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January
30, 2006
Libertarian Commentary on the News, 23-28 January 2006
A
key characteristic for libertarians is that of "Watchfulness"
- we must constantly be on the watch for those things that would threaten
the freedom of ourselves and our community; watchfulness is an important
aspect of our duty to ourselves and to the liberty we enjoy, whether we
believe that freedom comes from God or not. Watchfulness means looking
out for opportunities to preserve and protect AND EXTEND the liberty that
we need to thrive.
Freedom
of Speech Issues
We have some disturbing events around the world this week. While we sometimes
place undue emphasis on free speech as compared to other freedoms, watchfulness
is still important, and these stories point that out.
Iranian
blogger found guilty again
Heise Online
"Iranian Journalist and blogger Ahmad Reza Shiri has once again
been found guilty of calling for a boycott of the elections in his blog
'Iran Azad' (Free Iran) and sentenced this time to three years behind
bars. However, the penalty was commuted to five years on probation. According
to Reporters without Borders, probation is often used to silence unruly
journalists. For instance, if Ahmad Reza Shiri gets into any trouble with
the authorities in the next five years, he will have to go to jail to
serve his sentence." (01/23/06)
Mixed emotions
on this one, folks. Journalists deserve no more (and no less) freedom
than anyone else, and this again shows what kind of regime Iran is. At
the same time, I get so sick of journos (newsies) going off on things,
that it is hard to resist the temptation to gloat.
South
Korea: Crackdown on "malicious Internet posts"
Korea Herald
"Prosecutors have decided to get even tougher with internet users
who post malicious content online. More than 20 people are being indicted
over comments they added to an online story about the death of the son
of former pro-North Korean activist last July. The posting of malicious
messages on internet bulletin boards has already led to a number of prosecutions,
but this is the first time people posting comments relating to an online
article are being indicted. ... The indictment has alarmed many internet
users who see the 'leave your comments' facility on websites as a useful
tool to express their opinions. While providing an opportunity for discussion
and feedback about stories, the culture of posting comments has highlighted
the dark side of the Internet, where people irresponsibly express extreme
opinions from behind a cloak of anonymity. Widespread cyber defamation
in the world's most wired nation has encouraged the government to consider
introducing an internet real-name system." (01/23/06)
You can
tell that the Korea Herald knows who controls the guns in their country,
can't you? So much for free speech.
Website
told to identify commentators
Out Law News
"A Philadelphia court has ordered a company to identify those
who wrote defamatory comments about a US law firm on two websites, ruling
that online statements that are clearly defamatory are not entitled to
free speech protection. The comments appeared on websites belonging to
a party in a property dispute, Jerry Pantelidis and his company JPA Development.
The law firm, Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg & Ellers, acted for
the other side. The comments that appeared in a guest book on one site
were brutal. ... The law firm demanded to know who had posted the comments.
Pantelidis refused to say, arguing that to do so would be in breach of
free speech rights. However, according to Judge Albert W Sheppard Jr.,
some of the comments were sufficiently strong to amount to 'defamation
per se.' The judge therefore ordered the disclosure of the identities
of those responsible. 'While the posters are undeniably entitled to First
Amendment rights, the defamatory per se statements are not entitled to
First Amendment protection,' he wrote." (01/23/06)
Sounds
just like Korea, eh? If this court is going to go after every who speaks
ill of lawyers, they have a millennium-long job ahead of them. I don't
know this law firm from Adam, but I assume that they (like many of their
fellow "esquires") do things that make the other 0.5% of their
profession look bad.
China
tightens restrictions on journalists' freedom of expression
TMC.net
"In recent times, hardly a week goes by without Chinese authorities
censoring journalists, shutting down popular Web diaries or scrapping
publications that display signs of boldness. The latest ax to fall came
Wednesday, when the influential China Youth Daily newspaper suspended
publication of a popular weekly supplement, Freezing Point. It was the
newest move in a months-old campaign by President Hu Jintao's communist
government to tighten restrictions on freedom of expression. Officials
have shaken up newspaper editorial staffs and clamped down on Internet
blogs and campus chat forums amid a rising number of public disturbances
in China." (01/25/06)
Since Beijing
knows that this kind of thing arouses Western liberal ire far more than
gunning down protesting farmers or bans on self defense, it indicates
that things are really bad and that the Chinese tyrants realize that it
is free speech that is part of their root problem. Of course, without
a way to defend themselves effectively, the free speech of the past few
years is a shell.
CA:
5 teachers balk at posters for gay students
San Francisco Chronicle
"Five teachers at San Leandro High School have refused to comply
with a school district order to display a rainbow-flag poster in their
classrooms that reads, 'This is a safe place to be who you are,' because
they say homosexuality violates their religious beliefs, Principal Amy
Furtado said. The high school's Gay-Straight Alliance designed the poster,
which includes pink triangles and other symbols of gay pride. In December
the school board approved a policy requiring all district teachers to
hang the posters in their classrooms. District officials said the poster
is an effort to comply with state laws requiring schools to ensure students'
safety and curb discrimination and harassment. They say that too often
teachers do not reprimand students who use derogatory slurs or refer to
homosexuality in a negative way." (01/25/06)
This appears
to have gone far beyond "ensuring student safety" to outright
endorsement of sexual behavior, and clearly a problem. However, the solution
I give the teachers is the same one I give their students and those students'
parents: GET OUT OF THE GRTF-Schools!
Govmint-Ruined,
Theft-Funded Schools and Other Institutions
Not
too many items this week, but you will find other related items scattered
through the column. Isn't it time for an Amendment: "No government
shall establish, operate, or fund any educational institution, nor dictate
any educational requirement for the general citizenry." (Ideas for
better wording are welcome.)
Mama's
Note: How about... " that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness..." That's all that should be necessary.
Government, if it has any legitimate function at all, has no business
in our personal lives or business. Period. We have sold our souls for
"free education" and so much else that is, ultimately, of no
value whatsoever.
AZ:
English-learner fines begin
Arizona Republic
"Arizona became liable Wednesday for fines of $500,000 a day after
Gov. Janet Napolitano rejected the latest Republican plan to pay for improved
instruction for thousands of Arizona schoolchildren struggling to learn
English. It was the second day in a row that the Democratic governor vetoed
a Republican-backed plan to help English-learners in public schools. This
time, the court-ordered deadline passed without another legislative attempt
to revise the proposal. Napolitano said she rejected the plan because
it contained corporate tuition-tax credits for private-school scholarships,
which could divert millions of dollars from public schools into private
schools. 'I regret that the Legislature is not focused on children and
classrooms that are the subject of our federal court requirements,' Napolitano
said." (01/26/06)
For once,
the AZ Legisgators have SOME (but not much) common sense - which is a
waste of time with Napolitano in office. However, this should remind us
of ONE of the many problems with vouchers, charter schools and other things
which make either private schools or homeschoolers into welfare queens:
what the guvmint gives it can take a way, and guvmint money ALWAYS has
strings.
