If you didn't see this, it should make your day!
http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/content/2010/crimesite/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20100716_11_AA110_ByMatt123176&allcom=1
Woman shoots intruders; 1 dead
By MATT BARNARD World Staff Writer
Published: 7/16/2010 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 7/16/2010 5:32 AM
The victim of a home invasion fought off two attackers early Thursday by shooting both in the head, killing one, police said.
One of the intruders, Darreon Carter, 18, died in a Tulsa hospital. The other, Daniel Holman, 23, is in critical condition, police said.
The incident was Tulsa's second deadly home intrusion in as many days.
Capt. Travis Yates said the woman was walking through a dark parking lot about 3:50 a.m. at the Brighton Park apartments in the 4800 block of South Darlington Avenue after a trip to a fast-food restaurant. As she opened her apartment's door, the men demanded money and forced their way inside.
The woman initially cooperated, but when one intruder told her to undress, she pulled a snub-nosed revolver from her purse and shot him, police said.
A struggle for the gun broke out, and her boyfriend tried to help, police said.
Although she took blows to her head, the woman was able to shoot the other intruder. She fired five shots in all, Yates said.
"It seemed to be a courageous act, protecting their home and their life," he said. "They were shaken up, but it was sort of impressive — they weren't hysterical."
Brighton Park typically doesn't see much criminal activity. Yates said there were no immediate signs that the woman knew the attackers.
"We believe that this was totally an opportunity crime," he said. "Somebody saw a woman walking up to an apartment, and they decided to commit a crime, and here we are."
The woman held the wounded intruders at gunpoint until help arrived. Her boyfriend collected two screwdrivers that the men had used as weapons, police said.
Officers found Carter and Holman in the apartment's entryway. Carter was unresponsive; Holman was conscious, but his condition was deteriorating quickly, Yates said.
Medics took both men to St. Francis Hospital, where Carter died. Holman remains in critical condition with bullet wounds to his head and stomach, police said.
Police took the tenants to headquarters for questioning, but Yates said he didn't expect them to be arrested.
The woman's name was not immediately available, and there was no answer at the apartment later Thursday.
Police said two other recent home-invasion robberies also seem to have been crimes of opportunity.
Seeing open doors, robbers entered the home of Stephen Rodolf, near 26th Street and Peoria Avenue, in June and the home of Rabon Martin, in the 1400 block of South Carson Avenue, on July 6, police said. People in each home were assaulted by the armed robbers.
Three suspects have been charged in the Rodolf robbery and assault, and one of them is also charged in the Martin robbery. One of the three suspects, Ryan K. Smith, has not yet been arrested.
Smith, 21, is described as black, 6 feet 3 inches tall and 170 pounds.
Thursday's shootings happened about a day after another home invasion that left a resident dead.
Police said masked intruders ransacked a home in the 600 block of East 27th Place North before fatally shooting Corey Lajuan Johnson, 30.
The assailants, who are at large, made gang-related remarks during the ordeal and took property from the home.
They were black, wore hooded jackets and had cloths covering their faces, police reported.
Anyone with information about Ryan Smith or any of these home-invasion robberies and assaults is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 596-COPS. Tips can also be sent to the Police Department online or via text message at tulsaworld.com/crimestoppers.
The Crime Commission offers rewards for information that leads to arrests, and tipsters can remain anonymous.
She had her gun, and used it to good effect. Take a lesson, folks. Carry your gun everywhere, all the time!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Daily carry guns
OK, so you've decided to start carrying concealed. Let's talk about that for a minute.
You've got to have your gun with you, every day. You have to know it's there, and not leave the house without it. You don't get to pick and choose when an emergency will occur, that's why it's called an emergency. As John Farnam says, "When it's least expected, you're elected!" Carry your gun, plus at least one reload.
I strongly recommend you carry a full size, fighting handgun. I carry a Glock 19 9mm semi automatic, plus 2 15 round magazines. It sounds like a lot, but if you ever have to deal with multiple bad guys, you want as much ammo on hand as possible. I've also carried a 1911 .45 auto, and if I went back to carrying one, it'd be a full size 5" gun, with three spare magazines.
I suggest you carry a backup, or second gun, all the time, too. This isn't paranoia; anything made by man can break, and I've seen everything out there break or fall apart at some point. I carry my main gun inside the waistband, in the appendix position, with the holster made by Dale Fricke. My second gun is carried either in an ankle holster or carried on my belt for a left hand draw. I really like the Smith & Wesson J-frame, five shot revolvers.
You need to get out and shoot your guns! You can't read about it, you have to do it. 50 rounds a week is not unrealistic, and more is better. Make sure it's relevant training, not just throwing rounds downrange. Shoot your guns, with two hands and one hand. Get competent training.
You've got to have your gun with you, every day. You have to know it's there, and not leave the house without it. You don't get to pick and choose when an emergency will occur, that's why it's called an emergency. As John Farnam says, "When it's least expected, you're elected!" Carry your gun, plus at least one reload.
I strongly recommend you carry a full size, fighting handgun. I carry a Glock 19 9mm semi automatic, plus 2 15 round magazines. It sounds like a lot, but if you ever have to deal with multiple bad guys, you want as much ammo on hand as possible. I've also carried a 1911 .45 auto, and if I went back to carrying one, it'd be a full size 5" gun, with three spare magazines.
I suggest you carry a backup, or second gun, all the time, too. This isn't paranoia; anything made by man can break, and I've seen everything out there break or fall apart at some point. I carry my main gun inside the waistband, in the appendix position, with the holster made by Dale Fricke. My second gun is carried either in an ankle holster or carried on my belt for a left hand draw. I really like the Smith & Wesson J-frame, five shot revolvers.
You need to get out and shoot your guns! You can't read about it, you have to do it. 50 rounds a week is not unrealistic, and more is better. Make sure it's relevant training, not just throwing rounds downrange. Shoot your guns, with two hands and one hand. Get competent training.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Who Needs Guns in Church?
Well, here's one nitwit who still doesnt' get it. We have 'gun control' in the largest cities in the nation, New York, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Chicago. It's worked well there, hasn't it? But his answer, is more gun control. What a tool!
Michael Arceneaux
Contributor
AOL News (July 19) -- No matter what name you call your deity, there's a common theme among religious institutions in the land of Louisiana: You cannot trust your fellow man, not even in the House of God.
Gov. Bobby Jindal signed into law a bill that could easily be mistaken as satire: Concealed handguns are now a go in places of worship.
House Bill 1272, known has the "gun-in-church bill," was introduced by Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton.
