Libertarian Commentary on the News, 27 February to 4 March 2006-- Page 2

Our right to defend ourselves
Lots of success stories this week, and a few "oh-no" tales. Watch out, and make sure you know where your towel - that is, your defense - is! (Bonus points for those who recognize the allusion, frood!)

Gun Ban Would Hurt Illinois Economy, Critics Say
CNSNews.com
Several Illinois-based gun manufacturers are mobilizing opposition to a bill dubbed the "Blagojevich Assault Weapons Ban." Second Amendment supporters say the bill is designed to stop a major hunting/fishing retailer, Cabela's, from opening a superstore in suburban Chicago...

Oh, yeah, everyone knows as soon as you have a Cabela's in town, the crime rate goes through the roof and all the undesirables move in - ask Mitchell, SD, or Grand Junction, CO, or better yet, go to the little Plains town of Sidney, NE (home and headquarters of this evil Wal-Mart wanna-be clone that caters to gun nuts and people eating tasty animals and people who torture fish and do "things" in the forest). Of course, Blagojevich is supported by the mobs and Mobs of Chicago, which refused to allow a Wal-Mart to sully its landscape, thus losing it to a suburb which built it just a few yards from their boundary with Chi-town - thereby losing millions in tax revenues and jobs. Is it something in Illinois water that induces stupidity like this?

Mama's Note: Lots of room in Wyoming for those manufacturers, and lots of folks ready to take those jobs too. One state's stupidity is another's gain.

Boston: Pol wants gunshot detectors
CBS 4 News
"Councilor Robert Consalvo of Hyde Park is proposing that Boston install gunshot detectors on city streets. According to the Boston Globe, these acoustic sensors, which would be placed around the city, would be able to inform officers about a shooting in less than ten seconds. Consalvo believes this gunshot sensor device would help find and arrest suspects involved in city violence. Just last year, Boston hit a ten-year high in homicides. Seventy-five people were killed and more than half were committed with guns, according to the Boston Globe." (02/24/06)

Mr. Consalvo, if you stop trying to disarm your constituents and support our freedoms, the police won't find as much to have to respond to. True, the business at the morgues might go up some, but it won't be as many innocent people laying on slabs.

Mama's Note: Those who think these gunshot detectors are such a good idea might want to read "The Black Arrow," by Vin Suprynowiz. It's the story of that kind of stupidity and what happens to the tyrants who try to use it.

Iraq: Journalists "must resist call to carry arms"
Guardian [UK]
"Journalists in Iraq are being asked not to arm themselves in the wake of the murder of al-Arabiya news journalist Atwar Bahjat and two colleagues. The International News Safety Institute has pleaded with journalists to resist suggestions that they should carry guns in Iraq, following the killing of al-Arabiya's Iraq correspondent Bahjat, cameraman Khalid Mahmoud and technician Adnan Khairullah yesterday. At a news conference after the killings, a reporter asked Iraqi president Jalal Talabani to allow journalists to carry weapons in self-defence. The war in Iraq has now claimed the lives of 104 journalists and support staff in 23 months -- the bloodiest conflict for the news media in modern times. 'Send me an official request and I will approve it and inform concerned agencies to give you the right to carry arms,' Mr Talabani replied. But the INSI, which promotes the provision of safety training and assistance to media workers, believes the move would be counter-productive and that journalists' lives would be placed further in danger if they carried weapons." (02/24/06)

Yes, Virginia, these people really are as stupid as they appear to be when you read their scrawlings in the newspapers or watch or listen to them on TV and radio. Absolutely and irrevocably stupid. Oh, and Mr. Talabani, sir, it isn't you or your agencies that give people the right to carry arms - that came from the Creator - Allah, if you prefer.

"Stand Your Ground" getting more looks
M&C News
"At least 21 states are considering 'Stand Your Ground' legislation similar to Florida's law that allows citizens fearing an attack to use deadly force. Supporters of such measures tell the Christian Science Monitor that the laws give citizens protection from criminals and take the debate from gun control to crime control. Those opposed warn garden-variety disputes would be more likely to turn deadly, the Monitor said. The law is at odds with the long-standing 'duty to retreat' theory many state supreme courts upheld, the Monitor said, pointing out, however, that a 1921 U.S. Supreme Court ruling did not support 'duty to retreat.'" (02/24/06)

CSM, as usual, is example #1 of my claim (see the first article in the "Right to Defend Yourself" section) that these media types are all somewhat more stupid than a rock - Colorado has had a "make-my-day" law for years, South Dakota just passed a new law making it clear that people are NOT obligated to retreat when threatened, and a bunch of other states have also already passed such laws (see the next article about LA's version). Why? BECAUSE of the idiocy of the court system, for one. Nor do they bother to point out that states have their own constitutions and Bills of Rights, which can and DO allow more than the US one - because of the Tenth Amendment.

