Special to L. Neil Smith's The Libertarian Enterprise
Before we begin, I must extend my apologies to those who enjoy these rants—my internet took a walk without me on Thursday, and didn't return 'til Monday. Soooo, no rant last week. I do NOT apologize to the frothers who hoped I was dead, or forgot how to write, or had just quit doing the rants. Tough cookies, deal with the disappointment.
Now that THAT'S out of the way, we can begin the actual rant as we prefer to—with that paragon of perfection, that advocate of self-authority, my dear Mama Liberty. We have two from the lovely lass, because this IS, after all, my Ultra big Double Gun Rant. First, we deal with active shooter drills. [Link]
‘Active Shooter’ Drills Spark Raft of Legal Complaints Wall Street Journal on-line DENVER—When Michelle Meeker approached a strange man last October at the Colorado nursing home where she worked, the man flashed a gun and forced her into an empty room as she tearfully begged for her life, she said.
Unbeknown to Ms. Meeker, the gunman was a local police officer and the entire episode a drill, arranged by the retirement home’s management to prepare employees for an armed-intruder scenario.
A friend sent this to me this morning, asking what I thought of it. I spent a number of years participating in community emergency drills, was the emergency shelter nurse for a long time, and have spent a good part of the last ten years as a certified firearms and self defense instructor. I’ve been a professional educator for nursing a good part of my life besides, so I have a fair idea of how people learn, as well as how they respond to emergencies.
DO read on. Then, there's THIS link to the next one, about practicing for self defense. [Link]
Last time, in “How Do You Practice for Self Defense,” I outlined the first of the “dry fire” exercises I recommend to all my students. When you are happy with your progress there, you will be ready to work on the next one. Remember that these exercises are cumulative, not consecutive. Continue to be aware of and practice previously honed skills as you advance to new things. Never forget that in an emergency, filled with fear and adrenalin, you will respond as you have trained.
So, what’s next? Have you decided how you want to carry your gun? Have you spent some real time looking into the various options and gear you’ll need to do so? What? You decided not to carry? Content to stay home the rest of your life? (Subject for another time, of course.) OK, but if you won’t carry it, have you spent any time really planning how you might get hold of that gun in an emergency?
Either way, you need to practice seriously in order to have any chance to use that gun effectively. Safe access to the gun is also a big plus at the range, and if you plan to go on to any sort of competition or group shooting. Someone fumbling around with a holster or in their clothing for a loaded gun (and they are all “loaded,” right?) quite naturally makes other people nervous and apprehensive.
As usual, the lady makes a TON of sense.
It seems we have quite a few police officers acting like the thugs they actually are this week. [Link] Here's a Dad tased at least 4 times for.... telling cops his son is autistic.
On May 18, Sherman received a call from his 22 year old autistic son saying that he was being ticketed by the police. Doing what any father would do, he jumped in his car and sped over to where his son was pulled over.
Upon arriving on the scene, Sherman did not exit his car, and he kept it running. He simply pulled up alongside his son’s vehicle to alert the officer that his son was autistic, a very smart move considering how we have been seeing police handle people with disabilities (see Kelly Thomas, Yanira Serrano, Ezell Ford, Ryan Maldonado, Antonio Martinez, Robert Saylor, to name a few).
After informing the officer that he was the young man’s father, the officer demanded Sherman leave or be arrested. Sherman did not pull away, so the officer told him he was under arrest and headed towards Sherman’s vehicle.
It gets worse from there. Then we move on to... This one. Isn't it wonderful how our wonderful men in blue protected these children from their terminally ill father? [Link] Why the hell do we tolerate this type of action, then allow the COPS to charge an INNOCENT MAN for the side effects of his terminal disease?
As my uncle and his two children headed towards the store before heading to the park together they crossed an intersection to the other side when the stroller became hung up on the curb. As the light changed, to keep his children out of harms way he hurriedly put his two year old on the curb, told her to stay put and pulled the stroller up on the curb.
In this moment someone mistook my uncles actions to keep his kids safe as child abuse. The police were then called and approached him down the street and began to question him. Assuming because of his appearance he was high on narcotics with out reason they began to sub due him, macing and beating him in the head as he fell to his face were he was then held with a great amount of force by two officers double his size as a third one landed on his torso.
For the the next ten minutes as my cousins watch unattended, my uncle pleads and cries out in pain for the lack of breath and agony being applied to him.