The new law allows licensed gun owners who are part of a security force to carry concealed weapons into churches, mosques and synagogues.
Those who wish to pack heat while giving praise will have to take an extra eight hours of tactical training each year.
Does that make you feel any safer? No? If it helps, churches, synagogues and mosques choosing to allow concealed carry will have to inform their congregations of the decision.
Perhaps protective vests will finally get sold in the gun aisle at Walmart, too.
To be fair, the bill was not issued as an open love letter to the NRA.
It was presented as a way to give worshippers in "declining neighbors" a means of defense against criminals. More importantly, places of worship will not be forced to allow guns on their property.
Is this really the way to go?
While gun-rights supporters erupted in cheers for Gov. Jindal, a churchgoer in Wisconsin was startled at the sight of a fellow parishioner openly carrying a loaded Glock 9 mm handgun in church.
In response, the police were called. Though the gun carrier wouldn't mention her name, she did tell NBC's TM4J why she carries it.
She said: "I started carrying earlier this year. I'm getting older and fatter and slower and criminals are getting meaner."
Sadly, church violence is not uncommon.
There have been incidents of gun violence in Colorado and New Jersey in recent years. Back in 1980, a teacher by the name of Alvin Lee King III stormed inside a church with an AR-15 assault rifle, a hunting rifle and handguns and opened fire -- killing five and injuring 10.
In an interview with CBS 11 on the 30th anniversary of that shooting, Detective Jimmy Meeks of Hurst Police Department in Texas, who also travels the country teaching church security, argues that there's a certain mentality many religious people need to get over.
More Opinion on AOL News
Meeks says his mission "is helping get churches get beyond the mentality that 'we're safe in the house of God.' It is not a safe house in the mind of the criminal."
It's a sentiment echoed by John Monroe, an attorney for a gun-rights group assisting a Georgia minister suing Upson County to get guns inside his church.
Monroe told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, "Things happen in church. ... What we really want is the state not to say what can happen in church."
As frightening as the thought of criminals repeating such awful crimes in religious institutions is, I'm more alarmed that none of these gun rights supporters has concluded that if we had more gun control, the psychotic people who brought terror into church never would have had the opportunity to do so.
Though House Bill 1272 was introduced under the guise of preventing violence, I worry that it may ultimately make churches, synagogues and mosques more susceptible to it. Violence begets violence. How many more examples do we need to prove this point?
I understand the urgency for security in the religious community, but I don't believe laws like the "gun-in-church bill" are the answer.
Gun control is.
Here's a more complete list of church shootings over the last few years, and why more people need to have guns in church. Maybe this knucklehead needs to study his history a bit more.
March 8, 2009 - Maryville, Illinois - Suspect Terry Joe Sedlacek, 27, of Troy, walks into the First Baptist Church, and shoots pastor Fred Winters dead, point blank. Several church members are injured by a knife in the struggle to capture after the attack, The suspect also had stabbed himelf, but survived, when his gun jams.
Feb. 18, 2009 - Garden Grove, California - A man walks into the internationally known Crystal Cathedral, hands a greeter a note, then kneels in front of a cross and shoots himself in the head, leaving him dead at the altar.
July 27, 2008 - Knoxville, Tennessee - A gunman opens fire in a church during a youth performance, killing two people and injuring seven.
Dec. 9, 2007 - Colorado - Three people are killed and five wounded in two shooting rampages, one at a missionary school in suburban Denver and one at a church in Colorado Springs. The gunman in the second incident is killed by a guard.
May 20, 2007 - Moscow, Idaho - A standoff between police and a suspect in the shootings of three people in a Presbyterian Church ended with three dead, including one police officer.
Aug. 12, 2007 - Neosho, Missouri - First Congregational Church - 3 killed - Eiken Elam Saimon shot and killed the pastor and two deacons and wounded five others.
Oct. 2, 2006 - Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - Attack by a gunman who killed five girls and then himself, while not a church, occurs at an Amish school targeted a religious site.
May 21, 2006 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - The Ministry of Jesus Christ Church - 4 killed - The four at the church who were shot were members of Erica Bell's family; she was abducted and murdered elsewhere; Bell's mother, church pastor Claudia Brown, was seriously wounded - Anthony Bell, 25, was the shooter.
Feb. 26, 2006 - Detroit, Michigan - Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church - 2 killed + shooter - Kevin L. Collins, who reportedly went to the church looking for his girlfriend, later killed himself.
April 9, 2005 - College Park, Georgia - A 27-year-old airman died after being shot at a church, where he had once worked as a security guard.
March 12, 2005 - Brookfield, Wisconsin - Living Church of God - 7 killed + shooter - Terry Ratzmann opened fire on the congregation, killing seven and wounding four before taking his own life.
July 30, 2005 - College Park, Georgia - World Changers Church International - shooter killed - Air Force Staff Sgt. John Givens was shot five times by a police officer after charging the officer, following violent behavior.
Dec. 17, 2004, Garden Grove, Calif.: A veteran musician at the Crystal Cathedral shoots himself to death after a nine-hour standoff.
Oct. 5, 2003 - Atlanta, Georgia - Turner Monumental AME Church - 2 killed + shooter - Shelia Wilson walked into the church while preparations are being made for service and shot the pastor, her mother and then herself.
June 10, 2002 - Conception, Missouri - Benedictine monastery - 2 killed + shooter - Lloyd Robert Jeffress shot four monks in the monastery killing two and wounding two, before killing himself.
March 12, 2002 - Lynbrook, New York - Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church - 2 killed - Peter Troy, a former mental patient, opens fire during Mass, killing the priest and a parishioner. He later receives a life sentence.
May 18, 2001 - Hopkinsville, Kentucky - Greater Oak Missionary Baptist Church - 2 killed - Frederick Radford stood up in the middle of a revival service and began shooting at his estranged wife, Nicole Radford, killing her and a woman trying to help her.
Nov. 1, 2000, Kansas City: The wife of a minister fatally shoots her daughter and then herself.
Sept. 15, 1999 - Fort Worth, Texas - Wedgewood Baptist Church - 7 killed + shooter - Larry Gene Ashbrook shot dead seven people and injured a further seven at a concert by Christian rock group Forty Days in Fort Worth, Texas before killing himself.
April 15, 1999 - Salt Lake City, Utah - LDS Church Family History Library - 2 killed + shooter - Sergei Babarin, 70, with a history of mental illness, entered the library, killed two people and wounded four others before he was gunned down by police.
Michael Arceneaux
Contributor
AOL News (July 19) -- No matter what name you call your deity, there's a common theme among religious institutions in the land of Louisiana: You cannot trust your fellow man, not even in the House of God.