Louisiana law permissive on deadly force
Baton Rouge Advocate
"The bystander who killed a businessman embroiled in a brawl with a Baton Rouge police officer may be aided by one of the nation's most permissive justifiable homicide laws, legal scholars and others say. Louisiana allows the use of deadly force in self-defense or defense of others to 'prevent a violent or forcible felony involving danger to life or great bodily harm.' People also can shoot intruders inside a home, business or car even if there is no such threat -- and need not make any effort to retreat. That's different from most states, which sanction physical force to prevent imminent physical danger and deadly force only when there is reasonable fear of 'serious physical injury or death' -- and the person in danger is otherwise unable to first safely retreat." [FND editor's note: Well, hooray for Louisiana! - MLS] (02/25/06)

It may be most states now, but as the above article shows, that is likely changing, just as concealed carry has become legal (as well as moral) in most states. One question - why did so many people in NO surrender their safeguards so readily, if this law was in effect? Obviously, because we have a tremendous education effort ahead of us.

Mama's Note: Excuse me, but I'm having a hard time imagining any situation where a person is threatened with death or grave injury and a retreat is one of the options. Just how does that work? Somebody please fill me in...

OK: Victim scares off attempted rapist
Native American Times
"The case began the evening of Feb. 19 with Thomas Gibson visiting the Minco home of William Patchell and his wife. According to police, Patchell, 26, accused his wife of flirting with Gibson during the evening and began to choke her. She was able to get Patchell to leave, only to see Gibson come into the room in his underwear, intent on sexually assaulting her. 'She was resisting him and telling him to stop,' Handke said. 'He rolled her onto her stomach and pinned her to the bed. When he did that she was able to get to a loaded .22- caliber pistol and fire one shot.' The bullet missed Gibson and lodged into a wall. By this point William Patchell had rushed back into the room and, according to police, began helping Gibson wrestle the gun away from his wife. The wife then locked herself into a closet, emerging later to phone police." (02/23/06)

Sounds to me like she should have fired at least two more shots - one at Gibson's head and another at Mr. Patchell's - he was trying to disarm her? Please!

Mama's Note: This is the kind of story that illustrates the unfortunate fact that the right to bear arms does not also guarantee intelligence or morals in those who will be bearing them. Liberty does not guarantee freedom from stupidity and vice, only the ability to defend ourselves from the stupid and immoral.

CA: Alamo homeowner fires on fleeing intruder
Contra Costa Times
"Authorities are seeking the public's help in finding an intruder who was scared away early Thursday when the startled homeowner fired several rounds at the suspect. The resident of a home in the 1000 block of Via Del Gato was awakened just after 4 a.m. to the sounds of someone breaking in through the front door, Sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said. After calling 911, the man confronted the burglar through a window, startling the intruder, who fled down the street to a waiting truck with a driver, Lee said. The resident, who owned a gun, fired at least six rounds at the intruder as he ran away and jumped into the passenger side of the pickup, which sped away." (02/23/06)

The resident needs some practice, doesn't he?

Mama's Note: I seriously question shooting at a fleeing suspect as a justifiable use of his gun. That is not an act of self-defense at all. As far as I'm concerned, he would be guilty of homicide if he's killed the man that way.

IN: Alleged burglar arrested after being shot by resident
Fort Wayne Journal
"A resident shot and injured one of two alleged burglars who tried to break into his Selkirk Drive home Thursday morning, police said. Jason D. Davis, 18, of the 1800 block of Embassy Drive, and another alleged would-be burglar tried to enter 7123 Selkirk Drive at 12:13 a.m. Thursday. The resident fired a gun and Davis suffered a minor injury to his face, a police report said." (02/24/06)

He didn't suffer enough, that's clear. But whatever it takes to end the invasion.

IN: Suspect named in Randolph home invasion
Muncie Star Press
"Winchester police have publicly identified a man they believe was shot after forcing his way into a local home, but formal criminal charges in the case have not been filed. According to police reports, Vincent Osborne, 28, Geneva, was shot in the left hand after entering a home in the 200 block of West Orange Street about 6 p.m. on Feb. 10. Police were called to a report of a burglary in progress at the address, and arrived to find a man, later identified as Osborne, fleeing on foot. Officers gave chase, and eventually subdued Osborne by using a Taser gun, sending an electrical charge into the suspect's body." (02/27/06)

Gee, I hope he's left-handed. One more stupid young man who might (but probably won't) learn a lesson from his close call.

VA: Self-defense bill struck down
WTOP News
"A Senate committee on Monday rejected legislation specifically authorizing the use of deadly force against anyone who breaks into a home and physically threatens the occupant. The bill would have written into the Virginia code the common law theory of self-defense. Del. John J. Welch III, R-Virginia Beach, said his bill would make it clear to Virginians that they have a right to kill an intruder who threatens bodily harm." (02/27/06)

Much as I am sure that Virginia needs this law, and once more has a few politicians vote their emotions instead of sense, let us pause a few moments and bemoan the death of common law (and common sense) that once would have made such a law unneeded, and pray for a return of such things. Fortunately, Virginia is in the minority this year, as this latest "fad" of seeking to reassert ancient liberties sweeps the nation.

Mama's Note: All you Virginia folks who would like to be able to defend yourself - and have far less need to do so - are invited to come to Wyoming. We've got plenty of room for you!

