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Our Right to Defend Ourselves
This week, we continue to see coverage of this year's gun-rights fad, as well as some strange cases which may or may not be self-defense, and some cases of self-defense, as usual. As bad as things can be in the US, and in some states in particular, we can rightfully be grateful that we are not in a good many other nations for this one right alone.

AL: Deadly force bills lined up for passage
Ledger Enquirer
"The Alabama House and Senate are now in position to approve legislation that would expand the instances where a person can kill someone to protect a home, business or vehicle. On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-3 to approve a deadly force bill that passed the House last month. The bill now goes to the Senate. A nearly identical bill passed the Senate earlier in the session and has cleared a House committee. It is awaiting a vote in the House. Current state law allows a person to use deadly force if someone breaks into his home and the resident feels threatened, but also says deadly force should not be used if the resident feels he or she can 'avoid using force with complete safety.' The legislation removes that language, but says a person must feel threatened at the time they use deadly force. ... Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, said he voted against the bill because he is concerned that people will be shot when someone thinks they are breaking in a house, but they are really not." [FND Editor's note: Um, if someone tries to enter MY house uninvited, they're breaking in, as far as I'm concerned. And yep, that's pretty threatening. - MLS] (03/15/06)

As I've mentioned in past weeks, this seems to be a fad sweeping the nation. A good one, perhaps, but nevertheless, a fad.

Mama's Note: I can't picture how someone could BREAK in to a house and not intend to do so. How many times does someone "accidentally" kick in a door or break a window to gain access? Anybody that stupid deserves to be shot anyway - and probably will be.

AL: Home invasion ends in shoot out
WAFF News
"A home invasion ended with a shoot-out. William Tony Gross' home on Benton Lane in Arab was broken into early Thursday morning while Gross was at home. But the 62-year-old didn't let the intruder just walk away with his belongings. He got a gun. In the end, though, Gross was shot in the stomach with a small caliber rifle. The suspect fled the scene. People who live in the area say they don't blame Gross for fighting for his property." (03/13/06)

As if to emphasize the debate going on in the legislature. But what kind of penalty for a home invader who shoots the homeowner does AL have? Assuming they ever find the guy.

Mama's Note: I don't give a damn if the neighbors like it or not! Luckily, I live in a part of the country where the neighbors would think me insane if I didn't fight an invader - and who would quickly come to may aid if they could. As usual, this guy needs to get some real training, both in self-defense and the use of his gun.

CA: San Francisco sets penalties for those who decline to be victims
Inside Bay Area
"Despite an ongoing lawsuit with the National Rifle Association, San Franciscos Board of Supervisors set penalties last week on what is regarded as one of the toughest antigun laws in the country. Last November, 58 percent of San Francisco voters passed Proposition H, a city ordinance that makes it illegal for residents to possess handguns and prohibits the manufacture, distribution, sale and transfer of firearms in the city. As required by the proposition, the supervisors Wednesday approved a set of penalties for violating the law that include imposition of a $1,000 penalty and a jail term of between 90 days and six months." (03/11/06)

As with Lodi (see story about the guy who is suing himself), people who voluntarily live in this Slum-by-the-Bay pretty much deserve what they get. Too bad, because this is a situation made perfectly for massive civil disobedience - say a parade by a couple of thousand gun owners, all carrying a few of their weapons, followed by a big open-air guns and ammo flea market on Ocean Beach or Crissy Field or perhaps the Marina Green, and perhaps an arts and crafts show in Union Square featuring reloading and casting of bullets. With just a couple thousand people, this law could become an instant dead letter.

DE: Bill would make getting permit for concealed gun easier
Delaware Online
"Legislation to make it easier for law-abiding Delawareans to obtain permits to carry concealed handguns was introduced today in the state House - with enough sponsors to guarantee its passage in both chambers. Under current law, applicants must demonstrate a compelling need for a permit and convince a Superior Court judge to issue it. House Bill 359, which is backed by the Delaware State Sportsmen's Association and the National Rifle Association, would require the judge to issue the permit if the applicant meets the requirements and no grounds are presented for denying it. The legislation 'would level the playing field for all the applicants,' said John Sigler, a retired Dover police captain who is first vice president of the NRA. Many current permit-holders were approved because they must carry large sums of money in their jobs, and Sigler said the right to self-defense also needs to be recognized. 'Single moms have got a right to protect themselves and their family, just like the small-businessman' who carries the day's receipts to the bank, Sigler said." (03/15/06)

Folks, may I suggest Vermont carry? If you want to truly be nondiscriminatory for people who need to carry concealed, there is no better model.

Mama's Note: Anybody who thinks Alaska has the same carry law as Vermont needs to read it. (Scroll down to it.)

FL: Man claims self-defense in fatal shooting
News Journal
"Volusia County sheriff's investigators are asking the State Attorney's Office to decide whether charges should be filed in a fatal shooting in Deltona. Roberto Legarreta, 37, was shot in front of his Belltower Avenue home about 7 p.m. Thursday. He died a short while later at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City. ... The person who pulled the trigger, Luis Perez, 28, is also a Deltona resident. Perez, whose aunt was the victim's wife, told investigators he drove to the Belltower Avenue home to pick up someone, but feared there might be a confrontation because Legarreta had been violent in the past. 'While waiting for his passengers, Perez said Legarretta came out of the house armed with a large knife and rushed towards his car,' Davidson said. Perez said he couldn't get his keys in the ignition quickly enough to drive away, and when Legarreta neared the vehicle, Perez opened fire on him. After leaving the scene, Perez called 911 to report the incident." (03/11/06)

There are sometimes situations where more investigation is needed, and this sounds very much like one. I would have a hard time believing the driver's story without some supporting documentation or witnesses.