Gov. Bobby Jindal signed into law a bill that could easily be mistaken as satire: Concealed handguns are now a go in places of worship.
House Bill 1272, known has the "gun-in-church bill," was introduced by Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton.
The new law allows licensed gun owners who are part of a security force to carry concealed weapons into churches, mosques and synagogues.
Those who wish to pack heat while giving praise will have to take an extra eight hours of tactical training each year.
Does that make you feel any safer? No? If it helps, churches, synagogues and mosques choosing to allow concealed carry will have to inform their congregations of the decision.
Perhaps protective vests will finally get sold in the gun aisle at Walmart, too.
To be fair, the bill was not issued as an open love letter to the NRA.
It was presented as a way to give worshippers in "declining neighbors" a means of defense against criminals. More importantly, places of worship will not be forced to allow guns on their property.
Is this really the way to go?
While gun-rights supporters erupted in cheers for Gov. Jindal, a churchgoer in Wisconsin was startled at the sight of a fellow parishioner openly carrying a loaded Glock 9 mm handgun in church.
In response, the police were called. Though the gun carrier wouldn't mention her name, she did tell NBC's TM4J why she carries it.
She said: "I started carrying earlier this year. I'm getting older and fatter and slower and criminals are getting meaner."
Sadly, church violence is not uncommon.
There have been incidents of gun violence in Colorado and New Jersey in recent years. Back in 1980, a teacher by the name of Alvin Lee King III stormed inside a church with an AR-15 assault rifle, a hunting rifle and handguns and opened fire -- killing five and injuring 10.
In an interview with CBS 11 on the 30th anniversary of that shooting, Detective Jimmy Meeks of Hurst Police Department in Texas, who also travels the country teaching church security, argues that there's a certain mentality many religious people need to get over.
More Opinion on AOL News
Meeks says his mission "is helping get churches get beyond the mentality that 'we're safe in the house of God.' It is not a safe house in the mind of the criminal."
It's a sentiment echoed by John Monroe, an attorney for a gun-rights group assisting a Georgia minister suing Upson County to get guns inside his church.
Monroe told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, "Things happen in church. ... What we really want is the state not to say what can happen in church."
As frightening as the thought of criminals repeating such awful crimes in religious institutions is, I'm more alarmed that none of these gun rights supporters has concluded that if we had more gun control, the psychotic people who brought terror into church never would have had the opportunity to do so.
Though House Bill 1272 was introduced under the guise of preventing violence, I worry that it may ultimately make churches, synagogues and mosques more susceptible to it. Violence begets violence. How many more examples do we need to prove this point?
I understand the urgency for security in the religious community, but I don't believe laws like the "gun-in-church bill" are the answer.
Gun control is.
Here's a more complete list of church shootings over the last few years, and why more people need to have guns in church. Maybe this knucklehead needs to study his history a bit more.
March 8, 2009 - Maryville, Illinois - Suspect Terry Joe Sedlacek, 27, of Troy, walks into the First Baptist Church, and shoots pastor Fred Winters dead, point blank. Several church members are injured by a knife in the struggle to capture after the attack, The suspect also had stabbed himelf, but survived, when his gun jams.
Feb. 18, 2009 - Garden Grove, California - A man walks into the internationally known Crystal Cathedral, hands a greeter a note, then kneels in front of a cross and shoots himself in the head, leaving him dead at the altar.
July 27, 2008 - Knoxville, Tennessee - A gunman opens fire in a church during a youth performance, killing two people and injuring seven.
Dec. 9, 2007 - Colorado - Three people are killed and five wounded in two shooting rampages, one at a missionary school in suburban Denver and one at a church in Colorado Springs. The gunman in the second incident is killed by a guard.
May 20, 2007 - Moscow, Idaho - A standoff between police and a suspect in the shootings of three people in a Presbyterian Church ended with three dead, including one police officer.
Aug. 12, 2007 - Neosho, Missouri - First Congregational Church - 3 killed - Eiken Elam Saimon shot and killed the pastor and two deacons and wounded five others.
Oct. 2, 2006 - Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - Attack by a gunman who killed five girls and then himself, while not a church, occurs at an Amish school targeted a religious site.
May 21, 2006 - Baton Rouge, Louisiana - The Ministry of Jesus Christ Church - 4 killed - The four at the church who were shot were members of Erica Bell's family; she was abducted and murdered elsewhere; Bell's mother, church pastor Claudia Brown, was seriously wounded - Anthony Bell, 25, was the shooter.
Feb. 26, 2006 - Detroit, Michigan - Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church - 2 killed + shooter - Kevin L. Collins, who reportedly went to the church looking for his girlfriend, later killed himself.
April 9, 2005 - College Park, Georgia - A 27-year-old airman died after being shot at a church, where he had once worked as a security guard.
March 12, 2005 - Brookfield, Wisconsin - Living Church of God - 7 killed + shooter - Terry Ratzmann opened fire on the congregation, killing seven and wounding four before taking his own life.
July 30, 2005 - College Park, Georgia - World Changers Church International - shooter killed - Air Force Staff Sgt. John Givens was shot five times by a police officer after charging the officer, following violent behavior.
Dec. 17, 2004, Garden Grove, Calif.: A veteran musician at the Crystal Cathedral shoots himself to death after a nine-hour standoff.
Oct. 5, 2003 - Atlanta, Georgia - Turner Monumental AME Church - 2 killed + shooter - Shelia Wilson walked into the church while preparations are being made for service and shot the pastor, her mother and then herself.
June 10, 2002 - Conception, Missouri - Benedictine monastery - 2 killed + shooter - Lloyd Robert Jeffress shot four monks in the monastery killing two and wounding two, before killing himself.
March 12, 2002 - Lynbrook, New York - Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church - 2 killed - Peter Troy, a former mental patient, opens fire during Mass, killing the priest and a parishioner. He later receives a life sentence.
May 18, 2001 - Hopkinsville, Kentucky - Greater Oak Missionary Baptist Church - 2 killed - Frederick Radford stood up in the middle of a revival service and began shooting at his estranged wife, Nicole Radford, killing her and a woman trying to help her.
Nov. 1, 2000, Kansas City: The wife of a minister fatally shoots her daughter and then herself.
Sept. 15, 1999 - Fort Worth, Texas - Wedgewood Baptist Church - 7 killed + shooter - Larry Gene Ashbrook shot dead seven people and injured a further seven at a concert by Christian rock group Forty Days in Fort Worth, Texas before killing himself.