KY: Non retreat bill passes House
WBKO News
"House Bill 236 passed the Kentucky House on Friday on an 84-to-4 vote and will now be reviewed by the Senate. The Non-Retreat Bill would make it to where you wouldn't have to retreat when someone is breaking into your home or vehicle, and would protect you from being prosecuted or sued for opening fire on intruders. 'It provides the homeowners and the general public with alot better protection under the law in circumstances where there might be obvious evidence one was about to try to take someone's life or create physical harm,' says 6th District Representative J.R. Gray, who is backing the proposed bill. 'It's been kinda understood for years that you have a duty to retreat more or less to the farthest corner of your house before you use the force against an intruder. We decided it was about time to put and end to this and give people protection from lawsuits in case someone (an intruder) wanted to bring one in the case of an accident (being shot or injured).'" (02/27/06)

Unlike Virginia (at least for now), Kentucky seems to be ready to join other states such as SD and CO in deciding that freeholders have more rights than the invaders of their domain.

MD: Suspected robber injured
DelMarVaNow
"A man shot and seriously injured an intruder looking to rob his home in a quiet neighborhood on Old Ocean City Road early Sunday morning, police said. John Steve Collian, 48, underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition at Peninsula Regional Medical Center, according to state police from the Salisbury barrack. They said Collian was shot in the abdomen after he allegedly broke into and tried to burglarize a home on the 3300 block of Old Ocean City Road just before 1 a.m., but was interrupted by the homeowner. The victim, James Joseph Rozaieski, 36, shot Collian one time before calling 911." (02/27/06)

If I understand the VA legis-gators correctly, it is more important that Rozaieski retreat first and let the guy gut his house than shoot. Right.

CA: Homeowner shoots "ninja" attacker
San Francisco Chronicle
"An armed man wearing a black, ninja-style mask was shot to death by a Healdsburg man this morning after he attacked the man's wife outside their home and chased her inside, police said. ... The woman was about to take the couple's two Wheaton terrier dogs for a walk when the masked man jumped her outside her garage, police said. The woman struggled, broke away and ran screaming into the house, with the attacker in pursuit. Her screams awoke her husband. The man, whom police identified only as a man in his 60s, 'grabbed their handgun, probably a .357 ... and fired more than one shot,' Police Chief Susan Jones said. The intruder 'had what looked like a firearm in his hand,' Jones said. He died at the scene." (02/27/06)

The guy sounds so stupid he probably thought the mask had magical powers to protect him against 357 slugs. The police, however (although at least they aren't charging the homeowner), seem singularly uninformed, don't they?

Mama's Note: And this happened in San Francisco? I thought handguns were "banned" there? Interesting.

IN: Homeowner shoots at, captures burglary suspect
Muncie Star Press
"Brian Stevenson is not Doc Holiday, but the gun owner's quick draw stopped a man who invaded his home Saturday night. 'I could shoot a fly across the room like it ain't nothing,' said Stevenson, an avid marksman. 'I don't know how I missed the guy. It never really crossed my mind that I would actually shoot toward a human being.' Stevenson fired one shot from his 9mm handgun at William Tyrone Griffin Jr., 40, 302 N. Hackley St., after the twice-convicted burglar climbed through an unlocked window at Stevenson's home at Shipley Avenue and Eighth Street, according to court documents. The shot sailed high into an exposed board in a storage room, but gave Stevenson enough authority to order Griffin to the ground until police arrived five minutes later, he said." (02/27/06)

Mr. Stevenson has just learned the sad, sad fact that combat isn't the same as a target range, even if the target isn't actively shooting back. At least he survived to learn from his lesson.

Mama's Note: This is a real problem for a great many people, especially older women who are learning to shoot late in life. Shooting at a target is not difficult, but the thought of hurting or killing another human being is not so easy to process. None of us knows just how he or she will respond to the real thing, no matter how much they practice shooting at targets. Unfortunately, there is no way to practice for the real thing except possibly to hunt animals. If you can't bring yourself to shoot an animal, it's highly unlikely you'll be able to shoot a human being, whatever the provocation.

PA: No charges in fatal tavern shooting
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"A security guard who fatally shot two people while being attacked by a mob inside a Lawrenceville tavern last year cannot be charged with the deaths, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said today. The guard, identified Tuesday as Gregory Stewart, 30, opened fire in self-defense early May 7 inside J&K's Place after being assaulted with objects thrown by an unruly crowd, including a bottle thrown by Aaron Alston, 23 of Garfield, Zappala said during a news conference announcing his decision. The first bullet struck and killed Alston. A second bullet hit bartender Janice Kemp, 63, who ran the bar. Although Kemp, who died several days later, was an innocent bystander, Stewart cannot be charged with her death due to a 1998 state Supreme Court ruling in a similar case in Easton, Zappala said. Once someone begins shooting in self-defense, the court ruled, the shooter is not criminally liable for injuries to others nearby." (02/28/06)

An interesting case, but not one I necessarily agree with. There may be times when a person accidentally shoots someone in a combat situation, but there should not be a blanket immunity for it: there should be some evidence that it was unavoidable, or not a result of willful negligence. Yes, I normally believe that self-defense shootings shouldn't even go to court, but this was a case of blue-on-blue (friendly) fire, which is a whole different situation.

Mama's Note: Indeed! This kind of thing needs careful investigation to prevent gunplay from becoming careless and indiscriminate. Again, good training is the only solution for this kind of thing. If you are not prepared to train seriously with your gun and KNOW what you are doing, for God's sake, don't carry it! The right to bear arms carries a tremendous responsibility with it.