FL: Prostitutes hunting serial killer
Local 6 News
"Women involved in prostitution in Daytona Beach, Fla., have reportedly armed themselves and are searching for a serial killer behind the slayings of three residents, according to a Local 6 News report. 'Rather than run from the man police labeled a serial killer, streetwalkers here in Daytona Beach along Ridgewood Avenue say they are seeking the serial killer out,' Local 6 reported Tarik Minor said. 'They believe the man responsible for murdering three women here is someone they have come in contact with.' ... 'We will get him first,' streetwalker Tonya Richardson said. 'Yeah, we are going to get him first. When we find him, he is going to be sorry. It is as simple as that.' Richardson said she and other women are carrying weapons on the streets after Laquetta Gunther, Julie Green and Iwana Patton were found dead in the city." (03/13/06)

Vigilanteeism or just enlightened self-defense? I don't know, but it may have a big impact.

Iraq: Families prepare to fight
San Francisco Chronicle
"Om Hussein, who was reluctant to give her full name, and her Shiite family are preparing for war. They've stocked up on food. They bought a Kalashnikov rifle and a second car -- so that there is space for all 13 members of their extended family should they need to flee in a hurry. 'We are afraid of what will happen in the coming days,' she says. 'Maybe there will be a monthlong curfew, or maybe fighting in the streets will force my family to stay in the house for days at a time.' In the past week, President Bush has tried to assure Americans that Iraq has stepped back from the brink of civil war. 'Iraqis have shown the world they want a future of freedom and peace,' he told the Foundation for Defense of Democracies on Monday. Few Iraqis, however, share Bush's view that the crisis has been averted. They are readying themselves for the worst, fleeing likely flash points, stockpiling weapons and basic foodstuffs, barricading their neighborhoods, and drawing lines in the sand delineating Sunni and Shiite territory." (03/15/06)

Yeah, this is from Iraq, but it shows that even in that benighted land there are some people with common sense and a love of freedom, for themselves at least.

KY: Convicted felon shot, killed by sons
Lexington Herald-Leader
"A Perry County man was shot to death yesterday as he and two sons exchanged gunfire across a creek at Leatherwood, chief deputy sheriff Randal Poff said. The victim, Zendell Ray Adams, 44, of Slemp, was shot once through the neck, but no one was arrested because both sons apparently returned fire with .30-caliber rifles ... The shoot-out resulted from a domestic dispute between Adams, a convicted felon, and the mother of his six children, whom he never married, Poff said. Earlier in the day, Adams used a baseball bat to attack a van in which the sons were riding, he said. The sons retreated to an in-law's home across the creek from a Leatherwood liquor store before Adams arrived and opened fire on the house with a shotgun. Witnesses said the sons returned fire." (03/12/06)

Sigh. It is very hard to do something like this - and has not ended a horrible situation, I'm sure. Clearly, Adams was the aggressor, and the sons were responding within their rights - but the mother will ultimately answer for this situation. What kind of woman has six children with a man who isn't her husband? Clearly one who refuses responsibility for her actions, or for the long-term consequences of her actions.

MT: Jury says Billings shooting was justified
Billings Standard
"A coroner's jury cleared a Billings man of wrongdoing Wednesday in the May 2005 shooting death of Jordan Ortivez, 20. Jurors deliberated about an hour before deciding Leonard 'Lenny' Larson was justified in shooting Ortivez in Larson's mobile home last year. ... Ortivez and his father went to Larson's home on May 5 to retrieve Ortivez's keys from Larson's roommate. Larson said he had met Ortivez 'a handful of times.' Larson, his friend Richard Voorhis and a woman were at Larson's home when they arrived. Jordan Ortivez began threatening them and became more agitated when Larson asked him to leave, Voorhis testified. Jordan Ortivez then told them if he didn't get the keys, he would kill everybody in the room." (03/16/06)

It took 10 months? It seems like it should have taken about two weeks - I admit this is another case that needed to be sorted out, and probably by a jury, but 10 months?

New Orleans admits they have seized guns
Second Amendment Foundation
"In a stunning reversal, the City of New Orleans revealed today to attorneys representing the Second Amendment Foundation and National Rifle Association that they do have a stockpile of firearms seized from private citizens in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The disclosure came as attorneys for both sides were preparing for a hearing in federal court on a motion filed earlier by SAF and NRA to hold the city in contempt. Plaintiffs' attorneys traveled to a location within the New Orleans city limits where they viewed more than 1,000 firearms that were being stored. 'This is a very significant event,' said attorney Dan Holliday, who represents NRA and SAF in an ongoing lawsuit seeking to enjoin the city from seizing privately-owned firearms. 'We're almost in disbelief,' admitted SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb. 'For months, the city has maintained it did not have any guns in its possession that had been taken from people following the hurricane. Now our attorneys have seen the proof that New Orleans was less than honest with the court.' Under an agreement with the court, the hearing on the contempt motion has been continued for two weeks, the attorneys said. During that time, according to Holliday and fellow attorney Stephen Halbrook, the city will establish a process by which the lawful owners of those firearms can recover their guns." (03/15/06)

A thousand guns stolen, in just a few days. This of course is also a "Theft by Government" article, but more to the point, surely SOMEONE should have fought back?