April 15, 1999 - Salt Lake City, Utah - LDS Church Family History Library - 2 killed + shooter - Sergei Babarin, 70, with a history of mental illness, entered the library, killed two people and wounded four others before he was gunned down by police.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Will Thousands Of Police Layoffs Unleash Chaos And Anarchy Across America?
Thousands of police officers have been laid off all across America since the current economic crisis began. Thousands more are getting ready to be laid off. So could we be on the verge of a new era of chaos and anarchy in America as crime runs wild and there are just far too few police to respond to it all? That is the message that one blood-smeared billboard in Stockton, California is trying to get across. Paid for by the Stockton, California police union, the message of the billboard is chillingly clear: “Welcome to the 2nd most dangerous city in California. Stop laying off cops.” As state, city and local governments across the United States continue to be devastated by the ongoing economic crisis, budget cuts are becoming much deeper and police forces have suddenly become a very popular target.
Officer Steve Leonesio, the president of the Stockton Police Officers Association, has announced that the police union plans to spend approximately $20,000 on at least 20 more billboards.
Why is the union putting up all of these billboards?
Well, it turns out that Stockton has been considering a plan to lay off 53 police officers in an effort to eliminate a $23 million budget deficit.
But law enforcement in Stockton has already been cut to the bone. Recently, the Stockton Police Department dropped this bombshell….
“We absolutely do not have any narcotics officers, narcotics sergeants working any kind of investigative narcotics type cases at this point in time.”
Do you think drug dealers will be flocking to Stockton after they hear that?
But the truth is that so many of these local governments around the nation are just flat broke at this point.
Even major cities are having to admit that they have accumulated such large debts that they cannot even afford to provide the most basic services any longer.
In Oakland, California the battle over police layoffs has made national headlines over the past couple of weeks. Oakland has laid off 80 police officers, and now the police chief says that there are some crimes that his department simply will not be able to respond to.
In fact, Chief Anthony Batts has compiled a list of exactly 44 situations, including grand theft, burglary, car wrecks, identity theft and vandalism, that his officers will not be available to handle any longer.
What in the world?
Once upon a time in America you could get a police officer to come out for just about anything – including for getting a cat down out of a tree.
But those days are long gone.
Today it is very hard to get a police officer to come out for anything short of murder.
The following is a partial list of crimes that police officers in Oakland will no longer be responding to….
burglary
theft
embezzlement
grand theft
grand theft: dog
identity theft
false information to peace officer
required to register as sex or arson offender
dump waste or offensive matter
discard appliance with lock
loud music
possess forged notes
pass fictitious check
obtain money by false voucher
fraudulent use of access cards
stolen license plate
embezzlement by an employee (over $ 400)
extortion
attempted extortion
false personification of other
injure telephone/power line
interfere with power line
unauthorized cable tv connection
vandalism
Not that Oakland wasn’t already a mess, but now how long do you think it will be before total chaos and anarchy reigns on the streets of Oakland?
But Oakland is far from alone.
The sheriff’s department in Ashtabula County, Ohio has been slashed from 112 to 49 deputies, and there is now just one vehicle remaining to patrol all 720 square miles of the county.
So what are the citizens of that county supposed to do to protect themselves?
Well, when asked about what they should do, Judge Alfred Mackey gave this stunning piece of advice….
“Arm themselves.”
So is that what we are left with?
Is American society degenerating into a “Road Warrior-style” wasteland where we are all left to fend for ourselves?
It gets really frightening when you start considering just how many police are actually being laid off across the United States….
*Acting State Police director Jonathon Monken has announced that the Illinois State Police will lay off more than 460 troopers and close five regional headquarters by this fall.
*Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford has proposed a plan to lay off 40 police officers.
*The police department in Vallejo, California will temporarily suspend its K-9 and SWAT programs at the end of the month in a move to delay officer layoffs.
*Last year, 18 special police units in Toledo, Ohio - including the gang task force and the mounted patrol – were eliminated or downsized in an effort to replace the 130 patrol officers who were laid off because of a $20.7 million budget deficit.
*Of 315 municipalities the New Jersey State Policemen’s union canvassed, more than half indicated that they were planning to lay off police officers.
*Four police officers in one town in New Jersey were greeted at work this past Monday morning with notices informing them that they will be laid off on August 31st.
*Police in Phoenix, Arizona have been told that more than 400 officers could be impacted by layoffs if “the worst case scenario” plays out.
*Police and firefighters in Flint, Michigan decided that layoffs were preferable to taking a 15 percent pay and benefits cut.
*The city of Maywood, California laid off all 68 of its employees July 1st and is now “contracting out” police services.
*In Colorado Springs, dozens of police positions are going unfilled and the police helicopters were put up for sale on the Internet.
The sad thing is that as local police forces across America are being stripped down or dismantled, many communities are opening their arms wide to increased federal law enforcement “assistance”.
In recent years, we have seen a large number of examples where the U.S. military is being used for domestic law enforcement, which is supposed to be against the law. In addition, federal government agencies are increasingly taking over the financing, training and even command of local police.
But is this “federalization” of local law enforcement a good thing?
Of course not.
Unfortunately we live at a time when almost everything is being centralized under federal government control. Of course this is completely contrary to everything that our founders intended, but most of our “officials” don’t seem too concerned about actually following the Constitution these days.
So what are you seeing in your own local community? Is the police force being slashed where you live? Is crime on the rise?
Time to get prepared, if you're not already.
Thousands of police officers have been laid off all across America since the current economic crisis began. Thousands more are getting ready to be laid off. So could we be on the verge of a new era of chaos and anarchy in America as crime runs wild and there are just far too few police to respond to it all? That is the message that one blood-smeared billboard in Stockton, California is trying to get across. Paid for by the Stockton, California police union, the message of the billboard is chillingly clear: “Welcome to the 2nd most dangerous city in California. Stop laying off cops.” As state, city and local governments across the United States continue to be devastated by the ongoing economic crisis, budget cuts are becoming much deeper and police forces have suddenly become a very popular target.
Officer Steve Leonesio, the president of the Stockton Police Officers Association, has announced that the police union plans to spend approximately $20,000 on at least 20 more billboards.
Why is the union putting up all of these billboards?
Well, it turns out that Stockton has been considering a plan to lay off 53 police officers in an effort to eliminate a $23 million budget deficit.
But law enforcement in Stockton has already been cut to the bone. Recently, the Stockton Police Department dropped this bombshell….
“We absolutely do not have any narcotics officers, narcotics sergeants working any kind of investigative narcotics type cases at this point in time.”
Do you think drug dealers will be flocking to Stockton after they hear that?
But the truth is that so many of these local governments around the nation are just flat broke at this point.
