Quote of the day—Frank J.

We don’t need democracy, we just need to trust angry mobs. Who can ever get the biggest mob and makes them the angriest should make the rules.

Frank J.
Random Thoughts: JK Rowling and Angry Screaming
June 17, 2020
[SCOTUS dropping (almost) all of the 2nd Amendment cases on Monday made the truth of the quote above all the more clear.

Monday was extremely depressing for me. I’ve been donating thousands of dollars per year to SAF and FPC to pursue these court cases, I write letters to representatives, I follow the rules, and urge others to do the same. And what are people going to learn from current events?

The lesson to many is going to be exceptionally clear. You are a fool if you follow the rules. The proper way to get your way, no matter how delusional you are, is to riot and loot. This will not end well. And all I will be able to do is say I tried and failed.

I still have a tiny sliver of hope. And that is Trump wins in landside this November, Republicans continue their hold in the Senate and another 2nd Amendment supporting SCOTUS justice or two are appointed by the end of 2024. By that time I will have been fighting this fight and following the rules for 30 years.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Firearms Policy Coalition

The ATF exists exclusively to threaten Americans with the violent enforcement of unconstitutional laws. We believe firmly that the ATF should be abolished, and that all of the laws it was created to enforce should be repealed or struck down. The NFA, GCA, and every other law that threatens the People with disarmament and prison for exercising human rights are leprotic reminders of prior generations’ sins against our Republic, founding principles, constitutional guarantees, and human liberty itself. The sooner they are eliminated, the better.

Firearms Policy Coalition
FPC Statement on Possible ATF Action to Ban More Legal Products
June 17, 2020
[The ATF should be defunded long before local law enforcement. But that’s not the way it works.

Read The Gulag Archipelago, Volume 2: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, 1918-1956. It is trivial to draw the parallels to what we are going through today:

It’s a jungle, the consciousness of an orthodox Communist. It’s impossible-to make sense of it.

Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn
Page 347.

Change some names and the location and you could believe Solzhenitsyn was talking about Baca in Albuquerque.

The evidence is extremely clear that we are traversing a track parallel to Solzhenitsyn’s dystopia. As he pointed out the criminal class is the natural ally of the communist. Hence they demand the abolishment of the police. Simultaneously the political left demands we give up our guns. Obviously, these acts are to protect their criminal allies.—Joe]

Legal question

Rolf has a legal question. Here is the essence of it:

Within the case West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette, there is the following passage:

If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.

If I’m reading this correctly, that means that any school district or other government institution that requires you to sign or write a commitment to “diversity” is violating the law. Any legal-beagles out there who can confirm or reject my understanding?

Can anyone here enlighten him?

Quote of the day—Paul Vander Klay

Often these systems include human beings and they a lot of their agency from these agents that materialists recognize. Markets are such a thing. Markets create “an invisible hand” as Adam Smith called it.

Now it is easy to see how markets can create inequalities that CRT will see as racists (defined by consequences). Cultural elements of the majority population will achieve market share while comparative elements of the minority may not. Viola… “systemic racism”

Paul Vander Klay
Posted on June 16, 2020
[CRT refers to “Critical Race Theory”.

It appears that Klay is claiming that in any system an unequal outcome between people of different races is conclusive proof of a racist system.

If true, then Klay must also conclude our cultural is racist because black men murder other black men at a higher rate than white men murder other white men.

Via Scott Adams @ScottAdamsSays who says:

One of my rules-of-thumb is that anything that can’t be explained with normal words is bullshit.

I think Klay has crap for brains.—Joe]

I know her

From The State of CHAZ:

On June 10, with the goal of building consensus and designating leadership for the movement, protesters organized the first CHAZ People’s Assembly. After setting up a stage and PA system, one of the initial speakers raised the question of legitimate authority, asking the audience: “What’s the structure, how are we going to achieve some sort of communal hierarchy that we all feel comfortable with?” The audience booed and insisted that the movement should remain “horizontal” and leaderless. At the end of the People’s Assembly, racial-justice activist Julie Chang Shulman conceded that no leadership had been established but that the group had settled on the ideological principles of an “abolitionist framework” and “commitment to solidarity and accountability to Black and Indigenous communities.”

I’ve known Julie since she was a toddler when I worked at the same company with her parents. Julie is within a few months of being the same age as my oldest child. We are Facebook “friends”. We occasionally message each other back and forth on Facebook.

I taught her father to shoot in the late 1990s. I taught her mother to shoot in 2009. Then, in 2012, I taught Julie to shoot.

Insanity?

Via email from Jeremy N. we have this:

In the hours leading up to the violence Monday, protesters faced off with members of an armed group that calls itself the New Mexico Civil Guard and counterprotesters toting “All lives matter” signs.

