KHARTOUM, Sudan — Thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and knives, rallied today in a central square and demanded the execution of a British teacher convicted of insulting Islam for allowing her students to name a teddy bear "Muhammad."Holy Guacamole Batman.
Inspection & Repair and grading of M1 carbines is progressing faster than planned. In addition to the January 7, 2008 scheduled sale of carbines manufactured by Winchester, CMP will also accept mail orders for carbines manufactured by Quality Hardware and Rockola. For operational reasons, we have set a limit of one carbine per customer for each of these manufacturers until further notice. A small quantity of these carbines will be available at both CMP stores beginning January 9, 2008, while quantities last.For more information, go to the M1 Carbine Sales Page.
1. Stay alert. If you are not “paranoid” you may not be paying attention.Just some more food for thought on staying safe.
2. Be armed at all times. Being “Armed” means knowing how to reflexively use your weapon also. As Jeff Cooper says: “You are no more armed because you have a pistol than you are a musician because you own a piano.”
3. As my esteemed colleague, Tom Givens points out, there are no “safe” places. Murderers and social predators travel freely.
4. Don’t stereotype. All young males are not thugs and all old frail men are not harmless (nor women for that matter).
5. Don’t give up!!!!!! Handguns are not the “hammer of Thor”. If you get shot, then do something to keep from getting shot again! Then worry about getting the bullet hole fixed.
6. Make sure your bullets will go through car doors if possible.
7. Learn to shoot on the move!
In the world of Internet journalism, we have found that some terms or words have the potential to draw an avalanche of "clicks."So go on, head over and give Bill a hand with defining assault weapon or rifle.
Pit bull tends to do that; so does Dallas Cowboys.
"Britney" is also big.
But what about Kalashnikov?
Well, the other name for the AK-47 rifle (shown with its namesake designer Mikhail Kalashnikov at right) may not cause as much wear and tear on the mouse as Ms. Spears.
Still, there's something about those two words; put them together in a headline and you can rattle the attention of gun aficionados everywhere.
It might happen today with the recent report of semiautomatic long arms stolen overnight from an east-side pawn shop.
But some of these readers are quick to note that the term "assault weapon" is frequently misused by the media.
It's clear that the gun guys (are there any gals among them?) know their subject.
They can launch into all kinds of discussions, about calibers, barrel lengths, military applications, personal defense ...
So, gun guys (and gals) here's your chance: give us your most lucid definition of assault weapon in the Crime Time comments section.
Together we can make a difference.
This ain't your grandpa's pistol.
It's little. It's pink. And stores are selling out of them.
Two months after opening its Lubbock store, Gander Mountain is having a hard time keeping the pink 9 mm Taurus pistol on the shelves.
"It has been really popular," said HT Crenshaw, who works at Gander Mountain's hunting and firearms department in Lubbock. "We don't even have any more in the store right now."
Don't worry. There are other pink pistols in stock. There's even a pink rifle. And a pink shotgun.
"There are a lot of women who don't get into shooting sports because they don't want to be perceived as being unfeminine," Mathews said. "If it helps young women or girls eliminate their hesitation to get involved in shooting sports, then that's a wonderful thing."Yes Ma'am, it is a wonderful thing.
It started over the long Labor Day weekend and went on from dawn to dusk -- the constant report of gunfire echoing against the Organ Mountains here in southern New Mexico. Another dove-hunting season had descended upon us, and all lovers of wildlife could do was wait for it to end while so-called hunters blasted into smithereens as many birds as their permits allowed --15 per day, 30 in possession at any one time. As I listened to the barrage of gunshots, I must admit I wondered about the mental stability of those shooters.Mr. Rowley continues on to call for a complete ban on all dove hunting in New Mexico.