Even major cities are having to admit that they have accumulated such large debts that they cannot even afford to provide the most basic services any longer.
In Oakland, California the battle over police layoffs has made national headlines over the past couple of weeks. Oakland has laid off 80 police officers, and now the police chief says that there are some crimes that his department simply will not be able to respond to.
In fact, Chief Anthony Batts has compiled a list of exactly 44 situations, including grand theft, burglary, car wrecks, identity theft and vandalism, that his officers will not be available to handle any longer.
What in the world?
Once upon a time in America you could get a police officer to come out for just about anything – including for getting a cat down out of a tree.
But those days are long gone.
Today it is very hard to get a police officer to come out for anything short of murder.
The following is a partial list of crimes that police officers in Oakland will no longer be responding to….
burglary
theft
embezzlement
grand theft
grand theft: dog
identity theft
false information to peace officer
required to register as sex or arson offender
dump waste or offensive matter
discard appliance with lock
loud music
possess forged notes
pass fictitious check
obtain money by false voucher
fraudulent use of access cards
stolen license plate
embezzlement by an employee (over $ 400)
extortion
attempted extortion
false personification of other
injure telephone/power line
interfere with power line
unauthorized cable tv connection
vandalism
Not that Oakland wasn’t already a mess, but now how long do you think it will be before total chaos and anarchy reigns on the streets of Oakland?
But Oakland is far from alone.
The sheriff’s department in Ashtabula County, Ohio has been slashed from 112 to 49 deputies, and there is now just one vehicle remaining to patrol all 720 square miles of the county.
So what are the citizens of that county supposed to do to protect themselves?
Well, when asked about what they should do, Judge Alfred Mackey gave this stunning piece of advice….
“Arm themselves.”
So is that what we are left with?
Is American society degenerating into a “Road Warrior-style” wasteland where we are all left to fend for ourselves?
It gets really frightening when you start considering just how many police are actually being laid off across the United States….
*Acting State Police director Jonathon Monken has announced that the Illinois State Police will lay off more than 460 troopers and close five regional headquarters by this fall.
*Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford has proposed a plan to lay off 40 police officers.
*The police department in Vallejo, California will temporarily suspend its K-9 and SWAT programs at the end of the month in a move to delay officer layoffs.
*Last year, 18 special police units in Toledo, Ohio - including the gang task force and the mounted patrol – were eliminated or downsized in an effort to replace the 130 patrol officers who were laid off because of a $20.7 million budget deficit.
*Of 315 municipalities the New Jersey State Policemen’s union canvassed, more than half indicated that they were planning to lay off police officers.
*Four police officers in one town in New Jersey were greeted at work this past Monday morning with notices informing them that they will be laid off on August 31st.
*Police in Phoenix, Arizona have been told that more than 400 officers could be impacted by layoffs if “the worst case scenario” plays out.
*Police and firefighters in Flint, Michigan decided that layoffs were preferable to taking a 15 percent pay and benefits cut.
*The city of Maywood, California laid off all 68 of its employees July 1st and is now “contracting out” police services.
*In Colorado Springs, dozens of police positions are going unfilled and the police helicopters were put up for sale on the Internet.
The sad thing is that as local police forces across America are being stripped down or dismantled, many communities are opening their arms wide to increased federal law enforcement “assistance”.
In recent years, we have seen a large number of examples where the U.S. military is being used for domestic law enforcement, which is supposed to be against the law. In addition, federal government agencies are increasingly taking over the financing, training and even command of local police.
But is this “federalization” of local law enforcement a good thing?
Of course not.
Unfortunately we live at a time when almost everything is being centralized under federal government control. Of course this is completely contrary to everything that our founders intended, but most of our “officials” don’t seem too concerned about actually following the Constitution these days.
So what are you seeing in your own local community? Is the police force being slashed where you live? Is crime on the rise?
Time to get prepared, if you're not already.
Monday, July 12, 2010
3 self defense stories
Here are three episodes from the last few days in which armed citizens successfully defended themselves against attacks by criminals. Note that in one case the defender was a 26 year old woman, and in another a 79 year old man. A firearm levels the field, and allows a smaller or weaker person to defend themselves against the bigger and stronger.
Macon, Georgia
From the Publication of July 6, 2010
Armed robbery suspect in critical condition after gun battle at Macon store
A suspected armed robber is in critical condition after a gun battle erupted when the gunman started shooting at a Macon store clerk Monday night.
Rashan Lateel Jordan, 29, is undergoing treatment for a chest wound at The Medical Center of Central Georgia, according to hospital sources.
The gunman started shooting at a female employee at Expert Wireless at 3795 Mercer University Drive, according to a news release from the Macon Police Department. The 26-year-old worker fired back and wounded Jordan, who ran out of the store and tried to flee in a 2000 black Infiniti Q45. Jordan hit a curb and was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries, the release stated.
It's not clear if anything was taken from the store, as police have not released any further details.
Anyone with information is asked to call Macon Regional CrimeStoppers at (877) 68CRIME.
Cincinnati, Ohio
From Local12 of July 9, 2010
Man Tries To Rob Military Member, Is Shot
Police say a military member who just returned from a tour of duty overseas was involved in a gun battle that led to the shooting of an alleged robber late Thursday night.
Officers say a man on the street approached two men in a car in Mount Auburn around 11:30 p.m. The man on the street tried to rob the men in the car. But one of his alleged victims had a concealed carry permit and fired back.
The gun battle left the alleged robber with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and a man in the car with a gunshot wound to the arm. The alleged robber was taken to University Hospital. Police say he has since been released but they haven't released his name or said whether he faces charges.
The man in the car was also treated and released. Police tell Local 12 that one or both of the men in the car are military personnel just back from a tour of duty overseas.
A police dog helped detectives locate two handguns in a wooded area nearby.
Colton, California
From the Mercury News of June 26, 2010
Elderly man shoots, kills burglar in Colton home
A 79-year-old man has shot and killed a burglar climbing into his Southern California home.
Colton police Detective Jack Morenberg said Saturday that Richard Contreras shot and killed 37-year-old Fidel Escanuelas Thursday.
A police news release says Contreras saw a car back into the driveway of his Colton home, heard a noise in a bedroom, found Escanuelas climbing through a window and shot him once in the shoulder with a handgun. Escanuelas died at the scene.
Police say two other men, 24-year-old Trinidad Amador and 25-year-old Albaro Amaya, fled on foot. Amador was quickly caught and arrested on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy, and Amaya was arrested Friday.
Morenberg says he doesn't anticipate that Contreras will face any charges.
