One More Illustration of Obama's Idea of Savings

Heh. Here's another visualization of the $100M budget reductions Obama wants to find (not so he can cut the budget mind you, but so he can allocate it to other programs).

Obama's 100 Days in Charts

Looking at the spending coming out of Washington, I think of two charts that sum it up. The first came from the Washington Post, about deficit spending under Bush vs. Obama's proposed budget:

The next put in context Obama's pledge cut $100 Million from the federal budget in context (the area of each circle is proportional to the amount of money listed):

Tracking the Swine Flu

Interesting ramifications with the whole swine flu, even if there are no deaths in the US. To keep track of it, you can use this handy google map:

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map

A Thought on the Redistributon of Income

"One of the reasons some people today feel alienated is that they are alienated from one of the great satisfactions of life--work! Acknowledged is our need to help the poor, but to help in a way that is truly helpful. The more we institutionalize our efforts to help the poor, the less personal these efforts become. The dole desensitizes both the giver and the receiver and it pushes people apart." --Neal A. Maxwell, Wherefore, Ye Must Press Forward, 1977

The Armed Citizen

A St. Louis, Missouri, woman knew that she would have to defend herself late one night as she heard her garage door being kicked in. Despite the fact that 87-year-old Nina Sloan walked with the aid of a cane, she managed to retrieve her pistol and head toward the kitchen where she heard sounds of breaking glass. Seeing a hand reach through the broken glass to unlock the kitchen door, Sloan fired her gun twice. The intruder fled and Sloan called authorities. Police are investigating if this attempted robbery is related to one down the street the previous day. When asked about the incident, Sloan said, "I'm a good person, but I'm not going to let somebody run over me. you're going to break into my house when I didn't invite you? Oh, no!" (News-Democrat, Belleville, IL, 08/06/2004)

Note: Ms. Sloan, there's no "but" after "I'm a good person." You stopped a burglar, and probably made him think twice about ever doing it again, saving your neighbors from becoming victims. You're a good person, like most lawful firearms owners.

A Pittsylvania, Virginia, homeowner awoke at 2 A.M. to the sounds of a car driving into his front porch. David Lee Gammon retrieved his gun and headed to the front door as three men broke in and began shooting in his direction. Gammon returned fire, and the intruders fled to their car, which was found three hours later burning by the side of the road. The body of one of the intruders was found outside the car, dead from a gunshot wound sustained at Gammon's home. Michael Robin Wilson was arrested and charged with burglary, while Timothy Willard thornton was being sought on the same charges. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, VA, 07/23/2004)

Two men, posing as prospective gem buyers, held up a couple trying to sell their diamond through a local newspaper advertisement. The Webster, New York, couple had advertised the "loose diamond," and subsequently had several phone calls from two gentlemen who said they were interested in buying the stone. When the "buyers" showed up for a 4 P.M. appointment, they held the couple at gunpoint, bound them with duct tape and stole the diamond and other jewelry from the home. The two suspects attempted to escape in their Geo Tracker, but were soon persued by the local police, who had received a distress call from the victims. An officer followed the vehicle to a cul-de-sac, where the suspects fled on foot. A woman in the neighborhood, seeing one of the suspects heading straight for her house, warned her husband. He, in turn, armed himself with a .45-cal. handgun and prevented the man from entering. This allowed the police to corner the suspect, Robert L. McKnight, who was arrested and charged with robbery. Brian K. moton was arrested later and the jewelry was recovered. (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, NY, 08/02/2004)

Four burglars got a surprise while attempting to rob a Bowie County, Texas, home when the homeowner pulled in the driveway. Spotting the truck, one of the four burglars went outside and pulled a gun, but the homeowner pulled out his gun-which he kept in his truck-and began to shoot first. The four burglars escaped in a dark-colored four-door Ford Escort. It was not known if any of the burglars were hit. Bowie County Sheriff James Prince said that the homeowner has every right to protect his home and property, "especially if a burglar is pointing a gun at you." (Texarkana Gazette, Texarkana, TX, 08/17/2004)

An 88-year-old, Ripley, Mississippi, woman was just trying to help out a stranger who had knocked on her door and asked to use her telephone. But once she opened the door, the stranger forced his way into the house, raped her, and robbed her of $50. The woman somehow managed to get away from her tormentor and found her handgun, firing at the suspect three times and sending him fleeing from the house. With a clear description from the victim, the police immediately suspected 19-year-old Ryan Burks because of his prior run-ins with the law. Minutes later, when police arrived at Burks' grandmother's house, they found Burks bleeding from a gunshot wound under his arm. Burks has been charged with burglary and rape. The unnamed victim was treated and released from the hospital. (Southern Sentinel, Ripley, MS, 08/11/2004)

Around the Grand Rapids, Michigan neighborhood, corner store owner Leon Moody is well-known for his generosity, which is why it came as a shock that someone would try to rob him. According to Moody, the suspect walked into the store, pointed a gun at his face and demanded money. When Moody asked why he would do this, the robber threatened to "blow his head off for that money." Asking for a moment to gather the money, Moody reached down and pulled out his own firearm, then fired twice at the crook, hitting him once in the arm. The robber fled in a car, but was apprehened less than an hour later in the local emergency room. The unnamed suspect has been charged with assault with intent to rob while armed, and felony possession of a firearm. (Grand Rapids Press, MI, 07/07/2004).

Armed citizen stories are taken from American Rifleman magazine. "If you have a firsthand 'Armed Citizen' experience, call NRA-ILA PR/Communications at (703) 267-1193. Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2 million times a year for personal protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life, limb, or in some cases, property. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to: 'The Armed Citizen,' 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400."