Let that sink in for a second. One cruiser can scan, identify and document 8-10,000 vehicles per shift, across four lanes of traffic, at highway speeds. Would it bother you to know that this system is already deployed in 24 states and by the federal .gov?License Plate Reading (LPR) system operates independently of officer on board (in the background) - enhancing officer safety by keeping hands on the wheel and eyes on the scene. Works at patrol and highway speeds - oncoming differential speeds of in excess of 120MPH and passing speeds in excess of 75MPH+ (truly mobile-to-mobile). LPR translates the read plate data into a digital image, checks versus an onboard hot list, and returns an alarm back to the operator in milliseconds for appropriate interdiction. Cameras are able to read up to 4 lanes of traffic with a single vehicle. Efficient High Speed cameras allow officers to read 8-10,000 plates in just one shift with just a single vehicle mount.
"Working with the MPH-900 is like fishing with dynamite…its tremendous."
Now it seems that cameras on traffic lights, light poles and police cruisers are not enough. Big Brother needs even more tools in the surveillance box to keep track of us.
Enter the unmanned aircraft.WALLER COUNTY, Texas -- Houston police started testing unmanned aircraft and the event was shrouded in secrecy, but it was captured on tape by Local 2 Investigates.That's what we need, more "eyes in the sky" to keep track of us. The helicopters and aircraft that are currently owned by HPD must not be enough. The article goes into potential uses of the aircraft, and to HPD's reaction to being caught. One part of the story that should get more attention, is an outright lie told by HPD to Channel 2.
Neighbors in rural Waller County said they thought a top-secret military venture was under way among the farmland and ranches, some 70 miles northwest of Houston. KPRC Local 2 Investigates had four hidden cameras aimed at a row of mysterious black trucks. Satellite dishes and a swirling radar added to the neighbors' suspense.
Then, cameras were rolling as an unmanned aircraft was launched into the sky and operated by remote control.
Houston police contacted KPRC from the test site, claiming the entire airspace was restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration. Police even threatened action from the FAA if the Local 2 helicopter remained in the area. However, KPRC reported it had already checked with the FAA on numerous occasions and found no flight restrictions around the site, a point conceded by Montalvo.For more, go on and read the article.
LADSON, S.C. - White House hopeful Fred Thompson called his trip down an aisle of rifles, shotguns and pistols at a gun show Saturday "a day in paradise," and criticized his leading Republican opponents for past positions on gun control and abortion.I do not know anyone who is buying Giuliani's "new" stand on gun control. His past actions speak much louder than his words ever can. Good on Fred for continuing to point that little fact out. I guess Rudy feels that if he keeps repeating something enough, we will start to believe him.
Talking to reporters after the gun show visit, Thompson singled out former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Giuliani "never met a gun-control bill he didn't like until he started to run for president and now I understand he very much approves of the Supreme Court taking jurisdiction of this Washington, D.C., case which most Second Amendment advocates think will establish that the Second Amendment means what it says and grants individual rights to people to possess firearms," Thompson said. "So, ah, maybe he's changed his mind about that, but his record is clear otherwise."
A Giuliani campaign spokesman was quick to reply by e-mail to Thompson's criticism: "Mayor Giuliani is a strong supporter of the second amendment and believes our focus should be on making sure criminals are the ones who can't get guns. It's the same tough-on-crime approach Rudy took in bringing historic crime reductions to New York City, and we'll match that experience against Fred Thompson's record of chasing moonshiners any day of the week."Fred also had words for Mitt Romney and his "new" stand on abortion:
"Until about two years ago, when he decided he was going to run for president, Governor Romney was the most adamant pro-choice advocate that I've ever seen," Thompson said. "You know, pull it up on the YouTube sometime of his debates and when he was running for governor and see the fervor with which he held his pro-choice beliefs. Now he's entitled to change his mind, but I don't think that he ought to be casting aspersions on anybody in terms of pro-choice — pro-life, pro-choice — issues," Thompson said.Mitt Romney, another "front runner" "Republican" taking his talking points straight from the talking heads. I would have a bit more respect for these guys if they would be honest with us. Romney is another East Coast Gun Grabber, one who actually signed an "Assault Weapon Ban" into law. Romney is a smart man, with a very large bank roll, and good advisers. He is going to do all that he can to help us forget his prior stands on abortion, gun rights, gay marriage, and the fact that he was the Governor of Massachusetts, one of the most liberal states in the Union.
