Awareness

The number one rule in personal survival is personal awareness. Know your surroundings.

Number One Son got mugged last night. He is OK, but a couple hundred dollars lighter. The Missus and I are awaiting the rest of the story...

But, Situational Awareness would have helped here. Just saying...

Newbius

Unpossible!-Chicago style

NBC News Chicago reports on crime in Chicago-Crime that is impossible to believe because we all know that nobody is allowed to carry a handgun in Chicago (except the cops and politicos). Therefore, THIS REPORT must be entirely false.

Since we all know that only criminals and politicians (I repeat myself...) can carry concealed in Chicago, perhaps the criminals doing the shooting were actually Aldermen out on the town for the night??

Nothing to see here. Move along.

Newbius

The One Thing They Have In Common

There is a STORY on FoxNews.com about a recent rash of shootings where the targets were officers. 11 officers have been shot in the last 24 hours.

"It's not a fluke," Richard Roberts, a spokesman for the International Union of Police Associations, told MSNBC.com. "There's a perception among officers in the field that there’s a war on cops going on."

...While all the shootings don’t appear to be connected, Roberts says they have one thing in common.

"We don't have any data, but there seems to be a type of criminal out there looking to thwart authority,"

No kidding? I've got news for you, Mr. Union Rep, the things that these criminals all have in common are: Long histories of criminal violence, Not in jail due to lenient parole boards and a revolving-door "justice" system, and Felony Possession of a gun which was illegally acquired (and which they are constitutionally protected from having to disclose, if asked).ETA: And, since they are criminals, by definition they are trying to thwart authority, you dimwit.

Mr. Roberts, your union is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, whose stance on firearms is "disarmament of the citizenry". As the last 24 hours have shown, you are outnumbered by the criminals, and they have nothing to lose. Wouldn't it make sense for your member police chiefs to, instead, drop their authoritarian stance and embrace having the citizens available to defend your officers? I ask, because there is a perception among the citizenry that your officers have been waging war on us for decades now, civil rights be-damned.

Every response by law enforcement to criminal misuse, by long-established criminals, is to clamp down on the non-criminals in an effort to do something. It is way past time for this to change. Because, while the criminals have you outnumbered, we--the law-abiding-- have THEM outnumbered. And, you could use us as allies instead of treating us as adversaries.

Newbius
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Ban Medical Licenses!

In response to the shrill calls from the left advocating for infringement of my constitutionally enumerated right to Keep and Bear Arms, I propose instead that we ban medical licenses. If that seems far-fetched, how about we ban abortion as a "right" (a right NOT enumerated in the Constitution) instead?

It is time to face facts. Using 2008 statistics (the data for which is easily cross-referenced), the FACTS show that there were 16,272 murders and non-negligent manslaughter deaths in the USA, NATIONALLY. In Pennsylvania, this number was 701. And, in Philadelphia, the total was 331. Source: FBI Crime Stats (National, State, PA City)

Using 2008 statistics, this time for the state of Pennsylvania only, there were a total of 38,807 abortions performed in that state. Of these, 18,633 were performed in Philadelphia alone (15,377 women were residents of Philly, the rest commuted to kill their child). Source: Pennsylvania Department of Health 2008 Vital Statistics on Induced Abortions (PDF File)

In 2008, Doctors legally killed more children in the City of Philadelphia alone, than the total number of homicides committed nationally.

I wonder how many of those were killed by Dr. Kermit Gosnell? I wonder how many of them were killed AFTER being born? I wonder how many of them were only considered a homicide due to inconvenient timing? Because, as we all know, it isn't REALLY a life until some Liberal says it is...

Of course, if a Democrat Congressperson and her constituents were the victims, then there is justification for all manner of infringements and power grabs by the Elites and the Statists. Just ask them.

Newbius
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Defensive Gun Use in Utah

Jay_G at MArooned has the link (DGC #111).

This story is a tragedy, but not for the reasons many are stating. The dead choirboy (sorry, some comments at the news article site are calling him a "good man") was arrested earlier in the day on Domestic Violence charges. Meaning, he was abusing the woman (not his wife) that he was shacking with. The police haul him off to jail, and he is slapped with a 'no-contact' order.

In the world of good intentions, said choirboy would realize the error of his ways and go get a motel room for the night, removing himself from the premises. Also in the world of good intentions, everybody kisses and makes up and life goes on normally.

In the real world, thugs who beat up on women tend to take offense at being told by said women to go away. Even more so when the law gets involved. Then they get a mite peeved at the restraining order. Add a little gray-bar time, and the likelihood is that the thug is going to return to the scene and finish the lesson he was trying to teach when he got arrested the first time.

The gun-banner (fantasy) mindset is that good intentions matter, that children (I think that means anyone under 26 nowadays) should not be able to access their parents guns (nor know how to use them), and that the police will protect people since they are the 'only ones' who should have force of arms. Additionally, chivalry dictates that the strong thugs will never prey on the weaker women, and that once things go to the courts that the issue is resolved.