The FDIC is Bankrupt

The financial crisis has been very confusing for a lot of people. One of the websites I frequent has recently posted a possible explanation for the insanity - The FDIC is totally insolvent, and the bailout is all about covering it up.

Here is the quote (obviously speculation at this point):

We trusted FDIC insured accounts and CDs with our savings. The highly-leveraged banks gambled those savings on subprime mortgages combined with insurance against default in the form of credit default swaps and such.
The flood of money into the subprime market dramatically increased the values of properties above sustainable levels—a bubble. Inevitably, the bubble burst. The insurance that raised junk mortgages to AAA credit ratings worked in theory, but not in practice, for various reasons that have yet to be disclosed—probably technical stuff like overly thin markets, everybody depending on everyone else to do due diligence, basis risk, and so on.
Now, the amount of FDIC-insured deposits that were lost exceed by far the amount the FDIC can cover with its cash and credit lines.
The politicians have decided we cannot be trusted with that information. If we knew, we would have a nationwide run on every bank. The federal government would have only one option: to print money. That, in turn, would trigger hyperinflation for which the politicians would be blamed and thrown out of office. So instead, they are hoping against hope that a recovery will happen and the home values will go back up enough that the run never happens.
Unfortunately, instead of policies likely to cause a recovery—Reaganesque tax cuts, pro-enterpreneur law changes, drilling, and Ebeneezer Scrooge-esque government spending cuts—we are wasting money with pork, earmarks, union boosting, cap and trade, and free health care for everyone.

Big Jay here again. I had previously considered the possibility that the FDIC doesn't have the reserves to cover for all the potential defaults. Why wouldn't they just come out and say that? Wipe out the shareholders. Wipe out the bondholders. Use the TARP money to cover depositors.

But maybe that information - The FDIC being insolvent - would be too much for the markets to handle. What do you guys think?

The Armed Citizen

This week I bought another copy of From My Cold, Dead Fingers: Why America Needs Guns by Richard I. Mack. He gets a little deep into big government conspiracy for me, but it's kind of natural given his position. He fought and won in court against the attempt by the Federal Government to force local law enforcement to act on the Brady Bill or face penalties.

He's referenced some great information, though, including pulling quotations from various sources. Here are a couple of quotations from the founders taken from The Right to Keep and Bear Arms, Committee on the Judiciary U.S. Senate (1982):

"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." -Richard Henry Lee

"The said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their arms." -Samuel Adams

The Senate Committee wrote on the topic, too: "The conclusion is thus inescapable that the history, concept, and the wording of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the Untied States, as well as the interpretation by every major commentator and court in the first half-century after its ratification, indicates that what is protected is an individual right of a private citizen to own and carry firearms in a peaceful manner."

On to the modern stories of self-defense:

James Shema, owner of Shema's Outdoor Sports in Merrillville, Indiana, knew immediately he was in a deadly situation. A man entered his store with a sawed-off shotgun, and ordered Shema, his wife, Kathy, and three customers to drop to the floor. As Shema moved toward the floor, he grabbed a .40-caliber handgun kept behind the counter and fired two shots at the robber. The wounded gunman fled the store and was soon apprehended by authorities who found him bleeding in the back seat of a nearby SUV. Shema said he just did what he had to do. "When he came in here with a shotgun and no mask on his face I didn't think he planned to leave survivors," Shema explained. (The Times, Munster, IN, 07/29/2004)

Roy Rhodes had closed his shop and was returning home just after midnight when he was attacked from behind by two armed men. One or possibly both men fired at Rhodes, who suffered a gunshot to his leg. Rhodes returned fire, killing one of the robbers. The other gunman was later aggravated and charged with aggravated assault. (Wacross Journal-Herald, Waycross, GA, 07/22/2004)

Note: Where's the 1st degree murder charge? Each state is different, but it's a solid deterrent to crime when the death of your accomplice, whether your direct fault or not, during the commission of a crime results in 1st degree murder charges. Hopefully Georgia has enacted such a law by now.

A young man was coming out of a bedroom in his grandmother's house in Gulfport, Mississippi, when he encountered two men who had entered the home. One of the intruders struck the young man on the head. The grandson said tha after he fell he grabbed a gun that was hidden under the bed and began firing at the two men, who then left and drove off in a gray Oldsmobile. No one was injured in the house, but at least one victim of the home invasion had been tied up with duct tape, police at the scene said. (The Sun Herald, Biloxi, MS, 07/27/2004)

Lisa Hansen awoke one morning when she heard someone moving around inside her house. She then heard someone run up her stairs and attempt to open her bedroom door. "I waited to listen and see how many footsteps I heard," Hansen said. Upon determining there was only one person in her house, Hansen grabbed her cell phone and reached for a gun she keeps under her bed. She ran out of the room, confronted the burglar and held him at gunpoint until police arrived. The would-be burglar turned out to be a teenager who lives in the neighborhood and had done some lawn woork for Hansen previously. The teen said he had only entered her home because he saw a man in there, but Hansen did not believe the explanation. Police later discovered Hansen's cousin's checkbook in the boy's pocket. (The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA, 07/09/2004)

Two Tennessee women responded to a knock at their door at about 1:30 A.M. and saw two masked men standing outside. The women, who are cousins, ran to an upstairs bedroom as the men kicked in their back door. Police spokesman Don Aaron described what happened next. "As one of them [the intruders] came to the doorway of the bedroom where the two women were hiding, the older cousin, who had retrieved a pistol from the nightstand, fired one time. The intruder was hit and died at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head," said Aaron. The other intruder fired twice but neither woman was injured. The deceased intruder was identified as Maurice Wilson who had been charged with 38 offenses in the past three years, Aaron said. (The Tennesean, Nashville, TN, 07/19/2004)

Note: There's no excuse for any lawmaker to ever prohibit any citizen from owning and carrying a firearm, but this is only underscored when it comes to crimes against women. One survey by the Justice Department reported that out of 32,000 attempted rapes, 32 percent were committed. When a potential rape victim was armed with a gun or knife, only 3 percent of attempted rapes were successful. (Reported in the Journal of the Medical Association of Georgia, Edgar A. Suter, M.D., March 1994, p.149.) Allowing a woman to arm herself thus reduces her likelihood of becoming a victim by a factor of ten! Given these facts, I can not help but believe that any legislator who enacts anything that prevents a lawful, competent woman from owning and carrying a firearm is an accessory to rape.

