A List Member Replies: In response to my caution that people who have
just awakened are functioning as though they were just over the legal
line of intoxication, one list members demands:
Can you provide any documentation to support the assertion
highlighted below? While I agree that a person just awake may not be
at the peak of their mental capability, I am having a great deal of
difficulty believing that their capabilities are similar to those of
an intoxicated individual. Further, as you do not provide any
indication of how long that "disability" may persist, and the news
article suggests a period of at least "several" (for purposes of
discussion, shall we say between three and five) minutes between
Mandell's awakening and his first discharge of the shotgun, which I
posit utterly negates your "just awakened = legally intoxicated"
thesis. Had you focused on adrenaline rush and its effects or the
inability to process complex decision-making during times of high
stress I might have merely glossed over your comments. However,
your resorting to the analogy of alcohol intoxication suggests that,
conscious of it or not, you are feeding ammunition to the enemy - an
enemy who will pose you as an "expert" and run the "intoxicated"
theme until the legs fall off. Had you just awakened when you wrote
that sentence? Or was there some other reason you failed to
consider the damage such an assertion, without credible
documentation to support it, would create? I ask you to consider
responding to this in one of your next Mailings, rather than to me
individually.
I believe that I got this information from one of the Force Science News
mailings, (
http://www.forcescience.org/fsinews/archive/) previously
shared with the list although I was unable to substantiate that in a
quick search last night, possibly because it may have been in an article
whose title did not suggest that it may have been part of that mailing.
It's possible I may have read it in another law-enforcement publication.
In response:
* Intoxication is not an either-or proposition, it is a continuum,
The statement is that the waking state is comparable to the low
end, which is usually characterized by lack of awareness by the
individual that he is impaired.
* I don't know that anyone can make a clear statement as to how long
such impairment may last due not only to variation among
individuals but also as to how much sleep they may have had in the
preceding days and at what stage of sleep they may have been awakened.
* Epinephrine or adrenaline is a polar substance, meaning it does
not penetrate the brain readily. While amphetamines, which do have
CNS effects, produce a sense of wakefulness, they actually produce
similar drops in mental performance to drugs such as barbiturates,
which induce sleep. More to the point, activation of the amygdala
or "emotional brain," which is what generally triggers a
large-scale release of epinephrine from the adrenal medulla, has a
distinct tendency to "short out" the neocortex or "thinking
brain." For better or for worse, this has been well documented for
the lay public by Joseph LeDoux.
* In context, my statement was intended as a caution not to engage
immediately on waking (e.g., grabbing a firearm and leaving the
confines of your own home), if feasible. My statement is not in
print in any readily retrievable form. If in fact, it is used
against you in a court of law, simply challenge the documentation
of it, as has been done above and, in the interest of not
providing any further "ammunition to the enemy." I will make no
further "public" attempts to provide the documentation for it.
---
More on McDonald and the NRA: ... In Heller, Gura and many others felt
the NRA tried to torpedo the case, first attempting to "consolidate" its
own inferior filing into the case, then trying to repeal the D.C. gun
ban, rendering the case moot. Wrote Tony Mauro of the Legal Times:
"Even after the D.C. Circuit ruled in March, says Gura, the NRA lobbied
for legislation to repeal the D.C. handgun ban as a way to keep the case
out of the Supreme Court. 'The NRA was adamant about not wanting the
Supreme Court to hear the case, but we went ahead anyway,' says Gura, a
name partner in the firm of Gura & Possessky. 'It's not their case, and
they are somewhat territorial.'" The question is whether the NRA, which
butted into the present case against the wishes of Gura and his client,
is doing so for sound tactical reasons, or as a means of "marching to
the head of the parade" by claiming success for efforts not of its
doing. While you might think the NRA joining the pro-gun argument is a
plus ("the more, the merrier"), bear in mind that while the Court may
extend oral arguments, as it did in Heller, each side is normally
limited to thirty minutes. Translated, the NRA is taking precious time
from a lawyer who has already won the most important Second Amendment
case in history...