1130 hours:
Proper temperature control is important, but some folks go overboard.
What is the worst possible weather change that could happen? Why sleet of course. 41°F, 13 mph winds, and light sleet.
1300 hours:
When dinner was done, the live blogging took a back seat to the eating.
The guest of honor:
The spread:
And the snow. It actually snowed during dinner, huge flakes. I did a poor job of capturing the image, but you can see the flakes.
Last but not least, the Cowboys won.
The model was a bit squirmy, but you get the idea of who her mommy was rooting for.
I sincerely hope everyone had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as we did. I am off, there is a pumpkin pie, a fresh pot of coffee and a bottle of White Port calling my name.
HUDSON, Fla. -- A stray bullet penetrated a Hudson mobile home and wounded an 11-year-old girl over the weekend, according to police...From WBAY-TV:
...Authorities said a group of adults was shooting at chickens about 40 yards away from the girl's mobile home when a bullet entered the mobile home and hit her.
On Saturday, an Oshkosh teenager came dangerously close to being hit by a hunter's stray bullet. The incident happened on a public hunting ground near Shiocton; the difference between life and death was less than a foot...From The Monroe Times:
...Jay blink says Saturday morning he was out hunting with his father and uncle when he decided to go back to the car.
Jay says he was sitting in the front seat of the car playing a game on his cell phone when he heard a frightening sound.
"Next thing I know, I hear a bang and the window had gone," he said.
Blink says he immediately jumped out of the car and saw a deer crossing a nearby road, but the person who fired the shot was nowhere to be found.
"I was confused on why the person shot across the road. I was scared," he said.
Blink says after he came to his senses, he realized just how close he came to being the target of the bullet. It was so close he has the scar to show for it.
"I had put my arm up to pull back down the sleeve and that's when the pop and everything happened," he said.
The bullet had apparently grazed his arm while it was in the air.
MONROE -- No one was injured when a bullet believed to be fired by a hunter crashed through a window and lodged in a wall around 10:15 a.m. Sunday at a residence at W8022 Smock Valley Road.From The Daily Post:
The homeowner was home at the time of the incident.
A POLICE marksman put a bullet through an office window while trying to shoot an escaped bull.These are not articles involving gang bangers or shoot outs, each of these incidents involves an aimed shot by an individual who was sure of his target.
North Wales police are investigating how the stray bullet smashed through an upstairs office window of AGS Securities in Mold, while staff were in a meeting next door.
Bill Of Rights: What does "the right to keep and bear arms" really mean? If the Supreme Court reviews the overturning of the draconian gun-control law in effect in the District of Columbia, we may finally have an answer...The first paragraph of this editorial is poorly written. We know and understand what "the right to keep an bear arms" really means. The answer we are hoping to get from SCOTUS should go a long way towards limiting the .gov's infringement upon that right.
...Governments have powers. It is individuals who have rights. The Bill of Rights was an enumeration of those individual rights to be protected from the intrusion of an oppressive government, whether it be freedom of speech, freedom of religion or the right to bear arms.
Based on its track record thus far, we feel — and hope — the Roberts court will agree and settle the matter once and for all.
A Pasadena homeowner this afternoon fatally shot two men he believed were burglarizing his neighbor's house, police said.This incident occurred yesterday. Thanks to a reader, Kevin, we can listen in to the actual 911 call. Kevin pointed me to a report on KHOU 11 that includes the call in it's entirety. Listen closely and you can hear the 911 operators comments to the police dispatcher during the pauses. Also, the page auto reloads about half way through the call. Just restart the video and drag the pointer to the appropriate spot.
About 2 p.m., the homeowner in the Village Grove East subdivision heard noises he thought sounded like broken glass, said Capt. A.H. "Bud" Corbett, with the Pasadena Police Department. The man determined the noise was coming from next door...
...The man then called police to inform them he thought his neighbor's house was being burglarized.