The
Home Front in Various Wars
Such as the War against Terrorists, the Culture Wars, the War against
the West by Islam, and the never ending fight against would-be tyrants.
Pay attention: the next person you see in these stories may be you or
someone you know!
Abortion
Ban Introduced in SD Legislature
Argus-Leader
A Brandon Republican's bill to ban abortions in South Dakota probably
would create a U.S. Supreme Court case that a longtime abortion foe says
might not be winnable even with changes on the federal bench. Rep. Roger
Hunt said Monday he's finalized a bill that would ban abortions in South
Dakota, although it wouldn't make it a crime for doctors to perform the
procedure to save the life of a pregnant woman. The measure is like a
ban that lawmakers passed in 2004, only to have Republican Gov. Mike Rounds
kill the bill with a technical veto.
As a Boston
Globe story (see below) reports, the divide between "Slave"
(pro-abortion) and "Free" (pro-life) states in the US seems
to be growing.
NE:
Push highlights new abortion dynamic
Boston Globe
"On a busy street just outside downtown, Planned Parenthood's
local headquarters sits behind darkened windows. Signs advertise parking
in the back, in case women who are considering ending their pregnancies
don't want to park next to the picture of a sun-splashed baby that abortion
opponents painted on a wall next door. A few blocks away, the Surprise
Thrift Shop is eager to announce itself and its politics. Underneath a
rose on the shop's sign are two words that could almost serve as an unofficial
slogan in a state that has only three abortion providers: 'prolife.' 'We're
proud to be for life,' said Ann Marie Bowen, who runs Nebraskans United
for Life from out of the shop. The two storefronts are evidence of the
evolving political dynamic of receding clout for the abortion-rights movement
and greater confidence for groups that oppose abortion. The trend will
reach a benchmark this week as the Senate considers the nomination of
Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court." (01/23/06)
This is
one of many stories appearing in the mainstream media pointing out the
significant differences between various regions concerning key social
issues, and now reminds me more and more of stories from the South in
the 1850s written to "inform" the abolitionist North of the
situation on the other side of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Mama's
Note: The question I always ask is, "How does anyone have the 'right'
to kill a helpless, innocent child?" There is no such thing as an
"abortion right." It's a crime, nothing more and nothing less.
The same act, one second after birth, would be prosecuted to the fullest
extent of the law. What immoral hypocrisy.
Newscasts
Emphasize Layoffs Over New Jobs, Report Says
CNSNews.com
More than 2 million new jobs were created in 2005, but the broadcast
networks instead emphasized such negatives as corporate layoffs and outsourcing,
according to a study released Wednesday...
This, of
course, just reinforces what I seem to say every other week - the mainstream
media is a bunch of liars.
Call
for a 9/11 health czar
CNN
"Two city lawmakers called on the federal government to appoint
a health czar to oversee treatment and testing for workers and residents
suffering from the effects of the destruction of the World Trade Center.
'As we speak, there is not one individual who is charged with coordinating
the screening and the monitoring and the treatment of the thousands of
people who've been affected adversely from Sept. 11,' said Congressman
Vito Fossella, who joined Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and ground zero
recovery workers at the trade center site on Wednesday." (01/25/06)
It may
indeed "be all the government's fault" but expecting MORE government
to solve anything is insane.
Patriot
Act renewal negotiations reach stalemate
Jurist.com
"Efforts to reach an agreement on a long-term renewal of the USA
Patriot Act appear stalled as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep.
James Sensenbrenner, the House's chief negotiator, has said his chamber
is finished negotiating. Sixteen key provisions of the Patriot Act were
set to expire at the end of last year. Members of Congress were unable
to reach an agreement on a long-term extension before Christmas, and instead
passed a one-month extension set to expire February 3. Senate Democrats
and four Republican senators are pressing for more civil liberties protections
to be incorporated in the renewal legislation, but Sensenbrenner has said
that the proposal in December's conference report provides adequate safeguards.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter said Tuesday that there are likely
only two options at this point: the conference report or another short-term
extension." (01/25/06)
I am deeply
tearful over this (not), even though I know that the "letter
of the law" will not prevent too many agencies from going right ahead
and doing what they want.
Feds
to pay ACLU $200,000 to settle no-fly list dispute
First Amendment Center
"Two federal agencies agreed yesterday to pay the American Civil
Liberties Union $200,000 to settle a lawsuit brought to extract secret
information about the no-fly list, which bars suspected terrorists from
boarding commercial airlines. In October 2004, documents that the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and Transportation Security Administration provided
in the lawsuit revealed the government has 'two primary principles' but
no 'hard and fast' rules for deciding who gets put on the secret no-fly
list. ... The documents were released as part of a lawsuit brought by
the ACLU on behalf of Rebecca Gordon and Janet Adams, two San Francisco
peace activists who co-publish the War Times, a nationally distributed
newsletter critical of the Bush administration. The women were stopped
while checking in for a San Francisco flight to Boston three years ago
and detained by authorities until cleared for travel. With the help of
the ACLU, the two invoked the Freedom of Information Act to demand the
FBI and other agencies explain how people get on and off watch lists.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer agreed yesterday to the settlement,
in which the government would pay $200,000 in attorneys' fees. The ACLU
decided to seek compensation, allowed under the FOIA, after it obtained
all the information it believed it could get from the government. 'I trust
this money will be used by the ACLU in post-September 11 litigation,'
said Thomas Burke, an ACLU attorney." (01/26/06)
It really
bothers me to see the ACLU get bought off like this, instead of doing
what they claim to exist for. But in many ways, the ACLU is nothing more
than a relief valve on the FedGov steam engine.
Mama's
Note: The ACLU is simply one more receiver of stolen goods. The government
pays such people with our hard earned money. What a cozy relationship.
Anyone who really expects to find justice with organizations like this
have rocks in their head.
Mexican
drug run thwarted at border
Washington Times
"U.S. law-enforcement authorities confronted several men in Mexican
military uniforms and a camouflaged Humvee with .50-caliber machine guns
who had crossed into Texas with suspected drug smugglers 50 miles southeast
of El Paso, forcing an armed standoff along the Rio Grande, says a Texas
sheriff. Hudspeth County, Texas, Sheriff Arvin West said the incident
began at 2:19 p.m. Monday when his deputies -- working as part of an anti-drug
smuggling enforcement initiative known as 'Operation Linebacker' -- pursued
three SUVs spotted driving north from a border area along the Rio Grande
near Interstate 10. Sheriff West said the pursuit, which began near Sierra
Blanca, Texas, ended for one of the vehicles when it blew out a tire and
the driver fled. He said deputies seized 1,400 pounds of marijuana from
that vehicle." "Chief Deputy Mike Doyal of the Hudspeth County
Sheriff's Department told the paper Mexican military Humvees were towing
what appeared to be thousands of pounds of marijuana across the border
into the United States. Border Patrol agents called for backup after seeing
that Mexican Army troops had several mounted machine guns on the ground
more than 200 yards inside the U.S. border - near Neely's Crossing, about
50 miles east of El Paso. . . . Doyal emphasized Border Patrol agents
and county deputies are not equipped for battle with military personnel.
