Just a quick blurb that on Monday Sept 20th, the state of Maryland met their deadline to respond to the Second Amendment Foundation's suit against the permitting scheme's severe bias to 2A rights.
Excellent analysis from the initial filing, as well as the latest on the response (post 816) can be found on the Maryland Shooter's forum linked in this sentence. Of course, there is the possibility you need to be a member to access that portion of the forum, but you will definitely need to be a member to download the PDF attached briefs.
I will do some analysis next week after reading this weekend and promise to give updates to the next wave of Gura lawsuits as I get them.
26 September 2010
25 September 2010
Gary Sinise Band to Play 3 Free Concerts
I know I'm behind on posts readers, and I hope you realize that work and personal life have both caught up with your upstart blogger.
Military Times reported last Wednesdsay that Gary Sinise's band is set to play three free concerts for military members and their families as part of a USO tour. This tour is on the heals of a fund raiser that his ensemble played late last month for a benefit for an American Hero.
Kudos Lt. Dan! Blogosphere appreciates your dedication to the men and women of the US Armed Forces!
Military Times reported last Wednesdsay that Gary Sinise's band is set to play three free concerts for military members and their families as part of a USO tour. This tour is on the heals of a fund raiser that his ensemble played late last month for a benefit for an American Hero.
Kudos Lt. Dan! Blogosphere appreciates your dedication to the men and women of the US Armed Forces!
24 September 2010
ROTD: Responding to Warren Buffet; Shut Up You Grumpy Old Man!
Linked off of Drudge today, Warren Buffet told the taxpayers of this country to "Get over your anger...because it's not productive."
Excuse me old Chief of the Midwest free market economy, who anointed you the mediator between the people and the government? Anyone? I didn't think so. Please Mr. Buffett, you grumpy old SOB, drink a nice big cup of STFU! While anyone in this country can admire your personal success story, you've become complacent in how your mind sees the economy. You have a mountain of wealth and capital that for all intents and purposes will never be destroyed. Your personal life and the ability to live it without fear of homelessness, hunger or untreated medical conditions, is completely insulated from how the market meddlers and their dangerous actions affect us average Joes. Sure, I understand you don't mind the death tax, nor do you have a major problem with the redistribution schemes that congress has cooked up in recent years, but how much have you paid to play inside the system and help keep us serfs down at serf level?
Further Mr. Buffet, you yourself should know that the true Keynesian model is for the government to run surpluses in times of economic prosperity, so that it can then pull from the safety net in times of need. Once the safety net is used, borrowing from the savers of the country, or using foreign financing is acceptable, as long as that leverage is paid back as quickly as possible to put the country back in the black.
But, I digress, Mr. Buffet knows all of this and has used it to make billions upon billions. The sad matter remains that the old kook has officially gone off his free market rocker, simply because he knows that to maintain his power and riches he must toe the party line of the ruling class. All aboard the country class train, as it runs clean through Mr. Buffet's pompous ass.
Excuse me old Chief of the Midwest free market economy, who anointed you the mediator between the people and the government? Anyone? I didn't think so. Please Mr. Buffett, you grumpy old SOB, drink a nice big cup of STFU! While anyone in this country can admire your personal success story, you've become complacent in how your mind sees the economy. You have a mountain of wealth and capital that for all intents and purposes will never be destroyed. Your personal life and the ability to live it without fear of homelessness, hunger or untreated medical conditions, is completely insulated from how the market meddlers and their dangerous actions affect us average Joes. Sure, I understand you don't mind the death tax, nor do you have a major problem with the redistribution schemes that congress has cooked up in recent years, but how much have you paid to play inside the system and help keep us serfs down at serf level?
