Gun Ban Failed to Make South Africa Safe

South Africa's Murder Rate Far Worse than Reported This report is a few years old, but I see nothing in the news coming out of South Africa to indicate that things have changed.

The UCA Report on Murder in South Africa reveals that according to the official statistics, in the 44 years from 1950 to 1993, there was an average of 7036 murders per year. This covered the turbulent strife of the apartheid years of warfare, conflict, terrorism, riots and repression.

However, in the first eight years (of peace) of the new democratic dispensation, under the ANC, an average of 24 206 murders were committed each year. However, if the Interpol statistics are accepted, then the murder rate in South Africa during the ANC years has averaged 47 882 per year.

Criminals released from jail early. Poor clearance rates by police, poor rates of successful prosecution and short sentences all lead to reduced fear of (or confidence in) the criminal justice system and a recidivism rate of about 94%.

Today's BBC reports that Desmond Tutu wonders what happened.

He is worried about crime - the high murder rate, the rape of children, and the cold-blooded, gratuitous killing of motorists whose cars are hijacked.

Since the ANC - before it was finally able gain power - routinely murdered people who opposed it, I would say that the example of the past lives on in the present.

So are the police fighting organized crime, or even fighting crime generally? No, they are busy created more unarmed victims who will be more readily killed for their cars. It is much easier to harass law-abiding citizens than it is to track hardened criminals.... who won't serve much time anyway.

When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "Stick to the Devil you know."
[from 'The Gods of the Copybook Headings' by Kipling]

And what does the gun-banning left think will happen when you disarm the law-abiding people? [hat tip A Tangled Web]

97 Reasons Not to Trust Dems During Wartime

Investor's Business Daily: 97 Reasons Democrats Are Weak On Defense And Can't Be Trusted To Govern In Wartime 97 examples of Dems falling down on the defense of this country, and their "reasons." Worth taking a look. [hat tip My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy]

There is probably a Musical Geography Question of the Day in here somewhere.... "This ain't no Mud Club..." I ain't got time for that now.

Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0

Clerk shoots would-be robber Clear case of armed self-defense. Two men come into the store pointing guns at the clerk. What would you do?

Lay "Bruce" Khat, 36, said he pulled his gun from behind the counter and shot at the men, hitting one of them in the shoulder, when they walked in with a gun pointed at his head.

Kevin Bell, 24, was arrested a short time later when the car he was in was involved in an accident. He was arrested and taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. Two others in the car - all three ran to escape police - have not been charged, but may be....

Under Alabama law, first-degree robbery is a Class A felony, punishable by 10 years to life in prison.

Rabid Dog Coyote? Why Do You Need a Gun?

Couple tell of battle against coyote. So what do you do when a rabid coyote tries to get into your house? You shoot it and kill it.

The 40-pound male coyote was the first ever to test positive for rabies in Pennsylvania, according to the state Game Commission.

But we don't need firearms.

They Should Outlaw Guns in School

Principal shot in rural Wis. school Oh yeah.... my bad.

The student walked into the school at about 8 a.m. and shots were fired as people tried to get him under control

The quote from sophomore Shelly Rupp is almost quote-of-the-day material.

Rupp said the shooter was "just weird in the head."

Of course there were "warnings" in that the kid talked about stuff like this.

Good Guys 3, Bad Guys 0

Lexington man shoots home intruders - The Lexington Dispatch A planned attack over a "domestic" issue leads to two being shot and a third arrested.

When the two men allegedly made entry into the home, Delaise Ander Eller went for his shotgun and fired on Shedarrius Pate, 18, of Link Circle, and Kannell Leach, 21, of Greensboro, police said.

A third suspect, Cyrus Clifford Butler, 24, of Greensboro, was waiting outside in a car.

The two who were shot, are in fair condition, suffering from wounds to the arm, elbow and abdomen. Police expect to charge them as soon as they get out of the hospital. The get-away driver, Butler, has bee chanrged with first-degree breaking and entering.

OK, So That Didn't Last Long

What can I say, I can't live without some access....

Fini

Well, maybe not quite the end, but a break.

My high-speed internet access will be interupted for a while. This is not a bad thing as I have been spending way too much time doing nothing. I have so much to get done on the boat it is sad.....

(That's a picture of a fat lady, singing.)

Some Discussion - He Stabbed her 29 Times

News::Husband Accused of Stabbing Woman 29 Times

Assistant State's Attorney Jenni Scheck says Juan Villegas went to the apartment Friday to discuss their divorce and a struggle ensued. Luz Villegas was stabbed in the arms, hands, back and stomach.

She died.

It sure is a good thing that Mayor Daley & Co. have outlawed handguns in Chicago. It would have been horrible if she had been able to defend herself.

Shooting Sports: Cowboy Action Shooting

The Frederick News-Post - Wanted: Gunslingers A nice introduction to the Single Action Shooting Society and Cowboy Action Shooting, and the announcement of the Mason-Dixon Stampede (Sept. 28 - Oct. 1).

Safe, friendly and family oriented, cowboy shooting is the fastest growing of all the shooting sports and certainly the most unique. For most SASS riders, cowboy shooting is a release from their work-week routine. And while it might be for only a day, these weekend wranglers are really into the cowboy lifestyle -- you can see that by the cut of their clothes and the six-guns on their hips.

Safe and fun competition. [via KABA]

Arrest, Court Order Do Not Stop Killing

Kids hide as mom, friend slain She knew her ex-boyfriend would kill her. She pleaded with the judge to set his bail as high as possible. Note to judge: $75,000 is not as high as possible, not after he attacked her with two butcher knives in July. She installed a $4000 security system. The judge ordered him to have no contact with her.

Steven Van Keuren broke into [Teri] Lee's Washington County home and killed her and a friend. Police shot and wounded him.

A judge's court order cannot keep you safe - unless of course that order is "held without bail." Just by way of example, the "no contact order" didn't stop him from sending emails - he was not arrested. It didn't stop him from attending a volleyball game in which one of the Lee's daughters was competing. It basically didn't do anything because it was never enforced.

A security system cannot keep you safe. It can keep the average burglar at bay, and call the fire department in the event of a fire, but a security system will not stop someone set on committing violence.

The only thing that can be counted on stop a crazy goblin is a firearm, and even that comes with no guarantee. People who have violent stalkers after them need to prepare to defend themselves everywhere they go, and yes that does include work. If you are disarmed, then you are an easy victim.

The 148th Best of Me Symphony

The Owner's Manual: #148 Best of Me Symphony The BOMS is a collection of posts at least 60 days old. It is a collection of good writing that isn't caught up in the latest headline. Go take a look.

Carnival of Cordite

Carnival of Cordite - COC #73: Best of COC Go take a look.

Self-defense Never Enters the Equation

The Sun News | 09/24/2006 | Attack spotlights shelter security They talk about security at shelters in light of the killing in North Carolina, which I covered on the 20th.

They talk of gates and locks, security cameras and calling 911. No where in the whole piece do they consider self-defense.

John Woodring entered a women's shelter, with a shotgun, pushed passed several people and shot Bonnie Woodring, killing her. (He is now a fugitive.)

What would have happened if even one of the people present at that incident had been armed? As it was, the only one armed was the bad guy. Most shelters are disarmed victim zones. This needs to change. Women who are in shelters are hiding from abusive stalkers. They need to be taught to defend themselves with firearms - the most effective form of self-defense.

John Woodring, Fugitive

John “Woody” Raymond Woodring
Age: 35
Height: 5”10’
Weight: 190
Race: White
Hair: Straight, short, brown
Distinguishing marks: U.S. Marine Corps tattoo on arm
Possible vehicle: Blue 2006 Honda Civic. N.C. plate JRY2108
Reward: Police are offering an unspecified cash reward for information leading to Woodring’s capture.

This is the man who shot his wife because she filed for divorce.

See this post for the complete story.

Sometimes the Police Can Save You

WCNC.com | Woman says Hickory police officer saved lives by shooting man Sometimes they are in the right place at the right time.

"She saved my life, my kids' life, the three kids out here and about six other people," said Linda Andrews. "If it wasn't for her, we'd be dead."

