"Brian, Please..."

Tragic Sharon Bell's killer shocked her with a stun gun before murdering her in a frenzied knife attack, a jury heard.

A harrowing recording of the hairdresser screaming in agony and pleading for her life was played at Newcastle Crown Court.

Do you think Brian would have been so merciless if instead of pleading with him to stop she was commanding him to keep away--or else she'd shoot?

On the Lighter Side

Official upset by gun lighter his son says he bought at fair...

All it would have taken was a wave of the sleek-looking replica, and a law-enforcement officer to mistake it for a weapon.

"Don't just stand there, idiot. Call a doctor. And then help me find my nose."

Forget Getting Guns Off the Streets--How About Getting Street Off Our Guns?

Mayor Street joins a group of 50 mayors in Washington today pushing for new strategies to stanch the flow of illegal guns into American cities.

With Pennsylvania hamstrung "with some of the most lax gun laws in all of the country," Street said, the mayors are pushing for "tougher laws to control illegal guns... . This is a national movement to deal with the proliferation of guns."

The coalition, known as Mayors Against Illegal Guns, formed last April in New York. In September, the coalition joined Street for a lobbying push in Harrisburg.

With President Bush to offer his State of the Union address tonight to a Congress now controlled by Democrats, Street said that he's hoping for a better gun-control environment.

He's got his wish. It's already started--despite the predictions by some that all those "gun-friendly Democrats" will keep it from happening.

This Day in History: January 23

On this day in 1775, London merchants petition Parliament for relief from the financial hardship put upon them by the curtailment of trade with the North American colonies.

We're the Only Ones Pole-Dancing Enough

The footage is shocking: A man lies screaming on the floor of a police station as officers sodomize him with a wooden pole.

Yeah, but come on--those are Egyptian "Only Ones."

That could never happen here.

Now Raise Your Right Hands...HIGHER!

This week, guns will be top of mind for many Athens middle schoolers.

For months, area students have been creating essays, raps and posters about guns, and this week, their efforts culminate with assemblies on the effects of guns and a pledge against gun violence.

See, you can't pray, because that might offend some student and make them feel singled out and embarrassed if they don't succumb to peer pressure and join in.

I'd be curious to hear how the pledge sounds in its original German...

We're the Only Ones in Fellowship with the Ring Enough

Montgomery police are investigating the weekend theft of an officer's department-issue weapon, and its possible connection to a robbery ring.

And look who took it: An Only Ones' Precioussss...

"But the System is Not Dead-on Accurate"

Sixteen cities across the country have installed ShotSpotter, a system of rooftop listening devices that triangulates the origin of gunshots and pinpoints, in seconds, the location on a map. This week, Boston introduces a plan to spend $1.5 million on the system...

But the system is not dead-on accurate, meaning police must be circumspect about how they use the new trove of data, warn civil liberty advocates. Data from ShotSpotter has not yet been challenged in court, and both the company and defense attorneys predict an eventual showdown.

That's why I'm waiting for someone to propose a new bill requiring all bullets be equipped with GPS transponders...along with mandatory shutoff switches on all firearms that the police can activate via radio signal from a safe distance, or maybe even deactivate them all by satellite signal in a time of emergency.

Hey, who could possibly be against that but someone up to no good?

We're the Только Ones Familicidal Enough

A Russian policeman used a gun and grenades against own family killing his wife and daughter before being shot dead by his son-in-law, the Interfax news agency reported on Monday.

"Only Ones" is same in Mother Russia as everywhere, tovarisch!

What Do You Call a "Gun Death Study" Put Out by the Antis?

Junk science.

WoG discussed the "study" here, and wondered if it would hold up to scrutiny.

It doesn't. The critique this post title links to demonstrates how "outcomes of the statistical analyses were ignored in the speculative comments made in the conclusions."

How convenient. How predictable. How "scientific."

So naturally, the "authorized journalists" have tripped all over themselves to bamboozle their readership into accepting validity of the first paper, and ignored this one. I've tried several different search terms to find this new analysis in any "news" accounts--so far, without "luck," as if that should be necessary.

[Via Anonymous]

This Day in History: January 22

Famed Tory outlaw Claudius Smith meets his end on the gallows on this day in 1779 in Goshen, New York. In the wake of his death, Patriot civilians hope for relief from guerilla warfare in upstate New York.

Today's "Standards"

An Orangevale youth who fatally shot a passing motorist with a hunting rifle had to write a 1,000 word essay on why he was sorry and will serve 30 days in juvenile hall.

And naturally, "As part of his sentence, the special education student also must spend 500 hours speaking to other youths on the dangers of guns."

Hey, ask the experts.

We're the Only Ones Sending Our Kids Off to School Packed Enough

Administrators at a Catholic school in Marrero had some tense moments Thursday morning after a student accidentally brought a police officer's service revolver to school.

Chief Deputy Newell Normand of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said that a 5-year-old student at Immaculate Conception Elementary School had a .40-caliber handgun in a small bookbag.

Naturally, the Chief "Only One" won't disclose the mother's identity, nor does he "plan to make any arrests."

Any bets We the People would be afforded such courtesy?

This story nicely supplements two of today's earlier posts. First we have the Chicom corrections officer tragedy, and then we have the admittedly ignorant columnist proving just because you have a forum to express yourself, it doesn't mean you know what you're writing about.