Unknown to the police my uncle suffers from Huntington’s disease. For those unfamiliar it is very similar to Parkinson’s. So as he lay there uncontrollably moving due to his terminal condition, he is forcefully detained to the point of screaming for help. He is spitting blood and drowning in it and the officer holding his head only applies more pressure and instructs him to “quit spitting”.
Disgusting.
Does this video offend you as much as it does me? [Link] Your papers, please. Compliance is mandatory. TSA tries (and fails miserably) to ease fears of kids going through screening. Of course, the video ignores the rubber gloves and sexual assaults.
Veto the safety of Missouri kids, Governor Nixon? SURPRISE!! They overrode you! [Link]
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers expanded the potential for teachers to bring guns to schools and for residents to openly carry firearms, in a vote Thursday that capped a two-year effort by the Republican-led Legislature to expand gun rights over the objection of the Democratic governor.
The new law will allow specially trained school employees to carry concealed guns on campuses. It also allows anyone with a concealed weapons permit to carry guns openly, even in cities or towns with bans against the open carrying of firearms. The age to obtain a concealed weapons permit also will drop from 21 to 19.
A more far-reaching measure that sought to nullify federal gun control laws had died in the final hours of the legislative session in May. Gov. Jay Nixon had vetoed a similar bill last year that could have subjected federal officers to state criminal charges and lawsuits for attempting to enforce federal gun control laws.
The new regulations, which this time garnered the two-thirds majority needed to override Nixon's veto, take effect in about a month.
Not a total victory, but a lot of good nonetheless.
I just might have to give YaHoo a little business because of this. [Link] Yeah, I know—it's not guns, but it IS important to fight for ALL our rights, not just the 2nd.
The program allowed US intelligence services to sweep up massive amounts of data from major Internet firms including Yahoo and Google.
Bell said 1,500 pages of documents were ordered released by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in the case dating from 2007. He said that in 2007, the government "amended a key law to demand user information from online services."
"We refused to comply with what we viewed as unconstitutional and overbroad surveillance and challenged the US government's authority," he said.
Yahoo's court challenge failed and it was forced to hand over the data. The court records were kept sealed.
"At one point, the US government threatened the imposition of $250,000 in fines per day if we refused to comply," Bell said.
Since the Snowden leaks, Yahoo and others have been seeking to make public these court documents to show they were forced to comply with government requests and made numerous attempts to fight these efforts.
Yeah, I know they lost, But they tried. And we need to support them for it.
A full-on sexual assault by police on a busy street. Way to go BALTIMORE PD!!!! [Link]
According to the lawsuit, police asked Lyons if he had any drugs on him, to which he responded, “no.”
However the police did not believe him. Baltimore Police proceeded to pull down this man’s pants, spread his legs, and conduct a cavity search in the middle of the sidewalk in full view of passersby, according to the lawsuit.
I sure as shit hope he wins the suit, AND gets the pigs charged with forcible sodomy.
SO let me see if I get this straight- AFTER completing your flight, AFTER having had a full body sexual assault, er,,, pat down, and after having reached your destination, the TSA may STILL demand you submit to ANOTHER full-body sexual assault (aka "patdown"). Well, THIS man told them "NO" and meant it.
Video of the incident shows Nygard asking if he is being detained by TSA agents as an officer requests that Nygard follow him into a private screening room.
“Sir, where are you going?” asks TSA agent Alex Grossman as Nygard begins to leave the airport.
After Nygard says he left his boarding pass on the plane, the TSA officer makes a call before asking Nygard to undergo further screening that “may or may not have been completed in Minneapolis.”
“Why can’t I just leave the premises?” asks Nygard, adding, “Why do you need to do more screening if I travel from point A to point B safely, why does there now need to be more screening before I leave?”
Grossman says Nygard is not being detained but continues to demand he undergo a “complete screening” which includes a search of his body and his bags.
When Nygard states that he is going to leave, the TSA agent threatens to call Denver police who will apprehend Nygard “for refusing our direction.” The agent is unable to provide a statute or law under which this is permissible.
Nygard then leaves the airport as Grossman calls the police. Nygard was able to leave the airport without being apprehended by law enforcement.
Stand up for your rights. Fuck the TSA.
Gotta wonder, though, if he'll be on the "No Fly" list in the morning. They actually made him leave the plane before everyone else for their attempt. [Link] I REALLY like it when he said "Am I being detained?", got a no, and said "Fine! I'm leaving!".
WARNING! SKIP THIS ONE IF YOU HAVE A HEART!! Nothing to do with guns. But it tore my heart out. [Link]
Dave Molter’s breath to his stricken wife Corrine during CPR would be his last.