NH: Self-defense bill passes Senate
Concord Monitor
"The Senate yesterday passed a bill that would eliminate the responsibility to retreat from the threat of attack. The measure, which is supported by gun-ownership groups and opposed by law enforcement, would also broaden the scenarios where people could use deadly force to defend themselves against an attack. The bill is similar to a 'Stand Your Ground' law enacted in Florida last year. The attorney general's office and the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police opposed the idea. They said there's no need for the bill in New Hampshire and warned that it would disrupt the balance in the current law between the right to protection and the need to prevent unnecessary killings." (03/10/06)

Good. Not that it isn't a good idea to retreat if you can, but because it makes it clear that we have the right (but not necessarily the obligation) to defend ourselves. Another example of this fad sweeping the nation.

Mama's Note: The only retreat I'm going to make is to a more defensible place. Anyone who thinks they can make a victim of this old lady has another thing coming!

OH: homeowner shoots, injures intruder
Toledo Blade
"Toledo police said a man was shot by a homeowner early Saturday after the man allegedly broke into the central-city home. Police, responding to a burglary-in-progress call at 1566 Buckingham St., found resident Darron Doss and the suspect, John Curry, of 643 Nebraska Ave., on the rear porch. Mr. Doss told police that Mr. Curry broke into his residence about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday. Mr. Doss said he armed himself with a shotgun and fired a warning shot. Police said Mr. Curry was wounded and he was taken to Toledo Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries." (03/13/06)

Ouch - a shot gun on the porch? Curry is lucky.

PA: Proposed changes to gun laws
WNEP News
"Gun owners and sportsmen gathered in Harrisburg Tuesday to support two proposed laws to end gun registration and broaden self-defense rights in Pennsylvania. State Representative Steven Cappelli of Williamsport and two other state lawmakers announced a proposal to make it a felony for anyone to maintain a gun registry. The state police already has one. The three also introduced a House Bill which would strengthen laws dealing with the use of lethal force in self defense." (03/14/06)

This is a good attempt, but given PA's track record, I expect it to die in committee.

SC: Woman, 75, uses utensils to fight off burglar
WCNC News
"Rock Hill police are looking for a burglar who is preying on the elderly. Investigators said he targeted a woman and a man. This is a case were the burglar probably thought he found the perfect victim. A little old lady too frail and too scared to fight back, boy was he wrong. 'I was trying to get his eye, but I missed,' Maggie Robinson said. Robinson is 75-years-old. She is petite and she lives alone. But those circumstances did not paralyze her with fear when a burglar kicked in her door Tuesday morning. ... 'This fork, but he knocked it out of hands. Then I got this knife,' Robinson said. After the burglar knocked the knife away she said he grabbed her purse. That is when she threw a jar at him and he knocked over the TV. Little did he know Robinson was trying to get to her gun in the other room. She said the man finally took off on foot that is when she called police." (03/16/06)

The gun would have been a whole lot better, Mrs. Robinson, but I'm glad you didn't give up. Here's to you!

South Africa: Firearm renewal period extended
Independent Online
"The deadline to renew firearm licences has been effectively extended by about three months, with renewal dates determined by gun owners' birthdates. The extension has been welcomed by antigun lobbyists, who say the tedious process will lead to more responsible gun ownership. And gunshop owners see the postponement as an indication that police are battling to cope with the renewal process. 'The renewal period has been extended because the police cannot handle the workload,' said Neil Seady, a firearms dealer for the past 25 years and a member of the South African Gunowners Association." (03/16/06)

The extension is welcome, I'm sure, but the hoploclasts once more demonstrate their complete inability to understand the need for weapons.

TX: trailer park owner talks about shooting
Hometown News
"The Silsbee trailer park owner who admits pulling the trigger in a fatal shooting says he wants to set the record straight. Lonnie Brown calls what happened Saturday self-defense. It seems everyone agrees this started when a pit bull chased Brown`s step-grandson. Brown says he went to the trailer of the dog`s owner to find out what happened. Witnesses say Brown shot one of the dogs there. He says what they may not have seen is that dog bite his leg. Brown denies some witnesses' claims that he shot the dog`s owner, Justin Slider, as soon as Slider came outside. Brown says Slider threatened to kill him and began hitting him. Brown's attorney calls his 65 year old client's actions 'survival mode. What would you do if you were being hit in the head? [Slider] was 19 years old. He was, I think, a bricklayer.' ... 'He's muscles,' Mr. Brown said, 'He [was] nothing but muscles. I couldn't push him away, I couldn't control him,' says Bo Horka, Brown`s attorney." (03/15/06)

This sounds like a bad situation, and again this week for the third time, I have to say that further investigation is warranted. But notice the weasel wording of the article: "who admits pulling the trigger" and ask how objective this report is.

UT: Police investigate shooting incident in alley
Salt Lake Tribune
"Salt Lake City police on Friday continued to investigate a man who shot at someone who tried to break into his house on Thursday. About 2 p.m., a man heard someone trying to gain entry through the back door of his house, in the 800 South block of Edison Street (145 East), with a crow bar, according to police. Upon realizing he had been discovered, the would-be burglar fled to a nearby truck and drove south through an alley. The man fired a gun at the truck, according to police. Utah law is unclear on whether a homeowner can use deadly force against an intruder who has fled the homeowner's property." (03/11/06)

Frankly, I believe this man went too far - he should NOT have fired at the fleeing truck. That is a thuggish-cop action, NOT self-defense.