FL: Man shoots, kills robber
NBC 6 News
"A man shot and killed another man trying to rob him at a gas station early Tuesday morning, according to Miami-Dade County police. Police said the victim was approached by an armed man at a BP gas station on West Dixie Highway at about 4 a.m. Gas station employees said the robber was a 22-year-old man who went by the street name 'S.P.' A witness said S.P. came into the parking lot, saw the victim wearing a gold chain, pulled a gun and demanded that he hand over the chain, NBC 6's Jeff Burnside reported. The victim was also carrying a gun. Police said he shot and killed the robber during a confrontation. ... The victim was taken to Miami-Dade Police Department for questioning. Detectives believe the robbery attempt was random and the shooting was apparently in self-defense. An investigation continues." (02/28/06)

Who wears a gold chain outside their clothing at 4 a.m.? In Miami? A very few categories come to mind, and even though I fail to see the need for an investigation (except maybe running the surveillance vido tapes and getting statements from the employees), you can see why the cops might be a bit put-off.

Nagin, New Orleans still violate gun rights
NewsMax
"The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and National Rifle Association (NRA) have filed a motion in federal court to have both New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Police Superintendent Warren Riley held in contempt. Their frustration stems from the continued failure of Nagin and Riley to comply with a federal injunction issued last September to halt illegal gun confiscations following Hurricane Katrina and return all seized firearms to their owners. SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb said the motion was made only after attorneys had exhausted all attempts to communicate and cooperate with the defendants, who have essentially ignored the federal court order." (03/01/06)

Sadly, what good will more court action do? What is most likely needed (as sad as it would be) would be for a gunfight or two to take place as someone gets their weapons taken away, and blowing the entire thing wide open Notice that this article appeared in NewsMax, a generally pro-gun news outlet, and not the mainstream media.

Mama's Note: Getting the hell out of New Orleans - permanently - comes to mind...

IN: No charges for 79-year-old self-defender
WNDU News
"Criminal charges will not be filed against a South Bend man who shot and killed an intruder. Back on February 5th, 29-year-old Phoenix Coalman attempted to rob 79-year-old Donald VanDusen in his home on North Brookfield. VanDusen managed to shoot his attacker, but not before being stabbed several times. St. Joseph County Police say their investigation is complete, and that VanDusen clearly acted in self-defense." (03/02/06)

Good. But why did it take so long?

GA: Bill would let Georgians shoot first if threatened
Macon Telegraph
"Georgians would be allowed to shoot first if they feel threatened, under a bill passed today in the state Senate. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Greg Goggans, R-Douglas, says people trying to defend themselves, other people or their property need not attempt to flee before using deadly force. The state already has a similar law for people protecting their homes. But the Goggans bill, endorsed by the National Rifle Association, would allow Georgians to use deadly force as long as they are in a place legally. If a firearm is used, they must legally possess the weapon. 'This is about putting common sense into code,' said Goggans. 'Every law-abiding citizen in Georgia should have the right to choose whether to stand their ground or flee.' The bill passed 40-13." (03/02/06)

Another state debating expanding the recognition of this basic right.

2006 Police chiefs poll
Post Chronicle
"With regard to private citizens owning firearms for sport or self-defense, 92 percent of the respondents supported civilian gun ownership rights. Ninety-five percent of the police chiefs and sheriffs believe criminals obtain firearms from illegal sources and 93 percent revealed they hadn't arrested anyone for violation of the so-called 'waiting period' laws." (03/02/06)

Notice "sport OR self-defense" is used here: this survey is as bogus as most, and should be treated the same way.

TX: Would-be robber injured by homeowner
KBTV 4 News
"The Beaumont Police Department is in the 4200 block of El Paso investigating a home invasion. BPD tells Hometown News around 1:30 Thursday afternoon, two people entered a home on El Paso and fired at the homeowner. They say the homeowner fired one round back at the suspects -- hitting one of them. That man was transported by a friend to Christus St. Elizabeth's hospital where police located him. He is being treated to a gunshot wound to the right arm." (03/02/06)

One more case of human life being protected by using a weapon.

Stupid Government and People Tricks
Again a mixed bag of stories, all illustrating why we don't want these people to run our lives. Yeah, neither group - unless you have much better neighbors than I do?

MN: St. Paul may install neighborhood spy cams
WCCO News
"St. Paul Police hope to make the streets of St. Paul safer by installing closed-circuit surveillance cameras throughout the city. The plan to give police a real-time, remote look at what's happening on the streets has the support of Mayor Chris Coleman and Police Chief John Harrington. 'We see them in the neighborhoods. We see them in Highland Park. We see them on the West Side. The neighborhoods could really benefit from this kind of thing,' Harrington said. 'It's a whole lot of extra eyes.'" (02/25/06)

Thugs want it to be safer - for them. Another privacy issue, but stupid government trick definitely.