'Our government has to do something," he (said)." (01/25/06)
Whether
these troops were acting on behalf of pot shippers or their own government,
this is a clear invasion of Texas, and SHOULD result in military action
of some type (defensive, definitely). It doesn't matter whether they are
hauling pot or peaches, this is an armed invasion! And just because it
was pot does not make it a "criminal" action and therefore "police"
responsibility: it is the responsibility of the militia, the National
Guard, and the federal Army. If those opposed to the Iraqi and Afghani
occupations were smart, they'd use this as a reason to call the troops
home now.
Our
Imperial Courts and their Esquires
Not
just courts, but lawyers in general, are such pains in the neck. Is it
any wonder that things like the JAIL
Amendment in South Dakota are showing up more and more? The Alito
story is nearing its climax, but other issues, like homosexual marriage,
remain very high on the legal agenda.
Going
for broke over homosexual vows
San Francisco Chronicle
"Orange County attorney Richard Gilbert says the lawyers fighting
for same-sex marriage across the country are leading the gay and lesbian
community astray. The widely accepted strategy for legalizing same-sex
marriage -- to push for legislation and court victories state by state
-- is too timid, Gilbert said at his office in Santa Ana, the county seat
of one of California's conservative bastions. He thinks they should be
fighting nationally and has sued Orange County in federal court, saying
the U.S. Constitution guarantees a marriage license to his clients, a
gay couple. But leaders at Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian
Rights and Equality California say a U.S. Supreme Court decision on same-sex
marriage that comes too soon could result in the entire gay community
losing rights, not gaining. They are doing whatever they can to stop Gilbert's
suit." (01/23/06)
Obviously
this attorney has some sort of gnosis that the rest of us don't have about
the Constitution. It is nice to see the people pushing this particular
agenda fighting among themselves, whatever the reason. It does lead credence
to claims from the Right that there is a long-term plan to this entire
homosexual-marriage fight which popped up so quickly a few years ago.
Senate
moves toward confirming Alito
Houston Chronicle
"Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito took a victory lap in the
Senate today, accepting congratulations from Republican leaders as lawmakers
moved toward confirming him in a largely party-line vote. A few hours
after the final confirmation debate began, Alito met with Senate Majority
Leader Bill Frist, Majority Whip Mitch McConnell and Judiciary chairman
Arlen Specter in a room in the U.S. Capitol that directly faces the neighboring
Supreme Court." (01/25/06)
So the
millions spent on fighting his appointment will be wasted by Democratic
senators acting uncharacteristically like their GOP colleagues? Maybe
- we'll see.
Mama's
Note: As with most of what government does, the outcome was predetermined
and all the show was simply job security for all of them. Their entire
goal and purpose is to gain as much power as they can while stealing as
much of our productivity as possible. There is no other real purpose for
anything they say or do. Trust me.
TennCare
enrollees' attorneys get $1.3M
Tennessean
"The state has agreed to pay more than $1.3 million in legal fees
and expenses to lawyers who entered TennCare legal battles to represent
those slated to be cut from the program. But neither the lawyers nor state
officials would reveal details of the settlement. 'The details of the
negotiation we have agreed to are not going to be put out in the public,'
said Ted Carey, who, with law partner George Barrett, intervened in several
ongoing TennCare cases in federal court beginning in 2004." [FND
editor's note: Something is fishy here;aren't these the same lawyers who
were getting $5000 a week apiece to sit and wait for the phone to ring?-
SAT] (01/25/06)
Gee, aren't
we lucky to have public-minded lawyers like this? $1.3 million could buy
an awful lot of rope and 3x6 plots (well, I actually believe that burying
the corpses in the street right-of-way under the lampposts, leaving the
ropes on the posts, would be more salutary, but I know some people have
religious objections to that.)
MA:
Poutre moved to rehab center
Kansas City Star
"A brain-damaged 11-year-old girl who was nearly removed from
life support before she suddenly began breathing on her own was moved
to a rehabilitation center Thursday. ... Less than two weeks ago, the
state Department of Social Services won approval from the state's highest
court to remove Haleigh from life support, saying she would never recover
from her vegetative state. A day later, she started showing signs of improvement,
and she was weaned off her ventilator. Now, agency officials said, Haleigh
can move her eyes toward where she hears a sound." (01/27/06)
WA:
Conviction overturned in airport "threat" case
Seattle Times
"The state Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a man
found guilty of threatening to bomb Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
in 2001, saying the jury that heard his case was given incomplete instructions.
Tracey Johnston, whose last address was in Renton, appealed his conviction,
contending the King County Superior Court jury that heard his case wasn't
offered the legal definition of a 'true threat.' The Supreme Court, in
a ruling released Thursday, noted that the state statute that covers bomb
threats applies only to true threats -- those likely to be carried out."
[Editor's note: Wow ... judges exercising common sense and respect
for law ... what will they think of next? Hat tip to GC - TLK] (01/27/06)
Mama's
Note: A few rays of sunshine amid the dark clouds of the coming storm.
Mideast
Tarbabies
A few items from the Middle East this week, as fighting continues and
Iran gets snootier. We can expect more spillover into the US and Europe
as the situation continues essentially unchanged. Watchfulness is essential.
Paki
stories don't jive
Yahoo News
Pakistan's prime minister said Friday no "tangible evidence"
has been found that al-Qaida operatives were among those killed in a U.S.
missile strike on a border village last week. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz
said security agencies in the area of Damadola "have not found any
tangible evidence that a particular group or any individual was there."
A senior Pakistani intelligence official earlier told The Associated Press
that al-Qaida figures were casualties of the Jan. 13 attack, which killed
13 villagers. Officials believe at least four foreign militants may also
have died, including an al-Qaida explosives and chemical weapons expert
and a son-in-law of the terror network's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri.
Thanks
to Scott for this article. Apparently, the govmint can't get its story
straight, as they try to placate both their own fanatics and the US. I
don't know who to believe, and a pox on both their houses!
