doing their level best to give serious gun owners no choice at all.

Maybe they figure the pot is already so heated up that the few who finally jump out will be easy pickings.

Meanwhile, keep your eye on the shell...

Well, THIS Doesn't Look Good...

Obviously, the Fourth Amendment was only intended to apply to the states.

And remember: Vote Freeedom First!

Looks Like I'm Authorized After All

I just don't remember asking to be...

Still Looking for Lautenberg Victims

Gun Law News needs your help. If you or someone you know has relevant information "of how Lautenberg has unjustly denied people their Second Amendment rights," by all means contact them and tell them about it.

Fish Or Man Wins Appeal

And he did it "pro se, without the help of the gun rights organization based in Washington State, (although it was requested)."

Why do you think that is?

This man won a preemption battle on his own, while the "professionals" sat on the sidelines and ignored him. Had he lost, the precedent could have affected their members throughout the state. They knew this and still didn't get involved.

You might want to remember that the next time you get an urgent appeal for donations from one of the "gun rights" groups. Ask 'em why they were AWOL at Ellensburg...

[Via End the War on Freedom]

Who Needs Goebbels When You've Got The Post?

I would like to express the personal and professional thanks of 25,000 active New York City police officers for The Post's efforts to put some strength into existing gun laws," an appreciative Patrolmen's Benevolent Association president Patrick Lynch wrote in a letter to The Post.

"The New York City PBA will stand shoulder to shoulder with the New York Post in its effort to force the changes in Albany that will give some judicial muscle to New York's anti-gun laws," Lynch continued. [More]

Kudos from one police state propagandist to another. I wonder how Polizeiführer Lynch's letter would sound in its original German?

I just noticed who wrote this latest Post article. And they say there are no coincidences.

Cops With 'Roid Rage

According to Koonce's attorney, Tweedy kicked and stomped on Koonce's head repeatedly, walking away and then returning to continue the blows as Koonce lay motionless, gurgling his own blood.

Koonce, now 28, suffered life-threatening injuries, including skull fractures and brain contusions. He spent two months in a coma.

Ah yes, out-of-control cops on steroids. But note how their supervisors have turned a blind eye to the obvious...I mean, are unaware of any problem. It's not like you'd tend to notice a subordinate doubling in size and roaring things like "NOW HULK MAD!!!"

It's a good thing Patrick Lynch wants to keep hollow points away from mere citizens, and wants us to die if we lift a finger against such violent apes...after all, their lives are more valuable than ours.

JBT to Serfs: Resist and Die

When we last left Patrick Lynch, he was telling us no one had any business with hollow points except those professional enough.

Here's the latest from Liberty-Lynchin' Pat:

"We need to make it clear that if someone lifts even a finger against a police officer, their life could be on the line."

Right. We all know your lives are more valuable than ours.

We sure wouldn't want any mere citizen lifting a finger against these former members of your union, would we, Pat?

Or this guy.

Or this one.

Or all of these...

I'm lifting a finger, Pat. Guess which one?

Anatomy of a Photograph

Zombietime shows us how photographs used by the MSM, and the context either presented or left out, can shape our perception of what's really going on.

[Thanks to Thaddeus Fendon]

We're the Only Ones TRUSTWORTHY Enough...

Officer Celina Clay is under investigation. The Correction Department says she took a 38 caliber gun and two rounds of ammunition to the Charles Bass Correctional Complex in an attempt to deliver them to a specific inmate.

Looks like the authorities have put the kibosh on future exposés of corrupt guards by giving up the name of the jailhouse snitch to the media. Wonder what his life is like these days?

I love the psychiatric hand-wringing and excuse-making about how "a woman may feel sympathetic." Funny how employment sexism is decried (hell, it's forbidden by law with severe penalties) unless and until it becomes advantageous to exploit.

My favorite quote from this story: "Power is one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs."

Ain't it the truth.

A False Alternative

SAF/CCRKBA sent out an alert about their new poll on KABA:

Should cities like San Francisco, which ban firearms, be allowed to receive federal tax dollars for crime prevention?

The poll appears in the left hand column of the web page.

A number of national radio talk show hosts are monitoring this poll closely, as well as key Congressmen and Senators.

Perhaps SAF would be kind enough to point out where this document delegates the enumerated power to the fedgov to involve itself in funding local policing anywhere?

Romney to Assist GOP Suicide

Governor Mitt Romney will announce at 6 p.m. that he will not seek re-election to a second term, setting the stage for an expected campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, a senior aide to the governor said today.

Figures. The "moderate" hijacking of the party is damn near complete.

If he's the nominee, watch the RINO apologists trip all over themselves to convince us how much worse a Democrat will be, and continue the cycle of gutless gun owners eating GOP droppings out of fear.

Note to the Republican party:

Romney is unacceptable. If you run him, you will lose the presidency.

McCain is unacceptable. If you run him, you will lose the presidency.

Giuliani is unacceptable. If you run him, you will lose the presidency.

The two-party facade is crumbling. The "lesser of two evils" excuse is wearing thin.

"What other choice do they have?" is a question all of us had better give some sober consideration to.

Happy Bill of Rights Day

Tina Terry sends us links to the celebration in Payson, AZ, and her article in the newspaper.