OK, so what do we learn from this?
-Carry your damn gun all the damn time! You don't get to pick when something will happen. As John Farnam says, "When it's least expected, you're selected!"
-Fight Back! The criminals only understand violence. Hit them hard and often.
-Shoot them to the ground! Handgun rounds are weak, and ammo is cheap. Having lots of rounds on board is a good thing.
Macon, Georgia
From the Publication of July 6, 2010
Armed robbery suspect in critical condition after gun battle at Macon store
A suspected armed robber is in critical condition after a gun battle erupted when the gunman started shooting at a Macon store clerk Monday night.
Rashan Lateel Jordan, 29, is undergoing treatment for a chest wound at The Medical Center of Central Georgia, according to hospital sources.
The gunman started shooting at a female employee at Expert Wireless at 3795 Mercer University Drive, according to a news release from the Macon Police Department. The 26-year-old worker fired back and wounded Jordan, who ran out of the store and tried to flee in a 2000 black Infiniti Q45. Jordan hit a curb and was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries, the release stated.
It's not clear if anything was taken from the store, as police have not released any further details.
Anyone with information is asked to call Macon Regional CrimeStoppers at (877) 68CRIME.
Cincinnati, Ohio
From Local12 of July 9, 2010
Man Tries To Rob Military Member, Is Shot
Police say a military member who just returned from a tour of duty overseas was involved in a gun battle that led to the shooting of an alleged robber late Thursday night.
Officers say a man on the street approached two men in a car in Mount Auburn around 11:30 p.m. The man on the street tried to rob the men in the car. But one of his alleged victims had a concealed carry permit and fired back.
The gun battle left the alleged robber with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and a man in the car with a gunshot wound to the arm. The alleged robber was taken to University Hospital. Police say he has since been released but they haven't released his name or said whether he faces charges.
The man in the car was also treated and released. Police tell Local 12 that one or both of the men in the car are military personnel just back from a tour of duty overseas.
A police dog helped detectives locate two handguns in a wooded area nearby.
Colton, California
From the Mercury News of June 26, 2010
Elderly man shoots, kills burglar in Colton home
A 79-year-old man has shot and killed a burglar climbing into his Southern California home.
Colton police Detective Jack Morenberg said Saturday that Richard Contreras shot and killed 37-year-old Fidel Escanuelas Thursday.
A police news release says Contreras saw a car back into the driveway of his Colton home, heard a noise in a bedroom, found Escanuelas climbing through a window and shot him once in the shoulder with a handgun. Escanuelas died at the scene.
Police say two other men, 24-year-old Trinidad Amador and 25-year-old Albaro Amaya, fled on foot. Amador was quickly caught and arrested on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy, and Amaya was arrested Friday.
Morenberg says he doesn't anticipate that Contreras will face any charges.
OK, so what do we learn from this?
-Carry your damn gun all the damn time! You don't get to pick when something will happen. As John Farnam says, "When it's least expected, you're selected!"
-Fight Back! The criminals only understand violence. Hit them hard and often.
-Shoot them to the ground! Handgun rounds are weak, and ammo is cheap. Having lots of rounds on board is a good thing.
Bombers Kill 64 World Cup Fans in Uganda
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/07/11/uganda-bombs-explode-sites-deaths-feared-somali-militia-blamed/
What does this have to do with guns? Just this: having your gun all the time is important, but isn't the answer to everything. Learn first aid skills, beyond the standard First Aid/CPR. Take all the advanced medical classes you can, and have your gear handy. Not only can you save your own life, but the lives of your family members.
What does this have to do with guns? Just this: having your gun all the time is important, but isn't the answer to everything. Learn first aid skills, beyond the standard First Aid/CPR. Take all the advanced medical classes you can, and have your gear handy. Not only can you save your own life, but the lives of your family members.
If you could have only one...
While I don't particularly care to think about having only one gun, it's good to sometime think about a case where you might only be able to have one with you. Skeeter Skelton, one of my favorite old time gun writers, chose the .357 Magnum revolver, and after much thought, I would have to go the same way.
My choice for this would be my Ruger Blackhawk .357 Magnum single action revolver with a 6 1/2" barrel. I would also include with it the 9mm auxilliary cylinder. It takes only a moment to replace, and a couple of turns of the screwdriver to change the sights. This combo allows me to shoot 3 different calibers in one gun. After shooting for the last 30 years, and being an instructor for long time, the two toughest brands out there are the Glock semi-autos, and Ruger revolvers.
The .357 Magnum, when properly handloaded, can take any game in the lower 48 states. Plus, I can shoot inexpensive .38 Special ammo for practice or small game shooting. My normal working load is a Cast Performance 180 grain Lead Flat Point with gas check. I load it fairly hot, because the Blackhawk will take it. I also have a bullet mold and tools to make the same bullet if I can't get it commercially.
The 9mm cylinder allows me to take advantage of one of the most popular rounds on the market today. Having 3 calibers in one gun, in a survival, end of the world, or living a ways out situation, is pretty cool! While it may not be the perfect concealed carry gun, it can be done with the proper holster and clothing. I use a Simply Rugged Sourdough pancake holster for concealment, and a custom belt and holster, also from Simply Rugged, for general use.
There are a lot of folks who will say a .22 rifle or pistol is better, or perhaps the 12 gauge shotgun. Those are good choices also, and I won't begrudge anyone who chooses them. But, I'll stick with my .357 Magnum.
My choice for this would be my Ruger Blackhawk .357 Magnum single action revolver with a 6 1/2" barrel. I would also include with it the 9mm auxilliary cylinder. It takes only a moment to replace, and a couple of turns of the screwdriver to change the sights. This combo allows me to shoot 3 different calibers in one gun. After shooting for the last 30 years, and being an instructor for long time, the two toughest brands out there are the Glock semi-autos, and Ruger revolvers.
The .357 Magnum, when properly handloaded, can take any game in the lower 48 states. Plus, I can shoot inexpensive .38 Special ammo for practice or small game shooting. My normal working load is a Cast Performance 180 grain Lead Flat Point with gas check. I load it fairly hot, because the Blackhawk will take it. I also have a bullet mold and tools to make the same bullet if I can't get it commercially.
The 9mm cylinder allows me to take advantage of one of the most popular rounds on the market today. Having 3 calibers in one gun, in a survival, end of the world, or living a ways out situation, is pretty cool! While it may not be the perfect concealed carry gun, it can be done with the proper holster and clothing. I use a Simply Rugged Sourdough pancake holster for concealment, and a custom belt and holster, also from Simply Rugged, for general use.