Iraq:
Two US troops killed in blast
Reuters
"Police said they raided the Toubji district in Baghdad on Monday
and arrested a number of suspects. One witness said police shot dead his
uncle and wounded his mother. Police denied the charge. ... British forces
said a military patrol was struck by a roadside bomb in the southern city
of Basra. There was no immediate report of casualties. ... The bodies
of eight police recruits were found near Dujail on Monday .... Gunmen
kidnapped two German engineers in the Iraqi industrial town of Baiji.
... Gunmen killed a police officer in a separate incident in the city,
police said. ... Two U.S soldiers were killed on Monday when their vehicle
was struck by a roadside bomb in southeast Baghdad .... An Iraqi civilian
was killed and two wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near a police
patrol in the northern oil city of Kirkuk ..." (01/24/06)
Fighting
continues, and for one day, it appears the thugs actually killed fewer
innocent people than police and soldiers - a rare event.
Iran:
Bombs kill eight in Ahvaz
Reuters
"Bombs ripped through a bank and government building in the southern
Iranian oil city of Ahvaz on Tuesday, killing eight people in a region
that has seen intermittent bombings and rioting since April. Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been due to visit the city on Tuesday, but his
office said he canceled the trip on Monday night because of sandstorms
which would have wrecked his hallmark walks through the streets. Mansour
Soltanzadeh, head of the Ahvaz medical school, told the official IRNA
news agency eight people had been killed and 46 wounded in the two blasts
.... Ahvaz has been tense since April, when five people died in protests
sparked by rumors the government was considering settling non-Arabs in
Khuzestan to dilute Arab influence there. Seven people were killed in
bombings in June and six died in a blast in October. Some minor oil facilities
were bombed in September. Tehran has in the past blamed the troubles in
the region on outside infiltrators funded by Britain." (01/24/06)
This should
remind us of a few things: (1) violence in Muslim areas is NOT strictly
a result of Western involvement - they seem to do very well killing each
other on a large scale even when free of Western "domination."
(2) Iran is (as it has been for centuries) in a war with the dominant
Arab element in Islam to gain dominance of the Islamic world. (3) The
West will be blamed even for internal troubles, whether there is any reason
to or not.
Iran
threatens full-scale enrichment
USA Today
"Iran upped the ante Monday in its nuclear standoff, warning that
it will immediately begin developing a full-scale uranium enrichment program
if it is referred to the U.N. Security Council. The message, delivered
by Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh, Iran's senior envoy to the International Atomic
Energy Agency, reflected Tehran's defiance in the face of growing international
pressure over its nuclear program. Enrichment can be used in electricity
production but it is also a pathway to making nuclear weapons." (01/23/06)
As we've
noted before, Iran is pushing for many reasons, and is not slowing down.
Iraq:
Two US troops, dozens of Iraqis killed in weekend attacks
Chicago Tribune
"Insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades at a policeman's home
northeast of Baghdad on Sunday, killing his four children and his brother
and raising to nearly 30 the number of Iraqis killed in attacks this weekend.
Also Sunday, police found the bullet-riddled bodies of nearly two dozen
men abducted last week north of Baghdad after being rejected entry into
a police academy, officials said. The U.S. military announced Monday that
a roadside bomb blast killed two U.S. airmen and wounded another Sunday
near Taji, 12 miles north of Baghdad. The violence continued as Iraq's
political parties began gearing up for talks on a new coalition government
that U.S. officials hope will win the confidence of disaffected Sunni
Arabs and undermine support for the insurgency." (01/23/06)
So now
the butchers are killing people just because they tried to join with the
"oppressors" and unlike previous days, killed many more innocents
than actual enemies. I suppose it is a version of that old adage, "nits
make lice."
Pakistan:
Government suppresses anti-US protests
ABC News
"Pakistani security forces on Monday stopped hundreds of hard-line
Islamists from heading to northwestern Pakistan to protest against a fatal
U.S. Missile attack, the first time authorities have tried to quell mounting
anti-American sentiments. The convoy of 2,000 protesters, led by senior
politicians from an opposition religious coalition, was heading to Damadola
to protest the Jan. 13 attack that targeted top al-Qaida leaders but also
killed 13 civilians outraging many in this Islamic nation. Hundreds of
armed local police erected barricades at Yukka Ghund, a town about 20
miles from Damadola, and blocked the convoy which had set off earlier
from the capital Islamabad, gathering strength along the way."
(01/23/06)
The Paki
government is having a harder time trying to balance internal and external
mollification, aren't they?
Documents:
Halliburton gave troops contaminated water
Indianapolis Star
"Troops and civilians at a U.S. Military base in Iraq were exposed
to contaminated water last year, and employees for the responsible contractor,
Halliburton, couldn't get their company to inform camp residents, according
to interviews and internal company documents. Halliburton, the company
formerly headed by Vice President Dick Cheney, disputes the allegations
about water problems at Camp Junction City in Ramadi, even though they
were made by its own employees and documented in company e-mails."
(01/23/06)
Any time
you have guvmint contractors (I call them "Beltway Bandits")
you have significant quality control problems - look at any public works
project from the 1930s on and you will see what I mean (or just drive
down a local pot-holed road). As the armed forces strive desperately for
a greater tooth-to-tail ratio, and more logistical support is done by
contractors (not necessarily a bad thing), we'll see more of this.
Mama's
Note: It also depends on what you call "contaminated." Contaminated
with what and in what amount? Most of the water in the world is not "pure"
by modern standards, yet it continues to sustain life. The poison is in
the dose. We are able to detect things, at levels never before known,
and not all of it is harmful, by any means. The human body is able to
deal with incredible levels of contamination and disease, especially if
there is sufficient nutrition and the mind is healthy. The water in this
story might well be unhealthful, but there is nothing here to prove it.
Iraq:
Al Qaeda supporters won seats in election
Telegraph [UK]
"Supporters of al-Qa'eda in Iraq have used the elections staged
by the United States to gain positions of political power, the American
military believes. According to senior officers based in Anbar province,
an insurgent stronghold in western Iraq, al-Qa'eda-linked politicians
have gained seats in local elections to provincial assemblies. None would
publicly accuse any politicians by name or comment on the number under
suspicion, but they are convinced that al-Qa'eda influence is particularly
prevalent in the border towns of Qaim and Hit. ... American intelligence
has also learnt that not only are some of its supporters now politicians
but that a number of its leaders have married into leading local tribes
to secure alliances." (01/23/06)
Oh, wow,
THIS is a big surprise. Politics 101, especially in the Middle East. I
do admit that I am a bit more surprised at the marriage into leading local
tribes, since that is so foreign to the usual marriage customs of Islamicists
and Arabs (where marrying first cousins is the norm, not the rare oddity).
