Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Hutaree case illustrates Justice Department double standard

The line between freedom of political expression and sedition and conspiracy must always be adjudicated with an eye toward protecting rights, and if speech—no matter if disturbing, offensive or hateful does not cross it—the government must not be allowed to punish those engaging in it. Still, the parallels between this case and recent statements by the New Black Panthers about Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman should be noted: Is offering a reward to their followers to find and kidnap a man who has not been criminally charged protected free speech, or a violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Section 241, “Conspiracy against Rights”? [More]
Today's Gun Rights Examiner report notes that official discrimination would mean we're all not equal under the law.

Trust Busters

Yeah, no kidding. [Read]

Oath Keepers Supporting Sgt. Stein

Stein The Marine Corps is now looking into whether he violated the military’s rules prohibiting political statements by those in uniform and broke its guidelines on what troops can and cannot say on social media...Stein has come under fire for stating on Facebook that he wouldn’t follow certain orders given by his commander in chief. [More]
Hey, maybe he can claim a defense that the guy whose orders he might not obey isn't his legitimate commander in chief...:)

I'm glad to see Stewart Rhodes taking point on this with pro bono representation.  I emailed him back when this story first broke and he told me he was contacting Sgt. Stein.

I want to write more about this when I have time, because I've presented examples here at WOG of pro-Obama and gun control endorsing public activities by those in uniform that probably ought to be resurrected so the political hypocrisy can be illustrated for all with open eyes and minds to see.

The Wild, Wild West

A bill filed by Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia, with several co-sponsors, would call an election to amend the Constitution and make Louisiana as wild as Tombstone, Arizona in its heyday. [More]
Do you think VPC talking point-parroting "Authorized Journalist" James Gill knows better,  and is just writing this crap anyway because he knows his readership is ignorant?  Or do you think he honestly doesn't know?

Either way, this is journalistic malpractice and it's reprehensible.  Meaning his editors must love the guy.

A Sad Day in America

“It’s a sad day in America when an ... senior citizen with a heart condition can’t defend himself against an intruder breaking into his house”...[More]
Indeed. And it's sad how many "conservative" gun owners--including the Lairds of Fairfax--demand past felonies be a punishable disqualifier, instead of recognizing that anyone who can't be trusted with a gun can't be trusted without a custodian.

[Via Michael G]

31 Days...

...to Survival [More]

I haven't read it so I can't offer a knowledgeable testimonial, but I do occasionally link to the author's blog where you can check him out for yourself.

A Good Rule of Thumb

I got an email tip saying "Look What Our Border Patrol Found Two Weeks Ago in Arizona - Frightening." It was included with several other photos besides the one here, as well as a link to a blog posting it.

That blog does not link to a source, but merely reproduces an obvious chain email (replete with red, black and blue lettering of various fonts and sizes with strategic underlining for emphasis),  so there's no way to determine when or where these photos were taken, and whether or not the accompanying text is relevant and accurate--but the near-hysterical layout/presentation should give us a clue.

A 2010 Reuters photo credit I found during a quick keyword search places this incident at Higueras near Monterrey, 100 miles or so from the Texas border and nowhere near Arizona.  And further looking around yielded this related video.

That doesn't mean finding caches of weapons in Mexico is not an issue. It is, and the capture of military ordnance, including grenade launchers and the like, demonstrates that paramilitary cartel operations aren't getting such things from U.S. gun stores.

But what it does mean is that someone took something with a core of truth, and then went in and made changes to some basic facts for a reason of their own in the hopes that others would pick up their altered version and run with it.

I suspect people get this stuff circulating in emails so activists and bloggers will pick up on it and give it further weight--which makes the ones who fall for it easy targets for discrediting--get one to swallow and promote a chain email and everything else they write about can be ridiculed.

What we know for sure is someone at the beginning of this thread changed things with intent to spread disinformation.The question is, who are they?

In the mean time, please heed this. Otherwise, stuff like this happens.

A good rule of thumb: If it doesn't link to a credible source, try to verify it before passing it on.

We're the Only Ones Tampering Enough

A federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms officer who was a key witness in a recent high-profile gun-running case has been charged with witness tampering and making a false statement to a law enforcement officer. [More]
Now who would believe a wild story like that?

[Via Bill Baldwin]

"A Disgrace"


You know, what the Ministry of Truth calls "self-defense." [Read]

This Day in History: March 28

There is a Briton, of High Rank and Office now in Paris, who, in a late Conversation with a Dutchmen, told him, that his Country would declare War against Holland before next October. We are ruined, says he, that is plain. As to the Americans, it is certain they will have their Independence. But God d—n them, why should they wish to rip up our Belly, the Belly of their Mother? I should have answered, why did the Mother pluck the Nipple from the boneless Gums, even when the Infant was smiling in her Face, and dash the Brains out? [More]