UK: London mayor appeals suspension
Guardian [UK]
"Ken Livingstone will today go to the high court to challenge both his suspension from office by the Adjudication Panel and its finding that he brought his office into disrepute by comparing a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard, the Guardian has learned. The mayor of London's lawyers will seek leave for judicial review against the panel, which last Friday forced him to stand down from his post for a month, beginning on Wednesday. The government body deals with serious disciplinary cases involving local government. ... Though the mayor's comments to an Evening Standard reporter, Oliver Finegold, last February caused wide outrage, it is argued that the Adjudication Panel had no right to consider suspension because he neither broke the law nor was guilty of dishonesty. The panel accepted that the confrontation occurred when Mr Livingstone, having left a function at City Hall, was in effect 'off duty.'" (02/27/06)

Livingstone is the UK's equal of Marion Barry and Nagin - a man who is somehow able to fit two size-12s into his mouth at once, and get everyone to ignore them.

This year's ISPA Internet Villain is the UK government
ZDNet
"The UK government walked off with the title of Internet Villain of the year on Thursday night, for pushing for tougher data retention laws in Europe. The award was presented at the ISPAs, the annual awards evening organised by the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA). During its presidency of the European Commission last year, the UK government drove forward the data retention directive. It forces ISPs and fixed-line and mobile operators to keep details of their customers' communications for up to two years. ISPA said that the UK government had won the award for 'seeking EU wide data retention laws which will force ISPs and telcos to retain more data for longer without proper impact assessment.'" (02/24/06)

Surely there are a lot of others vying for first place in this, aren't there? The UK may indeed deserve it, but the US's FedGov can't be too distant a contender. The entire world is full of nations that will be fair contenders, at least - and don't get me started on the private businesses!

Veterans may face health care cuts in 2008
Cincinnati Enquirer
"[T]ens of thousands of veterans with non-critical medical issues could suffer delayed or even denied care in coming years to enable President Bush to meet his promise of cutting the deficit in half -- if the White House is serious about its proposed budget. After an increase for next year, the Bush budget would turn current trends on their head. Even though the cost of providing medical care to veterans has been growing by leaps and bounds, White House budget documents assume a cutback in 2008 and further cuts thereafter." (02/27/06)

As Heinlein points out in "Starship Troopers" and as the Romans, Germans, Russians, and Spanish all found out, messing with the veterans can be bad, bad luck - but the beancounters apparently don't study history.

NASA hopes for three shuttle flights in '06
Houston Chronicle
"NASA will try for three shuttle flights this year if the space agency is able to launch Discovery in May or July, a top NASA official said today. But that's a big 'if,' said space shuttle program manager Wayne Hale. Engineers are still are working out problems with the external fuel tank and other details." (02/28/06)

Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it. A piece of junk can be made to work if enough money is thrown at it, but even then it is going to fail sooner or later.

Belarus opposition leader seized by police
Independent [UK]
"The man labelled [sic] by the United States as Europe's last dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, has stepped up his Belarus re-election campaign with a series of mass arrests and the beating and detention of one of his key rivals. Alexander Kozulin, one of three opposition candidates standing against the President, who has ruled Belarus for the past 12 years with a Soviet-style iron fist, was assaulted and jailed, and a further 60 opposition members were reported to have been rounded up." (03/02/06)

Sadly, with three opponents, Lukashenko is probably going to win, if he doesn't mess it up with the goon-tactics. But then, if elections made a difference, would they be legal?

Da Vinci Code "copy" case begins
BBC News [UK]
"A claim that Dan Brown's bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code copied the ideas of two other authors is going before London's High Court. Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh claim Mr Brown stole the idea that Jesus had a child from their 1982 book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail." [FND editor's note: Having read both books, I recognized the obvious, that The Da Vinci Code drew on material from Holy Blood, Holy Grail -- but it did not do so to the isolation of other elements, and in theory the Baigent, Lincoln and Leigh book was intended to demonstrate a historical truth that is implicit in the Bible ... should such alleged ruths be off-limits to novelists by sheer virtue of having been previously examined by other authors? - TLK] (02/27/06)

Tom's comments are good and wise, and I agree with him. The Da Vinci Code is certainly not the first novel to take ideas from THB-THG, but by far the most successful: Baigent and Leigh wouldn't waste their time suing some author who had to use a vanity press to get his tale into print. But Brown is making beaucoup bucks, and like all ambulance chasers, the lawyers in this smell green ink on paper.

AZ: $100 mil donation ... but only if state "gives" more
Arizona Republic
"A local philanthropist is pledging $100 million to Arizona's bioscience industry if the state Legislature agrees to contribute $150 million over the next four years. Jerry Bisgrove, chairman of Stardust Charitable Group, has pledged to give $25 million in each of the four years to boost research, development and other areas in bioscience without spelling out how it should be spent. His main stipulation: that the Legislature earmark $50 million of taxpayer money for the same purpose this year and pass a current bill that would add $100 million over the next four years. The bill requires renewal each year. ... Bisgrove's group is funded by Stardust Companies Real Estate Group, one of the state's largest land bankers and residential-lot developers. 'I'm only a steward. I don't view this as my money. It was given to me, and by God, I'm going to do something with it,' Bisgrove said." [FND editor's note: But only if the Arizona legislature steals twice as much from the taxpayers at the same time? Gee that's certainly generous of him ... - SAT] (02/26/06)

This may be "leverage" to him, but to me, it is nothing less than a criminal attempt to encourage more government intervention, interference, and manipulation.