Iraq:
New judge named in Saddam trial
CNN
"Iraqi officials named Raouf Rasheed Abdel-Rahman, a Kurd, as
the new chief judge in the trial of Saddam Hussein, a top case investigator
said Monday. Abdel-Rahman would replace Rizgar Mohammed Amin, who submitted
a letter of resignation on January 15 amid accusations that he was too
lenient with trial defendants, said the investigator, Raid Juhi. ... The
resignation was the latest complication in the trial, which began in October
and has seen two defense lawyers assassinated and another judge step down.
The trial is expected to resume Tuesday. There are five judges on the
tribunal." (01/23/06)
Nobody
likes him, either. And of course, there were more delays on Tuesday and
Wednesday. But at least for Saddam, people seem to be bending over backwards
to give him a fair trial.
Mama's
Note: I have not seen much that looked like a "trial" of any
sort, with Saddam acting as if he was running it half the time, but I
guess they are doing the best they can under the circumstances - and with
very different rules than we are used to. I just don't know what is taking
them so long, really. It can't be that hard to prove what he's done.
Jury
convicts accused Iraqi agent on six of seven counts
USA Today
"A man accused of trying to sell the names of U.S. operatives
and agents to Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime for $3 million was convicted
Wednesday of six of the seven charges against him. Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad
Ali Shaaban, who blamed his troubles on a twin who relatives testified
does not exist, was convicted of charges including acting as an unregistered
foreign agent, violating sanctions against Iraq, conspiracy and witness
tampering." (01/25/06)
There are
a lot more like him out there, I'm sure.
Hamas
faring better than expected in vote
Detroit Free Press
"Hamas fared better than expected in Palestinian elections Wednesday,
exit polls showed, raising the prospect that the ruling Fatah Party might
be forced to form a coalition with the Islamic militant group that calls
for Israel's destruction. The outcome could put Mideast peacekeeping at
risk. Fatah had said before the first parliamentary contest in a decade
that it would rather team with small parties than join forces with Hamas,
which has carried out dozens of terror attacks against the Jewish state
and whose presence in the government would likely cause friction with
Israel, the U.S. and Europe." (01/25/06)
It is difficult
to see how Israel can negotiate with a government which includes an organization
that has, in its basic document, a flat-out statement that its primary
goal is the destruction of Israel. But since Israeli leaders seem to be
doing many things which are contrary to their nation's survival, they
probably will, despite any posturing they are doing now.
Palestinian
elections: Hamas captures majority
NBC 4 TV News
"Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas will ask Hamas to form the next
Palestinian government after the Islamic militants swept parliamentary
elections, and the defeated Fatah Party will serve in the opposition,
a senior Fatah legislator said Thursday. ... Officials in both parties
said Hamas appeared to have captured a large majority of seats in Wednesday's
elections. The Central Election Commission said the vote count had not
been completed and that it would make an official announcement Thursday
evening. Abbas, who favors peace talks with Israel, has said he would
resign if he could no longer pursue his agenda. Aides said he planned
a major speech Thursday night. Israel and the United States have said
they would not deal with a government led by Hamas, which has carried
out dozens of suicide bombings and which they consider a terrorist group."
(01/26/06)
I think
that this is probably the worst news of the week: not that Abbas was good,
but that Hamas is a pure and simple terrorist organization and has, within
its charter, an explicit statement that their goal is the complete elimination
of Israel. It shows most likely that the majority of Arabs living in Canaan
are very clearly dedicated to continuing their 60-year-old war with the
Jewish state.
Mama's
Note: I can't imagine why anyone would be at all surprised that the radical
elements won there. It was obvious they had popular support all along.
We may actually be better off to have them more out in the open this way,
but I don't expect anything to come of their negotiations except more
wasted time and money. Neither side has any interest in compromise or
true peace.
Iraq:
US to release hostages
Bloomberg
"About 420 Iraqi detainees will be released by the U.S. Army today
and tomorrow, including five women, the American military said. The Combined
Review and Release Board, a panel that includes officials from the U.S.
And Iraqi armed forces and Iraq's Human Rights, Justice and Interior ministries,
'reviewed the detainee's cases and decided they were no longer a threat
to the security of Iraq,' said Lieutenant Colonel Guy Rudisill, spokesman
for the U.S. detention system in Iraq. ... A U.S. soldier was killed and
another was wounded yesterday in a roadside bombing south of Baghdad,
the military said in an e-mailed statement today." (01/26/06)
Good news,
apparently that conditions have changed enough that these POWs can be
released. Considering that some War of the Rebellion (War between the
States) POWs ("detainees" in modern govspeak) were not released
for five years or more after all fighting had stopped, this is good.
Britain
announces more troops for Afghanistan
Reuters
"Britain announced 3,300 new troops for Afghanistan on Thursday,
saying that would bring its total there to 5,700 after it takes over command
of a NATO mission there in May. ... They are in addition to about 1,000
extra troops that Britain has promised for the headquarters in Kabul when
it takes over NATO's Afghan peacekeeping mission, and about 1,000 in place
already in the north." (01/26/06)
The UK
is continuing to stay by the US - and to many UK military historians this
has to be a strange situation. For centuries, British and Russian forces
(among others) fought to control the tribesmen and raiders of what is
today Afghanistan. Now, suddenly, they are there.
The
2006 Election Campaign
Just over 330 days to go, and everyone is already going nutty over it
- Congress may not get a lot more done this year as a result (which isn't
necessarily a bad thing). I
am already getting calls and e-mail about all kinds of election type things,
and wish, very much, that we could have those one-month campaigns that
many other places do.
Aide:
Bush-Abramoff photos "coincidence"
New Orleans Times-Picayune
"An adviser to President Bush said Monday that Bush's photographs
in the company of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff amount to a coincidence
and shouldn't be interpreted any more seriously than that. 'He doesn't
have a personal relationship with him,' White House counselor Dan Bartlett
said of Bush and Abramoff, who recently pleaded guilty to federal charges
stemming from his lobbying practices and has pledged to cooperate with
government prosecutors. ... The White House has not released any photos
featuring the president and Abramoff, who was declared a Bush 'pioneer'
for raising at least $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney '04 reelection campaign."
(01/23/06)
I may be
condemned by many people, but I suspect this is the case: just because
you got your picture with Bush does NOT mean that he knows you - or that
he wants to. Your vote and your money are all that are important, when
it is picture-taking time.
IL:
Township GOP endorses former LP opponent
Mount Prospect Times
"The Republicans of Wheeling Township are endorsing a candidate
who joined the party a year ago instead of four-term incumbent Sidney
Mathias in the March 21 primary for state representative of the 53rd district.
