Author Archives: Lyle

Honoring Our Troops

Posted on by

Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton, among others, is telling us that we might “honor” our troops.  This “honor” is not to come in the form of allowing them to win, and not through convincing the enemy that they will be utterly defeated no matter what it takes, but by bringing our troops home.

Lets apply that same logic to our firemen:  Lets “honor” our firemen by keeping them out of fire trucks and away from fires.  While we’re at it, we can “honor” our public school teachers in similar fashion, by sending them home, sparing them the difficult and often unpleasant task of dealing with the ins and outs of teaching kids: Planning course syllabi, meeting on-going certification requirements, writing and grading assignments, dealing with administration and parents, etc..  We can further “honor” our poor, suffering teachers by accusing them of torturing kids.  We can then “honor” them by launching false prosecutions and endless investigations against them.

As long as we’re “honoring” whole cross sections of society, we might consider “honoring” our senators by reducing legislative sessions (and adjusting pay, of course) to one day per year.  Would could at least “honor” Hillary by “redeploying” her out of Washington, possibly to the Philippines, where she could be called in on two or three-days’ notice in the event we desperately need her inside an hour.

As is typical with other words misused by leftists, it seems the words “honor” and “support” have taken on new and diametrically opposite meanings.

I would therefore like to; “Honor Hillary.  Send her home!”  She can’t win anyway.  Her war against America is a lost cause, based on a lie.

The Second Amendment in Public Buildings

Posted on by

Here are the results of the poll done by the Lewiston Morning tribune, and which Joe referenced in an earlier post:

Should private citizens be allowed to carry guns into public buildings?

74% Yes
26% No

It shows the most lop-sided poll result currently displayed on the LMT poll page, and the largest number of voters, i.e. more people care about it and their opinions are the most clear.  That’s encouraging as it shows we are making progress, at least in North Idaho where peace and hard work are more important than fear-mongering and scheming.

Now I wonder how many of those who voted “No” are the regular recipients of a government paycheck as compared to the “Yes” voters.  I submit that a disproportionate number of the “No” votes are coming from public employees.  If so, shouldn’t we be hiring servants who protect our rights (or in a worst case scenario, just do nothing) rather than trying to force us to comply with their personal wishes and soothe their irrational fears?

To put it another way; If our public servants are even slightly uncomfortable with us having our civil rights intact, are they right for the job or are we better served by people who are glad for our civil rights and who have the maturity, strength and courage to protect them vigorously?

Mayor, Mayor, Quite Contraire

Posted on by

We’re hearing rumors that the Moscow, Idaho Mayor, Nancy Chaney, is plotting to ban guns in “Public Places”.

One’s right to self defense is under attack right here in Idaho.  Do I need to look up the political affiliations of the Mayor?  Does anyone wonder?

AP has it now, so the story is repeated verbatim on several sites.  As anyone could predict, it starts out describing a multiple murder committed using firearms.  The conclusion is always the same:  We must “prevent” further incidents of people breaking the law by passing more laws.  That way, when criminals obey this new law, they won’t be able to break the old ones.

“I think there is probably some nervousness about that, of course.”

Chaney said the shooting at the courthouse made her concerned about how vulnerable people might be at public meetings. She said she was also concerned about armed citizens who might be inclined to “swoop in to protect people” in situations that police should deal with.

“We don’t want to tread on anyone’s Second Amendment rights,” Chaney told the Lewiston Tribune. “We want to find out what is within our legal prerogative.”

She doesn’t want to tread on anyone’s rights, she just wants to ban guns.  Its hard to find anything on this locally, so apparently its being kept pretty hush.

Chaney, Girl, you be trippin’!  People may be “nervous” about a lot of things.  Some people at one time were very nervous about black people wanderin’ all over free and what not, too.  It doesn’t mean they had any right to keep black people out of public places, any more than you have the right to ban self defense.  If you’re too nervous to do your job properly while respecting and appreciating the rights of your neighbors, I’m sure we can find a more level-headed replacement for you.

Poetry in Motion

Posted on by

My son, Alex and I went to the range last weekend.  He wanted to confirm zero on his rifle before the start of hunting season, and I wanted to do the same with a 50 caliber muzzleloading caplock rifle.