AFL-CIO, NEA announce "partnership"
San Jose Mercury News
"The AFL-CIO said Monday that the 2.8-million-member National Education Association will allow local affiliates to join the labor federation, which was hurt when major unions defected last year. Reg Weaver, president of the NEA, the nation's largest teachers' union, said the partnership will give educators more muscle when they campaign for candidates for local political office and advocate legislation. ... The partnership comes as the AFL-CIO, a federation of more than 50 unions representing 9 million workers, prepares for its first election cycle since about a half-dozen unions split from the federation, complaining that it emphasized political campaigns over organizing unions. The AFL-CIO lost more than a fourth of its members in the rift began in July 2005. The NEA partnership won the blessing of the 1.3-million-member American Federation of Teachers, which has long been part of the AFL-CIO and had an occasionally tense relationship with the NEA." (02/28/06)

Big Labor is just getting bigger - more monolithic, that is. Membership continues to dwindle overall, as this article points out. Expect sometime soon to hear talk about merging AFT and NEA, making them an even more evil and powerful opponent of freedom.

CA: Presbyterian pastor faces church trial
San Francisco Chronicle
"A Presbyterian minister faces a church trial today in Santa Rosa because she officiated at marriages of same-sex couples allegedly in violation of the church's constitution. The Rev. Jane Adams Spahr, ordained in 1974, said she has performed hundreds of same-sex ceremonies since the 1970s, and in recent years she has officiated at several religious weddings. Spahr, 63, is minister director of a gay and lesbian advocacy group in the Presbyterian Church of the United States called That All May Freely Serve and said she is purposefully and directly challenging the church law. Spahr is accused of performing two weddings -- one near Guerneville (Mendocino County) in 2005 and another in Rochester, N.Y., in 2004. She said she told church officials about those weddings, and others, in her annual reports." (03/02/06)

This women seems to have been just itching for a chance to do this and challenge her church - and is a good example of people who refuse to walk out of voluntary groups like churches when they disagree, no matter what the grounds. Seriously, this is as engineered a trial as the Scopes shindig, or the Roe v. Wade, or the Texas homosexual case. Fortunately, all this church court can do is chuck her out, which should have been done, from the sound of things, in about 1976.

AZ: Residents refuse to pay land taxes in Colorado City
Arizona Republic
"About 1,500 homeowners in the Colorado City School District are refusing to pay their property taxes, fearing still-powerful leaders of the polygamist sect will banish them from the community. It has created a standoff between officials from two states and the residents, who face possible eviction if they continue to obey polygamist leaders' orders not to pay taxes. The impasse has prompted the district to ask the state for $2 million in loans to keep operating its three schools. The State Board of Education agreed to a $711,629 loan this week. Now, district officials want lawmakers to pass a bill that would lend them the rest of the money and let them sell school buildings and use operating funds to make a bond payment. It's another sign that the state's efforts to wrest the small community from polygamist control will be a long and hard battle." [RRND editor's note: Interesting bias here. If people aren't forking over to the government, it's because they're "afraid" of "polygamist leaders." But if they pay those taxes, I guarantee the line won't be that it was because they were afraid of the government (which, unlike those "polygamist leaders," has the uncontested power to steal their homes, kidnap them and stick them in cages) - TLK] (03/02/06)

These people need to learn to defend themselves from both the government goons and the fundamentalist goons. Tom is right - two different standards are being promoted, when only one (no initiation of force) is suitable.

UK: Climate campaigners outraged as wind farm plan is axed
Guardian [UK]
"Climate change campaigners yesterday condemned the government for rejecting a £55m plan to build 27 wind turbines each 115 metres (377ft) high on a windy ridge just outside the eastern boundary of the Lake District national park.The energy minister, Malcolm Wicks, and rural affairs minister Jim Knight said they had accepted an inspector's conclusions that the need to protect the landscape outweighed the benefits of securing a source of renewable energy." (03/03/06)

So we see two different branches of the environist movement fighting each other - a sign of better times ahead, surely. We see here the English example of the Kennedy tantrum about windmills in Long Island Sound.

Mama's Note: The enviro-whackos are not interested in better or environmentally friendly energy at all. They want NO evergy available to the common people at all - but most of them have no intention of giving it up themselves. They just want the planet to return to a primitive state and are too stupid to see that it would be a death sentence for themselves as well.

Times sues DoD over espionage records
USA Today
"The New York Times sued the Department of Defense on Monday, saying the government has refused to turn over records related to its domestic warrantless surveillance program. In its federal lawsuit, the Times asked the court to order the government to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request requiring it to release documents or provide a lawful reason why it cannot." (02/27/06)

It is amusing whenever the NYT plays its "honor" card and ignores its own dismal record for truth and justice while baying for government blood in the court system.

White House rejects call for spy plot investigation
Houston Chronicle
"The White House today rejected the call by several House Democrats for a special counsel to investigate the Bush administration's eavesdropping program. 'I think that where these Democrats who are calling for this ought to spend their time is on what was the source of the unauthorized disclosure of this vital and critical program in the war on terrorism,' White House spokesman Scott McClellan said." (02/27/06)

Not much news on this, The spying scandal seems more and more, from both sides of it, to be nothing more than a political ploy in a game, not real life. Sadly, too many people consider it nothing more.