One group sought to tear down a monument to Oñate, a 16th-century despot who massacred indigenous people. The other set out as self-designated protectors of the statue, creating a heavily armed presence at the park in Albuquerque’s historic Old Town. Aside from a few scuffles over signs near the monument, the protest had largely been peaceful, although tense at times.

Then a white man in a blue T-shirt appeared to rile the crowd, according to video obtained by KOB4. People erupted in shouts, and the man took a few steps back.

The man in the blue shirt, identified as Baca, seemed to be protecting the statue in a bystander’s video, police said in the criminal complaint. An undercover police detective saw protesters pursuing Baca, who used pepper spray on them, the complaint adds. “The group appeared to maliciously pursue” Baca, hitting him with their hands and legs, police state.

In the video obtained by KOB4, a masked protester swung what police identified as a longboard and struck Baca in the shoulder. The man backpedaled out of the crowd but continued to exchange shouts with protesters.

Someone in the video encouraged people to follow the man and get his license plate number. Several people followed him, and one tackled him to the ground.

According to the complaint, Williams – the gunshot victim, dressed in black – can be seen on bystander video retrieving the board and swinging it toward Baca’s upper body and head. Then, the complaint says, Baca fired several shots. The crowd scattered.

Baca was arrested. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and the governor said:

The shooting tonight was a tragic, outrageous and unacceptable act of violence and it has no place in our city,” Keller said in a statement. “Our diverse community will not be deterred by acts meant to divide or silence us. Our hearts go out [to] the victim, his family and witnesses whose lives were needlessly threatened tonight.”

State leaders have denounced the armed civilian group that gathered in the area. Some of its members were taken into custody, police said. The group says it is not affiliated with the shooting suspect.

“The heavily armed individuals who flaunted themselves at the protest, calling themselves a ‘civil guard,’ were there for one reason: To menace protesters, to present an unsanctioned show of unregulated force,” New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said in a statement. “To menace the people of New Mexico with weaponry – with an implicit threat of violence – is on its face unacceptable; that violence did indeed occur is unspeakable.”

The article describes the person shot as the victim. I can find nothing in the article that indicates he was anything other than the perpetrator. Everything indicates Baca had a valid reason to fear for his life, used non-lethal force without success then as a last resort used lethal force. So why is he considered the bad guy?

If “protestors” can attack, maim, and potentially kill those who stand in the way of their destruction something other than peaceful solutions will be implemented.

This is insanity.

Update: I understand now. We are reliving The Gulag Archipelago. Criminals are the natural allies of the political left.

Quote of the day—Cesia Baires

It’s not something that I would want, but we’ve seen how, for at least the first couple days, we were left alone. There were no cops that would come around. So what are we to do? Just stand there and do nothing?

Cesia Baires
June 3, 2020
Armed Neighborhood Groups Form In The Absence Of Police Protection
[Via email from Rolf.

One of the biggest problems that I see with the situation is the reduced force continuum. They can’t make a citizens arrest when there are dozens or hundreds of rioters and looters. The options are:

  • Presence. Be visible, observe and record the actions of the terrorists.
  • Verbally warn the bad guys.
  • Under certain circumstances use pepper spray.
  • Warning shots.
  • Shoot to stop.

When the terrorist are breaking windows and doors and looting can you legally shoot to stop them? If not, then the terrorists win. They will just walk through the force continuum available to you and it’s game over.

Email from Paul K. a few days ago:

My understanding is that, with rare exceptions, deadly force is unfortunately no longer permitted in defense of property.

It turns out that it depends upon the state. Here are a few links:

Paul’s assertion does not appear to hold in Idaho and Washington.—Joe]

The story of how CHAZ was created

Read the whole thing. This is just how the terrorists won the last battle and created CHAZ.

A Shocking Eye-Witness Account Of What’s Really Happening During The Seattle Riots

SPD must have had some really good intelligence, or they were anticipating Antifa’s response from Durkan’s concessions. They installed permanent metal barriers at the intersection of 11th St and Pine St. A second line of barriers was also in place in between us and the initial barriers at the intersection. Everything kicked off per usual, with the “protesters” trying to provoke us with their words, umbrellas, and signs. This time, though, we didn’t give them an audience. We all stayed inside the East Precinct, as they did their normal agitation methods at the first barrier.

Suddenly, we were told the “protesters” began jumping the first barrier, heading towards us. We rushed out to the road and staged roughly 1/3 of the way up the block from the intersection of 11th St and Pine St, creating a large safety buffer between us and the “protesters” who had jumped the fencing. They were warned to return over the barrier, which they didn’t. They then began disassembling the barrier. They were warned not to disassemble the barrier, but they continued. They then walked towards us. They were warned to stop, but they didn’t. They continued walking towards us. They were warned again, but they continued. They reached the second barrier.

We later found out they brought a plasma cutter (blow torch) to cut through the barriers… (not that they are the provocateurs, or are planning to escalate, right?!)