Of course if Linda Andrews had a gun of her own, she could have defended herself, and not been the typical damsel in distress.

The Left Versus The Left

Argentine Land Fight Divides Environmentalists, Rights Advocates - washingtonpost.com I wonder if it is possible for both sides to lose? Do you really believe that "social justice" will be served by confiscation of private property? Doubtful.

Cowboy Bebop The Movie

The opening of the movie is my favorite scene. (You can see it here) I particularly like the attention to detail in the Jericho 941 used by Spike.

First Littoral Combat Ship Launched

San Diego Business Journal Online - San Diego California business news" Freedom is being christened on September 23, 2006.

Freedom is the first of four littoral combat ships being built for the Navy’s surface combatant fleet. The ships are designed to navigate shallow waters near shore and will be based in San Diego.

Littoral referes to coastal waters regions of the world. [Via EagleSpeak]

Crying Wolf About Stocks and the Economy

Eagle1 of EagleSpeak has a great look at the doom and gloom of the media. Perhaps you've read or heard that stocks are falling. The headline read, "Stocks fall amid pessimism about economy."

At the time of the report, the Dow Jones Industrials were down .27%:

They will stop at nothing to try and tear down the economy - and by implication the Republicans - ahead of the election.

Don't Bring a Knife to a Gunfight

Times Record News: Fighting back: Woman defends herself from attack with gun She was confronted when she went to her van for medicine.

When she looked back, she saw the man was holding a knife pointed downward in his hand.

She quickly turned, pointed the gun right at him and asked, "Are you really sure you want to do whatever you're going to do?"

He took off running

No shots were fired. No one was robbed, or assaulted.

Three hours later she was suffering from the stress of the situation. [hat tip mAss Backwards]

France Surrenders, Wants Israel to Do the Same

Reuters AlertNet - France backs softer conditions on Palestinians What a surprise.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should agree to talk with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas even if Hamas declines to explicitly recognize Israel's right to exist but joins a government that does, France's foreign minister said on Friday.

I think we should refuse to recognize France's right to exist and invite Germany to invade again.

France only wins wars when America and/or Britain do most of the fighting.

Idiot Shoots Himself with Stolen Gun

Corpus Christi, TX - KRISTV.COM - Teen shoots himself with stolen gun Talk about justice served....

A Flour Bluff teen, 16-year-old Allen Smith, who accidentally shot himself with a 38-caliber gun Thursday, is believed to have gotten the gun from a home he burglarized hours before the accident.

A Darwin Award near-miss if you ask me.

Castle Doctrine in Effect in Arizona

Mohave Daily News: Some 400 new state laws now in effect; 20 involve guns Self-defense in a shooting in a home-invasion situation has changed. It is now up the prosecution to prove it was NOT self-defense, as opposed to the homeowner proving it was. (Doesn't this fall under "innocent until proven guilty?")

Suicide by Cop?

Scottsdale officer fatally shoots man You decide.

The suspect, Carlos Dash, a Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community resident, had carried a pistol to his ex-wife’s home. The woman called police and after they arrived, Dash reportedly took the pistol out of its case.

Police warned him not to take the gun out of the case and again warned him after the gun was removed from the case, Clark said.

Dash was shot several times and died.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

Where are you if ...

People come from miles around to eat here.
There is no beef stew.
The menu is quite limited.
Be sure you can stand the spices.
The food is not Kosher.

Update: I didn't think this would be so hard... so one more hint....

You can walk in off the street and Mamma will bring the menu right to you.

Update 2: OK I give up, no one seems to have my taste in music....

You are at Club Rad Gumbo - song = "Rad Gumbo" by Little Feat

If you walk in off the street
You can take the load right off your feet
Mamma bring the menu to your seat
But the bill of fare be short & sweet

Won't find no etouffe
Mamm never ever could cook it that way
She's all ancien regime
No nouvell cuisine

She cook gumbo
A mighty rad gumbo
It's the only way she can go
Down at the Club Rad Gumbo

Now the heads and shells stay in the stock
She stirs her roux and really rocks
One gallon shellfish stock or water
Man this gumbo is made to order

Two toes of garlick finely chopped
Man this party just can't be stopped
Mamma's pots are boiling, band starts to blow
Piano keys a flying like Fats Domino

She cook gumbo
A mighty rad gumbo
It's the only way she can go
Down at the Club Rad Gumbo

Oh no, no escargot, no cordon bleu
This ain't the place to go lookin' for beef stew
But if you like tender shrimp and rice
If ya think ya can stand the spice

She cook gumbo
A mighty rad gumbo

Now the people come from miles around
Dig what Mamma's puttin' down
Everybody knows her name
She in the seafood hall of fame

I got to get that recipe
If it means the death of me
Get my spyboy to sneak a look
Into Mamma's book

She cook gumbo
A mighty rad gumbo
It's the only way she can go
Down at the Club Rad Gumbo

She cook gumbo
A mighty rad gumbo
It's the only way she can go
Down at the Club Rad Gumbo

Court Order Fails to Stop Murder/Suicide

Another person who doesn't know when a relationship is over. Why can't guys like this just get on with their lives?

WZZM 13 Grand Rapids, Michigan - Woman and young children hide following murder-suicide There was a court order, filed at the same time she filed for divorce.

The estranged husband killed the new boyfriend and then shot himself.

By the time the police got there, the victim was dead in the front yard of the home. People need to realize that the police cannot protect you. They only get called after something bad has already happened. This is just a function of the world we live in. In the few instances that count when danger threatens, you are really on your own.

Making preparations to defend yourself does not mean you will be sucessful; there are no guarantees in this life. But it is the best chance you have.

Self-defense Legal in Oregon

.: Corvallis Gazette-Times -- DA: No charges in youth’s shooting A man who shot and killed a teen he believed was breaking into his home will not be charged.

Jeremiah “Jeremy” O’Sullivan was shot at about 3 a.m. on July 1. Gosnell had woken up to noises in his backyard and saw O’Sullivan at an open, screened window of his house.

The shooting ended a two-day crime spree that included burglary, and joy-rides in stolen cars.

This is Why the "Stand Your Ground" Changes are Needed

Channel3000.com - News - Accused Burglar Sues Homeowner Who Shot Him If I shoot someone in self-defense, I should not be subject to a lawsuit.

But that is exactly what is facing Michael Rainiero. Kurt Prochaska broke into Rainiero's home. The DA considers the shooting to be justifiable self-defense. Prochaska wants money.

The changes to the Castle Doctrine working their way through legislatures across the country prohibit suits in the case of legally justified self-defense.

So The Police Can Come Onto Your Property At Any Time?

MiamiHerald.com | 09/21/2006 | BSO deputy shoots, kills 170-pound dog No warrant, no notice to the homeowner. They "shook the gate" in accordance with "policy."

And once they go onto your property, they can destroy any of your property that gets in their way?

This sucks. What happened to the Fourth Amendment?

Disarmed Victim Zones

Colleges' security up in wake of shooting - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review In the wake a shooting - at Duquesne University - of a bunch of disarmed victims, schools are promising to "increase security."

[JoAnne Boyle, president of Seton Hill University] said she met with her cabinet Tuesday morning to review Seton Hill's security measures and policies in light of the Duquesne shooting. She decided not to make any changes.

"We do everything we can to keep them safe and keep themselves safe, but we can't forecast every eventuality," she said.

Everything except let them defend themselves of course.

Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0

MiamiHerald.com | 09/20/2006 | Man kills neighbor who broke into his parents' Oakland Park townhouse Although apparently 2 goblins got away, one did not.

Richard McKinley, 26, was sleeping in his parents townhouse at 3259 NW 44th St. around 11:54 a.m. when he was awakened by a noise, according to the sheriff's office.

McKinley came face-to-face with three intruders and pulled out a gun. There was a brief struggle and then McKinley shot [Jeremy] Goldwire, a BSO spokeswoman said.

Goldwire was declared dead at the scene.