An East Oakland, California, market employee thwarted a robbery attempt at the 3M Market early one Saturday. The alleged robber, identified as David Mosely, was wounded in his head and back, and left the store. Police were called to a nearby apartment to investigate a call about a man covered in blood, but did not locate the suspect when they arrived. Mosely was arrested a short time later when he attempted to steal a car. He was charged with attempted robbery and taken to the hospital. (The San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, CA, 07/25/2004)

A Pacific Beach, California, resident heard someone breaking into his home at 1:52 A.M. Fearing for his wife and young child's safety, the homeowner retrieved a gun and fired at the intruder, who suffered a wound to his ankle and fled the scene. Police apprehended the suspect, took him for medical treatment and then to jail. (The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Deigo, CA 07/12/2004)

Armed citizen stories are taken from American Rifleman magazine. "If you have a firsthand 'Armed Citizen' experience, call NRA-ILA PR/Communications at (703) 267-1193. Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2 million times a year for personal protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life, limb, or in some cases, property. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to: 'The Armed Citizen,' 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400."

Obama Repeats the Gun Lie in Mexico

For several weeks, members of Obama's administration have been repeating the lie that 90% of guns recovered from crimes in Mexico come from America. Now Obama himself joins in that lie:

This war is being waged with guns purchased not here, but in the United States. More than 90 percent of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United States, many from gun shops that line our shared border.

This was shown to be false back on April 2:

In 2007-2008, according to ATF Special Agent William Newell, Mexico submitted 11,000 guns to the ATF for tracing. Close to 6,000 were successfully traced -- and of those, 90 percent -- 5,114 to be exact, according to testimony in Congress by William Hoover -- were found to have come from the U.S.

But in those same two years, according to the Mexican government, 29,000 guns were recovered at crime scenes.

In other words, 68 percent of the guns that were recovered were never submitted for tracing. And when you weed out the roughly 6,000 guns that could not be traced from the remaining 32 percent, it means 83 percent of the guns found at crime scenes in Mexico could not be traced to the U.S.

Here's a video recap of that story:

This is irresponsible, and as shown in the press conference in Mexico, it's being used as a statistic to support more restrictive gun bans (which don't work).

What the administration doesn't tell you is that the real assault weapons (military weapons that fire more than one bullet when you squeeze the trigger) most likely came from our government. We supplied the mexican government with training and weapons, but members of the mexican military defected from drug enforcement to drug trafficking. Other sources include Central and South America.

When did Christina Romer change her tune?

This is an interesting article. It would appear prior to her current position, Christina Romer considered tax cuts to be very beneficial to a troubled economy, even using Keynesian theory.

Tea Parties

Today was a day of tea parties. I hope the government recognizes that we're not just upset about taxation, but also (and more importantly) about spending, because it's out of control.

I heard someone say that we are all happy to pay taxes. Well, I'm not. I would be if they were properly levied and used well, but they're not, so I'm not. The Constitution provides for excise taxes. That's all we should have. The 16th Amendment was an accidental result of congressional brinkmanship, the legislative equivalent of the Cuban Missile Crisis if both sides had launched nukes.

Excise taxes, by the way, are a brilliant solution that make sure the Federal government can't grow too large or extend its power too far.

To use a restaurant parable, think of sitting down to dinner, having a lovely time, and then getting the bill, which turns out to be much higher than you anticipated. Politely asking why that's the case, you're told you're helping to pay for the dinner of the diner at the next table, who's just not able to cover his family's tab.

You can accept that, though you'd have liked to have been asked before it was assumed you'd pay. Then the impecunious diner happily invites people from off the street to join him at your expense, and the restaurant threatens you with jail time if you don't continue to pay the bill. That's where we are now.

What would help change the situation?

1. Taxes must be visible. No more withholding. A fair tax model is the best, most Constitutional solution, but I'd be content with a flat tax.

2. Everyone must have a stake. It doesn't matter if you can't pay much, but you can't pay nothing. That way, when tax money is misused, everyone is outraged together.

3. We can't keep using taxpayer resources on people who aren't entitled to services. If we had unlimited resources, I'd want to take care of the entire planet. We don't have unlimited resources, we never will, and we can't keep pretending we do.

I've also heard some people, and seen some coverage, indicating these tea parties were partisan. They weren't. Many people of varying ideological backgrounds attended.

Conservatives are ticked at the taxing and spending.

Liberals are ticked at the way taxes are being used.

Here's an example of unacceptable spending policies in California.

Let's say you're a hypothetical person who is fine with really high taxes. Aren't you at least a little angry that a legislature has seen fit to cut disability payments before any serious layoff of state workers, or cuts to pork projects? I don't care how liberal you are, that's just ridiculous.

We're doing similar things at the Federal level, and it's likely your state is, too. Want to be sure? Have a look here, at Citizens Against Government Waste.

The Truth about Semi-Automatic Firearms

I had a discussion today that made me realize some things that I think of as basic aren't necessarily common knowledge. This video is a police instructor demonstrating the operation of an automatic assault rifle and semi-automatic rifles, and how a lot of news reports are very inaccurate with regard to the difference.