VA: Guns OK in glove compartment
Times Community News
"Licensed gun owners can now keep a firearm locked in the glove compartment or some other locked container inside their car without a concealed weapons permit under provision adopted by the legislature last week. If stopped by police, the gun owner would have to notify them of the gun. Before, a gun had to be in plain sight, in line with Virginia's nonconcealed carry law, unless the owner had a permit. Del. Clay Athey Jr. (R-Front Royal), who sponsored the change, said he could have a gun at his home and his temporary hotel room during the legislative session, but he noted the law was 'gray' when it came to carrying a gun in his car. He said it was a 'reasonable' extension of the Second Amendment." (03/15/06)

An extension? An EXTENSION? Please, don't make me throw up.

Virgin Islands: Boss kills machete-wielding employee
Virgin Islands Daily News
"A 34-year-old electrician who police said chased his boss with a machete was shot and killed Friday afternoon. No arrests were made. ... Witnesses told police the shooting occurred after an argument between Maloney and his boss, Ivan Mills of Mills Electric Inc., over an undisclosed amount of money, police spokesman Sgt. Thomas Hannah said. According to police, Mills told Maloney the wiring job he did at another worksite was not done according to specifications and he refused to pay him. 'Maloney became irate and threatened to cut Mr. Mills' arm off,' Hannah said. Maloney went to his red Chevy S-10 pickup and got out a machete with a red handle. Hannah said Maloney followed Mills with the machete. 'When Mills couldn't run anymore, Maloney raised the machete,' Hannah said. 'Mills retrieved his gun and fired a single shot.'" (03/11/06)

Of course, since gun ownership is illegal in most of the Caribbean islands, this man is lucky that he lives in United States territory, where we sometimes remember we have a bill of rights and the right to keep and bear arms.

WY: Laramie shooting was justifiable homicide
Star Tribune
"A man won't be charged for shooting another man through the door of his home, the county attorney has decided. James Martino, 55, of Laramie, told investigators he fired a single shot with a rifle. The bullet hit Brandon Martinez, 19, killing him. Police Chief Robert Deutsch said all the evidence pointed to self-defense. The police report said Martinez had been trying to force his way into the house. Martinez's teenage girlfriend, who lived nearby, had gone to Martino's house after an argument with Martinez." (03/13/06)

A good decision, although Laramie has gone so liberal that I am sure that Mr. Martino is condemned by most of his fellow citizens, even in Wyoming. Of course, it could be worse - he could be in Jackson Hole, where rich people have body guards with guns to protect them when they go to meetings to demand that San Francisco-style bans be implemented.

Our Right to Live
Still seeing a lot of articles about us barbarians in South Dakota, and a lot of condemnation for a principled stand on a divisive topic. I realize that there are many people who are (or claim to be) lovers of liberty who disagree with me and many others of their comrades on this issue, but I wish that they would at least show more respect for those people who believe that life begins at conception and who believe that it is right to try and protect innocent life. Too many people want to condemn all "pro-life" people as nothing more than wanna-be dictators who want to impose a religious tyranny, based on their view of this one issue.

Lawmaker: Religious virgins eligible for South Dakota abortions
Raw Story
"Resisting calls by moderates from both sides, as well as public statements by President Bush, South Dakota lawmakers have rejected the idea of allowing exemptions for cases of rape or incest to the state's abortion ban. One backer of the bill, State Senator Bill Napoli, argued on PBS's Newshour that if a victim had followed strict religious guidelines, her life would be endangered by the pregnancy. ... BILL NAPOLI: 'Under this scenario, she would be eligible for an abortion. A real-life description to me would be a rape victim, brutally raped, savaged. The girl was a virgin. She was religious. She planned on saving her virginity until she was married. She was brutalized and raped, sodomized as bad as you can possibly make it, and is impregnated. I mean, that girl could be so messed up, physically and psychologically, that carrying that child could very well threaten her life.'" [FND editor's note: As usual all a politician has to do to justify an invasion into someone else's life is to redefine the words to suit his own biases ... - SAT] (03/10/06)

I don't understand Bill's quote, and I suspect that PBS or someone got it wrong. And I disagree with Steve - Bill is a pretty straight shooter and I don't see how he is "refining anything" to "justify an invasion into someone else's life." The logic in refusing to make it legal to kill a child who is the product of incest or rape is simple, except to those who are so rabid on the subject of abortion that they have lost all sense of right or wrong: you don't kill a child for the evil deeds of one or the other of their parents. I, for one, believe that rape often does deserve the death penalty - but of the rapist, NOT of the victim or the product of that evil deed; incest is a much more complex issue that STILL does not justify the killing of the child of that "union."

Stupid Government and People Tricks
One of the problems with government is that it has people in it - there are several stories that illustrate the truth of that observation with amusing results (unless you are paying for it, at least). Sometimes it is hard to believe some of these stories - and yet.