Another Restraining Order Does Nothing

FOX Carolina The Ten O'Clock News Woman Hiding From "Obsessed" Husband Murdered She got a restraining order. She went to a shelter. He killed her anyway.

Bonnie was staying at an emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence when investigators say John Woodring stormed inside, forcing others out of the way and killed her. Bonnie went there last week after her husband allegedly strangled her. He was apparently furious about a restraining order she just got against him for other marital issues.

The Left's response to domestic violence is always, "Get a restraining order and hide in a shelter." Some advice. Actually it isn't bad as far as it goes. But the real advice should be to get a handgun, buy a case of ammunition, and take some classes at your local range. Make a plan to defend yourself and get the tools and the skills you need.

Of course I am sure that the shelter is a defenseless-victim-zone. They always are. Most shelters won't even let you teach Refuse To Be A Victim (an NRA class) because it MENTIONS guns - no guns are involved, but that mere mention is too much for most shelters.

People who are involved in abusive relationships need to understand that a piece of paper can't help you, the system can't protect you, and if you only hide like a rabbit, you will meet a similar end. Being prepared to defend yourself offers no guarantee. There are no guarantees in this life. But it is the best chance you have. Self-defense is a Human Right.

Complete Breakdown of Society in the UK

News - Sheffield Today: Cabbies demand action on yobs Or nearly so. It reminds me of A Clockwork Orange. Gangs of violent kids out roaming the streets, doing whatever they care to do with no fear of police.

In the real world, it is exactly the same, and in this case what they choose to do is attack cabs and cab drivers.

A group of racist thugs punched and tried to throttle an Asian driver, another cabbie suffered racist abuse and had a window smashed and a third had his front windscreen shattered with a brick.
The incidents come after stone-throwing yobs turned the Wybourn estate into a no-go area for black cabs and private hire vehicles.

Or perhaps its more like the world depicted in Mad Max, and the authorities should put up signs that say, "Warning, Civilization Ends Here," to denote those places where there is neither law nor order.

Police Response Time = 7 Days

Police apology over assault delay It took British police 7 days to respond to an assault. The victims are terrified of course, since they aren't allowed to defend themselves.

Mrs O'Halloran said: "I was disgusted really. I kept ringing and ringing every day. They kept saying `Yeah, we will come out' but they never did. We were terrified the people who did this might come back and attack us again.

Testing Testing ....

So they tell me that Blogger is running a Beta test for a new version. It seems a bit slap-dash to me. People with the new-style blogs can't comment on the old-style, and the reverse is also true.

The thing is I sort of like the old Blogger - when it isn't having problems. I don't much care for a frenzy of graphics - I put graphics in the post when I feel it makes sense.

I probably could have more traffic it I pulled a photo of some young thing off a dating service and pretended it was me, but I don't really want that kind of traffic anyway. (It is supposed to be about the thoughts people. If it is about anything but the writing... well you are wasting your time.)

In the interest of self-preservation, I am investigating alternatives. Accuracy in All Things is the current state of the experiment.

Don't update your bookmarks just yet, but we shall see what happens in the long run. If blogging is light, it is because I am hitting my head against the wall trying to decode what WordPress means in a Blogsome environment. Comments are appreciated.

Update: I didn't realize that this fit in so nicely with a rant that Beth at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy has going about a neanderthal at Right Wing News. (No, that probably isn't fair to the cave men, he is more like pond scum.)

Neighbors are “shocked”

Late-night shooting rattles peaceful neighborhood Shocked to discover that they live in the real world, and not Andy and Barney's Mayberry.

The neighbors along this stretch of 49th Street — where a 19-year-old man, new to the neighborhood, was gunned down early Sunday — said they were rattled. Before this, the only other crime anyone could remember happened in a house down the way, now empty, where some guy was busted for growing marijuana.

They didn't know that they lived in the real world, and it has them "rattled."

2005 FBI Uniform Crime Report

Well it's that time of year again, and the FBI is publishing the UCR. The full report isn't finished yet, but the data for 2005 has been released.

Trend Charts: The Left will make much about a small rise in crime rates, but when you look how things are going over the past 10 years, it is clear that the things we are doing - letting citizens defend themselves, putting criminals in jail for long sentences, etc - are working. The FBI is kind enough to publish the data in spreasheet format which makes charting the data a snap. (No, I don't use XL... Open Office!)

Weapons used in Assault: A look at what weapons are used, where.

Crime Clearances: (With a link to the Crime Clock) covers cases that result in an arrest or are cleared through other means.

Justifiable Homicide: The only statistic on self-defense in the UCR, but it is misleading in that only deaths of the attacker are counted. (Injuries and cases where no shots were fired are not counted.)

John Lott Looks at 2005 Uniform Crime Report Some figures that show how crime has changed in the past few years and a link to John Lott's treatment of the subject.

2005 FBI Uniform Crime Report - Crimes Cleared

It is a bit disappinting to see the percentages of crimes "cleared." This means that police finish and close a case - either because of an arrest, or some other reason. (Suspect is killed, charges dropped, etc.)

Couple this with the Crime Clock - how often a crime is committed - and things look bad.

[See my other posts on the 2005 UCR]

2005 FBI Uniform Crime Report - Assault By Weapons Used

Aggravated Assault Table - Crime in the United States 2005

Aggravated Assault constitutes 62.1 percent of all violent crime in the US in 2005, so I suppose it makes sense to look at this data.

When I see data like this, I have even less understanding for the anti-gun crowd (and in the UK, there is also and anti-knife crowd as well.) Guns don't constitute the bulk of weapons used in crime, and there are plenty of alternatives.

The "personal weapons" category is especially interesting. If a large person assaults a small person (or an elderly person or a disabled person) with just their hands, they can do substantial damage. How is that person to defend herself without some means to equalize the situation?

Region	Total all weapons1	Firearms	Knives or cutting instruments	Other weapons (clubs, blunt objects, etc.)	Personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.)
Total	100.0	21.0	18.9	35.1	25.0
Northeast	100.0	15.6	20.4	33.3	30.7
Midwest	100.0	21.3	17.0	33.1	28.6
South	100.0	22.7	19.9	36.1	21.3
West	100.0	20.0	17.6	35.1	27.3

[See my other posts on the 2005 UCR]

2005 FBI Uniform Crime Report - Justifiable Homicides, Private Citizen

If it saves only one life.... Strange how the Left never brings its mantra to bear on the subject of justifiable homicide.

These statistics are misleading, because they only count cases where the attacker was killed. Not where the goblin was scared off and ran like a rabbit, not where they were injured - only where they were killed. Still it is the best statistic I have found so far. Expanded Homicide Data Table 14 - Crime in the United States 2005

In 2005 there were 192 justifiable homicides by a private citizen. This is as opposed to a law enforcement officers - who carried out 341 justifiable homicides.

Of the justifiable homicides carried out by private citizens, 143 were carried out with a firearm. 119 people defended themselves with a handgun, 5 used rifles, 6 shotguns, and in 13 cases they used an unspecifed type of firearm.

So since it saved more than one life, the Left must be all excited about these 143 lives saved. Right.
[See my other posts on the 2005 UCR]

2005 FBI Uniform Crime Report -Trend Charts

As was noted the other day, the data for the 2005 UCR is available on the FBI's web site.

Here are some quick charts of the data. Before we implement changes - the left will scream about rising crime rates - we should consider that the things we've been doing for the last 10 or 15 years really are working. [click on any graph for a better view]

The one area where violent crime has not fallen as dramatically as it has overall is rape. I believe that this statistic would improve if more women were armed for self-defense. [See my other posts on the 2005 UCR]

Police Arrest in Obvious Self-Defense Case

Choking woman stabs boyfriend, police say He comes to a hotel room, beats her, kicks her, won't let her leave, and chokes her almost to unconsciousness, before she stabs him.

The man grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against a wall, choking her until she almost blacked out, the report said. Cortez tried again to leave and grabbed a knife, but the man continued to hit her. She stabbed him in the side then called authorities, the report said.

What do the police do? They arrest her, of course, for attempted murder.

A magistrate let Christine Cortez out of jail, ruling there was no cause to hold her.