If you know more about firearms, at about 6 minutes he does a nice demonstration of how ridiculous features bans like California's are. In this case, he starts with a firearm that would be completely legal in California, and by changing accessories, ends with a firearm that has unchanged working parts, but would violate the California features ban. This video is a bit older, so you may not get the Stockton reference (if not, it's not important to the information presented).

Why I don't want to see a revolution

I'm all for States rights. I'm glad Texas is standing up for itself, and I hope other states follow suit.

I don't want to see a revolution, though. It's not the usual, "What is your pistol going to do against a tank or F-18 fighter?" I have answers, actually, but more importantly, I think the military is very likely to hold its oath to uphold the Constitution in higher regard than any obligation to support politicians violating the Constitution.

My worry is that there's no way we could do it well. There are some massive differences between the citizenry today and the citizenry in the 1770's. The colonists in the 1700's were largely literate through reading of the Bible. While I don't think you have to be a Bible reader to make a good citizen, that means they were steeped in the Judeo-Christian traditions that included personal responsibility, moral accountability, and solving societal problems at the lowest possible organizational unit of society. Much like early Anglo-Saxon government, the Jewish tradition was to take disputes to the leader of a family first, small community next, group of communities next, and anything that couldn't be solved at those levels would be solved by the nation, or representative of the nation. Nobody expected a President to step in and pay for their mortgage. That would have been unthinkable and repugnant. After the Constitution was established, common people discussed it in every day language so regularly that Alexis de Tocqueville remarked on it in his works. Despite a lack of public education in the early United States, the people were nevertheless educated about their rights and government.

Even more important was the nation's leadership. The founders of the nation and authors of the Constitution were well-educated in government theory from ancient Greek government to their present, and read philosophy. They recognized the need to carefully limit the rights and powers of government to prevent those in love with power from abusing the citizenry. They were careful to make the individual the source of all rights and powers, and the government subject to him, not vice versa. This was done based on a study of human nature, not some contemporary theory of government of the 1700's.

I fear the people of the United States aren't well educated with regard to their Constitution and government. I fear leaders aren't enlightened, and don't understand the principles with which the founders were so well acquainted. In fact, the actions and statements of both bear out my fears.

We can't have another revolution, because we're not sufficiently educated and moral to reorganize the nation in as thoughtful a manner as the founders did. The violence wouldn't be limited to reformation, but would be directed generally at anyone the media didn't like.

There is legitimate concern that the government is working to suppress conservative thought through the Department of Homeland Security. That concern appears to be very valid. Even with the frightening specter of fascism (yes, it's a liberal phenomenon) looming, I still think revolution is a bad idea. This is something we must fix through conversation, organization, and voting.

The job won't be done with the tea parties that will take place tomorrow. Make sure to make friends, get contact information, and start discussion groups. Many citizens of the 1700's were self-educated. It's important for us to follow in their footsteps, and learn more about our founding, our Constitution and government theory so we can peacefully guide our nation back to the unique and very successful system the founders constructed.

A contrast to Virginia Tech

I promise not all my posts will be on firearms. They're really in the news right now, and anti-gunners are taking full advantage of that.

Virginia Tech is often cited as a preventable tragedy used as a rallying cry for anti-gun groups. Here's a story with a much different result, because of lawfully armed citizens. CNN has pulled the story (no shock, it's old), so I obtained it here.

An Armed Citizen With A Permit Stopped The Last VA College Shooting Rampage (2002)
CNS News ^ | September 17, 2002 | By Christine Hall

Student Group Wants Campus Gun Ban Lifted

(CNSNews.com) - After two armed southwest Virginia law students stopped a campus shooting rampage in January, a Second Amendment group at a northern Virginia law school decided it was time to change their own school's ban on guns.

"We are trying to build a detailed and persuasive brief that would include statistics on increases in safety, decreases in violent crime when you do have concealed carry permit holders in a jurisdiction," said Orest J. Jowyk, president of the Second Amendment group at George Mason University School of Law.

"I think the middle ground is to allow concealed handgun permit holders to carry just like they can anywhere else in Virginia," he said. "You provide extra safety to the student body that way."

Jowyk began researching his law school's gun policy following the January incident in which a disgruntled student at Appalachian Law School, Peter Odighizuwa, allegedly shot and killed the school's dean, a professor and a student on campus before being subdued by two armed students, Mikael Gross and Tracy Bridges.

Gross and Bridges reportedly ran to their cars to fetch their own guns and returned to confront Odighizuwa, who surrendered after allegedly initiating a fistfight.

Jowyk was heartened by the students' intervention. But looking into GMU's gun policy, Jowyk found to his dismay that the school's board of visitors had in 1995 passed a ban on all weapons, concealed or otherwise, except by law enforcement officials.

Anyone who violates the school's gun ban would face administrative repercussions but not criminal charges, according to Jowyk.

Then in April, Virginia's Democratic governor, Mark Warner, signed a law prohibiting local governments from using administrative rules to pass gun restrictions that go beyond existing state law.

Jowyk's Second Amendment group is now investigating how that law might apply to GMU, though the group has not yet approached school administrators about changing the policy.

"There is a question that's being bandied about in the Commonwealth whether or not this university qualifies under that law as a locality," said Mike Lynch, chief of police for GMU law school's police department. "Today, I don't think we have the answer."

If that legal question is eventually resolved in the school's favor, Lynch says he will likely recommend that the weapons ban continue.

"The more people that have guns...on them, it is my opinion that that would increase the propensity for somebody getting hurt," either through accident or mischief, said Lynch. "And I don't want to see that."

But the controversy surrounding gun bans on state colleges and universities isn't limited to Virginia.

