Woman awarded $3 million in Galleria civil suit

I am not posting this to discuss the tort system, or the amount of money that can be awarded in damages in a civil lawsuit. I am posting this to illustrate the need to be aware of your surroundings and take at least some responsibility for your safety.

First the story.

From the Houston Chronicle:

By Dale Lezon

Woman awarded $3 million in Galleria civil suit

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.

"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.

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.

These attacks were at the Galleria, an upscale mall. Not some strip mall on the edge of welfare town. Security is already quite good compared to other malls, can't have the rich getting robbed in the parking lots and all that. Yet still this goblin was successful in his hunt on more than one occasion.

I guess the moral of this story is that even in the nicest, most upscale places, bad things can happen. It is getting close to the holiday season, the season when our family and loved ones head out to the malls. It is also the time of year when goblins are at their worst. Keep alert and do your best to not become a victim, and if a goblin decides that your best is not good enough, stop him dead.

Analysis of a Mugging

Xavier has posted his Analysis of a Mugging. It contains some good food for thought. When you look at the images of the mugging in progress, you see how well prepared the muggers are, and how ill prepared the victim and witnesses are.

Working on the Kimber

The last couple of times I went out to the range, I had issues with my sidearm. During a Defensive Pistol Match I encountered a failure to feed, and then a failure to extract during practice. Two failures out of 300 rounds may not sound like much, but that is unacceptable for a pistol that I carry every day. It is also a deviation from the normal reliability that I have become accustomed to with this pistol.

Last night I think I may have found the problem. The lower edge of the barrel's feed ramp does not exactly match up with the upper edge of the feed ramp cut into the frame. A small burr had formed along the top of the frame's feed ramp. I used a buffing pad to take the burr off, and then polished the feed ramp with a bit of 30 micron diamond lapping compound on a Q Tip.

There is an IDPA match this evening at the Winchester Gallery, I figure that is as good a time as any to shake it out and see if I have fixed the problem.

If not, I'll be sending the Kimber off to Don Williams to get his Basic Street Package done.

An Interesting Question

In his Sunday Commentary, Ken Taylor of The Liberal Lie, The Conservative Truth has asked an interesting question. Is a woman president constitutional?

I am fairly certain that Ken's argument may be spot on, but will not hold water in a modern court. It does make for an interesting read though.

National Report ATF Abuse Day is Tomorrow!!

Ryan Horsley of Reds Trading Post fame is asking that we contact the US Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and our legislators to express our concern over the abuses against legitimate firearms dealers by the ATF.

Since 1994, 80% of all firearms dealers have been forced out of business. That means that close to 200,000 small businesses are out of business. A percentage of this number are folks who could not compete with the internet and the big box stores, but a majority of these folks were legitimate business people, forced out of business by the ATF.

This practice has to stop.

Please take a moment out of your busy day tomorrow to send a couple notes expressing your concern over the ATF's agenda of shutting down the firearms industry, the continued waste of tax money, or their development of a gun registration system.

Update: For more information, or ideas on what to mention in your correspondence, head on over to Red's.

Speech by President Sarkozy Before Congress

It is a shame that the President of France understands what makes The United States of America great better than most of our legislators.

From The New York Sun:

A small portion of the speech given by President Sarkozy to the United States Congress.

Speech by President Sarkozy Before Congress

From the very beginning, the American dream meant putting into practice the dreams of the Old World.

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.

You really should head on over and read the whole thing. It is one of the better speeches in recent history.

The Pistol is Done

The last time I mentioned the latest Louder Than Words fundraiser, the pistol was not yet 100%.

That is no longer the case.


LTW #4 (4TC1s) has arrived! And it is one handsome firearm.

You know what is pretty cool? A chance at owning this fine pistol, and the excellent package that comes with it, goes for only $10.00. That's right, for just $10.00 you have the opportunity to own a pistol that has been built by some of the very best in the industry. Stan Chen, Chuck Rogers, Don Williams, Ned Christiansen, and the shop of Yost-Bonitz Custom are just a few of the folks who have worked on this project.

What do you get with this package? Heck, the list would be shorter to mention what you do not get. The package includes leather, spare parts, extra magazines finished to match the pistol, ammo, more ammo, a knife by Chris Reeve, some more leather, training, optics and one hell of a fine pistol.