The man then saw two men coming through a gate in the backyard of the neighbor's house.
"He confronted them with a shotgun," Corbett said, and asked them to stop. They did not and he fired two shots, striking each man once, Corbett said.
One man was found dead about two houses from where the reported burglary occurred. The other was found dead across the street, Corbett said.
Police are interviewing the homeowner.
The clip art above is from a promo flier for Bowling Against Bullets (.pdf), an anti-bullet event being held at Lucky Strike Lanes on Nov. 30.A bowling alley is one of the last places I would have thought to support an event such as this. If you click on the link in the quote, you will find that Red Bull and Cadillac are also supporting this anti gun (well, bullet) event.
My ammo stores have gotten a bit low, maybe I should have a fundraiser. Nah, fundraisers are too much work, blegging for bullets may be more like it.
Speaking of bullets, don't forget that National Ammo Day is just around the corner.
It is a special person who will take up arms to support their country and protect their way of life. Thank you, all of you, who have stepped up, taken that oath, and done your part for us.
This Submarine Sailor appreciates you, what you have done, and what you continue to do.
Eternal Father, Strong to Save
Hymn and image found on Winds of Change.Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
O Lord of hosts, to you we turn
To give us grace we cannot earn.
Our soldiers guard our way of life;
Be with them all in times of strife.
Let courage flow from your command;
We pray for those who fight on land.
Eternal Father, grant, we pray,
To all Marines, both night and day,
The courage, honor, strength, and skill
Their land to serve, thy law fulfill;
Be thou the shield forevermore
From every peril to the Corps
Lord, guard and guide all those who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky.
Be with them always in the air,
In darkening storms or sunlight fair;
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!
Almighty God, whose arm is strong,
protect us e'er from doing wrong.
We pray to always do what’s right,
for justice only be our fight.
Let peace now reign across our land,
brought to us by your gracious hand.
Place a gun lock on your firearm when storing it. Never place a gun lock on a loaded firearm. Locking your firearm might result in your death due to slow
accessibility
This is a quirky case involving a criminal forfeiture. It presents the government’s understandable desire to disrupt the use of guns and drugs and the equally understandable desire of a strong-willed, elderly woman to preserve the legitimate legacy of her deceased, but much loved husband.is bound to be an interesting read.
Your best protector is you!Head on over and read the whole essay, it is even more applicable today than it was in 1975.
Still we hear, over and over again, that we should not be armed, that we should not resist, that we should rely on the police for our personal safety—that our best answer to violence is to give up. Such drivel demands a stronger stomach than mine.
One bleeding-heart type asked me in a recent interview if I did not agree that “violence begets violence.” I told him that it is my earnest endeavor to see that it does. I would like very much to ensure—and in some cases I have—that any man who offers violence to his fellow citizen begets a whole lot more in return than he can enjoy.
Your best protector is you! The obvious way to eradicate crime is to eradicate criminals, but neither the lawgivers nor the constabulary seem inclined to do this. The man who elects to prey upon society deserves no consideration from society. If he survives his act of violence, he rates a fair trial—but only to be sure that there has been no mistake about his identity. If he is killed in the act, there can be little doubt about whose act it was.
RICHMOND, Calif. -- Officers from five police agencies searched Thursday for a gunman who shot a Contra Costa College student police cadet three times at close range...Take one enthusiastic kid; give him a uniform, a golf cart and a pep talk before sending him out into the dark to face the goblins alone. He did not stand a chance. Do I think college police cadets should be carrying a sidearm? If they are going to be on patrol alone, attempting to stop thieves and other goblins, then yes they should be allowed a sidearm. To tell you the truth though, I really do not think a cadet should be on patrol alone in the first place.
...The victim was a student and campus police cadet. He was not a sworn officer and was not armed, but he was wearing a uniform, Gagan said.
Richmond police Detective Sgt. Mitch Peixoto said the victim had been driving a campus police golf cart when he came upon a man involved in a car theft. When the cadet pulled up alongside the man, police said the gunman shot him three times at close range.