This tragic case has reality coming home to destroy the liberal gun-banner fantasies in a very concrete way. No restraining order will keep a criminal abuser away from his intended victim, as the act of abusing the victim is already a crime. The police will not protect you. Children should be properly trained about guns in the home, and when appropriate, taught how to use them effectively. Guns should be accessible to those same 'children' so that they can be used defensively. And, finally, thugs generally don't listen to reason, and criminal thugs do not obey the law. They usually only understand force.

That a 17-year-old girl had to end this encounter with a gun speaks volumes about the situation. That she did so shows remarkable courage. The fact that she will have to live with this for the rest of her life is the real tragedy.

It is a terrible thing to have to take another's life, even in self-defense. Contrary to the media narrative (and Brady-VPC-Joyce spin), most gun owners recognize this. None of us are looking for a fight. But, to those who say that my 'stuff' is not worth my life I reply: "to the thug who wants to take it, it is". Therefore, I should be willing to meet that threat with a willingness to, and the ability to, return the same sentiment. In copper-jacketed lead, if required. God willing, I will never have to.

Pax,

Newbius

I had a very strange dream

I cannot describe the events, but the images were pretty vivid.

The images were Steve Gibson, Angelo Mozilo, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Yassir Afifi, John Allen Muhammad, Lee Boyd Malvo, and Nemesis (Adrasteia).

Like I said, strange. I wonder if there is a message in there somewhere. I am not sure I want to find out...

Pax,

Newbius

Corruptocracy

"Nice bank you have there. It would be a shame if anything happened to it"

Remember the IndyMac Bank closure? The one that was caused by a loud-mouthed Senator causing a run on the bank? The one that was probably going to be fine, but was not perfectly connected to the right people?

Watch this.

Are you getting the picture yet?

Pax,

Newbius

Dollars, for the record

"A little parable may prove useful: Today an ounce of gold sells for $300, more or less. Now suppose that a modern alchemist solves his subject’s oldest problem by finding a way to produce unlimited amounts of new gold at essentially no cost. Moreover, his invention is widely publicized and scientifically verified, and he announces his intention to begin massive production of gold within days. What would happen to the price of gold? Presumably, the potentially unlimited supply of cheap gold would cause the market price of gold to plummet. Indeed, if the market for gold is to any degree efficient, the price of gold would collapse immediately after the announcement of the invention, before the alchemist had produced and marketed a single ounce of yellow metal.

What has this got to do with monetary policy? Like gold, U.S. dollars have value only to the extent that they are strictly limited in supply. But the U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press (or, today, its electronic equivalent), that allows it to produce as many U.S. dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost. By increasing the number of U.S. dollars in circulation, or even by credibly threatening to do so, the U.S. government can also reduce the value of a dollar in terms of goods and services, which is equivalent to raising the prices in dollars of those goods and services."

Ben Bernanke, in a speech given on November 21, 2002

An interesting quote from the speech linked above:

"Sustained deflation can be highly destructive to a modern economy and should be strongly resisted. Fortunately, for the foreseeable future, the chances of a serious deflation in the United States appear remote indeed, in large part because of our economy's underlying strengths but also because of the determination of the Federal Reserve and other U.S. policymakers to act preemptively against deflationary pressures."

The Fed cannot target "the rate of economic growth", here defined as the rate of inflation, if interest rates are at or approaching zero (which they are now). Bernanke understands cause and effect/supply and demand, and also understands that inflation is a way for the banks and government to get goods and services, without paying for them, by inflating the currency (printing money and issuing bonds).

In other words, the Federal Reserve's policies are exclusively inflationary because that is the way to keep more of the taxpayer's wealth in their hands. If you understand that inflation is government-sanctioned theft of YOUR wealth, then you should understand why the Statists currently in power want to keep this guy at the helm of the Fed.

Posterity can be a bitch...

Pax,

Newbius

An amazing essay

I came across "Coordinated Illumination" in my sitemeter statistics and went over there to check it out. What I found was a series of amazing essays which highlight the true nature of the plight that our country is currently in, especially THIS one. Go. Read.

I am adding the page to my blogroll. You should too.

Pax,

Newbius

I can't say something nice

So I am not going to say anything at all about the passing of Edward Kennedy.

Newbius
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Excellent essay on Gun Control

From Marko, The Munchkin Wrangler. Go, READ!

It is too bad that people like Paul Helmke would rather have willing victims and low-levels of officially-sanctioned violence, than allow people to defend themselves against predation. Of course, people like him are of the same political stripe as those who would deprive you of your choice - in life in favor of governmental mandates infringing upon your Liberty.

It amounts to the same thing, really. Either way you are the victim. The only difference is whether the perpetrator is a hardened criminal, or a hardened politician.

Is that redundant?

Newbius
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Cowards and Frauds on race

Eric Holder, you are a coward.

So is Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Michael Eric Dyson, and all of the other race hustlers out there. Since I am calling people out, let's ALSO call out every Ku Klux Klan member (Robert Byrd?), every Aryan Brotherhood white racist bigot, and anybody else who thinks of COLOR before CHARACTER. (Fortunately most of the white racist jerks don't get a lot of air time, so they are not household names. At least, I don't listen to them so I don't know who they are. If you know of them, feel free to call them out by name in the comments...I'll support you in the interest of fairness and equality.)