And people wonder why we need the "Stand Your Ground" laws. There is no way she should have been arrested for defending herself.

Canada Needs Machete Control

TorontoSun.com - Murder by machete. "Victim also run over several times by a car."

Of course I wouldn't really be surprised to find that they already have some type of control. I believe Britain does - under their knife control.

Thie fellow was apparently killed as the result of a dispute. The details sound fairly disturbing. If they know there was a dispute, I hope they know who the murderer was. Of course I am not sure what Canada's Criminal Justice System does by way of sentencing for stuff like this, but he deserves to be locked up for the rest of his life.

John Lott Looks at 2005 Uniform Crime Report

John Lott's Website: More on whether violent crime is increasing. The FBI released the numbers for 2005.

[ed note: Data as compiled by John Lott - presentation changed.]

Year	Violent Crime Rate	Murder Rate	Robbery Rate
1998	567.6	6.3	165.5
1999	523.0	5.7	150.1
2000	506.5	5.5	145.0
2001	504.5	5.6	148.5
2002	494.4	5.6	146.1
2003	475.8	5.7	142.5
2004	463.2	5.5	136.7
2005	469.2	5.6	140.7

Rates are per 100,000 people.

What will the left say?

I am sure that the normal academics who the media goes to on this will claim that violent crime is going up, but I hope that people will realize that there is no real change in the rates. There is a one year increase in murder and robbery rates but both are still below what they were in 2003.

Did an assault weapons ban make a difference? You bet! States WITH the ban had LARGER increase in both murders and robberies than states WITHOUT the ban.

I wonder how the Brady Bunch will spin this?
[See my other posts on the 2005 UCR]

Author of The Path to 9/11 speaks up

OpinionJournal - The Path to Hysteria

My sin was to write a screenplay accurately depicting Bill Clinton's record on terrorism.

Cyrus Nowrasteh wrote the screenplay for The Path to 9/11. He has paid a price for it of course.

In July a reporter asked if I had ever been ethnically profiled. I happily replied, "No." I can no longer say that. The L.A. Times, for one, characterized me by race, religion, ethnicity, country-of-origin and political leanings--wrongly on four of five counts. To them I was an Iranian-American politically conservative Muslim. It is perhaps irrelevant in our brave new world of journalism that I was born in Boulder, Colo. I am not a Muslim or practitioner of any religion, nor am I a political conservative. What am I? I am, most devoutly, an American. I asked the reporter if this kind of labeling was a new policy for the paper. He had no response.

But he dared to imply that Clinton was somewhat less than outstanding when it came to fighting terrorism, so of course he had to be attacked. (Did Clinton do anything to fight terrorism?) Worth a look. [via NRA-ILA]

A Smack-down of Canada's Gun Control and Gun Controlers

The Calgary Sun - Gun control won't protect us from the losers First off we get a portrait of the mutant.

He's a loser and losers spend their lives being angry and resentful.

It's one of the reasons they're losers. Life is something that happens to them. They aren't something that happens to life.

At 25 he was a loser, and decided to kill some achievers - college students.

His victims are everything he is not.

Then we are treated to a run-down of the lies currently coming out of the Canadian gun-control folks. It is worth taking a look. [h/t KABA]

Women in Hunting

Women are joining the hunt | Battle Creek Enquirer. Another great article about women and the shooting sports. Well, women and outdoor sports generally.

The lines dividing activities traditionally aimed toward men and women are disappearing. State and national programs such as Women in the Outdoors and Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) have helped introduce generations of women to activities such as hunting, fishing (see related story on page 6), skeet shooting, archery, and more.

Hunting of all kinds are covered.

Again it is nice to read an article that doesn't sound shocked by the fact that women are interested in more than cooking and traditional womens' activities. Shooting, hunting, fishing are all fun.

[Becoming an Outdoors Woman] events involve classes on fishing, archery, beginning shotgun and handgun instruction, deer hunting, map and compass, GPS, kayaking, water survival, cast iron cooking and more.

All great ways to spend time with families, friends and ways to enjoy the great outdoors.

Women in the Shooting Sports

Sentinel & Enterprise - Girls with guns Trap, Bullseye, Self-defense, .... lots of reasons are given by lots of women.

A very nice article, whose author isn't surprised women shoot, even if she knows some of her readers will be.

Nice to see that they get the reactions of the Left down.

"I think it's easier to be a gay coming out of a closet than to be a shooter, especially a woman shooter," [Nell Vaughn] said.

When her company instituted a no guns policy, she pointed out that they had created a defenseless-victim-zone. Her boss hadn't even considered that.

I especially liked her description of bullseye pistol competitions.

"Bullseye is a very quiet, slow thing, it was much like meditation," she said. "You really become aware of how much your mind and body interact."

Go take a look.

“that piece of paper won’t keep you safe”

An interesting article about the headaches prosecutors have getting victims to follow domestic violence cases through to to end. Domestic violence cases often a challenge to prosecute | LJWorld.com

Relationships are complex, and so, as a direct result, are domestic violence cases. But when people complain that the system can't keep them safe, they have to realize what the system sees.

First off, don't give the bastard any acknowledgment.

The main point of it was this: Don’t give him any sense of satisfaction for his efforts. Never answer his calls, even if it’s one out of 50 or one in 100.

Eventually, he’ll look for someone else. Have a plan in place for personal safety, and try not to go out alone.

Of course they don't go into personal safety. My views are well known.

But prosecutors have trouble because charges are dropped, the victims refuse to testify, and ask for "no contact" orders to be lifted. If you don't help the system, don't expect that it will be able to keep you safe. A nice statement on the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of a court order -

“Unfortunately, law enforcement can’t keep you safe. You get your restraining order; that piece of paper won’t keep you safe,” [Kemple, 45, the local prosecutor who specializes in domestic violence crimes] said. “You need to be really, really smart.”

I am firmly opposed to blaming the victim in most cases. But I will make an exception. If you drop charges, ignore the terms of a restraining order and see your ex even though they have proven to be violent in the past, then you bear some of the responsibility for what happens. If someone hits me - the first time it may be a sucker punch. But there will only ever be one "first time." Then the next time I see that person they are automatically assigned to the Threat Category. Any move on their part that could be construed as a reasonable threat of violence (death or grave bodily injury violence) will be dealt with accordingly, and in compliance with Florida law. (That is I will blow their fucking head off.)

Two or three times per month, Kemple said, a victim drops by — most commonly to try to have charges dropped.

Since these cases NEVER end with an apology, dropping charges is tantamount to agreeing to what comes next. It isn't your fault if he hits you. It is your fault if you stick around after that.

Just one example of the kinds of thing prosecutors have to deal with.

At 2:23 p.m., Kemple called a victim to the witness stand in a different case. According to a police report, she and her ex-boyfriend got in a physical fight in July after the man had stayed out all night and she told him to pack his bags. At the time, Officer Larry Hamilton testified, the woman told police he had flicked a lighted cigarette at her, pushed her onto the bed, slapped and struck her, choked her for about 20 seconds and said, “I’ll kill you.” She even gave a written statement to police at the time that described much of the incident.

But in court, she testified that she didn’t remember what happened — just that they had a fight. Looking at the written statement, she admitted it was hers but said she didn’t remember the events.

This case is not going to end here. He will most likely attack her again, and the next time he chokes her it may be until she is dead.

Just what more do you think the police, the courts, "The System" can do for this woman?

Victims are not to blame for the actions of criminals, but you are responsible for the consequences of the actions you do take. There is damn little the system can do, and if you sabotage its efforts to do that much, you are on your own. If you let an abuser get off this time, who are you going to blame when it happens again?

The End of Swedish Welfare State?

FT.com / World / Europe - Swedish voters oust Persson as right wins poll Not hardly, but it may be the begining of the end.

The dole needs to come to an end.

The official unemployment rate is 5.7 per cent, but independent economists have calculated the real rate is between 15 per cent and 17 per cent. Youth unemployment is 23 per cent, according to the European Union.

The alliance is going to try to deregulate industry and get the economy going. Not an easy thing to do after more than 50 years of Socialist stupor.