http://www.examiner.com/x-2698-Charlotte-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d28-Court-grants-NRA-motion-to-argue-McDonald-What-are-implications
---
Republicans Don't Always Support RKBA: ...Joe Biden has been a longtime
advocate advocate of such "gun control" measures as bans of so-called
"assault weapons," laws to close the mythical "gun show loophole," etc.,
and there is little reason to believe that his son has fallen far from
that diseased tree. "Well," one might think; "any Republican ought to be
better than that - the party platform explicitly endorses the
Constitutionally guaranteed, fundamental right of the individual to keep
and bear arms." Unfortunately, Congressman Castle seems not to have read
that part of the platform. He is, in fact, the primary sponsor of H.R.
2324, to ban private sales at gun shows, and his legislative history
shows nothing to separate him from Joe Biden. He is also a co-sponsor
to Representative Peter King's (R-NY) H.R. 2159, which would empower the
Attorney General to unilaterally declare anyone he wishes a "suspected
terrorist," and deny him the ability to purchase firearms. In Illinois,
Republican Congressman Mark Kirk seems poised to win the Republican
primary for President Obama's old Senate seat (feckless Roland Burriss
is not seeking reelection), and has Democrats worried. Like Castle,
Kirk is an avowed gun-hater, having introduced an "assault weapon" ban
bill of his own in 2008, and is very much onboard with with NYC Mayor
Mike Bloomberg's anti-gun agenda. He is also a co-sponsor of the above
anti-gun bills...
http://www.examiner.com/x-2581-St-Louis-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d27-Republican-Senate-gains-that-would-be-bad-for-gun-rights
---
What the Colts Can Teach Ohio Gun Owners: ... In football, it is often
said that the first points are the hardest to get. Whether a touchdown,
field goal, or safety, you have to start somewhere no matter how early
in the game or how far behind you get as the game goes on. Sunday, the
Colts were able to get those first points early but then fell behind.
However, they refused to give up and kept chipping at the Jets lead
until it evaporated and they were left with a win. In Ohio, concealed
carry was banned for 145 years. Finally, in 2004, Ohio gun rights
activists were able to get passage of a concealed carry bill and got the
first points on the board, so to speak. Some people were content at that
point and willing to coast, as Braylon Edwards accused the Jets of doing
once they had a big lead. I remember talk within Ohioans For Concealed
Carry (OFCC) that the group could now disband as concealed carry was
passed. Mission accomplished. Except that the mission wasn't
accomplished. Ohio had then, and still has today, some of the most
restrictive concealed carry laws in the country and there was still a
lot of scoring to be done to get back into the game...
http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d27-What-the-Colts-can-teach-about-restoring-gun-rights
---
Cheap Theatrics Don't Block Indiana RKBA Bills: Donning a National Rifle
Association cap and holding a toy pistol, state Rep. Vernon Smith,
D-Gary, walked to the front of the Indiana House floor. Explaining his
support for the "Wild Wild West," he fired the fake pistol, saying,
"Bang, bang, shoot 'em up!" "This is indeed an NRA state," Smith said.
"I pledge allegiance, not to the flag, but to the NRA." The
representative's theatrics were facetious, but the bills he was mocking
both passed the Indiana House on Tuesday. Under House Bill 1065, as long
as the guns stay locked in their cars, no employer could tell its
workers that they must leave their weapons at home. It would also
eliminate the possibility for law enforcement to take citizens' guns in
an emergency, such as what happened during Hurricane Katrina. Rep.
Robert Bischoff, D-Lawrenceburg, who introduced the bill, said that
Louisiana was actually one of the first states to repeal provisions such
as this... The bill passed on a 76-21 vote. A similar bill, Senate Bill
25, passed that chamber earlier this week. A second firearm bill, HB
1068, would keep the identities of those who apply for gun permits secret...