Theft by Government
Just a couple of items this week worth discussing, or of bizarre interest. Don't think that a lot more isn't happening out there, however.

DC: Council targets cars used in prostitution
Washington Times
"The D.C. Council is considering legislation that would allow police to impound vehicles that they think have been used in prostitution. In addition, the council is mulling a bill that would criminalize the act of prostitution and allow the police chief to declare 'prostitution-free zones.' Currently, only solicitation for prostitution is a criminal act in the District. 'Prostitution is something we've been dealing with for quite a while,' Metropolitan Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey said. 'This is just one more attempt at trying to put something in place that will give us an added tool.'" [FND editor's note: What do they need more tools for? Sounds like the council is fully staffed with them - TLK] (02/27/06)

My oh my, do you think whore-free zones will work as well as "gun-free-zones"? I can't understand why DC still has this problem - they've been fighting it for at least 140 years; after all, DC is where the term "hooker" was coined, during the War Between the States. This is more about grabbing new power and wealth than it is about ending prostitution.

IN: Senate passes rule limiting property grabs
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
"Legislation significantly limiting the ability of government to take land through eminent domain passed the Indiana Senate unanimously Tuesday and could be on the way to Gov. Mitch Daniels for his signature. ... The bill has several major provisions, such as requiring land that is to be condemned and transferred to a private entity to be first proven to be blighted. Some examples of that would be if the land contains a structure that is unfit for habitation, a fire hazard, a public nuisance or has become infested with trash and vermin because of a lack of maintenance. The city or town would also have to pay premium prices for the land -- 125 percent of fair market value for farmland and 150 percent of fair market value for residential property. Owners also could seek and win significant damages and attorneys'fees. The legislation would prohibit private-to-private eminent domain solely for the purpose of increasing tax base through economic development." (03/01/06)

One of the other "fads" which seem to be sweeping the nation is the grassroots effort to fight eminent domain abuse, which often is a cover for more serious attempts to end this entire abusive power in toto.

Tech and Trade Issues
These articles should be of interest to everyone, as we are reminded that people are out to scam us in many different ways. Educating ourselves is our best defense, and that includes reading TPOL!!

Climate scientists issue dire warning
Guardian [UK]
"The Earth's temperature could rise under the impact of global warming to levels far higher than previously predicted, according to the United Nations' team of climate experts. A draft of the next influential Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report will tell politicians that scientists are now unable to place a reliable upper limit on how quickly the atmosphere will warm as carbon dioxide levels increase. The report draws together research over the past five years and will be presented to national governments in April and made public next year. It raises the possibility of the Earth's temperature rising well above the ceiling quoted in earlier accounts." (02/28/06)

More fearmongering - I guess it was time to turn up the heat again, lest some more people stop and think that this isn't right. I realize that many lovers of liberty think that there may be something to global warming, but I think all lovers of liberty will agree that the absurd actions proposed to be mandated by various governments from the UN on up are going to make the entire situation unbelievably worse.

Mama's Note: All anyone needs to do to put this question to rest is look seriously at the records of global temperature and climate changes for the last several thousand years. The climate and temperature "norms" are widely varied and constantly changing.

Take a gallon of water in a clear jar. Add one drop of lemon juice and stir the water. Then taste it. That is the actual affect of about 200 years of man's activity on the climate of the planet. Now attempt to remove that one drop of flavoring from the rest of the water. Yep, pretty much impossible. I trust you get the point.

Witness: Enron padded earnings with reserve funds
USA Today
"The government's prosecution of former Enron CEOs Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling picked up speed [in Houston, TX] Monday when two witnesses testified about the ways the company manipulated its numbers to put the best face on its quarterly earnings statements. Wesley Colwell, former chief accounting officer of Enron North America, told jurors that in 2000 and 2001, his unit would tap into reserve funds, which had been set aside to pay for future debts, to help Enron hit a specific earnings-per-share number." (02/28/06)

I hold these executives responsible, but there were a lot of people who can also be blamed for allowing this kind of dishonesty to go unchallenged - and we can also place at least some of the blame on the congrus-critturs and government situation in general on creating conditions that make it desirable to boost earnings figures and otherwise lie, cheat, and steal. But of course government is such a wonderful example.

World War
World wars continue all around us, and we have to pay attention to the various flare-ups. However, we need to remember "Don't Panic!" Things could be worse!

Muslim Dissenters Make Public Stand Against Islamism
CNS News.com
(CNSNews.com) - Islamism is the new totalitarianism, said British author Salman Rushdie and a group of other writers and intellectuals, in a declaration published Wednesday. "Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations," the document says...

No kidding! And their own people are saying it. Now, if more people would start believing it.