A Weekend Of Animation

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

This movie is one of the finest pieces of computer-generated aminmation I have seen. Its style of story telling is a bit confusing, but the fact that three quarters of the movie is action - real all-out action - should make up for that. (May be more than 3/4 of the movie.) Motorcycle chases, battles with dragons (bahamut sin) battles with the bad guys, and the final battle with the ultimate bad guy - Sephiroth. (See GiTS for the other weekend movie)


(View the Trailer in a larger window.)

If you see this movie - now available on DVD - you will be confused. The Original Final Fantasy was released in 1987, and it has been growing more complex since then. Not helped by the fact that the creators never felt constrained to be consistent between versions. The game version of VII was released in 1997. Even given the confusion, I think it is worth it.

One of the things I like about Japanese story telling, anime, or computer generated, is that the women are often hard as nails. The following battle between Tifa, one of the good guys gals and Loz, the hulking (and slightly stupid) bad guy, is classic.

Did I Mention I Love Anime?

Ghost in the Shell is a great piece of animation, and one strange story.

The weapon that Major Motoko Kusanagi is holding in this picture is the CZ-M100, a 9mm polymer-frame handgun originally designed for law enforcement. This appears to be a follow-on to the CZ-100 B available today. (GiTS is set a "few" years in the future.)

Update: Wikipedia has a fair article on GiTS, but it does have plot spoilers. Public Security Section 9 is an anti-terrorism unit of the Japanese (?) government in 2030. It consists mostly of cyborgs - people with enhanced bodies and brains. The original movie follows Batou and the Major through a case, and some disgrunteled agents of Public Security Section 6. The story is confusing, but for anime, the quality is good.

Of course one of the things I love about anime in general and Ghost in the Shell in particular is the attention to detail on the weapons. Aside from the weapon the major carries, one of the others that features prominently is the Mateba semi-automatic revolver in .357 magnum carried by Togusa. Described as an "antique" from the 1990s, and usually derided by the other members of Public Security Section 9, I think this a terrific idea. I would love to shoot one.

This is one piece of animation I can watch over and over. If you do watch it, watch it with the Japanese language track and the English subtitles at least once. The English dub is tough to watch, as they usually are. Also, the way Japanese and English carry emotion is enough different that it really screws up the dub.

Time to Revisit Reginold

Just when I think it is really time for a new edition of You Are A F*ing Moron, the Moslems do something which once again make this episode more to the point than ever.

Protesting Islam Being Called Violent, Moslems Turn to Violence

These people truly are insane.

Pope sorry for remarks, Palestinians fire-bomb two churches. They weren't even Catholic churches, but hey, one infidel is mostly like another when you're an illiterate mob.

Not to be out done, other Moslems get into the act and kill a Catholic nun. Nun's death may be linked to Pope: Somali Islamist - washingtonpost.com.

Upset that their religion was characterized as violent, they prove the point by turning to violence, and destroying buildings and killing people who disagree with them.

Good Guys 2, Bad Guys 0

Home invasion leads to one death - News News The Examiner Two goblins shot. One died.

According to the victim, he was in his residence when he heard a knock at the door. When the door was opened, two Hispanic men allegedly forced their way into the home, brandishing knives.

When one followed him into the bedroom to get money, he retrieved his handgun.

Since the "hispanic men" didn't understand the idea of not bringing a knife to a gunfight, they both ended up shot. One died, the other is in the hospital.

And the paper gets extra points for correctly identifying who was the victim and who was not. The guy who had his home invaded, he was the victim. The two goblins they identify only as "suspects." [h/t Civilian Gun Defense]

Don't Get Your Way - Kill Someone

Dallas Morning News | Husband charged in wife's killing outside church. Tommy Edwards, Jr. didn't want his wife to divorce him, so he killed her.

"She was filing for divorce, and he did not want that to happen, and that was the ultimate factor leading up to this happening," Sgt. Kevin Perlich said Monday.

He shot her outside her church and turned himself in Monday.

This shows all the maturity of a two-year-old. Don't get your way; throw a tantrum. He shot her multiple times.

Sgt. Perlich said violence often erupts between couples in the midst of a split.

That's true. But no suggestions are made about what to do about that fact.

Tommy Edwards was described as "intense." This in itself would probably be enough to warrant some type of security plan.

This also points up why it is wrong to turn churches into disarmed victim zones. He was able to identify where and when to confront her because she was at a known location on a known schedule. A gun may not have saved Alveda Edwards, but it was the only thing that could have. All the well-meaning BS spouted by the Brady Bunch didn't save her.

Her funeral was today.

Good for Benedict

Pope Stops Short of Apology to Muslims - Forbes.com He "regrets" that they are upset, but

the statement stopped short of the apology demanded by Islamic leaders around the globe.

Their misreading of what he said does not require an apology.

And they can start by offering up a few of their own.

The Islamic leaders sound more and more like spoiled children everyday. If they don't get their way, they scream and cry (and blow stuff up).

Clean-coal Power

OK, so this post is completely "off-topic" for what I usually write about. So sue me. Some things just fascinate me, and some puzzle me. When we do things stupidly as a society, I am often puzzled. A lot of things about our energy policy are stupid.

Whatever the debate about global warming means, there are few things that are without a doubt.

The first is, we burn a lot of coal. The US has very large amounts of coal reserves, and coal is relatively cheap. (And given the price of oil, probably looks better every day.)

The second is that burning coal the old-fashioned way has its problems. Mercury, sulfur dioxide are but 2 of the substances that end up in the air. Mercury, a fairly bad neurotoxin, is a real problem. Sulfur dioxide gives us acid rain.

The good news is that people are finally starting to take notice that you can burn coal and avoid these problems. With coal gasification, you remove the mercury and the sulfur easily before you burn the coal, you get about 10% more energy out of the coal and you can even capture the CO₂ and sequester it underground before it hits the air, though people aren't doing that - yet.

The bad news is that the initial investment is more (about 20% more) than a traditional coal-fired power plant would cost. Given all of the the advantages, I would think a few tax credits or other incentives would make these take off.

And they are beginning to take off.

The latest headline to catch my eye is GE Energy plans $1 bln power plant in Poland | Reuters.com. Poland, like the US, has a very large coal reserve. Couple that with the EU's take on global warming and getting better use of coal is a good thing. 900 megawatts is not a small-scale plant, but then the research on Integrated gasification and combined cycle technology (IGCC) plants was done in the 1990s.

This anouncement comes just after one plant has been announced:
Construction and Maintenance :: GE Energy and Bechtel to build 630-MW plant in West Virginia. And another plant is next-door to being started. The Enquirer - Indiana clean-coal power plant closer. Both of these are 630 megawatt plants. Both have the potential of using CO₂ holding, though that isn't planned at this time.

Even the environmentalists recognize that this is a good technology, given that we aren't going to stop generating electricity any time soon. The Brooklyn Rail - Environment: Coal Junkies calls coal gasification the smart alternative to burning coal the old-fashioned way.

We need to generate more electricity, and we need to keep reducing air pollution. We need to be smart about things.

Police Try to Put One More Gun on the Streets

Police are usually trying to get guns off the streets. But right now in Gainesville, something totally opposite is going on. Gainsville police are raffling off a handgun.

$10 buys you the chance to win a handguns.

“It’s a Glock 27 sub-compact .40 caliber, and they standardly run $519,” said Kale Davidson of Shuler’s Great Outdoors.

It's to raise money for 2 officers with cancer.

Seems like a good thing. I'll bet it drives the University crowd bonkers. [h/t Jeff]

A Canadian Who Gets It

TorontoSun.com - Gun control: The great deception Surprising to see this in a Canadian paper.

This was nonsense. Gun registries don’t deter such crimes. The main purpose of a gun registry is to warn police if they are entering a house that has registered weapons, primarily in domestic dispute cases. It’s also — combined with requiring gun owners to obtain permits and properly store and transport their weapons — aimed at reducing the spontaneous use of guns in moments of anger, despair or recklessness, that lead to domestic murders, suicides and accidental shootings.