UK: "Over-efficient" surgeon must delay operations
Telegraph [UK}
"A senior surgeon has made a public apology to patients whose operations are being postponed -- because he has been too efficient. Peter Cox, a general consultant surgeon at the West Cornwall Hospital, Penzance, and his colleagues have been told to slow down by the local health authorities. Not only has Mr. Cox met the current six-month waiting list target but he has surpassed it. As a result, more than 50 of his patients are being sent letters telling them that their surgery dates will be put back. The perverse state of affairs has come about because the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust -- which yesterday announced 300 redundancies and an £8 million deficit -- has treated 4,600 patients more than were budgeted for in this financial year." (03/10/06)

Typical government: "spend all the money or you lose it," "don't exceed norms by more than 5%," "we're here to help you [become more miserable].

Ex-CIA contractor free on bail until trial
Houston Chronicle
"A former CIA contractor charged with beating a suspected terrorist in Afghanistan who later died must be released from jail so he can better help prepare his defense, a federal judge ruled. David Passaro, 39, will be released Friday from Wake County jail. The judge, in a ruling signed Tuesday, ordered Passaro to post a property as bond and wear an electronic monitor. He was forbidden to have contact with his ex-girlfriend, ex-wife and child." (03/15/06)

That is kind of a bizarre policy to set - and one that many accused criminals should try and take advantage of. Of course, the question to be asked here is why they didn't set bail in the first place: he has NOT been convicted.

Frist: Port deal could still move forward
Houston Chronicle
"Congress will closely watch a Dubai-owned company to be sure it transfers its U.S. port operations to an American company, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said today. But Frist, R-Tenn., acknowledged that if an American buyer is not found, and the Bush administration determines there are no security risks, a deal for DP World to manage and operate major U.S. ports still could go through." (03/12/06)

Still, the sheer mass of misinformation on this entire business that continues to pour out over the airwaves, the 'net, and in hardcopy is staggering. And STILL virtually no one points out that terminals in dozens of US ports are already run by foreign companies, in some cases by companies actually owned AND operated by such agencies as the Red Chinese Army.

Idaho governor nominated as Interior secretary
CNN
"President Bush picked Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne on Thursday to be his new interior secretary, selecting a pro-development Western Republican to push for more oil and gas drilling from the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska's North Slope. Kempthorne, 54, would replace departing Secretary Gale Norton if confirmed by the Senate, and he would take over managing areas as diverse as the Grand Canyon and the Gettysburg battlefield." (03/16/06)

I am sure this will be no more acceptable to the environists and liberals than Norton was. CNN makes it sound like the only thing the Interior Secretary does is push for drilling, of course.

MA: Charities' decision leaves Catholics torn
Boston Globe
"The decision by Catholic Charities of Boston to abandon adoption work rather than allow adoptions to same-sex couples left a tumultuous wake of misgivings yesterday among the city's Catholics, whether they support or oppose the Vatican's ban on adoption by gays. Some applauded the decision, saying it was a relief that Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley had adhered to Vatican teachings, even as they rued the end of Catholic Charities' 103-year-old commitment to finding homes for foster children. Others expressed dismay that Catholic Charities, the archdiocese's charitable arm, was unable to bridge the gap between Vatican doctrine and the advances gays have made in civil society. On both sides of the issue, people said they had been proud of the church's adoption service, and now they were grieving its end. Many Catholics said they felt a sense of anguish, torn between what they felt was good for children and acceptable in the church." (03/12/06)

How can someone claim to be a Catholic and support the very idea of allowing homosexual "couples" to adopt, any more than they could support allowing Satanists or Moloch worshippers? I admit, it took a lot of courage and was heart-breaking for them to refuse to play the sick government game anymore, but they did. Government should NOT be involved in such decisions, at all. I would hope that more and more people of every faith take the time to write legal documents specifying who will raise their children (or decide who will raise them) if they die or become incompetent parents, so that government can be sidestepped.

Mama's Note: As a Catholic, I'm very proud of this organization, even as I abhor many other things the church does that promote socialism and other evils. The very idea that homosexuals would even think of seeing to adopt a child from a Catholic agency shows how screwy things have become with government control of such things. It should indeed be the same as asking the local parish priest to officiate at a Satanist ceremony.

Military seeks to develop "insect cyborgs"
Washington Times
"The U.S. military, facing problems in its efforts to train insects or build robots that can mimic their flying abilities, now wants to develop 'insect cyborgs' that can go where troops cannot. The Pentagon is seeking applications from researchers to help them develop technology that can be implanted into living insects to control their movement and transmit video or other sensory data back to their handlers. In an announcement posted on government Web sites last week, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, says it is seeking 'innovative proposals to develop technology to create insect cyborgs,' by implanting tiny devices into insect bodies while the animals are in their pupal stage" [FND editor's note: Is it just me, or is anyone else here having "Matrix" and "Terminator" flashbacks? - SAT] (03/13/06)

A silly trick indeed, but exactly the kind of thing DARPA has spent billions on in the past. Perhaps you should start listening to the exact sound that bug you stepped on made - was it a chitin-type "crunch" or a "oh, gee, there went $10,000 worth of electronics" crunch? (Thanks to MamaLiberty for this one.)

Removal of some wolf protections proposed
Houston Chronicle
"The Bush administration Thursday proposed removing gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the endangered species list, saying they have recovered to the point that federal protection is no longer needed. The proposal covers Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, where roughly 3,800 wolves live, and a half-dozen neighboring states that have no wolves but could as they expand their territory." (03/16/06)

Can anyone show me where the fedgov has any authority to "protect" an animal species? Now, if these wolves were going from state to state selling something.