There are a lot of folks who will say a .22 rifle or pistol is better, or perhaps the 12 gauge shotgun. Those are good choices also, and I won't begrudge anyone who chooses them. But, I'll stick with my .357 Magnum.
Class this weekend; gun law sites
http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/july17-182010-closerangegunfighting-hallsvillemo.aspx
Still have a few spots for the Close Range Gunfighting course this weekend in Hallsville, MO. It should be an exciting class with this many people, so come out and join us!
http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/MOSL.pdf
www.handgunlaw.us.
If you need info on concealed carry laws around the country, or info on the state of Missouri, here are a couple of sites for you to check out.
Still have a few spots for the Close Range Gunfighting course this weekend in Hallsville, MO. It should be an exciting class with this many people, so come out and join us!
http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/MOSL.pdf
www.handgunlaw.us.
If you need info on concealed carry laws around the country, or info on the state of Missouri, here are a couple of sites for you to check out.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Dog Attacks in Springfield, MO
Dog Attacks Almost 'Epidemic'
Friday, July 09, 2010
The Springfield postmaster says dog attacks have almost become an epidemic in the city. Postmaster Bill Brayman says mail carriers had to quit delivering mail to one neighborhood near Kansas and Nichols because of a vicious dog. Brayman says he sent two warning letters to the dog's owner. But he says nothing changed. Now, he says about two dozen people have to put up new mail boxes. Brayman says two carriers were attacked in different neighborhoods this week. There have been over 30 incidents reported over the last two years.
Stupid people! Look, if you think it's cute to let your dog run loose and chase people, don't be surprised when one of us shoots it!
Carry your gun all the time, folks. 2 legged predators aren't the only thing to worry about in the city. Or the country, for that matter.
-Followed my own advice, and took the boys shooting yesterday at a new indoor range in Ozark, Sound of Freedom, USA. www.sof-usa.com. Shot mainly .22s and .38s. The boys had a great time, and so did I. Even got to help a new shooter on the range, so it was a pretty good day. If you want the firearms tradition to continue, get your kids out there, and teach them right. Besides, the memories you create are worth more than all the money in the world.
Check out Sound of Freedom-USA, too. Anytime we have a new range, especially one as nice as this, they deserve our support.
Friday, July 09, 2010
The Springfield postmaster says dog attacks have almost become an epidemic in the city. Postmaster Bill Brayman says mail carriers had to quit delivering mail to one neighborhood near Kansas and Nichols because of a vicious dog. Brayman says he sent two warning letters to the dog's owner. But he says nothing changed. Now, he says about two dozen people have to put up new mail boxes. Brayman says two carriers were attacked in different neighborhoods this week. There have been over 30 incidents reported over the last two years.
Stupid people! Look, if you think it's cute to let your dog run loose and chase people, don't be surprised when one of us shoots it!
Carry your gun all the time, folks. 2 legged predators aren't the only thing to worry about in the city. Or the country, for that matter.
-Followed my own advice, and took the boys shooting yesterday at a new indoor range in Ozark, Sound of Freedom, USA. www.sof-usa.com. Shot mainly .22s and .38s. The boys had a great time, and so did I. Even got to help a new shooter on the range, so it was a pretty good day. If you want the firearms tradition to continue, get your kids out there, and teach them right. Besides, the memories you create are worth more than all the money in the world.
Check out Sound of Freedom-USA, too. Anytime we have a new range, especially one as nice as this, they deserve our support.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Don't mess with the old guy!
Knife Wielding Home Invaders Put in Hospital by 80 Year Old John Wayne Fan
wfaa.com - Dallas/Fort Worth
Police said one man is in the hospital after an elderly North Texas man took action into his own hands when confronted by two armed brothers inside his home Saturday night.
Police said they believe the brothers went to 80-year-old James Pickett's home with the intent to rob him, and even possibly kill him. However, Pickett - a World War II veteran, former fighter and lifelong John Wayne devotee - wasn't about to let that happen.
It all began Saturday night when Pickett said he opened his door and two men barged inside."He just come through that door stabbing and beating," he said.However, Pickett said just before he went to answer the door, he had first placed a pistol into his pocket.
"And he jumped and turned, and I shot him there," he said.The two brothers, Paul and Holden Perry, ran, but didn't get far before calling an ambulance. One of the bullets just missed Paul Perry's spine.
"He's my hero," said one neighbor of Pickett."Well, I ain't got no business being a hero, by no means," he said.
Both brothers face assault, burglary and robbery charges.
Deputies assured Pickett they aren't likely to get out of jail anytime soon. However, he didn't seem that worried anyhow."I think I'm a ten times better shot than he is," he said. "... But, they best not come back."
And a John Wayne fan to boot!
Goes to show, never open the door for people you don't know, and always have your gun handy! This is what we call "disparity of force;" 2 young guys vs. one older guy. However, in this case, the bad guys failed "Victim Selection 101."
wfaa.com - Dallas/Fort Worth
Police said one man is in the hospital after an elderly North Texas man took action into his own hands when confronted by two armed brothers inside his home Saturday night.
Police said they believe the brothers went to 80-year-old James Pickett's home with the intent to rob him, and even possibly kill him. However, Pickett - a World War II veteran, former fighter and lifelong John Wayne devotee - wasn't about to let that happen.
It all began Saturday night when Pickett said he opened his door and two men barged inside."He just come through that door stabbing and beating," he said.However, Pickett said just before he went to answer the door, he had first placed a pistol into his pocket.
"And he jumped and turned, and I shot him there," he said.The two brothers, Paul and Holden Perry, ran, but didn't get far before calling an ambulance. One of the bullets just missed Paul Perry's spine.
"He's my hero," said one neighbor of Pickett."Well, I ain't got no business being a hero, by no means," he said.
Both brothers face assault, burglary and robbery charges.
Deputies assured Pickett they aren't likely to get out of jail anytime soon. However, he didn't seem that worried anyhow."I think I'm a ten times better shot than he is," he said. "... But, they best not come back."
And a John Wayne fan to boot!
Goes to show, never open the door for people you don't know, and always have your gun handy! This is what we call "disparity of force;" 2 young guys vs. one older guy. However, in this case, the bad guys failed "Victim Selection 101."
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Upcoming training...
This is what I have coming up in the next couple of months, through Suarez International:
Close Range Gunfighting
http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/july17-182010-closerangegunfighting-hallsvillemo.aspx
High Risk Operator-Personal Security Detail
http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/personalsecuritydetailoperator.aspx
Defensive Knife
http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/september18-192010-defensiveknife-hallsvillemo.aspx
If you want to learn to be a better fighter, get to class. Or, get in touch with me and let me know if there is something in particular you're looking for.