I don’t know how explain this, but it wasn’t until we were half way home that I again realized the fact that I had any problems or concerns in life at all– they had completely gone away for the time we spent at the range.

I hadn’t experienced anything like this in, I don’t know how long. Talk about “Zen and the Art of the Rifle” which is the title of one of Oleg’s recent posts.

Alex had some of his custom ammo left over from the Boomershoot, and since the bullet manufacturer says their VLD is also a decent hunting bullet, he decided to use that accurized load for hunting this year.  I won’t tell you the size of his 200 yard group (he fired a total of four rounds that day– three at 200 and one at 50, to get a first-hand feel for the difference in POI) partly because it would be bragging, but mostly because you wouldn’t believe it anyway, coming as it did from a “mere” Ruger M77 MKII.  I had to explain to him that this was something remarkable, and yet maybe I shouldn’t have bothered.

It was one of those few days in life wherein one can truly say one was “at peace”.  But you don’t realize its happening until its over.

Republican Machinegun Shoot/Fundraiser

Posted on by

Now here are some people who know how to have fun.

Tired of the usual chicken dinners, the Manchester Republican Committee is planning to arm supporters next month with Uzis, M-16 rifles and other automatic weapons for a day of target practice at a Pelham firing range.

“The thought just struck me one day: a machine gun shoot. What the heck?” said Jerry Thibodeau, the committee chairman.

We can expect the usual hysterics from the anti-freedom crowd, which of course adds to the fun.  They’re actually talking about firing sub guns and assault rifles at the fund raiser, but the term “machine gun” sounds more interesting I guess.  For myself, I’d like to fire a nice M2 at some old trucks and a few of Joe’s boomers.  Ma Duce is big, well-made, heavy, powerful, and loud as hell.  What’s not to like?

I find it encouraging that politicians on both sides of the turd feel the need to appeal to American gun owners.  We’ll see whose appeals are honest (or should I say the least disingenuous).

Like It Or Not, You’re A Conservative

Posted on by

It’s been said before:  We tend to live our lives as conservatives, regardless of our political affiliations.  I’ve heard R. Limbaugh say it several times.  We don’t take our paycheck, decide we’re living on “more than we need” and give half of it away each payday.  We don’t confront our neighbors, telling them they must cut back on their consumption or we’re going to do something really bad to them.  You don’t believe that you, personally, have far too much freedom, then demand that someone take your freedom away from you.  Chances are you don’t feel you have the right to steal from someone on the basis that he has more than you.

Not exactly.  But we do often advocate such coercion against our fellow countrymen on a regular basis, through government.

If we define an American “conservative” as one who embraces the principles upon which this country was founded (Liberty, property rights, minimum to non interference by government)(and I do) then it is a fact that most people live as conservatives in their personal lives.  Its just that some of us are screaming hypocrites, like this Texas politician who fought against self-defense rights and ended up shooting a thief (the thief was, after all, merely practicing his own form of “Economic Justice” as the term is used by the Left).

Thanks to M. Malkin and K. du Toit.

Oh, The Horror! Make it Stop!

Posted on by

The truth is melting my face!

I trust that most of you read Thomas Sowell regularly, but in case you haven’t seen this one…

Too many Americans today are not only unconcerned about what it will take to preserve this country but are busy dismantling the things that make it America.

He brings several points together to make a very good, large one.

The challenge for us the readers is to trick some leftists into reading his column.  Be careful though; it could be regarded by some as cruel and unusual punishment.

Same Template, Different Story?

Posted on by

Reading Joe’s recent post got me thinking.  Every time there’s a shooting, we see reports on the type of firearm used, its features, where it may have been obtained, and what gun laws might “prevent this sort of thing” in the future.  Given that criminals by definition don’t obey gun laws, and that this sort of thing isn’t going to be prevented by more Prohibitions, what sort of reporting might actually benefit the consumers of news reports?  Newsies: I’m asking you to think outside the usual story templates.