In January, the Utah legislature launched an inquiry into the University of Utah's 25-year-old gun ban after state Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said state laws on concealed weapons prohibited agencies and schools from banning them from state property.

"We need to have the right to exclude weapons on campus," University of Utah President Bernie Machen testified to legislators, describing the decision as a matter of academic freedom. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," he said. Machen has also argued that the ban fosters a safe learning environment.

On March 6, the Utah Senate passed a GOP-sponsored bill allowing the legislature to cut in half the school's administration budget if the gun ban continues. The university responded two weeks later by initiating a court challenge, asking a U.S. District Court judge to uphold the school's gun ban.

Also in March, Ohio University's 2000 "workforce violence policy" prohibiting any carrying or displaying of weapons became the subject of controversy when a journalism professor was directed to remove a Civil War-era gun he had displayed on his wall for more than a decade. University administrators reportedly are re-evaluating the policy.

"I feel like I've really been fingered as a dangerous person," Patrick Washburn told the University Wire.

Reviving Ni-Cad Batteries

Did you know you could do this? I didn't. Turns out when your Ni-Cad batteries for your tools get tired, there's a very good chance you can revive them.

Here's the video from Instructables. Go to the site for detailed instructions.

The Armed Citizen

Andrew Atkinson was looking for trouble one Wednesday night as police were called to investigate a disturbance he had caused at a Malta, Montana, tavern. Still on the scene at the tavern, police were then called to a nearby home where an intruder had been reported. Robert Taylor said that a man, later identified as Atkinson, had forced his way through Taylor's front door. After a fierce struggle, the 59-year-old homeowner shot Atkinson in the leg. Both men where hospitalized, and Taylor was released with minor injuries. Upon his release from the hospital, Atkinson was to be arrested and charged with burglary, according to Phillips County Sheriff Tom Miller. (Great Falls Tribune, Great Falls, MT, 06/03/04)

When they heard two fugitives were on the loose in their Paradise Valley, Wyoming, neighborhood, Eugene Summers and his stepson, Bobby Allison, armed themselves with a shovel and a gun and took a look around Summers' property. They discovered two men hiding under a tarp in Summers' shop. One of the crooks snatched a crowbar off the wall and swung it at Summers, who responded by hitting the man in the head with his gun. When the accomplice approached Summers' stepson, Allison whacked him with his shovel. "They minded a lot better after that," Summers reported. Police arrived soon after and led the pair of criminals away in handcuffs. the men, identified as Christopher Sylvester and Joel Schott, were charged with buying and receiving stolen property and criminal entry. (Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, 04/24/2004)

A female employee at the Tobacco Rack was in the back of the store when she heard someone enter about 7:15 A.M. The woman looked toward the entrance and saw a man holding a shotgun, pointing it down toward the floor, and possibly loading it. The employee drew a revolver and demanded the intruder leave the store. The gunman pulled his jacket hood down to cover his face, saying, "I'm going, I'm going," and left the premises. Police were looking for the suspect, who was wearing a baby blue, hooded jacket. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, AR, 05/15/2004)

Three men entered the Mount Vernon Liquor store in Colton, California, and attempted to rob the store. One man jumped over the counter and approached the owner's mother, who was standing there. Fearing his mother would be shot, the owner, Mr. Lee, fired at the bandits, striking all three. Police arrived to find one of the suspects dead in the doorway. His two accomplices were apprehended and taken to a hospital for treatment. no one else in the store was injured. Despite the robbery and one the previous year, the Lees said they planned to keep the store open as they felt an obligation to their community. (The Sun, San Bernardino, CA, 05/25/04)

During the entire robbery, Habib Howard focused on the gun pointed at him. The intruder had entered Howard's Carryout just moments before, walked to the back, picked up a 12-pack of beer and brought it to the cash register, where Howard had just relieved a female employee. Before Howard could ask for an ID required to purchase the beer, the man drew a handgun, pointed it at Howard and demanded money. Howard complied, opening the cash register and trying to back away. The robber demanded Howard place the money on the counter. Again he complied, and then stepped back. As he took the money and began backing out of the store, the robber raised his gun. Howard responded by drawing his own gun and shooting the gunman, who fled the store. The gunman and an accomplice, identified as Jose Custodia-Mota and Alberto Martinez, respectively, were apprehended and charged with aggravated robbery. (The Blade, Toledo, OH, 05/18/04).

Note: Anti-gun advocates tell you if you just comply with your attacker, chances are you won't be hurt. Mr. Howard complied, and was about to be shot for following that advice. It would appear to be a good thing for him that he had a backup plan. By the way, if you follow anti-gun advice, you have about a 25% chance of being harmed. If you are armed yourself, you have an 18% chance. I'll take the extra 7% margin, thank you. (From My Cold, Dead Fingers: Why America Needs Guns)

A 63-year-old South Phoenix homeowner was alarmed to see his living room window shatter and an arm come through the opening during an attempted break-in. Aware of other burglaries in his neighboorhood, the resident feared for his safety and fired at the intruders, killing one-identified as Ronald Freese. the other burglar, Freese's brother, Rudy, ran to a relative's nearby home seeking help for Ronald. Rudy Freese was arrested and charged with attempted burglary when he returned to the scene. He faces first-degree murder charges if found guilty of a crime that resulted in a death. (The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ, 04/30/04)

Note: "You're guilty of first-degree murder if your crime results in a death" laws are an example of an excellent way to take aim at criminals instead of lawful gun owners. If criminals know killing someone, or getting their accomplices killed will result in murder charges, they are less likely to commit a crime like this. Bravo, Arizona!