Senate busts debt ceiling, passes bloated budget
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Congress pushed the ceiling on the national debt to nearly $9 trillion Thursday, and the House and Senate promptly voted for major spending initiatives for the war in Iraq, hurricane relief and education. The House approved $92 billion in new money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and for relief along the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast. The Senate adopted a $2.8 trillion budget blueprint that anticipates deficits greater than $350 billion for both this year and next." (03/16/06)

As the debt goes up, the interest cost consumes more and more of the federal budget, a fact which should encourage both liberals and conservatives to get it under control - but once more it is clear that mañana is soon enough to do something like stop spending money you don't have - but they constantly bellyache about private American debt levels!

UK: Farmer charged over lost ear-tag
Farmers Weekly [UK]
"Cumbria dairy farmer Robert Emerson will be sentenced later this month after being convicted by Penrith magistrates of four charges under the 1968 Trade Description Act involving burying an unidentified cow on his farm. ... The exhumation of a Holstein cow at Mr. Emerson's Pembroke House Farm, Brougham, near Penrith was undertaken last summer by Trading Standards officials following the discovery that two cows in the herd were carrying the same ear-tag number. This is the first time a cow has been exhumed in the county under the new powers of Trading Standards. When one of his cows lost an ear-tag, Mr. Emerson said he had inadvertently replaced it with the tag number of a cow already in the herd. One of the cows was culled, but when the second cow was also ready to be taken out of the herd Mr. Emerson realised his error. 'I couldn't get anyone to remove the cow from the farm dead or alive because it didn't have a passport, said Mr. Emerson. 'Following a phone call to DEFRA I was told to have the cow put down and to bury her on the farm. But I didn't get that instruction in writing and it has led to all of this,' he added. He said farmers were unsure about what to do if a cow lost a tag without it appearing to be suspicious." (03/06/06)

As the UK continues to descend into a more abject slavery. Govgoons tell him to do something, and then more govgoons punish him for doing what he was told to. And of course, if he HADN'T obeyed them, he would have still been guilty of breaking the law.

US case vs. Hells Angels fizzles
Arizona Republic
"A much ballyhooed racketeering case against Arizona's Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has all but ended in federal court with the U.S. Attorney's Office dismissing charges against some defendants and settling for lesser convictions against the rest. When the two-year sting known as Operation Black Biscuit became public in 2003, it was touted as the most successful infiltration ever of the notorious biker group. Undercover agents were feted in Washington, with Top Cop awards from the National Association of Police Officers. The government's case of drug violations, gun running, murder, racketeering and other crimes came to a close Wednesday, in part because of a feud between federal prosecutors and undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives." (03/13/06)

As bad as HA is, we should take heart that the government thugs can't get their act together any better than this.

Mama's Note: Take this opportunity to be thankful you don't get all the government you pay for...

Closed-source alcohol testers challenged in court
Fox News
"Timothy Muldowny's lawyers decided on an unconventional approach to fight his drunken driving case: They sought computer programming information for the Intoxilyzer alcohol breath analysis machine to see whether his test was accurate. Their strategy paid off. The company that makes the Intoxilyzer refused to reveal the computer source code for its machine because it was a trade secret. A county judge tossed out Muldowny's alcohol breath test -- a crucial piece of evidence in a DUI case -- and the ruling was upheld by an appeals court in 2004. Since then, DUI suspects in Florida, New York, Nebraska and elsewhere have mounted similar challenges. Many have won or have had their DUI charges reduced to lesser offenses." (03/13/06)

An interesting case - and one that clearly needs to be addressed. Although checkpoints and other measures used to combat drunk driving are wrong and used as an excuse for more tyranny, the problem of drunken, unsafe driving is real and serious. Of course, if such traffic stops were based on evidence of unsafe and improper operation of the vehicle - in other words, impaired driving based on actual results, not an arbitrary blood alcohol level, this breathylizer data wouldn't be so critical, would it?

Mama's Note: Did you know that it is impossible to prove you "passed" a roadside sobriety test where the cop has you walk a line, etc.? It is your word against theirs, and if they want to "get" you, they are in the driver's seat. If you are stopped, insist on a blood test. Of course, actual impairment is a better standard, but again that is whatever the cop wants to call it. The government is not the answer, it's the problem.

MI: Peace activists will "turn themselves in"
Ann Arbor News
"A local peace group is offering a pre-emptive strike in response to domestic spying programs and, in particular, to revelations Tuesday that federal investigators targeted an organization because of its antiwar views. Ann Arbor-based Michigan Peaceworks will be taking mug shots of willing attendees at this Sunday's protest rally and march through downtown Ann Arbor. The protest commemorates the third anniversary of the war in Iraq. The pictures, along with placards labeled 'war protester,' will be delivered to U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials at the Ann Arbor Federal Building at a later date as part of the group's 'turn yourself into the National Security Agency' initiative." (03/15/06)

A funny and pointed way of showing your opinion - and probably more effective than the silly march in the first place.

Theft by Government
A few items for this category should help remind us that government can't give anyone ANYTHING unless it first takes it away from someone else - usually by force. I could also have put these articles in the above section of "Stupid Government and People Tricks," especially the first one below!