At a meeting Saturday, the Wheeling Township Republicans nominated Scott
Bludorn as the Republican candidate. ... In November 2004, Bludorn ran
as a Libertarian Party candidate against Mathias and Democratic candidate
Nicholas Chrisos in the general election for representative of the 53rd
district. Mathias won reelection in 2004. About two months later, Bludorn
joined the Republican Party." (01/26/06)
An interesting
twist, and one which doesn't happen very often. Usually, libertarians
who switch parties in hope of getting enough support to be elected (assuming
they are truly libertarians and not just opportunists) are rejected completely
by the old party. Still, across the nation, there have been a goodly number
of libertarians (at least 85-85 on the Nolan chart) elected as Democrats
to state legislatures (although I've not heard of one elected as a Democrat).
Mama's
Note: Anybody can wear the Libertarian label, but all I see is that the
guy is a politician first and foremost. What he actually believes and
what he actually will do if elected is a good question. I don't trust
politicians, no matter what label they claim.
When
does a gift become a bribe?
Christian Science Monitor
"As members of Congress scramble to take cover amid a storm of
corruption scandals, professionals of all stripes have fresh reasons to
question whether the business-related gifts they give and receive are
truly innocent. Norms vary as to what constitutes a bribe, say ethicists
and other experts on the subtle, sometimes manipulative, power of gifts.
As a result, individuals in positions of responsibility and trust are
likely to get entangled -- perhaps tragically -- in the absence of explicit
policies for what is acceptable. 'If you don't know where the lines are,
you may not be able to make the best decision,' says Judy Nadler, senior
fellow in government ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics
at Santa Clara University in California. Having clear rules in place,
she says, 'makes it easier when you are tempted.'" (01/25/06)
The Army
has answered this question for years as "there is no distinction
between a gift and a bribe," and prohibited anything. Of course,
Congruskritturs have a far lower moral standard than the baby-killers
and professional thugs of the military, as we all know.
Our
Right to Privacy
Although the US Constitution does not explicitly identify a right to privacy,
the right certainly does exist, and we see how that is being hammered
today in this week's articles. Privacy is very easily eroded away, and
not just by government - business and even friends and family do a wonderful
job of getting rid of YOUR privacy. Be Watchful!
Former
spy slams Naziesque ID schemes
Silicon.Com
"A former US spy turned leading privacy activist has slammed the
UK's ID card plans, saying they will weaken national security and lead
to abuses of government power. Bill Scannell is a former agent at the
National Security Agency (NSA) and now a huge privacy advocate, currently
heading up a campaign against the introduction of a national driving license
across the US. The US Real ID legislation was railroaded through Congress
on the back of a budget bill, with virtually no debate or consultation,
and all states must now have a standard driving license by 2008. But already
costs have spiraled way above the original $100m estimated by the government.
... Speaking as a former government agent, Scannell also warned of the
potential abuse of a national identity register by those in power. He
said: 'When you know what the tools of the state really are you are wary
of unrestricted power. Governments abuse their power. That's a fact.'"
(01/23/06)
We need
more people who realize what is happening because they were part of the
machine and now have repented of their past - Scannell sets a good example
for hundreds of thousands currently in various governments' agencies.
Google
Doomed
SpaceWar.com
A legal standoff between the US Justice Department and internet search
giant Google has added fuel to an already heated debate over the government's
right of access to potentially personal data. Google's decision to "vigorously"
oppose a government subpoena to turn over records on millions of its users'
search queries drew applause from privacy and legal watchdogs, although
some also questioned the search engine's policy of retaining vast amounts
of user data. "This subpoena is really overreaching and outrageous,"
said Ari Schwartz, associate director of the Washington-based Center for
Democracy and Technology. "We are glad that Google is resisting and
we hope others would in the situation as well," Schwartz said.
Ever the
optimist, I hope that THIS is the rock that the FedGov breaks on, that
it has finally overreached. But does Google really need to know every
search I ever did? Probably not - and that kind of carrot dangling in
front of FedGov goons might be viewed as baiting!
VT:
Surveillance catching on in big way in small towns
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
"This snowy village, in the shadow of Fall Mountain and alongside
the iced-over Connecticut River, is the kind of place where a little of
anything usually suffices. There are eight full-time police officers on
the town's force, two chairs in the barbershop and one screen in the theater.
A little of anything -- except surveillance cameras. Bellows Falls has
decided it needs 16. Using federal grant money, police plan to put up
the 24-hour cameras at such spots as intersections, a sewage plant and
the town square. This hamlet will have three fewer police surveillance
cameras than the District of Columbia, which has 181 times Bellows Falls'
population." (01/22/06)
Well, no
wonder, if this outfit has EIGHT cops on the take. It has a population
of 3054 (as of JUL 04), so that is one cop for every 382 people - certainly
not "a little" when you see that usually the ratio is more like
1:1000.
Mama's
Note: Why do the people of Vermont, etc. vote to pay the property taxes
necessary to support such things in the first place? I lived the last
26 years in a California desert town of about 5,000 - give or take a few
hundred every weekend. It was an unincorporated area of the largest county
in the US, so three or four sheriff's deputies managed all the "police"
work out there, most of it concerned with the "war on drugs,"
of course. Many of the businesses had cameras, but there were none put
up by government. We didn't even have a stop light anywhere!
Fishermen
decry tracking devices
South Coast Today
"Commercial fishing vessels will soon be required to carry expensive
tracking devices that Coast Guard officials say will help reduce at-sea
collisions and protect the country against terrorist attacks. The Automatic
Information System (AIS) transponders continuously broadcast a vessel's
name, course, speed and other data to the Coast Guard and other AIS-equipped
vessels. Local groundfishermen, who face additional cuts in fishing days,
say they cannot afford to buy the AIS transponders, which range in price
from $2,500 to $7,000 depending on the model. 'They want to track boats
that are going to be in the ocean less time,' New Bedford boat owner Rodney
Avila said. 'It doesn't make sense at all.' Most fishing vessels are already
required to carry $7,000 satellite-based vessel monitoring systems (VMS)
that transmit real-time catch reports to NOAA Fisheries Service and allow
the agency to keep tabs on where boats are fishing. Robert Lane, who owns
two New Bedford draggers, said he doesn't understand why fishermen need
to buy a second tracking system, and called the AIS devices 'redundant.'"
[Editor's note: Wait 'til you see the telescreen requirement for the crew
quarters! - TLK] (01/26/06)
Mama's
Note: My first thought on seeing this was that the terrorists will have
an easier time keeping track of these boats too. Such redundant and stupid
demands of government are so common these days that many people don't
even notice, but they will pay even higher prices for their fish - that's
for sure - and never blame government for it. Can you afford to
eat fish today? I can't.
Our
Right to Defend Ourselves
We find a few items of legislative and warning interest this week in the
news. Most of the articles this week are again of people protecting themselves
from threats by use of weapons - although sometimes not so skillfully
as we might like.