As her ex-boyfriend proceeded to kick in her back door, a Manor Township, Pennsylvania, woman called police and ran upstairs. Fearing help would not arrive in time, the woman locked herself in a bedroom and grabbed a rifle from under the bed. The man entered the home and raced upstairs where he began pounding on the locked door. When the woman's warning to stop went unheeded, she fired a shot, injuring him. Police arrived as the man was leaving and placed him under arrest. Said one investigator, "He wasn't there to deliver flowers. She was defending herself." (Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, 05/06/04)

From American Rifleman magazine. "If you have a firsthand 'Armed Citizen' experience, call NRA-ILA PR/Communications at (703) 267-1193. Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2 million times a year for personal protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life, limb, or in some cases, property. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to: 'The Armed Citizen,' 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400."

Armed Citizen posts are intended to demonstrate how often lawfully armed citizens save their own lives and the lives of others, often without firing a shot, in the manner intended by the founders when they added the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. The national media doesn't report these stories, so someone has to.

The Controversial Bow

Lately there's been some controversy about whether President Obama bowed to a foreign monarch. Here's the video, and the discussion will follow.



Yup, that's clearly a bow. What's the problem with that? The President of the United States does not bow to a monarch, and we haven't done so since we told King George III where he could shove his taxes.

I'm not particularly bothered by President Obama's bow, however. The gesture of subservience is a refreshingly honest display of our true relationship with the Saudis, who fund Wahabism throughout the world (including in the U.S.), training people to hate and want to kill people who are not Muslim Fundamentalists. You know, people like you and me.

If this open demonstration of our complete slavery to Saudi oil bothers you, perhaps you'll agree we should do something about it.

Stop Spending Our Future

Elizabeth Warren on TARP

If you know me, you know that I have a lot of respect for this woman. Watch these videos, they are less than 8 minutes each. If you're paying attention you'll notice that in a very polite, civil way Elizabeth Warren is taking congress out to the woodshed.

Get a brain congress.


Here is Elizabeth Warren's April report:



Elizabeth Warren on regulatory reform:



Elizabeth Warren on Foreclosures:



Elizabeth Warren's first report:



The Second Report



Report on Valuation

RIP: Little Green Footballs

Little Green Footballs is a blog I follow for news and opinion (I first encountered them when they showed how faked documents purporting to be about George W. Bush were indeed fake). However, they're no longer a viable source. They continue to bash Glenn Beck without actually addressing the substance of his comments.

Then, in a despicable display, they closed accounts of people attempting to refute their weak logic, and even deleted the posts deemed not acceptable (see post #209). Two of those deleted posts were mine.

If someone can't take criticism, they aren't worth my time. Thus ends my interest in their blog.

Practical Libertarian Philosophy

I realized I've thrown around the word Libertarian, and many people have only the vaguest notion of what that might mean. In fact, I would have had as nebulous a concept as anyone just a few short years ago, and now I am a Practical Libertarian.

What is Libertarian Philosophy? Run a Google search and you'll find a lot on it, but the basis is freedom from initiation of force. That is, libertarians object to any coercion of others. As you might guess, this only really works in the moral society envisioned by the founders. In essence, each individual functions on principles of accountability, personal responsibility, and self-reliance. This philosophy rejects the "what is legal is okay, what is not isn't, unless you are not caught," legalistic society we've created in favor of what the founders envisioned, and what worked in our country for more than a century.

Personal freedom begins with ownership of your body and your time. Thus, libertarians reject slavery or forced labor. In a pure libertarian society, you wouldn't have police or jails. Misdeeds would be prevented by armed citizenry or punished with crippling civil suits backed by an inability to do business with anyone because no one finds the offender trustworthy. No compulsion, just natural consequences. I'll get to practical vs. pure shortly. In addition, taxes (ultimately enforced at gunpoint) would not be permissible, as they constitute a coercive theft of your time by government.

Pure libertarianism rejects restriction of movement, such as imposed by borders. This only functions if there are no government services for immigrants to take advantage of at the expense of taxpayers. The world would, in time, rise to equal levels of affluence because workers would seek the best employment conditions possible and employers, in order to maintain any workforce, would have to offer favorable conditions.

There would be no banned substances under pure libertarianism, but also no public help for addicts. Private charities would be welcome to help addicts and run recovery programs, but that wouldn't be a government function.

Personal property would be unfettered by government restrictions and codes. People seeking their own best interests would insist on private inspections of a contractor's work, ensuring stable and safe buildings. Similarly, as civil suits would result from injury, businesses would have to ensure a safe building in which to transact commerce.

Pure libertarianism demands a level of maturity rare in our present society.

Practical libertarianism admits all the governments of the world and their associated populations are unlikely to rise to the level of maturity demanded by pure libertarianism. It also recognizes the security limitations of pure libertarianism.

As a practical libertarian, I believe we do need police, FBI, borders and border patrol, etc. I recognize that defense of our country requires taxation, but insist that system be a fair, simple system, such as a flat tax or a fair tax. The fruits of tax revenues must be used only to benefit the lawful payers of those taxes, else taxation is robbery.

When considering if government has the right to do something, there's an easy analogy. Ask yourself if, in a small town, you would find it fair. If Bill has two horses gained by hard work, and Fred has none because he is lazy and chooses not to be industrious, would it be fair to take one of Bill's horses and give it to Fred? Of course not, and the assembled town hasn't any right to do so. How then do we justify the Federal Government's financial policies, under which more than 60% of spending is pure income redistribution?

I recognize that we must ban and punish some behaviors for the good of society, including murder, theft and robbery, and use of truly destructive and addictive substances. The question to be posed at every proposed law would be: "Does the cost to society in money and life justify this policy?" Thus, a marijuana ban isn't practical any more than a ban on tobacco and alcohol was early in the 20th century. (Note: I don't use marijuana, alcohol, or tobacco, and will teach my child not to.)