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jan/27/gun-bills-pass-house-despite-antics-argument-for/
---
New Mexico Restaurant-Carry Bill Clears Committee: People with licenses
to carry concealed guns could take their firearms into restaurants that
serve beer and wine under a bill that zipped through a Senate committee
on Wednesday. Senate Bill 40, sponsored by Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup,
cleared the Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee by a 7-1
vote. Sen. Linda Lovejoy, D-Crownpoint, cast the only vote against the
measure. Gov. Bill Richardson sent an executive message to the Senate
calling for such a bill to be considered. That's a necessary step in a
30-day session for bills not directly concerned with finance and budget
matters. Steve Aikens, a firearms instructor from Clovis who teaches
courses that are required for concealed carry licenses, told the
committee that no holder of such a license in the United States has been
charged with shooting a gun in a restaurant since states began passing
concealed-carry laws in the mid 1980s. Aikens, who is founder of a
pro-gun Web site www.handgunlaw.us, said when license holders have to
leave their guns in their vehicles when they go to get a meal, they are
taking a chance of the weapon being stolen and the guns going into the
hands of criminals...
http://www.cnjonline.com/news/bill-36865-concealed-senate.html
---
More on the Washington "AWB" Hearing: ... According to Joe Waldron,
legislative director for the Bellevue-based Citizens Committee for the
Right to Keep and Bear Arms, "The individual sign-in sheets (showed) 313
people signed in to testify. Fourteen indicated they supported the bill
and 298 checked the 'con' column, and one person left both blank." Yet
Sen. Kline, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and is prime
sponsor of the legislation, equally divided testimony between pro and
con. Some gun rights proponents contend this gave unfair advantage and
"weight" to those supporting a ban. Others were amused and/or offended
by Kline's contention that certain physical characteristics of a
so-called "assault weapon" make it "more lethal than your ordinary deer
rifle." Without trying to confuse non-gun owners, the AR-15, which is
the primary target of this proposed ban, fires a cartridge - the .223
Remington - which was designed for shooting prairie dogs and small
predators such as foxes and coyotes. The "ordinary deer rifle" to which
Kline alluded in the hearing typically fires a .30-caliber cartridge
such as the .308 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield, which have ample
knockdown power to bring down a bull elk...
http://www.examiner.com/x-4525-Seattle-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d27-Fallout-continues-in-wake-of-assault-weapon-ban-hearing
However...: Legislation that would ban the sale of assault weapons in
Washington state will likely go nowhere this session. The Senate
Judiciary Committee on Tuesday held a hearing on Senate Bill 6396, which
would prohibit the sale of assault weapons, specifically semiautomatic
pistols, pump-action rifles or shotguns that met certain definitions.
The measure is sponsored by Sen. Adam Kline, D-Seattle. Kline, who is
also the committee's chairman, took about 45 minutes of testimony from
proponents, including police representatives and the mother of a Seattle
homicide victim, and opponents, including the National Rifle
Association. Jeff Reading, spokesman for Senate Democrats, said in an
e-mail the assault weapons measure "probably won't be voted on since it
doesn't have the votes to pass out of committee."
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/192390.asp?from=blog_last3
---
Ohio CHL's Surged in 2009: The Lima News is reporting that the number of
people obtaining licenses to carry a concealed handgun exploded in 2009
to as high as 500 percent in some northwest Ohio counties. And that has
county sheriffs offering words of caution - to criminals: "I hope
criminals think twice before they attempt to steal from someone or harm
someone," remarked Auglaize County Sheriff Al Solomon. Allen County
Sheriff Sam Crish added, "With the numbers growing, it's a huge risk if
you're committing some type of offense you don't know who may be
carrying." ... Sheriff Crish is quoted as saying people obtaining
licenses should put criminals on notice that people are serious about
protecting themselves. And those people come from all walks of life and
all professions and include women and men, both old and young. The
numbers include a slight increase of 5 percent in women obtaining their
licenses. "There's a lot of single mothers. They're just concerned for
their safety," Crish said...
http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/7089
---
Ohio Town Bemoans State Preemption: In Beavercreek, Ohio, a suburb of
Dayton, some city council members are reportedly outraged that they are
being forced by state law to remove their gun ban in city parks.