The uniformed aide saw a man shortly before 1 p.m. who resembled someone sought in connection with a stolen car recovered earlier by the Contra Costa Community College District police, police said.This report also details the police response:
As the suspicious man ran, the 19-year-old aide radioed for a district police officer. The aide, driving a motorized cart, chased the man off the San Pablo campus's northern border on to Shane Drive, where his quarry turned and fired several rounds from a handgun.
"As the aide approached the individual, the individual shot him at point-blank range," Richmond police Lt. Mark Gagan said. "Then he fled into the neighborhood."
Meanwhile, about 50 police officers from five local agencies, including a SWAT team, three police dog handlers and several helicopters, combed through Richmond's Hilltop/Fairmede neighborhood looking for the shooter.And that of students:
"This is pretty intense," said student Mary Gonzalez, glancing uneasily at a helicopter hovering above campus. "I heard that whoever was shot was hurt, and some guy with a gun could be running around here."The student and faculty of the college and of a nearby elementary school were told to "shelter in place".
She wondered out loud if the gunman was hiding among a pack of students walking down the hill.
A Harris County jury Thursday awarded a woman abducted at the Galleria and sexually assaulted more than $3 million in her civil suit against the luxury shopping center's owner and the firm that provides its security.I agree that the mall and it's security provider were more than negligent in not informing employees and customers that a serial predator was using the Galleria parking lots as a hunting ground. I also hope that security is improved because of this lawsuit, better security in our malls is a good thing. What I do not agree with is that "this will prevent other attacks from happening again". Depending upon others to prevent attacks from happening to you is a false hope, and could cost you dearly.
"No amount of money will bring back her sense of security, but she hopes this will prevent other attacks from happening again," said David Matthews, the woman's attorney, "It's a wake-up call to the Galleria that you need to enhance your security. When you know there's a pattern of crime in the parking garages you must warn employees and customers."
The victim, a hairstylist at the mall who was 19 at the time of the attack, sued the Galleria's parent company, HG Shopping Center, L.P, and its security provider, IPC International Corp., after she was abducted in one of the shopping center's parking garages and sexually assaulted in August 2003...
...The suit stated that the shopping center and the security company did not warn employees that a predator had attacked other women in the mall's parking garages that summer.
From the very beginning, the American dream meant putting into practice the dreams of the Old World.You really should head on over and read the whole thing. It is one of the better speeches in recent history.
From the very beginning, the American dream meant proving to all mankind that freedom, justice, human rights and democracy were no utopia but were rather the most realistic policy there is and the most likely to improve the fate of each and every person.
America did not tell the millions of men and women who came from every country in the world and who—with their hands, their intelligence and their heart—built the greatest nation in the world: "Come, and everything will be given to you." She said: "Come, and the only limits to what you'll be able to achieve will be your own courage and your own talent." America embodies this extraordinary ability to grant each and every person a second chance.
Here, both the humblest and most illustrious citizens alike know that nothing is owed to them and that everything has to be earned. That's what constitutes the moral value of America. America did not teach men the idea of freedom; she taught them how to practice it. And she fought for this freedom whenever she felt it to be threatened somewhere in the world. It was by watching America grow that men and women understood that freedom was possible.
What made America great was her ability to transform her own dream into hope for all mankind.
A White Rock-area convenience store clerk who was slain during an apparent robbery last Saturday night was also armed with a gun, police said Friday.Show of hands, who agrees with the report that "The victims weapon failed", or that "There was a malfunction with the weapon"?
Police now believe that the slain clerk, Abate Z. Hailu, 43, saw that the two men were armed as they came into the Fina Food Mart on Garland Road shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday.
The clerk pointed the gun at them, said Lt. Craig Miller, a homicide supervisor.
"There was a malfunction with the weapon, and obviously Mr. Hailu was not able to use the weapon" because the safety was still on, Lt. Miller said.
The two robbery suspects then fired their weapons at Mr. Hailu, who died at the scene...
Where does one even begin to dispute such irrational nonsense...Marko has penned an excellent essay that puts to rest the myth that capitulating to goblins ensures your safety.