For the history of this project, go here. For more images of the finished pistol, go here.

To purchase a ticket, or find out more about the raffle and the beneficiaries, click on the picture:

A great firearm package, for a good cause. What are you waiting for?

Why We Practice

Many times in past posts I have mentioned that as firearm owners, we are responsible for the safe and efficient handling of our firearms. I may have to change that statement from now on to read "safe and effective".

Do you own a firearm for the defense of yourself and/or your family? Do you keep this firearm in your home, on your belt, in your car or under the counter at your job?

If you do, then take the next logical step and practice with your firearm. Draw it and shoot it, or pick it up off of a table and shoot it, or pull it out of your glove box and shoot it. Become proficient in the safe and effective handling of your firearm.

A firearm is not a talisman, it will not ward against evil or drive away goblins all on it's own.

A recent example from The Dallas Morning News:

By Tanya Eiserer

White Rock-area slain clerk also had gun, police say

Victim's weapon failed

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.

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...

Show of hands, who agrees with the report that "The victims weapon failed", or that "There was a malfunction with the weapon"?

No one? Good. The firearm did not fail, the store clerk failed. The clerk did not know how to effectively use his firearm, and it cost him his life. This also leads into the choice of firearm. A double action revolver or pistol with no manual safety would have served this individual better in this instance. But that would still not make up for a lack of basic familiarity with the firearm.

If you have made the decision to provide for your own safety, good on you. Now take the next step and become proficient with your firearm.

Roses are Red...

Found on The Packing Rat

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Petals so soft.
Bullets blast through.

H/T to Breda

Day at the Range

Today was "Shooting the Postal Match" day at the range. USCitizen of Traction Control is hosting this months postal match. What better way to shoot a match, than to shoot it with the host?

It is a beautiful day for shooting. Sunny and cool with a slight breeze. This time we went to the range that USCitizen has a membership, and it is quite nice. Not a range with a set firing line and back stops, just a nice spot on the river to shoot with a gate. Each member has a key to the lock on the gate. To shoot the postal match I brought the Kimber, and I brought my Grandpa's Model 94 and the AR for shooting fun.

Grandpa's Model 94 was the only firearm that did not fail me today.

While shooting the second target for the postal match, the Kimber had a failure to extract. Bloody gun just left the empty case in the chamber. This gun has not failed in forever, now twice in two outings I have a failure. I don't know. The extractor is still nice and sharp, no visible wear. The gun is only about 1/6th of the way through what I thought was it's normal life cycle.

After the Kimber failed me, I found that my Ruger Mk 1 does not like Remington Golden Bullet ammo. Failures to feed almost every round. Good thing I carry several types of .22 in the 'ol range bag. The Ruger liked the CCI Mini Mags and ran them flawlessly. Shot branches of dead trees in the river. If I missed, I got a splash.

Shot the '94 at targets in the river. Made a tennis ball bounce, chopped off a branch at water level, and just had a good time shooting the gun that my Grandfather carried on the range or in the truck for quite awhile.

Started bouncing tennis balls out of the water with the AR. Between doing other things, I shot two magazines through the AR. Making a tennis ball jump is a lot of fun. During the first magazine that USCitizen put through the AR, it jambed. No, jamb is not quite the right word, it seized up. While extracting a round, it seized with the bolt mid stroke. That bolt would not budge. Could not even separate the receivers because I could not drift out the pins. The pins usually pop out pretty easily. So the AR was done for the day.

Three out of four firearms gave me trouble. As you can imagine, I am not a happy camper about that particular issue.

But, it was still a good day of shooting. This range is in a native pecan tree grove along a river. A guy to the right of us was shooting a 9mm automatic short rifle. I did not get a close enough look to determine what it was. Past him was a group with a .50 BMG and off to our left was a full auto AK. As we were leaving, a couple of guys with their children had started setting up for an afternoon of fun with guns. On top of all that, USCitizen brought along his Desert Eagle in .50 AE. Now that was fun to shoot. Throwing 1/2" chunks of metal down range is downright enjoyable. The recoil was manageable, but I did not attempt any double taps. The Desert Eagle was one of the firearms on my list of "firearms I want to shoot", and I appreciate the opportunity to do so today.