TX:
Homeowner fights back against armed intruders
ABC 13 News
"A northwest Houston father fought back and killed an armed intruder.
The final straw came when one of the home invaders grabbed his 12-month-old
daughter and threw her down the stairs. Police say three men forced their
way into the home of a man at an apartment complex on W. Tidwell near
W. Sun Forest. The armed men demanded money. The victim first tried to
stop the men with a steak knife. The men grabbed a child in the home and
threw the toddler down the stairs. The toddler is OK. One suspect pulled
a gun but the victim was able to get it away from him and shot him. Then
the suspect pulled a second gun and the victim got it away from him and
shot him again, killing him. Police say the other two men fled the scene."
[FND Editor's note: Let's hope the homeowner has learned from this
and will arm himself now, rather than trying to use a knife and having
to resort to 'getting' the intruders' guns to defend himself and his family
-- a risky proposition at best - MLS] (01/23/06)
These kind
of thugs should NOT be allowed to leave a home intact, and as Mary Lou
says, this homeowner will depend on more than a steak knife in the future.
WI:
State split on gun bill
Daily Register
"Gov. Jim Doyle vetoed a bill Friday that would have lifted a
133-year-old ban prohibiting Wisconsinites from carrying concealed weapons,
setting up a political battle that could test party loyalty as lawmakers
try to override the veto. The bill would let [sic] Wisconsin residents
who pass firearms training and obtain permits to carry concealed handguns,
knives, billy clubs and electric shock weapons in most public places,
with exceptions for schools, taverns and police stations. Doyle, a Democrat,
said the bill endangers public safety by letting [sic] people carry guns
in shopping malls, banks and movie theaters. Wisconsin remains one of
the safest states in the nation, negating the need to carry weapons for
protection, the governor added in his veto message." (01/22/06)
Doyle doesn't
understand "safe" or uses some bizarre statist-liberal dictionary
to define it, as the next article shows.
WI:
Intruders beware: Victims of burglaries could be armed
Wausau Daily Herald
"These days, Mark Dempsey is easily startled when he hears a sudden
noise at his apartment. Earlier this month, noises at his apartment door
turned out to be the sound of would-be burglars. Two teenagers were trying
to pry their way inside his home at 1107 Cleveland Ave. on Jan. 10. Dempsey,
52, shouted out the first thing that came to his mind. He asked them if
they wanted to get shot, and they ran away. A broken foot prevented Dempsey
from running after them, and they haven't been caught. During the month
of December, Wausau police investigated two attempted burglaries to homes
and one to a business. Police received reports of 11 burglaries in the
city last month, including six to homes. Dempsey has a warning to potential
burglars, and not just to the ones who tried to break into his apartment:
Besides hurting the victims of your crime, you could be putting your own
life in jeopardy." (01/22/06)
This should
encourage WI legisgators to override the governor's veto.
FL:
Jury clears homeowner who took cop for intruder
Miami Herald
"A little more than two years ago, Mario Barcia Jr. was awakened
in the dead of night by banging on his door. Startled -- and shaken from
two previous robberies -- he grabbed his gun and ran to the front of the
house. Within a matter of seconds his life would change forever. Seeing
what he described only as a bright light shining through his back door,
Barcia fired a single shot. Five shots were returned. Then Barcia fired
twice more. His first shot had hit Miami-Dade County police officer Chad
Murphy in the back. Barcia was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree
murder of a law enforcement officer, a crime that could have left him
imprisoned for life. Murphy, wearing a flak jacket, survived with a bloody
bruise. On Wednesday, it took a Miami-Dade County jury less than 30 minutes
to decide Barcia did nothing wrong in shooting Murphy, who had entered
Barcia's property without permission or a warrant." (01/26/06)
Mama's
Note: And why in the world did it take more than two years to resolve
this? There should never have been a trial in the first place.
UK:
Farmer robbed, police confiscate shotgun
Berskshire News [UK]
"Strawberry farmer Eric Jarnet is fuming after police confiscated
his shotgun on his 70th birthday because they feared he might emulate
Norfolk farmer Tony Martin. Mr. Martin became a national figure after
the shotgun killing of a burglar at his farmhouse. An exasperated Mr.
Jarnet publicly admitted he might 'do a Martin' after raiders stole hundreds
of yards of irrigation piping from his 25-acre Twyford Fruit Farm in London
Road, effectively putting him out of business. Moments after he made his
remarks police arrived to seize his shotgun, for which he has a license
Mr. Jarnet said: 'The thieves have all the rights in the world. Even if
I had a dog here and he bit an intruder he would have to be put down.'"
(01/19/06)
Preventative
justice - possible in a land with gun registration and police that run
your lives "for your own good."
IN:
Man storms into home of ex-girlfriend, is killed
Indianapolis Star
"Jeffrey B. Randle, 44, 1100 block of West 36th Street, died of
a gunshot wound late Wednesday after he stormed into his former girlfriend's
Clermont home and charged her male companion, police said. The alleged
shooter, Aaron Sterling, 44, was not arrested. Randle knocked on the door
to Marcelene Robinson's home in the 7600 block of Marabou Mills Way about
11 p.m. Wednesday, according to a Marion County Sheriff's Department report.
Robinson, 41, answered the door, thinking it might be her daughter. Randle,
who police say was violating a protective order by visiting Robinson's
home, saw Sterling and became enraged, according to the report. He pushed
through the door, knocking Robinson out of the way, and charged Sterling,
police said. Sterling produced a .44-caliber handgun and fired one shot,
which struck the victim in the groin, police said. Randle died at Wishard
Memorial Hospital." [RND Editor's note: Protective order fails,
handgun succeeds - MLS] (01/20/06)
Sad, but
better than the result if Sterling had not been armed.
CA:
Man shoots intruder, charges possible
ABC 7 News
"Contra Costa County officials will decide Tuesday whether they'll
bring assault charges against a Richmond man who shot an intruder at his
home. It happened early Monday morning. Police say the homeowner saw someone
in his backyard and shot several times with a small-caliber weapon. The
law allows homeowners to use deadly force on their own property if they
fear for their lives. But the issue is whether excessive force was used.
Some neighbors say the man who was shot was drunk and wandered into the
backyard. They say they heard six or seven shots fired. " (01/24/06)
This man
appears to be in serious need of training, and maybe that would be the
best verdict for a jury to find: that he needs to go to some serious training
- including the idea that a "small-caliber" (presumably a .22)
is proper for home defense.
Nevada:
Victims fight back
KRNV TV
"Two victims in an attempted home robbery scared away their intruders
Monday night when one victim pointed a gun at one of the suspects. Police
say two suspect tried to open the door on a home on Holcomb Avenue. One
resident heard a noise and opened the door. The suspects then pushed their
way into the home, grabbing one victim by the throat and demanding money.