CA: Man sues self for vehicle damage
San Francisco Chronicle
"When a dump truck backed into Curtis Gokey's car, he decided to sue the city for damages. Only thing is, he was the one driving the dump truck. But that minor detail didn't stop Gokey, a Lodi city employee, from filing a $3,600 claim for the December accident, even after admitting the crash was his fault. After the city denied that claim because Gokey was, in essence, suing himself, he and his wife, Rhonda, decided to file a new claim under her name. City Attorney Steve Schwabauer said this one also lacks merit because Rhonda Gokey can't sue her own husband. 'You can sue your spouse for divorce, but you can't sue your spouse for negligence,' Schwabauer said. 'They're a married couple under California law. They're one entity. It's damage to community property.' But Rhonda Gokey insisted she has 'the right to sue the city because a city's vehicle damaged my private vehicle.'" [editor's note: An early nominee for the Stella Awards? - SAT] (03/15/06)

Yeah, this idiot is one of the many people eating up stolen money. Your money, if you live in Lodi (although I have to admit, that if you live in Lodi voluntarily, you probably don't care except that you couldn't get a nice scam like this.

Snow job: Couple pay extortion to save home
CNews [Canada]
"A Nova Scotia couple facing an $800 municipal bill for refusing to shovel the snow from their sidewalk have paid half that amount to save their home from being sold by town officials. John and Rona McQuillan of Guysborough have refused to shovel the 20 metres of sidewalk in front of their house since the municipality introduced a snow-clearing bylaw five years ago. The municipality told the couple they would have to pay at least $400 by Friday or face losing their home in a tax sale -- a demand the McQuillans called blackmail. ... 'It gives people four hours after the end of a snowfall to clear their snow, and an awful lot of the people work outside of Guysborough,' said McQuillan. 'It was a bad bylaw and we took on the job of objecting to it.'" [FND editor's note: This story is unclear as to whether it means a sidewalk on the couple's property, or a "public" sidewalk running out front of that property. Wrong either way, of course, but I'd be interested to know - TLK] (03/10/06)

As I have often said, local tyranny is often the worst sort. Who else would hijack a home probably worth hundreds of thousands for a mere $800?

High Tech and Medical Issues
Skepticism is particularly important in looking at technology and medical issues - so much news seems to be panic-induced. Health issues seem to trigger this kind of panic reaction, for some reason.

Deadly bird flu expands in Africa, Asia
Cincinnati Enquirer
"The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected for the first time in poultry in Myanmar and Cameroon, officials in the two nations said, in the latest sign of the disease's expanding range in Africa and Southeast Asia. Experts over the weekend confirmed cases in hundreds of dead chickens at a farm outside of Myanmar's second largest city, Mandalay, Than Tun, director of the country's livestock breeding and veterinary department, said Monday. Myanmar borders Thailand and China, which together have reported 24 human deaths from the disease." (03/12/06)

As the disease spreads, so does the abject panic. I have heard far more absolute nonsense over this than over the Y2K bug, with far less justification. But here it comes, however it attacks. In today's world, it is very very difficult to contain a disease, and attempts to do so are often only excuses for additional controls on borders and free trade and free travel.

Mama's Note: What almost nobody mentions in these reports is how common bird diseases are, and how many thousands of birds die each year anyway. This "bird flu" is not really anything new and certainly no more deadly than many of the other bird epidemics that have spanned the globe for centuries. Birds migrate over vast areas, and take their diseases with them. Increased travel and trade may have upped the ante, but it didn't cause this situation and restrictions won't solve it.

AL: Third mad cow case found
Chicago Sun-Times
"A cow in Alabama has tested positive for mad cow disease, the Agriculture Department said Monday, confirming the third U.S. case of the brain-wasting ailment. The cow did not enter the food supply for people or animals, officials said. The animal, unable to walk, was killed by a local veterinarian and buried." (03/14/06)

And the panic rolls back and forth across the world.

Mama's Note: Once again, there are many livestock diseases that pose much more of a threat to humans than this one, but this has caught the morbid imagination of the people, so its relative threat is immaterial. Those who want greater control over us will use anything to gain it, and this is proving to be very useful to them.

Government to scale back mad cow testing
Lincoln Journal Star
"A third U.S. Case of mad cow disease has been confirmed just as the government is scaling back testing of animals for the brain-wasting disorder blamed for the deaths of more than 150 people in Europe. The Agriculture Department boosted its surveillance after finding the first case of mad cow disease in the United States in 2003. About 1,000 tests are run daily, up from about 55 daily in 2003. The testing program detected the possibility of an infected cow in Alabama last week, and further analysis confirmed Monday that the animal had mad cow disease. Still, a reduction in testing has been in the works for months. The department's chief veterinarian, John Clifford, mentioned it when he announced the new case of mad cow disease this week." [FND editor's note: Hmmm ... find mad cow ... start "selective" government testing, but prohibit farmers from having all their cattle tested ... find more mad cow ... the answer must be to stop looking for it. Your tax dollars at work, folks - TLK] (03/16/06)

Tom pretty much has it right. But I have to ask, is it the government's responsibility to go around testing privately-owned animals, or even requiring their owners to test? Cows generally do not, (say, like dogs) go around biting people - rather, the other way around. Now, I don't know if I'd pay more for meat that was stamped, "Tested and found NOT to be from a mad cow", but I'd like the chance to decide for myself.

Folic Acid Fortification of Foods Coincides With Drop in Stroke Deaths
Reuters Health
Stroke mortality dropped rapidly in the US and Canada after folic acid fortification of enriched grain products was fully implemented in 1998, according to a report in the March 14th issue of Circulation.