“The truth is we’re running a federal deficit that’s 9 percent of gross domestic product,” Buffett said. “That’s stimulative as all get out. It’s more stimulative than any policy we’ve followed since World War II.”YES SIR, Mr. Buffet sir! We all asked for that economic stimulus! Every one of us in these great United States ask that our federal government mortgage our future and that of our children to create an ordered growth that has no doubt benefited your company's bottom line. How pathetic are you to tell us to shut up and take the elitists' position and not partake in OUR government. No Mr. Buffet, money doesn't by you the people's votes, it only buys you influence in the representative republic. What you failed to realize is that once the serfs have enough putting up with your garbage peddling, we will do everything in our power, to take back the means of opportunity so we can potentially reach the riches you have acquired.
Further Mr. Buffet, you yourself should know that the true Keynesian model is for the government to run surpluses in times of economic prosperity, so that it can then pull from the safety net in times of need. Once the safety net is used, borrowing from the savers of the country, or using foreign financing is acceptable, as long as that leverage is paid back as quickly as possible to put the country back in the black.
But, I digress, Mr. Buffet knows all of this and has used it to make billions upon billions. The sad matter remains that the old kook has officially gone off his free market rocker, simply because he knows that to maintain his power and riches he must toe the party line of the ruling class. All aboard the country class train, as it runs clean through Mr. Buffet's pompous ass.
Restoring Sanity to Clown Car Hearings, Commedy Central Hosts Washington's Power Couple
Last week, we learned that Comedy Central's, Daily Show host Jon Stewart, is planning his own "rally" in Washington to "Restore Sanity." All I have to say about this is that I hope Stewart can find enough macro lens cameras to film all the crickets that show up for his ratings stunt. He fails to realize a few key things in his effort to neutralize the tea partiers.
First, Jon Stewart believes that there are enough moderates to draw a million people to his "Restoring Sanity" rally when in reality the tea party movement is the "moderate" movement of this era. It will be hard for the Daily Show host to drawn that many people when he has to contend with 500,000 or more numbers that have attended three or four major rallies in the District in the last 2 years. Second, when you become the target of TV popularity in the easiest to manipulate 18-30 viewership crowd, I guess that's when you know that the tea party movement is really the mainstream movement and not "extreme." Last, if Stewart can draw a million people to his ratings coup, they will not be moderates; they will be leftists. The moderates will still be at home sitting on their hands just like the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 split of the colonists during the Revolution. Moderates are de facto "leave me the hell alone, but I'm to carefree to get involved" libertarians, since they primarily sit on the fence waiting for others to make the hard decisions.
Then we come to today where Stephen Colbert takes on the House Judiciary Committee for their hearing on immigration. Posing as an investigative reporter who has covered "migrant workers," Colbert certainly does his best to insult congress' intelligence but he falls very short considering congress has no intelligence to insult. Even though John Conyers saw the trap, he was not smart enough to outwit the satire artist at his own field craft and Colbert was able to do what he does best by making the Capital Hill idiots look like, well, idiots. The unfortunate thing here is that our elected representatives let themselves be completely DUPED by a professional comedian. I think it is safe to say that we officially have the dumbest congress in the history of the country! That, in and of itself, is NOT something for which to be proud.
So how does all of this tie together? Simple. One network; Two comedians; Two completely insane publicity stunts; And an American public that is left with a completely exposed, pompous government that the ratings whores knew how to exploit for their personal gain. Kudos Stewart and Colbert, you've figured out the American dream of gaming the system. Isn't being "extreme" grand for your wallets boys?
First, Jon Stewart believes that there are enough moderates to draw a million people to his "Restoring Sanity" rally when in reality the tea party movement is the "moderate" movement of this era. It will be hard for the Daily Show host to drawn that many people when he has to contend with 500,000 or more numbers that have attended three or four major rallies in the District in the last 2 years. Second, when you become the target of TV popularity in the easiest to manipulate 18-30 viewership crowd, I guess that's when you know that the tea party movement is really the mainstream movement and not "extreme." Last, if Stewart can draw a million people to his ratings coup, they will not be moderates; they will be leftists. The moderates will still be at home sitting on their hands just like the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 split of the colonists during the Revolution. Moderates are de facto "leave me the hell alone, but I'm to carefree to get involved" libertarians, since they primarily sit on the fence waiting for others to make the hard decisions.