But of course if attacked I will "take the law into my own hands." The Founders identified that as an inalienable right, and I have far more expertise and practice in defending myself than any law enforcement officer alive. To date, you see, none have ever defended me, while I on the other hand, have, so this designates ME as the qualified expert and not they.
So do we all. Each and every manjack. Our very own first and last line of defense.
But of course the police say otherwise. In SPITE of evidence to the contrary. Why?
Can't go letting joe blow think that he can do the same job as the hired help.
Then again, you COULD just take their advice and surrender.
Be good enough to tell us in advance where to send the flowers.
There are people in this world to whom you're not a human being. They don't want to be respected by you. They don't care about you--they're not even really aware of you. They only care about the food you represent, the money that's in your pocket. You're not a person to them, but an obstacle. You're just in the way of the reward, like a wrapper around a candy bar, and these people are willing to discard you just like that wrapper in order to get what they want.An earlier article from Finn Aagaard's biography mentions the social responsibility of resisting criminal activity.
My pistol is my family's shield, my guarantee that upon my life I will let no evil touch them. When a malefactor demands, Your dignity and your money, or your life!" my pistol introduces a very sobering third alternative: No - if you persist in this criminal endeavor, it is your life that will be at hazard."It is not the duty of law enforcement to protect society from the goblins. For the most part, it is the duty of law enforcement to identify said goblins after the fact, and isolate them from society. If you look at the number of violent crimes that go unsolved, and the number of violent offenders that are back on the streets after a short stint behind bars, you can see that law enforcement has it's hands full. The failure to isolate goblins from society is a political one, not to be placed at the feet of our LEO's, but as they chase after a goblin for the 5th or 6th time, who is keeping an eye out for your well being? No one but you and yours.
Many people will suggest that the contents of your wallet are not worth jeopardizing your life for, just hand it over to the thug and move on. By doing so you are encouraging crime - success ensures the robber will seek another victim. I consider it to be a citizen's duty (a hard word to the me generation) to resist attempted violent crime by all means at his disposal, even at considerable risk to himself...
It looks so easy on those old movies and television shows, but an 18-year-old man found out the hard way that twirling a revolver may not be a smart thing to do.Understatement of the day.
Police said the gun went off as the man was twirling it in his south Wichita apartment early Thursday morning, and the bullet struck him in the leg.It has been awhile since I've mentioned the "Four Rules of Firearms Safety", and this article offers a great excuse to do so.
Tragedies could be avoided if everyone involved with firearms followed these rules all the time.
Fr. Frog lists these rules and other firearm safety procedures here. It is very well put together and even old hands at the firing range would be advised to look it over.
Folks, if you own a firearm, it is your responsibility to handle that firearm safely. You have the responsibility to become proficient in the safe handling of your firearm, and in insuring that anyone who may have access to that firearm are also capable of handling it safely.
Our erstwhile gunslinger in the above news report learned the importance of gun safety the hard way, but it could have been much worse.
For the second time in two days in South Florida, victims have opened fire on armed robbers. And both gunmen ended up dead.If that isn't a cure for recidivism, I don't know what is.
What if, on just one day of the year, every gun owner in the United States went out and bought a hundred rounds of ammunition?So put it on your calendar, make a list of what you need, and buy some ammo on November the 19th.
Given that there are as many as seventy-five million gun owners in the United States, the net result would be that 7.5 billion rounds of ammunition would go into public circulation, in one day.
Now not every gun owner is going to do this. Heck, of the 75 million gun owners, only about 6% (4 million-odd) belong to a Second Amendment-supporting organization like Gun Owners of America, the Second Amendment Sisters, RKBA, and of course the NRA. Not everyone is going to get the word, either, especially as you will hear not a peep about this in the established gun media, let alone in the so-called “mainstream” media.
But what if just 15% of all gun owners bought themselves a hundred rounds of ammo on the same day? That would be over a billion rounds of ammunition going into circulation—and that’s what I’m aiming for.