Taiwan: Chen shuts down "unification" council
International Herald Tribune [France]
"Taiwan's president said Monday the island was terminating the governmental committee responsible for unifying with rival China, defying warnings from Beijing that the move would cause a serious crisis. ... 'The fact that the National Unification Council is ceasing its function ... does not involve changing the status quo, but it is based on the democratic principle of sovereignty resting on the people,' Chen said. 'As long as the free will of Taiwanese to determine their future is respected, we will not exclude any possible form of future development of cross-Strait relations. However, we are adamant that no one should set preconditions or give an ultimate goal regarding the people's right to choose.' Chen's announcement is certain to anger Beijing .... has repeatedly threatened the use of military force if Taiwan institutionalizes its de facto independence." (02/27/06)

Taiwan is slowly, slowly, moving towards liberty, as is Costa Rica and many other nations - and has certainly gone farther than many. Steps like these are necessary, but very risky.

Bolton: UN riddled with "bad management, sex and corruption"
Fox News
"The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Saturday that the world body is hobbled 'by bad management, by sex and corruption' and a lack of confidence in its ability to carry out missions. John Bolton also criticized the U.N.'s budget, noting that two-thirds of members pay only 20 percent of the cost. 'We find an organization that is deeply troubled by bad management, by sex and corruption and by a growing lack of confidence in its ability to carry out missions that are given to them,' Bolton told an audience at a Columbia Law School symposium held by the Federalist Society, a conservative law organization. Bolton, a longtime critic of the U.N., has been leading U.S. efforts to reform the United Nations after the oil-for-food scandal and sex scandals involving U.N. peacekeepers." (02/26/06)

Gee, a diplomat who speaks the truth, at least part of the time. How strange!

Arroyo deftly foils worst-kept secret plot
Washington Times
"The plan to oust President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had one major flaw: Everyone knew it was coming. The presidential palace knew. The military knew. The press knew. Even an 11-year-old boy knew, right down to the date when it was to happen. 'Coup Friday, Feb. 24. Please pass on,' he said in a cell phone text message to his brother. So it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise that Mrs. Arroyo, who has battled through crisis after crisis during five tumultuous years in office, didn't just wait for it to happen. First, she called in her military chiefs and persuaded them to remain loyal." (02/26/06)

It sounds to me like this was likely not a real coup at all, but a pathetic attempt to drum up support and pull her enemies out of the woodwork: a giant sting.

UN: US threatens "no" vote on Human Rights Council
Asian Tribune [Thailand]
"The United States, which has expressed strong reservations over a proposed draft resolution for the creation of a new Human Rights Council (HRC), is heading for a collision course with the highest policy-making body at the United Nations: the 191-member General Assembly. U.S. Ambassador John Bolton says he is 'very disappointed' with the draft resolution, and is threatening to vote against it in the General Assembly -- if there are no amendments. ... Bolton, who has been seeking to block 'habitual human rights violators' -- identified by the United States as countries such as Sudan, Zimbabwe, Libya and Cuba -- wants members to the new Council elected by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. Since this move was opposed by most developing nations, General Assembly President Jan Eliasson, who crafted the draft resolution, opted for a compromise: an 'absolute majority' -- meaning 96 votes in a 191-member General Assembly. Bolton also wants a smaller Council than the one currently proposed, which is expected to have 47 members." (02/28/06)

I'm disappointed, too. But the UN is increasingly corrupt and useless, except to keep a few ambassadors and staffers out of their own countries and in our hair. For the UN to pretend it is concerned about human rights is a farce, but it isn't funny.

Mexico City: Officials try to close hotel
ABC News
"City officials moved Tuesday to shut down a U.S.-owned hotel that angered many Mexicans when it kicked out a Cuban delegation under pressure from Washington. Virginia Jaramillo Flores, head of the city borough where the upscale Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel is located, said authorities notified the hotel staff that it would be closed because it is in violation of building codes. ... It was not immediately clear if guests or employees would have to leave or if the hotel would be able to legally block the closure. ... The expulsion of 16 Cuban oil industry officials on Feb. 2 prompted local officials to launch an intensive investigation of the hotel, located alongside the U.S. Embassy, seeking violations of local ordinances. They accused it of several minor violations and of having built part of the structure without a building license. Federal officials, meanwhile, filed a complaint seeking to fine the hotel for allegedly violating Mexican investment and trade laws that are aimed at blocking application of U.S. laws inside Mexico." (02/28/06)

A perfect case of selective enforcement - using the law as a hammer to beat up on someone who did something you didn't like. As if tens of thousands of buildings aren't built in the colonias of Ciudad Mexico, without permits, daily.

As I sometimes do, I include a bit of commentary, which as Mama Liberty pointed out, echoes my own sentiments towards the Mainstream Media pretty well:

Media ethics: An oxymoron?
by Paul Greenberg
The big problem with reading articles about the professional ethics of journalism is that, no matter what they say in journalism schools, we're not a profession - which is a darned good thing. That way, we're not licensed by the state, and therefore cannot be disbarred by same. Thank goodness and the First Amendment, anybody can commit journalism in this country. Despite our occasional demands for special treatment, freedom of the press doesn't belong just to the press. And the more the press insists on being above the law, the more trouble awaits. That's no way to win friends and influence people.

Paul, I for one will be happy not to consider journalism a profession - but believe me, I wish engineering weren't regulated by the state, either!

And as I sometimes do, let me end this column with a quote, which is also a prophecy:

"Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity.

The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities - but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome."
-Sir Winston Churchill (The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages248-50 (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899).