One suspect went to the back bedroom where a female victim pointed a hand
gun at the suspect, scaring both suspects away from the home."
(01/24/06)
No shots
fired. A wonderful phrase for both the residents and the police, I'm sure.
Unfortunately, the intruders are still running free.
Mama's
Note: Why did the guy open the door in the first place? He's really lucky
he wasn't killed right there. KNOW who you are opening the door for, especially
if you are dumb enough to live in a "bad" area. Defense requires
more than a gun. A few operational brain cells are mandatory.
CA:
Home invasion turns deadly for robber
TurnTo23 News
"A home invasion robbery went awry for three intruders late Monday
night, leaving one dead following a gun battle with the home owner. The
shooting happened at about 10 p.m. Monday. The Bakersfield Police Department
said it received a 911 call from a home on Kearney Drive in northwest
Bakersfield; the caller said shots had been fired. When police arrived,
they found one man dead on the front lawn of the home and another man
with several gunshot wounds. A third suspect had fled on foot. Police
said the three men broke into the home and assaulted an elderly man. They
said he pulled out a gun and fought back." (01/24/06)
This came
out much different than the business in Nevada (above). Notice, unlike
in Contra Costa, no arrest for the man who defended himself.
Mama's
Note: Well, there are differences. These thugs actually broke in and attacked.
It's a good thing the homeowner was prepared and didn't trust a steak
knife, that's for sure.
Ohio:
Robber, clerk exchange gunfire
Channel Cincinnati
"A robbery at a Springfield Township convenience store ended in
gunfire Tuesday night. Officers said a man entered the Kwik-N-Kold store
on Daly Road at about 9 p.m., aimed a shotgun at a clerk and demanded
money. The clerk gave the man money, but as the gunman left, another clerk
followed him into the parking lot and opened fire on him. The robber returned
fire, but didn't hit either clerk. The clerk told investigators that he
hit the robber with four shots, but officers said no gunshot victim appeared
at any area hospital overnight." (01/25/06)
They may
find this robber dead in the car some place, or the clerk had a higher
opinion of his shooting skills than he should.
Mama's
Note: Once again, this illustrates that possession of a gun is not much
good without training and practice. If you can't consistently hit a paper
target when calm and collected, you are not apt to be able to hit anything
in an attack, and may even have your weapon taken away from you! How long
has it been since you went to the range and got some practice? I confess
it's been far too long for me. I don't know if there's a range near here,
but I'll bet I can find out at one of the gun shops.
New
York: Attempted robbery leads to shootout
NBC News
"Police said an armored car went to do a pickup at a bakery, and
went to the back, where some tractor-trailers were parked. A 43-year-old
female guard got out of the passenger seat, then knocked on the door.
When there was no answer, she walked back to the truck. While walking
back, the gunman jumped out from under the tractor-trailer grabbed her
from behind and then put a gun to her head, demanding money. The second
guard, described as a 50-year-old man, got out of the vehicle, at which
point a second gunman came out from under the tractor-trailer and began
firing. The driver of the armored car returned fire. The gunman who was
holding the female guard threw her to the ground. The female guard then
fled. The driver of the armored vehicle took cover while the gunmen continued
to fire shots. It is unknown how many shots were fired." (01/25/06)
This is
a good example of why we need more armed citizens around. First, if the
employees in the bakery had been armed, the ambush might not have even
been set up. Second, if people had immediately responded to shots fired,
they could have helped the guards and kept the criminals from getting
away.
Missouri:
Man charged in death of cohort shot by victim
KCTV News
"Tony Rolf, 19, was accused of storming into a Kansas City house,
and together with his cousin holding a woman at gunpoint over a car -
a Monte Carlo with tricked out gold rims. What they didn't know was that
the woman's boyfriend was about to defend her and their property. He fired
several shots at Rolf and his cousin, hitting them both, according to
police. Rolf's cousin, 19-year-old Ronnie Frederick, died at a hospital.
Rolf was treated for a shot to the arm and released. Investigators said
he refused to cooperate with them, saying they'd been victims of a drive-by
shooting on Prospect Avenue. Ballistics cracked the case, according to
authorities. Investigators said the bullet pulled from Rolf's cousin's
body matched the homeowner's gun. Rolf was charged not only with two counts
of armed criminal action and burglary but with second-degree murder as
well because his cousin was allegedly killed in the commission of a felony."
(01/24/06)
Now this
is the kind of charge that makes sense - and hopefully it will stick.
Florida:
Woman shoots intruder
Miami Herald
"A Lauderhill woman shot an elderly intruder in the stomach, after
he broke into her two-story townhouse apartment early Wednesday morning
and refused to leave, Lauderhill police said. One of the woman's three
young children first spotted the man inside their home, at 5925 N.W. 23rd
Street, around 6:30 a.m. The child told their mother, who demanded that
the man leave. When he refused, she shot him, police said. Someone inside
the home then called 9-1-1, and the man was transported to Broward General
Medical Center in stable condition, police said." (01/25/06
I think
he should have been made to make it to the hospital himself, but that
is, I realize, cruel.
Mama's
Note: Wait a minute! The whole story isn't here - or on line that I could
find. Did this man threaten or harm anyone? An elderly many might easily
be very confused or demented and not know what he was doing or where he
was. I think we need to be careful we don't get trigger happy, especially
when there is no real threat. We will do our cause great harm if we don't
train ourselves to assess the situation and respond appropriately.
Alabama:
Woman shoots ex-husband breaking into her home
WTVY News
"A Geneva man is recovering at a Dothan hospital after being shot
in the knee. The shooting happened around Monday night at a home off Stephen
Ferry Road. Reports indicate Latisha Boyette called police to report her
ex-husband, Scott Boyette, had broken into her home. Moments later she
told dispatchers she had shot Boyette with a shotgun. Authorities located
the shooting victim driving his pickup truck and took him to the hospital."
(01/25/06)
Too many
times these home invasions are essentially domestic disputes. Rather than
trying to disarm the potential victims, teaching people to take responsibility
for their lives and families would be much more useful.
More
News and Commentary on Page 2
Nathan
Barton has finished his Christmas and New Years' "vacation"
in Colorado with his family and has been on the road some this week, before
getting back to the Black Hills. His views and comments, however normal
they sound, are too weird to be anyone's but his own, and not necessarily
anyone else's. Caveat Lexor. Be sure to visit my blog,
Liberty's Outpost.
Special
Feature! Add your signature to the NEW
Declaration of Independence
By Robert Greenslade
Several
people have asked about buying Gadsden Flags (the rattlesnake "Don't
Tread on Me flags used by the June 23d Movement and other Property Rights
Organizations: you
can get them for $10.00 plus shipping here.
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