A piece of good news, and completely unintended, as well as delayed for years by bureaucratic bungling. I shutter to think what it would be like if the value of iodine in salt had been discovered in 2006 instead of in the 1920s. Thanks to Scott for this article.

Mama's Note: Not so fast... It is almost impossible to prove a cause and effect for any one nutrient or chemical in the general food supply. Just think of all the claims and counterclaims for dietary fat, cholesterol, salt and many other things. The press would like us to think that science has definite answers, but each study or theory is only good until the next one comes out. Unless a specific number of people were tested over a long period of time, all the while eating a specific diet, this could easily be a simple serendipity of events. Good nutrition - and good health - is far more complex than a single nutrient or food, no matter how good they are.

Senate backs ANWR drilling
Houston Chronicle
"By the barest of margins, the Senate approved legislation late today that would allow energy companies to hunt for crude in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But whether drilling supporters now can rustle up the votes they were lacking in the House just three months ago remains unclear. 'It's kind of hard to tell yet,' said Lee Fuller, vice president of government relations for the Independent Petroleum Association of America." (03/16/06)

Once more we start this merry-go-round.

World Wars against All Sorts of Things
Some things never seem to go away. I think it was Plato that first wrote down the basic concepts of communism (although he called it something else, of course); now, after a century of experimentation and abject failure, we still have almost 1/3 of the world's people having to suffer under some version of it - plus another 60% under some form of its stealth version, socialism. One of the worst things about fighting any evil is that we sometimes seem to find ourselves imitating the evil, as events and history should remind us.

Chicoms envision "socialist countryside"
Boston Globe
"China won't extend its market-oriented reforms into the agricultural sector and will instead focus on creating 'a new socialist countryside,' Premier Wen Jiabao said as China's parliament ended its current legislative session here yesterday. The decision reveals how wary the Chinese leadership has become of continuing with economic changes that have turned China into the world's fastest growing economy, but also saddled the country with growing inequalities. Speaking at a stage-managed press conference traditionally held at the close of the National People's Congress, Wen indicated the government has realized it needs to stop cutting social expenditures and focus on increasing rural investments and agricultural subsidies for China's 750 million rural residents, whose per capita income is just 3,255 yuan ($400) a year, less than one-third that in the cities." (03/15/06)

So much for a free-market China - although if you really believe that the geriatric Communist leaders would really allow freedom of ANY kind you need to read the opening to this week's commentary again. The fact that Wen is having to announce this publicly is yet another indication (as I've discussed in past weeks) that China is in very serious internal trouble, and rebellion is growing.

Dutch immigrant test gets naked
Arizona Republic
"The camera focuses on two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks onto a crowded beach. For would-be immigrants to the Netherlands, this film is a test of their readiness to participate in the liberal Dutch culture. If they can't stomach it, no need to apply. Despite whether they find the film offensive, applicants must buy a copy and watch it if they hope to pass the Netherlands' new entrance examination. The test, the first of its kind in the world, became compulsory Wednesday and was made available at 138 Dutch embassies." (03/16/06)

Distasteful as this is, it does appear to be one way of screening applicants. Although the analogy between a nation and a private home is imprecise, few homeowners would believe that they have an obligation to invite someone into their home if that person immediately claims permanent residence AND starts ripping into the morals of the real residents of the house. (Though I suppose some would say that describes some mothers-in-law, wouldn't they?)

Gitmo transcripts paint shadowy portraits
USA Today
"Named detainees: 186, citizens of two dozen countries including Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Accusations: Recruiting for the Taliban, helping Osama bin Laden escape U.S. troops, harboring gunmen who attacked American special forces. These details, and many more, emerge from more than 5,000 pages of newly released transcripts of detainee hearings at the U.S. Military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But as much as they reveal about the U.S. war against terrorism, much more remains unknown - the answers tantalizingly beyond reach." (03/15/06)

A bizarre listing, indeed, and one that should have been made as they were detained.

Mama's Note: Just remember that many activities of people and groups now protesting things our government is doing are being classed as "giving aid and comfort to the enemy." How long before they - we - are rounded up and placed in just such a prison? Where is the proof, and where is the due process of law?

Is US looking to retool detention policy?
Christian Science Monitor
"More than four years after launching its wide-ranging war on terror, the US is still struggling with the issue of how to handle the conflict's prisoners. Detaining captives without trial, as the US is doing at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, results in continuing, bitter, international criticism. Yet trying them is fraught with difficulty, as lengthy proceedings against admitted Al Qaeda member Zacarias Moussaoui have shown. The administration's defenders say that dealing with an amorphous foe demands an ill-defined detention policy, and that there aren't any serious alternatives. Critics say that may not be the case -- and that the issue is blackening the nation's name overseas." (03/15/06)

I still fail to see how people that are essentially prisoners of war, even if international law does not require that they be considered such, can be tried as criminals.

Tests: Milosevic died of heart attack
Detroit Free Press
"A heart attack killed Slobodan Milosevic in his jail cell, the U.N. War crimes tribunal said, citing preliminary findings from Dutch pathologists who conducted a nearly eight-hour autopsy Sunday on the former Yugoslav leader. The tribunal said pathologists had determined that 'Milosevic's cause of death was a 'myocardial infarction'' -- a medical term for heart attack." (03/12/06)

Inconvenient - they've lost their poster-child for the new world order.