News pieces on the firearm models and types used in a particular crime are unhelpful, mostly because they’re useless unless you’re pushing an anti-gun agenda (one exception might be the LA bank robbery, in which police responded to a rifle fight with nothing but pistols and shotguns. There the types of weapons involved were actually relevant to the response tactics) and also because the reporting is typically done by people who know next to nothing about firearms (believe me, Newsies, it shows.  It really, really shows).  I submit that the public could benefit more from reports on exactly what happened from minute to minute, once all the hysteria has died down and the evidence has been evaluated.  Interview police and citizen defense trainers on what responses would be most appropriate, how the police view the role of the armed citizen, and so on.  Then we may be better able to respond to an incident more appropriately, or to stay out of it entirely when needed.

For certain, I think its a bad idea to grab a gun and run head-on toward the sound of gunfire.  Stealth, People.  Also consider the fact that it may be impossible to know friend from foe when there are armed citizens in the same area as armed criminals.  Start a discussion on when to stay out of the way, or, if presented an easy shot on a hostile target, when to take it, where to get the training and equipment, what would the police chief or sheriff’s department would want you to do?  You might let us know where to sign up for a local gun club, range development plan or self-defense course, and so on.  “Public Interest” in other words, could be served by some far more diverse reporting.

Independence: Imagine That

Posted on by

I’ve known of Hillsdale College for some time, but only recently did I learn from their publication, “Imprimis” that they long ago swore off federal funding, and the restrictions that naturally come with it.  Here’s a sample, but you’ll want to read it all:

The thousands of young men and young women who have studied here have been taught some fundamental truths; among these is that the freedom guaranteed them as citizens of this great country is the freedom to dream and aspire without limit and the freedom to fulfill their dreams and aspirations without interference; that our country’s greatness is the result not of government benevolence but rather of individual initiative and enterprise; and that responsibility is the counterpart of independence.

We hold these views to be as valid today as they were in 1844 despite the appearance and growth of a contrary philosophy based on government paternalism.

It is our conviction that this contrary philosophy is negatory to the traditional beliefs and teachings of Hillsdale College and is to be deplored as harmful to the continued development of our country, both morally and economically.

It is therefore the decision of the Board of Trustees of Hillsdale College to reaffirm its historic independence and to resist subsidization of its affairs by the federal government. Acknowledging that the possibility of failure is a concomitant of independence, the Trustees place their trust in God and in the dedication and generosity of students, alumni and friends who share their views.

They have courage and good principles.  You have to give them that.  The feds even tried to claim rule-making jurisdiction over the college based on the fact that some of the students were taking federally guaranteed student loans (surprize, surprize).  Well, Hillsdale was having none of that, so they started their own financial aid program and today they are flourishing.  Hillsdale is apparently one of the few institutions of higher learning that does NOT serve as a socialist indoctrination center.  Imagine that.

Now I have to find out if they support concealed carry on campus.  According to packing.org, Michigan and Washington State have a reciprocity agreement.  That’s a good start.

Now I have another reply for those people who have “Support our Troops, Opposed the War” bumper stickers:
“Support Education, Pull the U.S. Out NOW!”  I could go on about mistakes, quagmire, and how the Department of Education is nothing but a political tool for the empowerment of a few politicians and enrichment of the largest labor union in the world, but I won’t.

Corrupt Prosecutor, Rope, Tree…

Posted on by

Now that most of the months-long hype (or was it years? It seems like years) over the Durham / Nifong scandal has died down, we can discuss it here (’cause now we actually know what happened and we can’t indulge it guesswork and flapjaw).

All I can say is, well, both Ann Coulter and Thomas Sowell say it far better, so I’ll add just one point:

Nifong needs to hang.  Literally.  Its not because I hate him– I’ve never met him.  Its because he committed the worst possible form of betrayal: Someone in the Public Trust turning Public Predator.  Someone who’s sole job it was to protect Liberty & Justice turned enemy of Liberty & Justice.

I pity the fool, yet at the same time realize that if he doesn’t receive the maximum possible sentence, others will more likely follow in his footsteps.  If he gets away with disbarment and saying he’s sorry, we will have demonstrated that the cost of such a despicable and far-reaching crime is quite low.  We will have invited more of the same and we will get more of the same.

As much as I love Liberty, as much as I love my children and want them and every other American to live in Liberty, free to pursue their dreams of excellence, I want this pile of crap, and a few others who went along with him, to swing.  In Public.  Justice demands it, as an example to anyone who might get similar ideas, and as an example to all of us that someone believes our Liberty to be worth defending.  This society (our country of millions!) is not a toy for the cheap amusement of a few thousand public “servants”.

Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From ‘Safety’

Posted on by

It bugs me every time I hear it or see it in print, but I haven’t been able to articulate it.  I will try anyway:

I do not want (nor could I ever believe it would be possible) for someone in government to “keep me  safe”.  I feel all icky whenever a politician, or anyone else, but especially a politician, tries  to assure us that they’re working hard to “keep us safe”.  I liked Joe’s title to a post on June 24th (“Help Kill Terrorists”) because it more clearly and directly addresses the job at hand.

When our president, blowhard senator du jour, or DC culture kool-aid drinker talks about “public  safety” I feel a lot like I did after a middle-aged man approached me at a Spokane, WA city park  when I was around 7 years old.  He asked me if I wanted to earn five dollars.  “OK” I said,  whereupon he led me to the restrooms and asked to see my underwear.  I dashed right out of there of  course, and never forgot the lesson: Someone you should be able to trust can turn out to be a predatory scumbag who sees you as nothing more than a means to his self gratification.

So here’s the deal.  I DO NOT want to be kept “safe” by my government.  Letting them try is far too dangerous.  I want my kids to feel reasonably safe, sure, and aware of their surroundings at the same time, but that is my responsibility and mine alone.  It is not the government’s job to make us “safe”.  It is the government’s job to be there to retaliate when someone violates our rights, and to make it known that the retaliation will be sure and swift.  To value human rights is to demonstrate intolerance for human rights violations.

In the best of circumstances you are going to be exposed to many risks (some of the richest lives are full of risks) and guess what; you are still going to die.  Its what we DO WITH OUR LIVES that matters, and for that we need maximum Liberty.  Living in a padded room in solitary confinement might be considered “safe” but somehow I doubt that is what the Founders of this Republic had in mind when they wrote the Bill of Rights.

When it comes to terrorism I want one thing and one thing only–  I want the Jihadi sons of bitches to die.  That is all.  I want them, and anyone who supports them, hunted down, shot (or bombed, etc.) and left to die in the dirt.  Let their countrymen clean up the mess, too– that’s not our job.  That killing the jihadis might make a few of us more “safe” is a side benefit.  Liberty and Justice are the aim here, and they’re not the same thing as safety.  They are very different, though slightly overlapping, concepts that should never be confused.

Meanwhile, I will not be trying to delude myself into believing that I am ever safe, either from the jihadi idiots, or from politicians trying to chip away at my rights for their self gratification.

I want to live in a civilized, polite society.  I do NOT want to live in a society with barriers, checkpoints, restrictions, surveillance, or some dipshit walking up to me and demanding, “papers please” no matter how “safe” a few deluded individuals might feel, and no matter how important it makes a politician or a woman in uniform feel.

So, Mister politician, lay off the talk about “safety” and start talking Liberty.  You couldn’t take the danger out of life even if you genuinely tried.  I want to you to protect our Liberty, and though there may be some overlap with safety, Liberty is a very different and far more precious thing.  It is the American way, and as much as you might like to forget it, you are sworn to it.

I think the slogan for the web site, American Snipers, then, should read: “Help real snipers get the real gear they need to kill more terrorists more efficiently.”  I like that.

Anti-gun Activists Take Note

Posted on by

This is one of the best short essays I’ve seen.  Apparently its been reposted under other names, but Marko is the author.  Here’s a sample:

A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.

Hat tip to Say Uncle for bringing to my attention.

Freedom or Coercion, Which Do You Choose?

Posted on by

It’s kind of bizarre to think that we have a “choice between coercion and choice” which is an oxymoron, but technically we do have it:

In a just world, we would never need to waste a minute discussing this, except with our young children, or in elementary school history classes, but see if you can guess which will outperform; a Soviet-style, government-run monopoly or a free market (our current public school system or school choice)?

Walter E. Williams of course nails it as usual.  The video, done by Stossel and 20/20, is excellent also.  I especially liked the “rubber room” concept they have in New York, as it upholds everything I’ve ever said about our socialist education system (I do have to hand it to them as I’ve often said we’d be better off paying certain public workers to stay away from the job, and here we find that they’re doing exactly that).