Even a well-run registry won’t deter random gun violence. To suggest otherwise is a fraud.

What exactly will the registry do to reduce crime? Nothing. Registries don't get to criminals. They only make life difficult for law-abiding citizens. [NRA-ILA]

Quote of the Day

I ain't goin' out like that. Whether it's some Columbine wannabe who's heard the backward-masked messages on his Marilyn Manson discs, distressed daytrader off his Prozac, homegrown Hadji sympathetic with his oppressed brothers in Baghdad, or a bugnuts whackjob picking up Robert Frost quotes transmitted from Langley on the fillings in his molars, I am going to do my level best to smoke that goblin before my carcass goes on the pile. I am not going to go out curled into a fetal ball and praying for help that won't arrive in time.

Amen to that. Tam's thoughts on the Canadian shootings. View From The Porch: I ain't goin' out like that... She actually has a lot to say about what happened, and some of the comments on her post are interesting as well.

Restraining Order not a Bullet Knife-proof Vest

SiLive.com: NewsFlash - Husband arrested in stabbing death of woman in Manhattan Another tragedy that was not stopped by a restraining order

Karen Allende, 40, of the Bronx, was taken in critical condition to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She had been carrying a copy of a restraining order at the time. [my emphasis, Z-Deb]

If it was her husband, you can see the result of a court order. If it wasn't her husband, she still needed a better way to defend herself. That would of course offered no guarantee of safety, since there are none in this life. But her attacker did make a comment as he came up behind her, so she might have had an instant's warning.

Good Guys 1, Bad Guys 0

Choir member shoots would-be robber outside LR church This church not a disarmed victim zone.

After trying to rob a woman - she ran away - a goblin approaches Samuel Mitchell, 54, in the parking lot of Shiloh Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

According to the police report, witnesses said while they were standing in the parking lot, the robber walked up to the truck and pointed a [9mm] handgun at Mitchell. Mitchell than opened the door and shot the robber four or five times in the chest area and left arm, according to the police report.

They haven't given out the name of the dead guy. He was 20-years-old. No charges have been filed against Mitchell, but in the long-run that will be up to the DA. Three witnesses gave statements to police about these events.

I Don't Often Agree with Garrison Keillor

But he got one thing right. In search of coffee, tea or triacetone triperoxide | Chicago Tribune. The name "The Department of Homeland Security" sucks.

The Department of Defense was called the Department of War until 1947. This was actually a piece of bureaucratic double-speak; its mission did not change. We should change the name of that department back to "The Department of War," since they fight abroad, it makes more sense. (Was this the first example of Political Correctness?) Then we should wait a while - say 10 years or so to get the last of the letterhead changed over - then rename the Department of Homeland Security to be "The Department of Defense." War happens elsewhere, defense happens at home.

"The Homeland" sounds too much like the Fatherland, or Mother Russia.

“Buy a truck. Get a free gun.”

Tallahassee Democrat - Car dealer: An armed driver is a happy one Now that's my kind of marketing campaign! [Hat tip to Keep and Bear Arms]

September 13, 1814 and our National Anthem

All Four Stanzas See this referenced article for an excellent piece of writing by Isaac Asimov on the history of the anthem. He explains what F. S. Key was doing in Baltimore and why the anthem was written.

"The Defense of Fort M'Henry" was the original name of the poem, before it was set to music. It recounts the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the war of 1812. The first stanza - the only part most people ever hear - asks a question: Did the attack succeed, or is the US Flag still flying above the fort? The second stanza answers the question: the flag continues to fly "O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!" The third stanza fell out of use during WWII when the British were our close allies, since although they aren't named, it discusses the "band who so vauntingly swore" they would destroy our country. The last stanza is a hope for peace.

Oh! say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
Oh! say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep.
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream
'Tis the star-spangled banner. Oh! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation,
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n - rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause is just,
And this be our motto--"In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Defenseless Victim Zone and Mass Shootings

Two dead, 19 hurt in Canada college shooting - Yahoo! News What could have happened if even one of the people in the college had been able to stop this guy? Would no one have died or been hurt? That is probably too much to hope for, but the numbers of dead and injured could have been reduced.

The Ecole Polytechnique gunman, Marc Lepine, 25, left behind a three-page letter that said feminists had ruined his life and named 19 high-profile Quebec women he wanted to kill.

Sounds like someone didn't want to take responsibility for their life.

There are way too many people who want to blame someone else for their problems, and not take responsibility for their own actions and decisions.

Police said the gunman began shooting at 12.41 p.m. (1641 GMT) and police arrived on the scene within three minutes. Students, huddled in their classrooms behind locked doors on the third and fourth floors, could hear the shots being fired.

Cowering like rabbits is the Left's preferred response to situations like this.

Home Grown Terrorists

HeraldNet: Inciting violence is a cowardly way to protest Animal Rights activists are mostly insane, I think.

Dr. Jerry Vlasak, a Los Angeles trauma surgeon and over-the-top animal activist has stated without reservation that killing scientists to stop animal research would be "morally justifiable."

Violence has replaced protest. [NRA-ILA]

Gun Free D.C. Can't Even Keep Guns Out of the Jail

Law.com - Loaded Gun Found in D.C. Court Cellblock

A cleaning contractor found the .25-caliber semiautomatic pistol under a wad of paper in a cell toilet Friday, said Steve Conboy, the U.S. marshal for Superior Court.

It was the first time such a serious security breach occurred at the busy downtown courthouse in at least 10 years, authorities said.

Or at least it's the first time they discovered it.

No wonder they are in the middle of a "crime emergency." They can't even police the jails. But folks like the Brady Bunch would blame the gun for being there, not blame either the security which missed it or the criminal who brought it. [KABA]

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Kansas City Star | 09/11/2006 | Hero hasn’t been treated like one So what do you get for stopping a robbery and helping police catch a criminal?

I’ve been shot at, called a snitch and they blew up my car.

Jan. 31, Tyler Williams foiled a robbery at a Dollar General. The fine, upstanding members of his community apparently have a problem with anyone doing anything to help law and order. Though, as he says, he can't prove it is related.

And Dollar General seems to have been ignoring the whole thing, too - though now that the publicity is getting really bad, they might do something.

Tyler Williams was injured that night, and he has 2000 dollars worth of medical bills. Seem Dollar General could cough up that much, just for "good will." To date, Williams has only recieved a 100 dollar savings bond from the KC police dept.

Remember

People would like to forget what happened that day, and what their reaction was. But we shouldn't forget.

Update: via Dr. Sanity Regarding the blame - on both sides of the spectrum - for who is responsible for 9/11

...there is no one to blame for 9/11 except the deluded religious fanatics who have decided to use terrorism as a tactic to achieve the implementation of their political and social ideology.

What is going right in America?

9/11: FIVE YEARS ON By RALPH PETERS - New York Post Online Edition: Postopinion Ralph Peters has some observations about some things we are doing right. [hat tip to the Llama Butchers]

71st Carnival of Cordite

Spank That Donkey - Carnival of Cordite # 71 This week's carnival is quite large, with a fair bit of politics, as the political season is heating up. But range reports and other fun stuff is included too.

Bill Hicks Conducts...

The Owner's Manual: #146 Best of Me Symphony The BOMS is a collection of posts at least 60 days old. It doesn't tend to get caught in the issues of the day, as some carnivals do.

I love the Pope, I love seeing him in his Pope-Mobile, his three feet of bullet proof plexi-glass. That's faith in action folks! You know he's got God on his side.

Go take a look.

Musical Geography Question of the Day

(No Winner?)

Where are you if...

there are windows on the galaxies, and refuse from the Apollo program, a hamack, hallways and trapdoors?

Bonus question: Who is acting like a Vulcan?

Update: Well I didn't think this one was that hard... maybe no one is reading this stupid blog anymore...