Police in South Carolina say an elderly couple was found dead by a caregiver in their Lake Wylie home on Monday when there was no response at the door.
Dave Molter, 84, was found on top of his wife, Corrine, 83. It didn’t take long for investigators to determine what took place: the man gave his last breath to his dying wife, to no avail. At some point, while trying to revive her, Molter died, citing a report from WSOC.
Gotta go now, can't see to type........
I believe I've made my stance on the Flag pretty clear, but let me make sure you have it BEFORE I continue. I fly a 13 star American flag at home. Right over, actually, the Gadsen Flag (the rattlesnake/Don't Tread on Me). I have ZERO problem with the owner of a flag burning it in protest. And I believe it is the right of ANY American to fly the American flag or any other flag they choose from their property—owned or rented. I do NOT believe ANY town has the right to prohibit flying ANY flag. Now, to the story. [Link]
The city of Ocala, Florida, is going after a local small-business man, threatening to fine him $250 to $500 per day if he doesn’t remove a Gadsden flag from the front of his knife business. Gear Barrel owner Keith Greenberg told The Blaze, “This is a shock. Honestly, I feel like this is Russia. I’ve been around the world … this is what you expect in really closed countries where there is no freedom of expression. Not here — so it’s shocking.”
Greenberg said he was told by city officials that he could fly an American flag in front of his business, but nothing else.
“We find ourselves in a sad place where local municipalities are stepping all over people’s freedom with the signing of a pen,” he said. Wonder who they could have learned that from? Anyway, the city’s rule is a bit confusing, Greenberg feels, because he sees other businesses flying flags other than the American flag, including a pub that flies the Irish flag and a car dealership flying the Mexican flag
Now, I really don't give a shit if you fly a Mexican flag over your car dealership, or an Irish flag over your pub, or hell, a Nazi flag at your house. It's called freedom of speech, people. Gotta accept that speech we don't like as much as the speech we do. But I have to wonder why a Mexican flag or an Irish flag is still flying, and the Gadsen flag is prohibited. I say to Mr. Greenberg to fly away, and refuse to pay the fines. Take the bastards to court over it.
Can you believe the NERVE of this woman? She threatens to KILL a man just because he's broken in to her house!! [Link]
On September 2 an armed Omaha, Nebraska woman cornered an intruder in her house and told him not to move or she'd "blow his 'bleeping' head off."
The intruder complied.
According to Omaha.com, 52-year-old Barbara Haley was home alone when she heard a noise around 3 am. She grabbed her gun, walked through her house, and found nothing. She went back to bed and heard a "huge crash," after which she grabbed her gun again and went looking. Her dog led her to a bedroom closet where she found the intruder. She pointed her gun at him and said, "Don't move or I'll blow your 'bleeping' head off. "The suspect began "begging her to ease off" and she told him to "shut up." She then "cocked the gun so he could hear it," called 911, and held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived. Haley's husband was out of town when the home invasion took place. Before leaving town, he showed her how to take the handgun out of the holster in case she needed it. He told her: "If you have to use it, you want to use it right."
How are cops going to earn their salaries if women like this dare to stop criminals without the police?
You have simply GOT to watch this video—the idiots who made it think it shows why we need to ban guns. In fact, it shows why ANY woman who supports gun control is actually demanding that she be kept the defenseless victim. The son would have been safe, and the violent scumbag would have been dead, if she'd grabbed a gun instead of the phone. He was in the house for 10+ seconds before he drew his pistol—he'd'a been dead for 8 of them if she'd had a gun. [Link] I thank you, the Anti-Gun Victim Disarmers, for doing my job for me.
Another fine example of our fine law enforcement officers engaging in anti-Constitutional activities. We'll ignore (NOT!!!) their military raid consisting of 5 military-grade vehicles, heavily armed SWAT members dressing and acting like the Army in Fallujah rather than cops in America, and concentrate on their apparent refusal to pay attention to the Constitution as it pertains to OUR right to film police at work. While they may ASK us to remain behind closed doors in order to remain out of the line of fire, they have NO right to ORDER is to remain indoors and away from windows, and to order us to cease filming their activities. [Link] This man was ARRESTED for filming them at work, his Constitutional right. We'll see how it plays out over time.
You have GOT to watch this video—it's scary-good. [Link] It's sad hearing a citizen saying he's afraid of the police, even though it's actually the smart thing to be, especially if you are unarmed. But the video shows you CAN shut down the Sturm-troopers.