Our current system really is anti-American, anti-choice, and anti-success, and it needs to be scrapped as soon as possible.  The best teachers and administrators will form their own, better schools virtually overnight.  The worst ones?  They can always pick fruit for a living.

Man on rampage kills 9 (with a machete)

Posted on by

 

Damned good thing none of the victims had firearms, ’cause, you know, violence is never the answer and it only begets more violence:

The man then barged into a neighbor’s house, where he stabbed and hacked to death a 37-year-old pregnant woman and her three daughters and two sons, aged 1 to 9.

All I want to know is; who sold him the machete, how much money did he make on the sale, and is he proud of it?  How is it that a madman can so easily get hold of such a deadly instrument?  Why are iron and carbon made so widely available when we know things like this are going to happen as a result?  What are the Filipino legislators going to do about this?  What do the Filipino cutlery manufacturers have to say for themselves and their irresponsible production of such deadly products?

 

There is one word missing in all the descriptions of the victims, which bears notice:  “Unarmed”.  Add the correction and it makes more sense: 

“The man then barged into a neighbor’s gun free house, where he stabbed and hacked to death the unarmed 37-year-old…”

 

Here’s a news headline you’ll never see:  “Machete-wielding madman kills eight concealed pistol carriers.”

 

But some of our Great and Compassionate Leaders would prefer several dead innocent women and children to one dead criminal, shot by his intended victim.

Scope Eye (How Not to Hold a Rifle)

Posted on by

Ouch!  It hurts just watching this, especially having myself fired the Safety Harbor 50 Caliber AR that Ry loaned us last summer.  The 70+ year-old who’s firing it didn’t get the buttstock on his shoulder, so it slid under his armpit from the recoil, causing the optic sight to clock him in the face.  That’s a heavy rifle moving back at him at a good clip.  He was OK, after he stumbled to his feet and I was able to get him to reply to questions.  Notice the image blur as the shock wave (usually referred to as “muzzle blast” but in this case I use “shock wave” as a more descriptive term) hits the camera.  Also notice the gravel being hurled back and to the sides from the high-pressure jets coming out of the muzzle break.

Firing the little .50 BMG “carbine” with a proper hold feels about the same as firing a magnum load from a 12 ga. shotgun.  Quite nice, really.  Its all about style.

More Details

Posted on by

It turns out that the Moscow shooter had multiple issues.  According to the police chief, the guy had been convicted of domestic violence, had tried suicide earlier and failed, had been involuntarily committed to a mental facility.  In the past he had told people he was going to off himself and take others with him.

Saturday night he went to a local bar and had some drinks, then went and killed his ex, then attacked the courthouse complex.

Side note:  Though several major news sources said there was an SKS “assault rifle” involved, spoke of ten-round clips, etc., and repeatedly showed a photo of an SKS, there was in fact no SKS.  There was an AK and an M1A used– a big difference to people who know guns, but of no real significance otherwise.  The lesson here is that rumors can spread like wildfire and be totally wrong.

There is the issue of urban response and combat tactics, which leave me curious.  The guy apparently was shooting at anything that moved.  He was on a hilltop surrounded by mostly residential streets and a high school, but also surrounded on two sides by solid buildings.  What do you do?  That’s my question, and I don’t have a good answer, mainly because I have no exact details and maybe never will have them.  IF (if) there is guy in a parking lot firing shots at everything around him (was he maneuvering? was he behind cover?  we don’t know) he might be a fairly easy target for someone intent on stopping him.  Certainly a SWAT team arriving hours later was in this case of no use.

These are my thoughts and questions.  It is a given that the occasional, random douche-bag will go off like this.  What are the best ways to handle it?

 

“Power Sharing”

Posted on by

One of the marvels of the United States has always been Her “Melting Pot” status, wherein people from all walks of life, from all around the world have come together to produce the most successful society in human history.

That’s why it bugs me when I hear people who should know better discussing the political situation in Iraq, for example.  We hear about the various and disparate groups in that country having trouble coming to an acceptable “power sharing” agreement.  What does that mean– power sharing?  That’s something that might be arranged between one king or one dictator and another, or between rival gangsters, but in a free society?