Someone needs to ask reporter Allen Powell II about those standard issue .40 caliber "service revolvers."

A Primer in Pink

Personally, I'm what the Pink Pistols call a "gun bigot," someone who's not crazy about firearms, knows nothing about them, "may never have even fired one, certainly doesn't have any, [and] would gladly subject innocent people to defenselessness."

That admission is the first step toward a willingness to learn.

I don't think she would have been quite so receptive had her introduction to RKBA not come from a group that "liberals" feel a natural protective affinity for. And even if she still has strong reservations and probably won't be "cured," a lot of really good messages got disseminated in this story to her readership.

Good job, Mr. Spradlin.

"Marginally Effective at Best"

Todd Vandermyde, a Yorkville resident and legislative liaison for the National Rifle Association, said his group prefers a more "low-key" approach. He called Concealed Carry "marginally effective at best."

As opposed to "completely ineffective"?

We're the Only Ones Enforcing Gun Laws Enough

Such an example is the case of Andrea Parker, a Cook County correctional officer who was charged Wednesday with reckless conduct in the accidental shooting death of her 6-year-old grandson, Jaylen Parker.

This is why we need to keep guns out of the hands of ordinary Cook county serf...uh...citizens.

Don't worry, Chicom Sun Times, you and "The Only Ones" aren't the only ones who want to "enforce gun laws." For the kids, of course.

This Day in History: January 21

On this day 1738, Ethan Allen, future Revolutionary War hero and key founder of the Republic of Vermont, is born in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Of Course You Realize This Means War

Responding to questions from Sen. Arlen Specter at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Jan. 18, Gonzales argued that the Constitution doesn'’t explicitly bestow habeas corpus rights; it merely says when the so-called Great Writ can be suspended.

"There is no expressed grant of habeas in the Constitution; there's a prohibition against taking it away,"” Gonzales said.

Where this idiot thinks the right came from in order that it could be taken away is a mystery.

Still, why the hell not amputate another obsolete legal appendage from another time? We can toss it into the dumpster of history with all the other useless relics.

After all, there's no First Amendment any more, what with "Campaign Finance Reform," FCC censorship, proposals to force political commentators to register with the government they're supposed to be critical of, censorship of "adult content" (and lest you think the people of the Founding era only meant to protect political and religious freedom, follow the link on my Jan. 19 "This Day in History" post), "hate speech" edicts, restrictions on freedom of assembly, laws forbidding the public expression of religion, etc.

And it's not like there's any recognized Second Amendment. Hell, the Bush administration just issued new FAA regs where they openly declare it to be a "collective right," and federal prosecutors are doing their utmost to destroy Wayne Fincher, while a federal judge greases the skids. Hell, according to him, there's not even a Constitution--at least one you can mention in his courtroom.

It's not like there's any Fourth Amendment, what with warrantless searches--yeah, they're just against "terrorists," that is, until We the People who believe in the Citizen Militia of the Constitution are classified as such, as an Arizona representathing is proposing. Besides, who needs a warrant when you can simply phone in an anonymous tip to a snitch line claiming an enemy has a gun and the authorities need to respond NOW!

It's not like there's a Sixth Amendment, what with the trial by jury subverted via judicial instructions that the judge, not the jury, is the most powerful authority in the court. Oh, and the anonymous tipsters mentioned above? So much for your right to face your accuser.

The Fifth and Eighth Amendments? Don't worry, "waterboarding" and other delights are just for terrorists. You know, like those militia freaks I mentioned a couple paragraphs back. Now wear your dog collar, get back in that pyramid and smile...

Ninth and Tenth Amendments? Ha. The whole damned country is ramped up for the War on Drugs with federal authority nowhere delegated in the Constitution, along with the federal hand in everything from education to health care to labor laws to environmentalcase activism to...besides which, all the neocon establishment opinionmakers will tell you there is no right to privacy (back to Amendment IV, I see)...

The evisceration of the Bill of Rights is damned near complete. Rulers so treasonous they behave as if following a demonic playbook are so blatant in their tyranny it's a wonder their horns aren't visible.

Hush now. Nothing to see here. There will be no war, even though one has been declared on us that would have spurred our forebears to storm the citadel in fury. Most of our countrymen will never miss what they never knew they had--until, of course, it's too late.

Honey, get me a beer? Hey--it's Saturday. Is there anything good on tonight?

[Via John Perna. Also thanks to US Citizen for calling my attention to the "Minuteman" story]

This is Not America

Does the Bill of Rights still serve as a guarantee of God-given rights against arbitrary abuses of government power? Or is it just a 215-year-old piece of paper that can be disregarded at the whim the authorities?

Doug Newman illustrates "What the Hollis Wayne Fincher Case Means to You."

[More about Wayne Fincher via WarOnGuns]

New WarOnGuns Poll: Should Released Felons Get Their "Gun Rights" Back?

Your choices are:

__YES-They have paid their debt to society
__NO-They've proven they can't be trusted
__MAYBE-NO for violent crimes, YES for nonviolent or unconstitutional convictions like "gun law" violations
__If they're still violently dangerous, why are they being let go?

Take the new poll in the left margin of this page. This one is supposed to let you give multiple answers.

Many thanks to 1894C for suggesting this topic.

Here are the results of the last poll, "Wayne Fincher Should Receive :"