I believe that the original Constitution with the Bill of Rights and most of the amendments constitute practical libertarianism at its finest.

Liberty or Safety

Benjamin Franklin famously said, "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." (Memoirs of the life and writings of Benjamin Franklin, 1818)

There have been a few recent instances of Libertarians objecting to unreasonable search, per the IV Amendment, at an airport and at a border checkpoint search. They questioned TSA and Border Patrol's authority to question and detain them about activities that are perfectly lawful. In the case of the airline stop, the man was carrying $4,700 in contributions to a liberty group (not a militia) and was questioned about why he had the money. In the Border Patrol instance, the man was stopped so his citizenship status could be determined. In both cases, agents gave the impression they had authority to arrest or detain, when they did not, in fact, have such authority.

The Armstrong and Getty radio show was having a discussion on whether these people are standing up for basic liberties or being pains in the necks of authority. (Audio available here 7:00 AM hour of 04/08/2009) I commented that if we don't stand up in small things, we will eventually lose our liberties entirely. Several callers feel the Constitution is outdated. I made the point that the founders didn't create the Constitution based on principles of the 1700's, but rather on their study of humanity since written record began. The rights preserved to the people therein are based not on the time period, but on immutable principles of human behavior, the most relevant of which in this case is that once a body in power begins to lust for power, they will seek to increase that power ad infinitum.

The following hour, they began to discuss silly and entertaining 9-1-1 calls where people called in to report not getting their food order right at a restaurant. There's a deeper, more troubling meaning to such calls. I wrote them the following e-mail:

Hey guys, just a quick addendum to our giving up liberty for security. Calling 911 for not getting what you want at a restaurant is just a symptom of turning to the government for everything.

When my brother lived at a coop at Berkeley, the television room had a mural of people handing over their brains to go in and watch the tube. A similar mural might be painted here, of sheeple handing their brains over to a jack-booted officer at one window, then holding out their wrists at the next window for the handcuffs.

The founders recognized something simple: no criminal nor terrorist hast he power to subjugate a nation's population, provided that population is armed and dedicated to principles of freedom. By far the greater danger is a large, powerful government grasping for unfettered power. Our government shaking off the chains the founders applied to it to preserve our freedom should be a far more frightening specter even than airliners hitting the trade towers and the Pentagon. It should scare us more even than a dirty bomb, biological attack or nuclear detonation on our soil.

Those things are horrific, but think of your children serving an unyielding, fascistic government that burdens them with crippling taxes and cruelly curtails their freedom using their own good and protection as an excuse? 9/11 was a huge loss, but what are 3,000 dead compared to 300,000,000 enslaved?

Stand up now and give your children a legacy greater than some imagined safety humankind has never enjoyed by preserving the freedom your great grandparents enjoyed in this land. No violence is required--just employ reason instead of fear and vote according to your conscience.

Now I don't believe we don't need an FBI, the TSA or Border Patrol. I think these are legitimate agencies doing important work, and I support them. They simply must do that work within the confines of the Constitution.

A relevant story on firearms ownership

Since the media is hammering us with idiots misusing firearms, I heard this story and thought I'd share it. The simple presentation of a firearm may have stopped an ongoing crime spree. Oh, and one of my favorites, a woman who had been raped and would have been raped a second time refused to be a victim and ended a serial rapist's awful crimes.

I've also noticed a distinct willingness of the media to overlook what they don't want to see. The criminal who shot three police officers in Pittsburgh is said to have been afraid Obama would take away his guns, and to have lost his job. Nobody mentioned he's also apparently a white supremacist--that is, a complete nutjob with violent tendencies to start with.

Criminals and crazies with guns are a horrible problem in our society. Lawful owners far outnumber them, often stop them, and shouldn't be penalized because of them.

By the way, you'll notice that after the high profile misuse of firearms stories peter out, as they always do, these defensive, appropriate use stories won't. They're just harder to find.

Should we indict CEO's for signing off on earnings?

Section 802(a) of the SOX, 18 U.S.C. § 1519 states:“ Whoever knowingly alters, destroys, mutilates, conceals, covers up, falsifies, or makes a false entry in any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States or any case filed under title 11, or in relation to or contemplation of any such matter or case, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. ”

There are a lot of very guilty people here.

Like That Will Ever Happen -

Here is a quote from Elizabeth Warren, the chief watchdog of the TARP funds. "Firstly, the banks must have confidence that the valuation of the troubled assets in question is accurate; then the management of the institutions receiving subsidies from the government must be replaced; and thirdly, the equity investors are always wiped out."

So far I see none of those things happening. And before anyone asks - yes, I am totally uncomfortable with the government removing CEO's from their positions of leadership within a private company. I am more uncomfortable with taxpayer money being involved in the first place.

And as for equity investors being wiped out.... I'm still waiting to see that happen. For that matter, the bondholders shouldn't be very comfortable either. (That last link went to the Huffington post. I threw up just a little bit putting that link in there, but I agree with it)

The Armed Citizen

Last weekend there were widely reported shootings. Today there was another shooting incident. Gun control advocates are delighted at the opportunity to showcase the evil of firearms.

The only problem is that firearms aren't evil. I've been thinking about doing this for some time, and these recent tragedies have convinced me that it's time to showcase the appropriate use of guns by lawful citizens, and how they save more lives daily than are ever lost to criminals misusing guns. That often happens with the simple defensive presentation of a firearm with no shots fired and no life lost.