Then we come to today where Stephen Colbert takes on the House Judiciary Committee for their hearing on immigration. Posing as an investigative reporter who has covered "migrant workers," Colbert certainly does his best to insult congress' intelligence but he falls very short considering congress has no intelligence to insult. Even though John Conyers saw the trap, he was not smart enough to outwit the satire artist at his own field craft and Colbert was able to do what he does best by making the Capital Hill idiots look like, well, idiots. The unfortunate thing here is that our elected representatives let themselves be completely DUPED by a professional comedian. I think it is safe to say that we officially have the dumbest congress in the history of the country! That, in and of itself, is NOT something for which to be proud.
So how does all of this tie together? Simple. One network; Two comedians; Two completely insane publicity stunts; And an American public that is left with a completely exposed, pompous government that the ratings whores knew how to exploit for their personal gain. Kudos Stewart and Colbert, you've figured out the American dream of gaming the system. Isn't being "extreme" grand for your wallets boys?
22 September 2010
Hopkins Attacker's Background Included VA CHP
Investigative Voice has a good article today detailing the background on a man that attacked a Johns Hopkins doctor before committing a murder suicide of his mother and himself last week. According to the article, police found that the man possessed a handgun and a Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit. Also summarized by I.V. is that the security staff at JHU Hospital says they won't, and more importantly can't, screen every visitor for deadly weapons.
Paul Warren Pardus was obviously highly motivated to do harm to people and he had the means with which to act. Thankfully, in his derangement, he only harmed three people in the doctor, himself and his mother. The doc looks like he will make a full recovery. His mother, though sad, was probably not living a quality life and Pardus disgustingly didn't seek help and chose to take his own life. Unfortunately, the reaction by many in Baltimore will be a choice to focus on the means with which this man carried out his acts and the outcry will be "people have guns and I'm scared."
Hopkins, a noted gun free zone, and it's head of security has just told the general public that they not only won't screen every visitor for weapons, but they can't. This means that motivated people know their victims are basically a "shooting" gallery and they are free to execute without consequence, their perverted acts against fellow human beings. I do not fault the hospital or the campus for instituting policies that create gun free zones, even if they are theoretically flawed, because it is their property. However, as we have seen time and time again, disarmament zones become victim zones.
It is extremely unfortunate that Mr. Pardus snapped like this, but I don't know how you can pre-screen anyone for premeditation towards physical violence. As someone who has gone through the process to obtain a VA permit to carry a concealed weapon, I can assure you that a through background check is conducted and it sounds like Mr. Pardus did not have any prior predisposition that would have denied him a permit. What bothers me is the abject failure of the security staff to enforce it's policy against people who exhibit a willful disregard for A) Human Life and B) are willing to violate the rules and laws that create a "self defense free" zone. From VA Tech, to Fort Hood, to Discovery Channel, to now John's Hopkins, no rule of law, nor policy of property, has disarmed any criminal. Period.
As discussed here on these bandwidths before, the concealed handgun permit holder's express line for the Texas Capital Building in Austin, TX, takes the opposite approach. Instead of placing restrictions upon the law abiding citizen from entering the building in response to a criminal shooting a year prior, they added a CHP "express lane" that completely bypasses metal detector security. Bags are still x-ray examined however and their permits are checked for validity. This also gives security staff a chance to observe the behaviors of the patrons for potentially violent persons who already have a valid permit. Additionally, on the off hand chance that such patron has obtained a permit to carry a deadly weapon for purposes that are not lawful, including assault or murder, they run a higher risk of being stopped by a peaceful person read to deal with such a threat, instead of continuing their rampage for hours while unarmed persons cower in broom closets.
Again, the hospital and campus have every right to institute policies no matter how ineffective they are at deterring or stopping crime since it is their property. However, it is time that we as a society realize the tools that cause destruction, can also provide protection, and in fact do in 40 other states. Responsible citizens being armed, levels the playing field against average street thugs, or even act as a deterrent to highly motivated individuals. True, Mr. Pardus may still have carried out his plan for attempted murder, murder and suicide, but perhaps he may have chosen to not carry out his actions inside a place filled with innocent people who could have shot back and stopped him.