You are on the Beach House on the Moon (Jimmy Buffett)

Cameron's getting logical
a Vulcan in disguise
the mysteries of the night
are putting sparkles in his eyes
he's looking for sound reasoning
but the best that I can do
is this transcendental story
that I'll pass along to you

pass the falls they call Victoria
down the river named the Nile
drifts a tiny little handmade boat
it's shaped just like a smile
and steered by a magician
with the knowledge that he needs
to keep him on his destined course
pass the crocodiles and reeds

he's the admiral of the ocean
the lone eagle in the sky
he gave me my first sextant
and he taught me how to fly

it's been quite a lengthy passage
from the dawn of time til now
he has weathered the infernal storms
in his trusty petite dhow
he has soared above collassal waves,
sailed the endless sea
sometimes he resembles you
sometimes he looks like me

I saw him through my telescope
on a cloudless night in June
as he rested between voyages
at his beach house on the moon

there are windows to the galaxies
and hallways to the past
there are trapdoors to the future
and a splintered ancient mast
There are relics from Apollo trips
when the earth men came to play
and a hammock from a distant star
out in the Milky Way

he's the admiral of the ocean
the lone eagle in the sky
he gave me my first sextant
and he taught me how to fly
I saw him through my telescope
on a cloudless night in June
as he rested between voyages
at his beach house on the moon

a striped bass breaks the surface
as the sunset fades away
and our journey from the sea of storms
takes us home besides the bay
we go fishing in the ocean
we go travelling back in time
like the song says teach your children
to go fishing with their mind

Cameron's contemplating
I'm not sure just what he thinks
is my dad some kind of lunatic
with his stories and high hijinks
then he says when I get old and gray
and feel like I'm marooned
he will take me in his rocketship
to that beach house on the moon

Have You Ever Been in a Situation...

where the next thing you were going to do was draw your concealed weapon?

I have been in this situation. It was a scary time, but it turned out the "thugs" were just a couple of stupid kids acting stupid - wanting to scare the old lady... They succeeded, but not the way they thought they would.

I would be interested in hearing your story, how things turned out.

Women Learning to Shoot - A book review from Dr. Helen

Dr. Helen: Women Learning to Shoot A nice review of Women Learning to Shoot: A Guide for Law Enforcement Officers. Looks like I may need to look this one up.

Michael Steele for Senate

A pretty interesting political advertisement from an interesting politician. Go take a look.Michael Steele for Maryland :: Building Bridges Video [h/t Right Side of the Rainbow]

Not Everyone Can "Run Away" from an Attack

United Press International - NewsTrack - Mugger no match for NYC wheelchair woman This guy sounds like a real winner, attacking a woman in wheelchair.

A 56-year-old wheelchair-bound New York City woman on her way to target practice with her small dog on her lap shot and wounded a would-be mugger.

When 45-year-old Deron Johnson attacker her from behind, Margaret Johnson - no relation - pulled out her licensed .357 and shot him in the elbow. (It is NY after all, license are required by law.)

She was licensed for the gun, and faces no charges. He is in the hospital charged with robbery. [hat tip to Keep and Bear Arms]

Finally a Judge Who Takes Action

Worcester Telegram & Gazette News Arrested for assault and battery and assault with a dangerous weapon on June 17. He was arrested again Tuesday for assault and battery and unarmed burglary.

Instead of turning him loose again, District Court Judge Sarah B. Singer declared him to be a risk and revoked his bond.

Still no guarantee that in the long-run he won't attack again, but it is a start. Too often the judges order anger management classes or some other pop-psychology approach to a violent crime. I'm glad judge Singer took the threat seriously.

Home Invader Dead

KSAT.com - Local News - Homeowner Shoots, Kills Would-Be Robber Finding a stranger in his home at 10:30 PM was bad enough, but that stranger was letting another person into the home.

The homeowner opened fire with a shotgun, fataly wounding one of the home invaders. Two other people were arrested.

Good Guys 2, Bad Guys 1

WLTX-TV News 19 | Homeowner Shoots Intruder, Is Wounded Himself So this one wasn't a clean sweep, but both bad guys are in jail. (One is actually still in the hospital but under arrest.)

Homeowner hears a noise, goes to investigate, and finds two criminals trying to break into his car. He runs back into the house, they follow. Shots are exchanged, and the homeowner and one thug are both injured.

Officers say both the homeowner and the injured suspect, 21-year-old Gregory Weaver, are recovering in the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. The second suspect, 25-year-old Donald Richardson, was arrested by deputies later following a short chase on Bluff Road.

Deputies say they'll charge both Weaver and Richardson with assault and battery with intent to kill and auto tampering. Richardson will also face a stolen vehicle charge.

If the homeowner didn't retrieve a gun after discovering the goblins, I believe he would be dead. They would have followed him into his home, and killed him.

Piracy on the High Seas - A Real Problem

Neo-Neocon has a post that started a discussion of pirates. As is usually the case when piracy is discussed, people decide it is a joke. But that is only ignorance of the facts, because most people don't think of death dealt wholesale as a joke.

When the cruise ship Seabourn Spirit was attacked in November of last year, some were disturbed that the term pirate was used. Their boats were too small, they weren't the pirates people thought of. (As if Erol Flynn's movies were real depictions of pirates.)

Well sad to say, but piracy is a real problem, costing shippers and yachties money and even taking lives every year. Last year people were happy that 2005 had fewer incidents than 2004, though this was mostly due to the interruption of activity in Indonesia as a direct result of the tsunami that hit Aceh. Though the year wasn't free of incidents. Somali pirates captured a UN aid vessel, and held its crew for ransom. Somalia remains a real danger area for piracy.

There is some hope of improvement. Reuters AlertNet - First WFP food aid ship arrives in Somali port of Mogadishu in more than a decade

A ship chartered by WFP docked yesterday in Mogadishu

This doesn't mean the problems are over in Somalia - in some ways they are just getting started.

Pirates

A spate of pirate attacks in Somali waters in 2005 forced WFP to bring food aid to the drought-stricken south by road because shipping companies were unwilling to risk voyages to Somalia.

Two WFP-chartered ships were seized by pirates in 2005 and one escaped a pirate attack in March 2006. [via EagleSpeak]

While this shipment got through, other pirates are pursuing ships farther and father from the Somali coast.

Part of the problem of recognizing piracy as a threat is that modern pirates are not the vision we inherited from Hollywood. (What is?) The Strategy Page has info on How To Spot A Pirate

Boat Size: Most pirates, whether in the northwestern Indian Ocean, off Somalia, or in the region around the Straits of Malacca, are using relatively small boats, essentially the same size as used by the local fishermen. So if a couple of fishing skiffs try to approach you, watch out. And be especially careful if they're moving at a good clip. That's because ordinary fishermen are loath to open up their engines, since fuel is money. [hat tip Noonsite]

The International Maritime Bureau, a division of the International Chamber of Commerce, runs the Piracy Reporting Center. The center has made use of Google Maps track attacks worldwide. These are primarily attacks on merchant shipping and some of the megayachts. Smaller private boats mainly report incidents through Noonsite, though some reports make it through the Seven Seas Cruising Association and a few other organizations. Assuming they survive of course.

It is a big enough problem that companies have been created to address the risks, and I don't mean insurance companies. Maritime and Underwater Security Consultants, for example provide many levels of service. (If it wasn't a real problem, people wouldn't be spending money trying to solve it.)

Of course it is made infinitely worse by the fact that private ownership of arms is forbidden in so many countries and by so many companies. I hope that will change, but I really don't see much hope of it. So as is usually the case when guns are outlawed, only the outlaws have guns, and they have mostly fully automatic AK-47s and AK-74s and the odd rocket propelled grenade.

The left says "Just call 911," but of course on the high seas, there is no one to call, and in some countries the authorities may actually be a part of the problem. So do we hide at home in gated communities, and pretend the world (or that tiny segment we are willing to inhabit) is a safe place, or do we live life in spite of the risks?

Women and the Outdoors

Woman power - Orlando Sentinel : Adventure Woman power - Orlando Sentinel : Adventure

Cyndi Howard a few years ago never would have dreamed of owning a handgun, of shooting clay pigeons with a shotgun, of taking a bow-hunting course wearing a baseball cap and a camouflage shirt.

A few years ago, she never felt this confident, this comfortable, this secure about herself and her daughter's safety.