Close Range Gunfighting
http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/july17-182010-closerangegunfighting-hallsvillemo.aspx
High Risk Operator-Personal Security Detail
http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/personalsecuritydetailoperator.aspx
Defensive Knife
http://www.suarezinternationalstore.com/september18-192010-defensiveknife-hallsvillemo.aspx
If you want to learn to be a better fighter, get to class. Or, get in touch with me and let me know if there is something in particular you're looking for.
Teach your children well...
It's high time for all shooters in this country to get off the couch and take a kid shooting.
If the next generation doesn't learn from us, we'll lose our gun rights, eventually. They have to understand the importance of the 2d Amendment to our nation.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union routinely taught its young people how to shoot, how to move, etc. They wanted to make sure the entire populace was prepared for war. We used to do the same, before we became a nation of indulgent, self important whiners.
Take a kid, any kid, out shooting. Teach them the history of this country, and the role marksmanship has played in it. Stop expecting someone else to do it for you! It is up to every one of us to raise our children in the way they should go.
If the next generation doesn't learn from us, we'll lose our gun rights, eventually. They have to understand the importance of the 2d Amendment to our nation.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union routinely taught its young people how to shoot, how to move, etc. They wanted to make sure the entire populace was prepared for war. We used to do the same, before we became a nation of indulgent, self important whiners.
Take a kid, any kid, out shooting. Teach them the history of this country, and the role marksmanship has played in it. Stop expecting someone else to do it for you! It is up to every one of us to raise our children in the way they should go.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
New Missouri Pro Gun Laws!
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?id=5947
Thursday, July 01, 2010
On the evening of Friday, June 25, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (D) signed House Bill 2081 into law.
House Bill 2081, sponsored by State Representative Jeanie Riddle (R-20), specifies that a pregnant woman may use deadly force if she reasonably believes that deadly force is necessary to protect her unborn child against death, serious physical injury, or any forcible felony. Under current Missouri State statute, a pregnant woman can be criminally charged if she uses deadly force to protect her unborn child when violently attacked. (It's pretty bad when there has to be a law for a woman to protect her child, unborn or not. )
However, since being transmitted to him on May 25, House Bill 1692 remains on Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) desk, awaiting consideration.HB1692, introduced by State Representative Jason Smith (R-150), contains numerous pro-gun provisions, such as: expanding Missouri’s “Castle Doctrine” protections to any property boundaries one leases or owns; capping the sheriff fee at $10 for permit holders who change addresses; and clarifying the language, “intoxicated with a firearm,” so that the person cannot be charged with a felony if they lawfully possess firearms in their home while intoxicated. This provision also extends to self-defense. HB1692 would also allow a prosecutor with a Right-to-Carry permit to carry in a courthouse, and with the judge’s permission, in the courtroom as well. If signed, the bill would also bring Missouri’s gun laws into compliance with federal law exempting antique firearms from “unlawful possession” citations.It is important that important self-defense legislation like HB1692 be signed into law.
Please contact Governor Nixon and respectfully urge him to sign HB 1692. The Governor can be reached by phone at (573) 751-3222 or visit http://governor.mo.gov/contact/ to send email.
If you live in Missouri, contact the Governor and let him know that this needs to be signed into law ASAP, and remember to thank him for supporting Right To Carry!
Thursday, July 01, 2010
On the evening of Friday, June 25, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon (D) signed House Bill 2081 into law.
House Bill 2081, sponsored by State Representative Jeanie Riddle (R-20), specifies that a pregnant woman may use deadly force if she reasonably believes that deadly force is necessary to protect her unborn child against death, serious physical injury, or any forcible felony. Under current Missouri State statute, a pregnant woman can be criminally charged if she uses deadly force to protect her unborn child when violently attacked. (It's pretty bad when there has to be a law for a woman to protect her child, unborn or not. )
However, since being transmitted to him on May 25, House Bill 1692 remains on Governor Jay Nixon’s (D) desk, awaiting consideration.HB1692, introduced by State Representative Jason Smith (R-150), contains numerous pro-gun provisions, such as: expanding Missouri’s “Castle Doctrine” protections to any property boundaries one leases or owns; capping the sheriff fee at $10 for permit holders who change addresses; and clarifying the language, “intoxicated with a firearm,” so that the person cannot be charged with a felony if they lawfully possess firearms in their home while intoxicated. This provision also extends to self-defense. HB1692 would also allow a prosecutor with a Right-to-Carry permit to carry in a courthouse, and with the judge’s permission, in the courtroom as well. If signed, the bill would also bring Missouri’s gun laws into compliance with federal law exempting antique firearms from “unlawful possession” citations.It is important that important self-defense legislation like HB1692 be signed into law.
Please contact Governor Nixon and respectfully urge him to sign HB 1692. The Governor can be reached by phone at (573) 751-3222 or visit http://governor.mo.gov/contact/ to send email.
If you live in Missouri, contact the Governor and let him know that this needs to be signed into law ASAP, and remember to thank him for supporting Right To Carry!
Friday, July 2, 2010
It's Independence Day weekend, and while everyone is celebrating, remember our service members fighting for our way of life, and all our veterans, living and passed. I'd ask you to read our country's history, and what was sacrificed for our freedom.
Have a Happy, and safe, Independence Day weekend!
I didn't write this, but I thought I'd share it with you, especially on this holiday:
WHAT IS A VET?
Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg - or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity.
Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?
He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in SaudiArabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel.
He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks,whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in thec osmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.
She - or he - is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.
He is the POW who went away one person and came back another- or didn't come back AT ALL.
He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat-but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other's backs.
He is the parade - riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbonsand medals with a prosthetic hand.
He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.
He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized withthem on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.
He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket -palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death campand who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.
He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being - a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.
He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say "Thank You."
That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.
Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU."
"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag."
Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
Have a Happy, and safe, Independence Day weekend!
I didn't write this, but I thought I'd share it with you, especially on this holiday:
WHAT IS A VET?
Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg - or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity.
Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?
He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in SaudiArabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel.
He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks,whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in thec osmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.
She - or he - is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.
He is the POW who went away one person and came back another- or didn't come back AT ALL.
He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat-but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other's backs.
He is the parade - riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbonsand medals with a prosthetic hand.
He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.
He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized withthem on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.
He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket -palsied now and aggravatingly slow - who helped liberate a Nazi death campand who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.
He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being - a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.
He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say "Thank You."
That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.
Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU."
"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag."
Father Dennis Edward O'Brien, USMC
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