By no means do I defend the actions of the assailant. They are horrific, perverted, and disgusting in the course of today's, and yesterday's, civil society. It is hard to find fault with Hopkins as they have instituted their policies for their perceived work place and learning environment benefits. It is unfortunate though that a noted gun free, and thus self-defense free, zone has been at an epicenter of violent crime for several years in Baltimore. From a man defending himself in the area with a sword, to a young researcher brutally murdered, to now a direct frontal assault upon the hospital and it's staff, perhaps it is time for a change of policy, culture, and state laws to prevent such atrocious acts in the future.
Paul Warren Pardus was obviously highly motivated to do harm to people and he had the means with which to act. Thankfully, in his derangement, he only harmed three people in the doctor, himself and his mother. The doc looks like he will make a full recovery. His mother, though sad, was probably not living a quality life and Pardus disgustingly didn't seek help and chose to take his own life. Unfortunately, the reaction by many in Baltimore will be a choice to focus on the means with which this man carried out his acts and the outcry will be "people have guns and I'm scared."
Hopkins, a noted gun free zone, and it's head of security has just told the general public that they not only won't screen every visitor for weapons, but they can't. This means that motivated people know their victims are basically a "shooting" gallery and they are free to execute without consequence, their perverted acts against fellow human beings. I do not fault the hospital or the campus for instituting policies that create gun free zones, even if they are theoretically flawed, because it is their property. However, as we have seen time and time again, disarmament zones become victim zones.
It is extremely unfortunate that Mr. Pardus snapped like this, but I don't know how you can pre-screen anyone for premeditation towards physical violence. As someone who has gone through the process to obtain a VA permit to carry a concealed weapon, I can assure you that a through background check is conducted and it sounds like Mr. Pardus did not have any prior predisposition that would have denied him a permit. What bothers me is the abject failure of the security staff to enforce it's policy against people who exhibit a willful disregard for A) Human Life and B) are willing to violate the rules and laws that create a "self defense free" zone. From VA Tech, to Fort Hood, to Discovery Channel, to now John's Hopkins, no rule of law, nor policy of property, has disarmed any criminal. Period.
As discussed here on these bandwidths before, the concealed handgun permit holder's express line for the Texas Capital Building in Austin, TX, takes the opposite approach. Instead of placing restrictions upon the law abiding citizen from entering the building in response to a criminal shooting a year prior, they added a CHP "express lane" that completely bypasses metal detector security. Bags are still x-ray examined however and their permits are checked for validity. This also gives security staff a chance to observe the behaviors of the patrons for potentially violent persons who already have a valid permit. Additionally, on the off hand chance that such patron has obtained a permit to carry a deadly weapon for purposes that are not lawful, including assault or murder, they run a higher risk of being stopped by a peaceful person read to deal with such a threat, instead of continuing their rampage for hours while unarmed persons cower in broom closets.
Again, the hospital and campus have every right to institute policies no matter how ineffective they are at deterring or stopping crime since it is their property. However, it is time that we as a society realize the tools that cause destruction, can also provide protection, and in fact do in 40 other states. Responsible citizens being armed, levels the playing field against average street thugs, or even act as a deterrent to highly motivated individuals. True, Mr. Pardus may still have carried out his plan for attempted murder, murder and suicide, but perhaps he may have chosen to not carry out his actions inside a place filled with innocent people who could have shot back and stopped him.
By no means do I defend the actions of the assailant. They are horrific, perverted, and disgusting in the course of today's, and yesterday's, civil society. It is hard to find fault with Hopkins as they have instituted their policies for their perceived work place and learning environment benefits. It is unfortunate though that a noted gun free, and thus self-defense free, zone has been at an epicenter of violent crime for several years in Baltimore. From a man defending himself in the area with a sword, to a young researcher brutally murdered, to now a direct frontal assault upon the hospital and it's staff, perhaps it is time for a change of policy, culture, and state laws to prevent such atrocious acts in the future.
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