As for the AR, I was able to break it down and get it apart when I got home to my tools. It turns out that a blown primer had got itself stuck between the bolt and the receiver, jambing the bolt in place. The ammo I was using was the Adcom M855 that I like so much.

One last thing, before heading out to the range, I put a pot of chili on, it's just about done.

A day of shooting followed by eating chili with friends and an evening with my beautiful V. I am one lucky man.

Annual gun drive

Robb is... well you just have to go over and check it out yourself.

Annual gun drive

Give Them What They Want..... Not on Your Life

You see it on a regular basis, some police officer on TV, or commentary in the news paper informing us that the best way to stay safe during an "encounter" with a violent goblin is to "just give them what they want." Any long term reader of this blog knows how I feel about that particular bit of advice.

I am in good company.

Fits Comments on this very subject in his post commenting on a recent news article:

Police Warn Crime Victims Against Taking On The Bad Guy

Where does one even begin to dispute such irrational nonsense...

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.

Marko has penned an excellent essay that puts to rest the myth that capitulating to goblins ensures your safety.

I'll just grab a quick excerpt:

give them nothing.

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.

Responsibly Armed

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."

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 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.

What Happens When You Break Three Rules at One Time?

Like Mama used to say, "It's all fun and games until..."

From The Wichita Eagle:

By Stan Finger

Man twirls gun, shoots 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.

1. All firearms are loaded - There are no exceptions, period. Know this rule and live it. Handle all firearms accordingly. If the gentleman in the above article treated that revolver as if it were loaded, do you think he would have been twirling it around like a toy?
2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy - If you are not willing to see a bullet hole in it, do not allow a firearm's muzzle to point at it. Another obvious violation by our current individual of ineptitude.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger unless your sights are on the target - Practice this until it becomes second nature. If this rule were followed 100% of the time, there would be no negligent discharges. I guess this one really required no comment.
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it - Be aware of your surroundings whether on a range, in the woods, or in a potentially lethal conflict. Never shoot at sounds or at a target you can not positively identify.

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.

Self Defense, It's Catching On.

It seems folks are getting serious about providing for their own defense from goblins.

From the Miami Herald:

By Tim Chapman and David Ovalle

Victim pulls own gun, kills would-be robber

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.

It is That Time of The Year Once Again

The days are getting shorter, the leaves are falling from the trees and the Trick or Treaters have come and gone. This can mean only one thing...

National Ammo Day is just around the corner.


As Kim mentioned last year:

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?

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.

So put it on your calendar, make a list of what you need, and buy some ammo on November the 19th.

For more information, head on over here.

Happy Halloween

I am off to go trick or treating with grand kids and extended grand kids.

Here is a little something to get you into the Halloween spirit:

Glock vs 1911, 1000 round match

There was a "shoot 'til you fail" 1000 round match that pitted Glocks against 1911 style pistols held in Oklahoma recently. Nine Glocks and seven 1911's started the match, one of each finished. The Glock won on time.

For more information from a thread on The High Road, go here.

A local range held these matches for a couple of years, and I missed out on shooting one. From the comments on the THR thread, it appears that there will be a match in North Texas early next Spring, hopefully I will be able to shoot it.

Hey Fits, you can stay at my place if you want to join us!

H/T to Say Uncle

Update: A date has been set for the Spring North Texas match. April 26th. I'm in like Flynn. More info here.

Gun Free Zone

H/T Xavier

Report calls for fewer reports

From the Star Telegram:

Report calls for fewer reports

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is declaring that there are too many state reports. It says so in a 668-page report.

The report on reports took 18 months and included canvassing more than 170 agencies, and public colleges and universities, checking on all the reports they are assigned to do.

A part of me is pissed that my tax dollars paid 18 months worth of salaries for these folks to get this report done, another part wonders how to get on this gravy train.

Tonight's Game

Tonight the San Jose Sharks make it in to town to play the Stars.

VS

V and I will be there.

This will be the first game of the season that we attend in person, and there really is nothing like a live hockey game. We went to the very first game in the American Airlines Center. When we got there we had to wait to take our seats, our section had not yet been bolted down.

Tonight we will be going with Coach Mark and his wife from "My Weekly Thoughts". The Sharks and Stars always put on a good game, and it is mini-bobblehead night, what more could you ask?