Anybody who is not willing to have an HONEST discussion (not just a "frank" discussion) on racial issues in America is a coward. This goes for the current Attorney General, and anybody else who thinks that the gains made in racial equality over the last 144 years don't count for something...

Whether you are on the right or the left, you need to drop your pet statistics and petty issues about race and deal with people on their merits. This goes double for those people and groups who are trying to disarm the honest, law-abiding citizens in the inner cities of America who are just trying to make life work day-to-day.

These elitist pigs in Government who think that they know what is best for their constituents and keep them on the government plantation, disarmed, dependent, and discouraged about their future should all be thrown out on their ears. Really. You Statist elitists should be ashamed of yourselves. Your constituents need to throw the yokes of wage and welfare slavery off and start holding you accountable for your actions instead of holding out their hand for another dole.

One of the tools that these elites use to bolster their position is the use of crime statistics as justification for their actions. I think it is especially telling when I hear people using crime statistics to bolster their particular position regarding race and criminal propensity. To hear the "radical white" tell it, every black person is a crime waiting to happen. To hear some like Jackson or Sharpton tell it, America is a racist country where whites prey disproportionally upon black victims and "the Man" makes a special effort to hold them down.

Both sides are full of uncomposted fertilizer...

Now, to the point about crime statistics. If you want to "prove" a point about racial hate crime, you just go to the Federal crime statistics (2006 Supplementary Homicide Report data used here), pick your category, and use it out of context to justify whatever fraud you are trying to perpetrate.

An example of statistics fraud:

"A black person in America is more than 4 times as likely to be murdered by another black person than a white person is" (B/W 1,026 vs. B/B 4,803)

While this may be true in the abstract, if the point is that black people are more violent towards each other, or more violent in general, then it is a fraudulent representation of reality.

Here is the counterpoint: "A white person in America is 13 times more likely to be murdered by another white person than a black person is" (W/B 356 vs. W/W 4,633).

Again, true in the abstract but meaningless. Using raw numbers, a white person is 4 times more likely to be murdered by another white person than by a black person. True, and still meaningless. The statistics mean NOTHING as raw data. Anybody trying to use them to shape social policy is LYING TO YOU.

The truth about homicide statistics is this: In 2006, murders committed where the victim knew-by relation or acquaintance-their attacker amounted to 7,243 deaths. Murders where the victim and attacker were complete strangers: 2,169. (For accuracy, there were an additional 7,622 where the relationship is unknown and I would hazard a guess that those probably broke along the same lines...roughly 7:2). The lesson here is a simple one. You are more likely to be killed by someone you know than by a stranger. Since most people hang out with people who are LIKE THEM, this should not surprise anybody when the racial statistics show a correlation

Consider this: More than 70% of people who died in vehicle accidents had eaten carrots within the previous 24 hours. Does this prove that if you eat carrots you are more likely to die in a traffic accident? NO. There is no causal relationship. It is a coincidence. It proves nothing. Just like the racial component proves nothing.

Here is something that IS causal, long-term:

The twin scourges of drugs and poverty are greater factors in murder than any other factor in the murder statistics. Fact. Poverty is a contributing factor in drug use. Fact. The number one contributing factor to poverty? Birth out of wedlock. According to the Census Bureau data, 50% of unmarried mothers who had a child within the previous year were at or below the poverty line.

This is a Man issue. Want to reduce poverty? Don't have children out of wedlock. Don't get a girl pregnant and leave her to fend for herself. And if you do father a child, MAN UP and support it. Otherwise you are just another coward and a fraud and your child deserves better than you.

Eric Holder, if you want to have a frank (and hopefully honest) discussion about race, let's start with what we can do as a nation to end the cycle of destructive poverty caused by unwed mothers and absentee fathers. It affects both whites and blacks, but disproportionally more blacks than whites. Follow Dr. Cosby's lead and start speaking the truth and we might listen to you. Clean your own house before you call out mine. This is not a race issue. It is a VALUES issue.

Finally: I don't know about you, gentle reader, but I have enough trouble trying to keep my bills paid and my kids fed to worry about skin color. Leave me alone, I'll do the same. I'll be polite, you do the same.

I have friends who range across the entire spectrum of skin color and political philosophy. I love them all because of WHO they are, not because of the box they get to check on their census form.

If color matters to you, you need to grow up.

Pax,

Newbius

Just the facts...

MyFoxAtlanta.com reports on the Woodstock High School gun incident and lockdown.

Although it may not be clear in some of the reports posted on various news sites, the 15-year old was a runaway and stole the guns last week. The guns were reported missing last Wednesday night.

Hopefully more details will emerge that will clarify the remaining questions on this incident.

A tip of the hat goes out to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office for a job well done. By all accounts that I have read about this, your people were professional and thorough.

Thank you Fox Atlanta for sticking to the facts and leaving the histrionics to others.

Pax,

Newbius