Officer: Can you turn that [camera] off?
Avarel: No, I can’t.
Officer: I said turn it off.
Avarel: No.
Officer: Turn that off because I don’t know what it is.
Avarel: It’s a CELL PHONE.
Officer: What’s your name?
Avarel: I don’t have to tell you that. Do you have warrant? First of all I need three types of I.D. to explain who you are, because you could be anybody dressed up in a uniform.
Officer: You wanna play games? I’m gonna drag you out…
Avarel: That’s why I’m recording this. Straight to Youtube.
[Police continue to threaten to search the home and request the man's identification]
Avarel: Do you have a warrant? Or do you suspect me of committing a crime? There’s nobody in here. If you want to check, please go get a warrant.
…
Avarel: It’s the law. And right now you are in violation of color and law, because you are at my door with guns and I fear for my life. I have committed no crime. This is law. I am not harboring a fugitive. You have no evidence, video or audio. There’s no fugitive.
…
Officer: Would you allow us to search your house?
Avarel: Get a warrant.
[door closes]
An edited transcript of the tape—the WHOLE thing is educational.
New Fucking York. Our beloved Capo di Tutti Capi (Boss of all Bosses) Don Andrew Cuomo masterpiece, the NYSafe Act, is bearing fruit even as I write this. People manufactured rifles designed to comply with his anti-Constitutional law, got them approved, made and sold hundreds, and now, this bastard is sending his sturm-troopers out to harass the buyers. [Link]
The owner of a New York gun shop says he was given 24 hours to comply with a “request” from the New York State Police to turn over records of all customers who have purchased “bullet button” AR-15 rifles since the passage of the hastily-passed SAFE Act in 2013.
Joseph F. Palumbo, owner of the Albion Gun Shop in Albion, New York, told TheBlaze on Wednesday he had no choice but to turn over roughly 165 customer records last week. Now, both he and his customers are concerned that “door-to-door confiscation” or “warrantless searches” could come next.
An AR-15 with a “bullet button” modification makes it so the rifle’s magazine is not detachable without a special tool. Though the legality of bullet button semi-automatic rifles appears to murky under the SAFE Act’s unclear definition of a “detachable” magazine, Palumbo said he was only recently informed in “vague” terms that the weapons he sold are not compliant under the law.
Now, according to a local dealer I asked, these "bullet button" ARs are legal, and were approved within days of passage of this disgusting law. He, too, has been ordered to turn over his records, but he has refused for a simple reason—NO WARRANT WAS PROVIDED.
IIt is illegal to purchase or sell semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines in New York following the passage of the SAFE Act. Rifles obtained before the gun control law was passed are required to be registered with the state government. The law also limits all magazine capacity to 10 rounds, regardless of when they were made or purchased. is illegal to purchase or sell semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines in New York following the passage of the SAFE Act. Rifles obtained before the gun control law was passed are required to be registered with the state government. The law also limits all magazine capacity to 10 rounds, regardless of when they were made or purchased.
It should be noted that compliance with the law has been marginal at best ( a sign that New York is not totally lost to humanity). Registration is estimated at 13% of number of pseudo-assault weapons believed to be owned by New Yorkers. Of course, many of these guns COULD have been moved out of state, or sold to dealers prior to passage. Much of the compliance has come from people with pistol permits. Why? Because ANY semi-auto that weighs more than 52 ounces empty is ALSO an assault rifle, and ALL pistols are to be registered in NY. In fact, you cannot even TOUCH a pistol in a shop without a license. Oh, and on that 10 round limit—Already been overturned in court. The law forbids loading a magazine that hold more than 10 rounds to capacity, but that was overturned. Actually, as written, the law prohibited more than 7 rounds, but manufacturers told NY to fuck off, they wouldn't make such mags, and the judge told NY no way on that. So They changed it to 10 (which ALL manufacturers stupidly caved on years ago), which the judge approved for sale of magazines, but said that old magazines could be loaded to capacity. Sing it with me, people ! "Oh, I haaaate New York!" Oh, speaking of the Anti-Constitutional NYSafe Act, listen to this man speak of it at this [Link] It's worth the less than 3 minutes the video runs.
And now, the time is here, and so I write, the gun rant Quote of the Week. I write it, because it's MINE this time.
"Any time some idiot demands to know WHY you choose to exercise ANY of your rights, just tell them 'Because it's my right, and I do not have to justify it to you'"
—Neale Osborn, several times over the last few years.
And that's the end of this one, my friends.
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