These stories come from American Rifleman magazine. Don't worry, there's no copyright violation. In each installment of The Armed Citizen, they print the following: "If you have a firsthand 'Armed Citizen' experience, call NRA-ILA PR/Communications at (703) 267-1193. Studies indicate that firearms are used over 2 million times a year for personal protection, and that the presence of a firearm, without a shot being fired, prevents crime in many instances. Shooting usually can be justified only where crime constitutes an immediate, imminent threat to life, limb, or in some cases, property. Anyone is free to quote or reproduce these accounts. Send clippings to: 'The Armed Citizen,' 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400."

Without further ado, the accounts of personal protection:

Employees at Texas Components were stunned when the daughter of an employee entered the business armed with archery tackle and a realistic-looking toy gun. Police say the crazed woman drew her bow and fired an arrow into an employee's chest, then pointed the fake pistol at others. Fearful for their lives, two employees, both of whom had concealed-carry licenses, drew pistols and shot the woman several times. She fled to an office and police were called. When the woman pointed an arrow at a responding officer, he shot her once more. The suspect and injured worker were both listed in stable condition at the hospital. (The Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX 01/20/2009)

Police say two suspected burglars have already been dealt a great deal of punishment. First, a homeowner caught the suspects rifling through his garage. "I asked him what the hell he was doing and he said, 'Cleaning the garage," the homeowner recalls. The homeowner ran inside to get a gun, and the suspects fled. Police caught one of the men hiding under a nearby vehicle. His accomplice was arrested after he brazenly broke into a second home. In that incident, the homeowner shot the suspect with a shotgun and held him for police. (The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK, 12/20/2008)

Ninety-year-old Berlie Mae Johnson was watching the evening news with her husband when two men burst through the back door. "Be quiet. Don't say a word. Don't move!" demanded one of the intruders as he put a gun to her head. "It's terrible. You expect at any moment..." she said, her voice cracking. "My nerves are shot. He'd probably have killed me." But her husband, Charles, age 91, came to the rescue. He grabbed his .38-caliber revolver from under a sofa cushion. One of the intruders fled immediately. "He saw the gun and, boy, he was gone," Mr. Johnson recalls. The other intruder was still threatening his wife, but a single shot from Johnson's revolver sen thim running. Johnson said he has a message for others: "Be prepared. Keep your doors locked. And be alert." His wife added, "And have a gun ready." (Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, FL 12/25/2008)

Note: It has been noted that the gun is the great equalizer. The aged, infirm and physically disabled have as much ability to defend themselves from harm as the young, fit and strong, so long as they have access to a firearm.

The owner of Midwest Grillz and Jewelry, Andre McKesson, let two men into his store while a third man waited outside. The men expressed interest in purchasing a decorative mouthpiece known as a grill, but an argument ensued. The man outside recalls hearing, "Why you playing games with us, man? Where's our teeth? Can you give a refund? Then give me my teeth!" Police say one of the men pulled a gun and fired two shots into the wall where McKesson had been standing. McKesson grabbed a semi-automatic rifle from behind the counter and killed both assailants. (Omaha World-Herald, Omaha, NE, 01/17/2009)

Note: Pistol vs. rifle usually has a predictable outcome.
2nd Note: They have grill shops in Omaha Nebraska?!

While fetching wood from her garage one evening, a 70-year-old woman heard what sounded like people fighting. "I looked over into the road to see what was going on, and about that time a guy comes running around the house," she explained. The woman ran inside, got her gun and dialed 9-1-1. The man circled the house, pounding on all the windows. He broke through the living room window and knocked over the television. The woman can be heard on the 9-1-1 tape yelling at the man, "You stay right where you're at!" Police say she aimed her gun at the intruder and told him, "If you come any closer, you're going to be dead." She then ordered him to the floor and he obeyed, collapsing into a fetal position. He remained that way until police arrested him. (South Bend Tribune, South Bend, IN, 01/06/2009)

A frequent customer at a convenience store noticed a man looking aroudn the store as if casing it. Suspicious, eh decied to go to his vehicle and call for help. "As soon as I touched my cell phone, I heard [the store clerk] screaming, "Help, help, help!" the customer explained. The 5-foot-4 man grabbed his Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol from the vehicle and bravely ran back inside the store. Surveillance video shows the suspect hitting the female clerk with a beer bottle and wrestling her to the ground. The customer fired two shots, killing the suspect. Police found a knife and wad of cash on the attacker. (Orlando Sentinel, Orlando, FL, 01/08/2009)

I'd add to the statement in American Rifleman a few thoughts. Gun ownership is absolutely not for everyone. That's fine. Those of us who do own them simply request that you recognize we who own them only desire to keep ourselves, our families and you safe. There are simply not enough police to be everywhere at once, but there are enough armed, lawful citizens. You should never present a firearm defensively unless you are ready to squeeze the trigger. Being unwilling to do so makes the presence of the gun more of a hazard to you than a protection. Some people will say, "You must not draw a gun without firing or being willing to kill." That's not true. In fact, if you ever have to draw a gun in self-defense, it must be only with the intent to defend your life or the life of someone nearby. If you intend to kill someone with it, you will very likely be charged with a crime.

Drawing a firearm and squeezing the trigger sets in motion a complex legal process that can end with you incarcerated. Even in completely justifiable self-defense shootings, the assailant or his family may sue in civil court.

With all these caveats, is it worth owning a gun? Not for everyone, but I contend these risks are better than the risk of being helpless as a criminal does whatever he likes to you and your family as you wait for police to show up, assuming you even had time to dial 9-1-1.

I do everything in my power to make sure I never have an "Armed Citizen" story of my own. That's because while I'm willing to defend myself, aside from becoming a victim, I can think of nothing more abhorrent than harming another person deliberately. I hope all lawful gun owners see it the same way.

Ronald Reagan's 1964 Speech, "A Time For Choosing"

It never ceases to amaze me how an old speech can so handily address the issues we face today, four and a half decades after it was given. If you have a few moments, this is worth a listen.