No, Grasshopper!  In a free society all individuals have the same rights, so the term “power sharing” has no meaning.  That one race, religion or other demographic might outnumber another in a certain region is, rightly, of no consequence for the simple fact that they haven’t the political power to trample on the rights of the minority.  If that ideal is not the foundation of their Constitution, then the Constitution needs a serious rewrite.

I am reminded of a quote from Ayn Rand (thanks to “The Smallest Minority” web site):  “The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.”

Its time more of the freedom-hungry people in Iraq understand and embrace this simple concept if they are to have any hope of realizing their dream.  It would be nice if more Americans understood it too.

For the Love of Freedom

Posted on by

I want my kids to grow up in a society that is more free than the one in which I grew up.

Anyone agree, or do you believe we are still not restricted enough?

Today we have this:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html

This:
http://arepublic.blogspot.com/2007/02/hr-1022.html

This:
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

This:
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/faq/oaths.htm

And this:
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/242fin.htm

…all at the same time.  One may connect the dots in any order.

For the Last Time; A Typical Fuel Fire Won’t “Melt” Steel

Posted on by

 

The recent truck accident and resulting overpass collapse must have Rosie convinced that Bush has done it again, but here’s the deal:

 

Even a C-average Jr. high school shop student knows that steel loses almost all of its strength when you heat it (’cause, you know, they actually work with the stuff).  I can’t say this loud enough, but here it goes, “***The steel does not have to melt, nor will it melt in a typical structure fire, in order to fail as a support material***”.

 

Get it cherry red hot, and its like putty, or molding clay, in consistency long before it gets hot enough to “melt”.  Adding chromium and molybdenum will help reduce, but not prevent, this phenomenon, which is one reason why so many gun barrels are made of chrome/moly steel.

 

No matter; every account I’ve heard to date in reference to WTC, and this latest event in Caleeforn-ya, has used the word “melt” or “melted” to refer to the resulting structural failures, displaying in sharp relief the monumental ignorance of not just the average journalist, but every last one of them.

 

And not a single one of any import, it would seem, bothered to look up the properties of various steels at various temperatures on that there internet thingy, presumably because it would have taken a whopping fifteen minutes of one assistant’s time.  Looking up facts is not in their job description, apparently, nor in Rosie O’s.  Facts get in the way of so many things…

 

On a related note:  After hearing of the scope of the recent lorry crackup in California, “Republican” Gov., Arnold Schwartzenblather, who ran his campaign using conservative-sounding rhetoric, made the following statement in his response: “Everyone is going to get a free ride.” (And he meant it)

 

That is a perfect example of why the Republican Party does not now own the House, the Senate and the Whitehouse for the rest of the foreseeable future– they just cannot grasp the concept of Liberty, but instead merely talk about it as part of their shtick, offering themselves as the less socialist socialists in the big, socialist bag of nuts.

No Surprises Here

Posted on by

Try firing a Lefty Prof for advocating socialist revolution, then sit back and listen to all the claims of violating civil rights, our precious academic freedoms being squashed, etc., etc..

Professor fired over class discussion of shootings.

This time however, you have a professor discussing a current event, with apparent overtones of support for the Bill of Rights.  So he gets fired (what “obscene epithet” was used is not made at all clear).

There’s no real news here, in that most of you would have accurately predicted the outcome.

My question is; How is this going to be turned around?

My answer is; As soon as we get government out of the education business (you think that if people had a choice in the matter, they’d choose to fund this sort of bilge?)

And yet there is no apparent movement in the direction of a free market in education.  Why?  Will anyone, when pressed, actually stand up and proclaim that they believe a socialist institution will outperform a free market– that a coercively funded, compulsory institution will find better and more efficient ways to serve the public than a free and unfettered marketplace defined by competition and choice?

Any takers on that one?  Hmmm?   Tell us how Marx, Lenin, Stalin and Mao had it all figured out, and how Jefferson, Washington and Franklin were a bunch of idiots!  Get it all off your chest!  This is your moment!  Stand up and make yourselves proud!  Include full details.

Update:  Yeah, I know.  It is defined as a Catholic Liberal Arts School.  Still–don’t tell me this sort of thing would be at all common in a free market.

They have a “Campus Preparedness Committee ” there.  One wonders what they do there for preparation.