They began cutting barriers so they could be used as weapons against us. They were warned about cutting the barriers, but they continued. They then picked up the second barriers and began walking towards us. They were warned again not to move the barriers, but they continued. They then jumped the last barrier. They were warned again to turn back, but they continued towards us. As they continued to approach, they were continuously warned. HOW MANY WARNINGS DOES IT TAKE?!

It started to get dark… The portable lights were turned on. The “protesters” then produced foil covered signs and were trying to blind the Officers and Guardsman. They were warned again, but they continued. They then threw a glass bottle at a Guardsman, the glass bottle shattering on a riot shield. They were warned again, but they just booed at us. They continued to walk slowly towards the Officers until they were within 2-3 feet. They then started using their umbrella’s and other objects, putting them in the face of the Officers. They were warned again to not do that.

As expected, objects were then thrown at us. They amplified things, this time. Instead of throwing glass bottles containing urine and other bodily fluids, they began throwing glass bottles full of gasoline. They then lit and threw fireworks at us, trying to light us on fire.

FINALLY the SPD Administration gave the green light and LESS LETHAL forms of riot control were deployed. As objects were continued to be thrown at us, SWAT finally deployed CS gas. The “protesters” proceeded to start vandalizing everything in the area. They smashed business windows, burned U.S. flags, lit dumpsters and other items on fire, and threw things on fire at us. We pushed them back in all directions about half a block but for some reason, we stopped pushing them back. They then regrouped and continued to vandalize the area with spray paint, breaking windows, and lighting things on fire. Around that time, the Guard was pulled back and we left East Precinct.

My big takeaway from this is also an observation made by, IIRC, the Bellevue Chief of Police after the Bellevue looting a couple weeks ago. The terrorists are well organized. This is not some impulsive, spontaneous, outburst of rage.

The organizers, in particular, must be tracked down and punished.

CHAZ characterization

Via daughter Kim:

123_1

From my visit there this seems somewhat overstated. But not by much.

Quote of the day—Sarah A. Hoyt

I’ve said before that the left in the twenty first century seems to have a curious form of autism, in which groups are essential, and people who belong to groups are interchangeable widgets.

Not only that, but they have the duty of being interchangeable widgets. How else do you explain the left calling someone a race or gender “traitor” for not thinking exactly the thoughts the left assigned them?

This is a great part of their mind reading schtick. If you oppose them, they know that you wish for the exact opposite of what they claim to want, and therefore you must for sure want the opposite.

So, say you say something like “Sure, we should encourage girls, but we can encourage boys too.”  Because — being binary — by “encourage girls” they mean “promote female supremacy” they KNOW that you want to promote male supremacy.

Keep pushing, leftists.

The backlash from this is going to be epic.

And you’ll never see it coming.

Sarah A. Hoyt
June 10, 2020
The Binary Mind of the Left
[Interesting observation.

This is a least partially consistent with my claim the political left has all the characteristics of an individual with a personality disorder. In this case it’s the parts about them thinking they can read your mind and “black-and-white” thinking (“binary mind” in Hoyt’s post). That is common in Borderline Personality Disorder. Some of these other characteristics are a good match too:

Here are some of the ones that really jump out at me:

People with BPD often engage in idealization and devaluation of others, alternating between high positive regard for people and great disappointment in them.

They “throw people under the bus” at the first hint of “betrayal”.

People with BPD act impulsively because it gives them the feeling of immediate relief from their emotional pain.

Riots anyone?

People with BPD tend to have trouble seeing a clear picture of their identity. In particular, they tend to have difficulty knowing what they value, believe, prefer, and enjoy.

Principles? They have no clue what your are talking about.

BPD is related to lower functioning and disability…

Look at the demographics. Poor, unemployed, and even unemployable.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Douglas Wilson

It is conceivable that Biden might win. I don’t think he will, but it is not exactly inconceivable. Right? But even if he loses big, almost half the electorate will have voted for him. Our country is deeply divided, and the people on the other side of that division will brook no opposition, no dissent, no variation. Their organizing principle is simply viciousness. So if that electoral result happens, and Biden or his replacement takes office, what we have been seeing will only have been the overture to the full fun times oratorio–music by Schoenberg, lyrics by the Unabomber.

Against such a prospect, may the good Lord deliver us, but the only advice that I would give for preparing for that scenario is to buy guns and ammo.

Douglas Wilson
June 8, 2020
The Floyd Riots as a Clear Summons for Four More Years of Trump
[Via daughter Jaime.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Adam Carolla @adamcarolla

Strange times. You can do nothing and be a racist or you can burn down a market and NOT be an arsonist.