A great article about "Women in the Outdoors" and "Becoming an Outdoor Woman," two programs being offered in Florida this year.

Later this year, [Cyndi Howard] will apply for a concealed weapon permit, allowing her to carry the gun to work -- the small business she owns in downtown Jacksonville, where she opens each morning and closes each night.

How confidence breeds confidence. [KABA]

Poor Bill C. He thinks he's treated unfairly

BUBBA GOES BALLISTIC ON ABC ABOUT ITS DAMNING 9/11 MOVIE By IAN BISHOP Post Correspondent - New York Post Online Edition: News Clinton is upset that that new ABC miniseries, The Path to 9/11 paints him in a less-than-flattering light, and he wants it pulled.

Clinton pointedly refuted several fictionalized scenes that he claims insinuate he was too distracted by the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal to care about bin Laden and that a top adviser pulled the plug on CIA operatives who were just moments away from bagging the terror master

Poor Bubba has got his feelings hurt.

just a Reminder...

Talk Like A Pirate Day - September 19: Just a reminder. Or in pirate lingo... Avast yeh lubbers and take note, it be talk like a pirate day on the 19th. Sounds silly says you? Tis the whole point, says I.

Telling The Truth Now a Crime in Britain

Comment is free: Religious extremists demand censorship (again) Updated

Leaders of the Gay Police Association (GPA) have been receiving death threats after their organisation published an advert exposing a 75% increase in homophobic hate crimes perpetrated by religious extremists.

That add was enough to generate outrage. The statistic is not in question, the hubris of mentioning the truth is what is under attack.

. The Met is now investigating whether the GPA advertisement constitutes an anti-religious hate crime. It has referred the complaints to the Crown Prosecution Service.

So telling the truth is now a hate crime.

This is the problem with hate crimes. They are, as I have said before, thought crimes. If you attack me, that is assault. If you attack me because of what you think of my religion, race, sexual orientation, whatever, that is a different crime and differnet penalties apply. The only difference is what you think. Your thoughts have become crimes.

Only non-government-approved thoughts of course. So in this case, we have the goal the supression of factual data about crime in the UK. Give people real information about the crime in their communities? We can't have that! People might be more likely to think for themselves.

Update: Consider The inanity of hate crimes.

CBC News reported Saturday that a masked individual, caught on a security camera, walked up to the doors of an Orthodox Jewish school in Montreal, and tossed a Molotov cocktail. The damage, as reported, was minimal. The article states that "the police have been unwilling to declare the attack a hate crime." It has been, however, declared an "unexplained" case of arson.

Does it matter what this goblin was thinking, or does it only what he did matter?

Good Guys 3, Bad Guys 0

Two Shootings the Brady Bunch Will Call “Children Shot”

Kokomo Tribune; Kokomo, Indiana - One teen killed in failed robbery attempt The Brady Bunch and other gun fearing weenies don't care the two were shot in self-defense.

Detectives said Nathan Marcus Paul Smith, 16, and Justin Smith, 17, Peru, were armed with a shotgun and a baseball bat, respectively, when they knocked on the door of 19 Southdowns Drive at about 12:30 a.m.

The man inside the home, Michael Slonaker, 61, came to the door armed with a handgun.

Slonaker told police the juvenile holding the shotgun raised it when he opened the door. Slonaker then fired two shots, hitting both juveniles.

The 2 Smiths don't appear to be related.

Nathan Smith was pronounced dead on scene; he managed to stumble into the street. Justin Smith was arrested at a local hospital. A 17-year-old girl, who drove Justin to the hospital, was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary.

Police say this appears to be self-defense.

“The weapons [used by the assailants] were found lying on the ground outside the house, just like Mr. Slonaker indicated,” [Sheriff Marty] Talbert said. “That indicates he was put in fear for his life. Certainly if an individual showed up at my door with a shotgun, I’d protect myself.”

This illustrates an important point, namely that Slonaker went to the door armed. Had he not retrieved his weapon, things would have turned out badly for him. It is better have a gun and not need it, than it is to need one and not have it. [h/t KABA]

WaPo's Broder Says Rove Owed Apology.

One Leak and a Flood of Silliness The Plame game: in the end it came down to people in the media hate Bush and hate Rove. It wasn't about facts, it was about getting Rove.

Jealous Boyfriends

Why can't they just accept the fact that "It's over," and get on with their lives? Why do they have to kill people, let alone kill themselves?

2theadvocate.com | News | Murder-suicide stuns complex The jealous ex killed the woman, then shot himself in the head. (Neighbors are shocked to discover they live in the real world, where violence is possible and not is some violence free fantasy land.)

Kerrville Daily Times: Weekend shooting leaves two dead. In this case the former boyfriend killed the current boyfriend and then shot himself.

What is the purpose of these acts? Do they expect to be remembered except with curses? Are their lives so meaningless that they think this is some kind of statement? Or are they just the uncaring monsters that they appear to be?

Is the News Media Hoping for a Disaster?

There is so much being said about Tropical Storm Florence, as to be ridiculous.

First, this storm is more than 2000 miles from the US coast, it is not expected to hit the US. It MAY menace Bermuda, but it may not. (If it did, that would be in about 5 days.)

The worst example of the few stories I looked at is the following: Tropical Storm Florence Crawls Toward the U.S. - Los Angeles Times. You might just as well write a headline that says it "Crawls toward the Arctic Circle." It isn't expected to reach there either.

Now I know that they can't predict the weather, and they can't really predict the storms more a day or two in advance, but it is way to early to be screaming about the sky falling. Anyone who lives in hurricane prone areas should have been ready - minus putting up the last few defenses like storm shutters - months ago.

The news media are either insane, or they live for one thing only - disasters. Disasters in any form will do - fires, floods, storms, wars (as long as they are quagmires), etc. Maybe they are just crazy.

Of Course it Was Self-defense

abc11tv.com: Court Orders New Murder Trial for Disabled Man But the judge in the original trial didn't allow the jury to consider that as a valid defense. So the disabled man was convicted of murder.

That decision by the judge was thrown out on appeal, so he gets a new trial.

Why would the judge not let a jury consider self-defense? Does he hate freedom so much that he has to stack the books against our right of self-defense? Maybe he is an avowed statist and believes we should just call 911 and pray the police can intervene before we are dead.

Whatever the case his ruling was thrown out. Too bad he wasn't thrown off the bench.

Self-defense is a human right.

The Statistics On Socialized Medicine

Stethoscope socialism - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper The left always complain about the cost of health care. But the cost is in lives in other countries.

• Breast cancer is fatal to 25 percent of its American victims. In Great Britain and New Zealand, both socialized-medicine havens, breast cancer kills 46 percent of women it strikes.
• Prostate cancer proves fatal to 19 percent of its American sufferers. In single-payer Canada, the National Center for Policy Analysis reports, this ailment kills 25 percent of such men and eradicates 57 percent of their British counterparts.
• After major surgery, a 2003 British study found, 2.5 percent of American patients died in the hospital versus nearly 10 percent of similar Britons. Seriously ill U.S. hospital patients die at one-seventh the pace of those in the U.K.
• "In usual circumstances, people over age 75 should not be accepted" for treatment of end-state renal failure, according to New Zealand's official guidelines. Unfortunately, for older Kiwis, government controls kidney dialysis.
• According to a Populus survey, 98 percent of Britons want to reduce the time between diagnosis and treatment.

So in New Zealand, if you need dialysis, you are expected to die when you turn 75.

Restating the obvious is worth it in this case. In Britain, you are nearly twice as likely to die from breast cancer should you be diagnosed than in the heartless US. And prostate cancer kills at a rate almost 3 times as great in the UK as in the US. Surgery patients die at a rate almost 4 times as great in the UK as in the US..... It is easy to see why the Left wants national health care - they have a death wish.

Other situations documented include people denied surgery for their political beliefs, or people with critical cancer illnesses waiting months to see an oncologist, when days can make the difference between life and death.

So when the debate comes up later this year, or next and during the 2008 campaign, ask them why they want people to die at higher rates. [h/t Never Yet Melted]