Adam Carolla @adamcarolla
Tweeted on June 8, 2020
[I would say the world has gone insane. But I think it’s more like the thin veneer of sanity has been peeled off.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Thomas Sowell @ThomasSowell

People sometimes ask if I have tried to convince black “leaders” to take a different view on racial issues. Of course not. I wouldn’t spend my time trying to persuade the mafia to give up crime. Why should I spend time trying to convince race hustlers to give up victimhood?

Thomas Sowell @ThomasSowell
Tweeted on June 7, 2020
[See also Reality is difficult.—Joe]

Quote of the day—Lauren Footman

The disease of racism spreads in an America where justice, fairness, and the rule of law do not work for everyone. The system is not broken — it is working exactly the way it was designed to. This is the same system that first enslaved Blacks, then segregated Blacks, then imprisoned Blacks, and now blatantly kills them.

Lauren Footman
May 2020
CSGV Responds to Unrest in Minneapolis and the Arrest in Killing of George Floyd
[What? Please show me where, in the U.S. Constitution and/or Federal law, it is “designed” to spread “the disease of racism”.

One has to wonder what color the sky is in Footman’s universe. She’s working for CSGV (Coalition to Stop Gun Violence) and, as we know, delusions are common in the anti-gunowner crowd so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the delusion extend into this context as well.

But more likely than Footman being delusional, is that she is deliberately trying to destroy our country. Anti-gun as well as insisting the country as designed is fundamentally at odds with equality before the law can only mean one thing as far as I can tell. She wants a completely new design for our country. And the quickest way to accomplish that is to destroy it.

Fanning the racial tension flames, without evidence to support racism was even an issue in the precipitating event, is worse than actual racism. It’s deliberate deception which directly lead to the deaths of dozens of people and 100s of millions of dollars in property loss. It’s easy to conclude this is by design.—Joe]

Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ)

There has been some blog and reddit posts about Antifa taking over part of the Capitol Hill area in Seattle:

There are a few conventional media stories but not many:

As I reported some of the links people have been sending me and what I have read on the blogs Barb kind of rolled her eyes.

25+ years ago Barb lived on Capital Hill. For another 20 years she worked not far from there. She describes the people who live there as “in transition”. “They’re mostly young and trying to figure out who they are.” That some people moved some barricades isn’t all that much out of character for that demographic. They think of themselves as revolutionaries but it’s more of an extended teenager rebellious phase they are going through.

Today I visited CHAZ. It’s kind of a nothing burger. I half expected checkpoints with masked armed people and snipers in windows and on the rooftops. I brought my telephoto lens and planned to take pictures from a block or more away. I worried about someone seeing me, multiple people flanking me, taking my camera, and/or hurting me. I hid my camera under my loose fitting flannel shirt.

Continue reading

Quote of the day—Ashley Varner @AshNVarner

The gun range is not a good first date… if the girl shoots better than the guy.

Ashley Varner @AshNVarner
Tweeted on June 7, 2020
[I figured we needed something on the lighter side of the spectrum for today. We will return to our regularly scheduled depressing observations of our current situation tomorrow.

I could see Ashley’s assertion being true in the general case. I would like to think that if my first date with a woman demonstrated she was a much better shooter than me I would have been inclined to propose on the second date.—Joe]

Timely

Once a week my kids (all adults scattered among three different states) and I have a video call over dinner. After dinner we play some Internet games or watch a movie together. Weekend before last we watched Back to the Future.

That made this tweet from HollyCabot @HollyCabot all the funnier:

image

Lessons learned

From Twitter:

Quote of the day—Dave Smith @ComicDaveSmith

I don’t feel like the divide in the country is left vs right. It’s not authoritarian vs libertarian. At this point it’s sane vs insane.

Dave Smith @ComicDaveSmith
Tweeted on June 3, 2020
[Reality is difficult. It is also difficult to distinguish people without a solid understanding of reality through lack of effort and/or ability versus with those who are actually disconnected from reality due to mental defect.

Something most people don’t understand is that large numbers of people can share the same destructive delusion. Nazism and communism are probably the two most well known examples today but the example are countless and go back thousands of years in human history and almost certainly prehistory.

There is a mass delusion going on all around us. I have no idea how to connect these people to reality. It may not even be possible. Perhaps it will have to burn itself out. Perhaps it will have to be destroyed by those who are more sane.

I believe we are living in a remarkable time and place. A time and place that will be noted in history books for decades if not centuries.

This may be The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy. It may be something else. But it is something more than I have ever seen before and I remember the 1960s.—Joe]

Facebook’s ‘Ban The NRA’ page

The NRA is the nations oldest civil rights organization and there is a Facebook page with the name “Ban The NRA”. I find it interesting that Facebook allows this. Would they allow a “Ban Black Lives Matter” page? How about a “Ban Muslims” page?

Perhaps so. I’m certainly not inclined to test it and find out as I don’t have an interest in participating in that sort of movement.

It appears the ‘Ban the NRA’ page is open for anyone to comment on. Perhaps free speech is welcomed.