Statewide preemption, upheld by the Ohioans For Concealed Carry v. City
of Clyde Ohio Supreme Court case, prohibits cities and towns from
restricting gun rights including the locations where law abiding
citizens are allowed to carry their defensive firearms... Why would you
need a concealed weapon in a park? I can think of a few reasons.
Chevonne Ecclestone, 52, of Strongsville, died May 28, 2008 - 18 days
after being beaten and robbed at Camp Corde park in Parma. Shawn
Stevens, 43, of Elyria, was shot by an attacker in the Lorain County
Metro Parks Carlisle Reservation. She was paralyzed after being shot in
the back while walking in the Lorain Metroparks also in 2008. In 2009, a
woman was attacked at Quail Hollow State Park in what investigators are
calling an attempted abduction. The woman was able to fight off her
attackers and escape. Also in 2009, Jory Aebly and Jeremy Pechanec were
shot in a Cleveland city park, apparently the victims of an attempted
mugging...
http://www.examiner.com/x-2206-Cleveland-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d28-Dayton-suburb-opposes-state-law-that-killed-their-gun-ban?cid=channel-rss-Politics
---
A Breath of Fresh Texas Air: George Morovich is a Republican candidate
running for Texas Congressional District 25, currently held by Lloyd
Doggett. If you want a Congressman to represent your right to keep and
bear arms, this questionnaire will assist you in deciding if a candidate
will represent you. Lloyd Doggett was endorsed by the Brady Campaign to
Prevent Gun Violence in 2008, which makes his position on gun rights
very clear. The Brady Campaign has shown time and again that their idea
of "sensible gun laws" translates into confiscation. Brady also
considers the states with the most gun control the "best" states in the
union, even though these states average higher violent crime and murder
rates. As Obama says, it's time for change. The answers below are
exactly how they were sent in Morovich's reply... (It's worth a minute
or two to read them.)
http://www.examiner.com/x-2879-Austin-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d28-George-Morovich-on-gun-rights
---
Austin Gun Show Finds New Venue: Next Show Date Feb. 20 & 21, Old Target
Building, 6405 S Interstate Highway 35, Austin, TX 78744. Call for
Further Info. (210) 872-7469 (This is the show where Austin PD and F
Troop called a "nuisance abatement" meeting with the sponsor and H-E-B,
the market chain that owns the prior venue, and pressured H-E-B to
require that all vendors at the show have an FFL.)
http://texasgunshows.net/2009ShowCalendar.aspx
---
It's Official - Gunsite Owner Running for Arizona Governor: A northern
Arizona businessman has officially entered the race for the Republican
nomination for governor, pledging to resurrect the state's economy with
tax cuts and spending reductions. Owen Buz Mills, who goes by Buz, filed
papers Wednesday with the Secretary of State's Office. He contributed
$2.1 million to his own campaign, making him the best funded of the
candidates. Mills, 66, owns a firearms and self-defense-training
facility in Paulden. He enters a Republican field that already includes
Gov. Jan Brewer, state Treasurer Dean Martin and former Board of Regents
President John Munger. Attorney General Terry Goddard, a Democrat, made
his candidacy official on Friday. Brewer, Martin and Goddard have said
they intend to run as Clean Elections candidates. But a recent court
ruling could prevent them from receiving matching funds if they are
outspent by a traditional candidate, calling into question whether they
may reconsider running with public financing... (A recent poll showed
Martin running nine points ahead of Goddard.)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/01/28/20100128mills0128.html
---
Open Carry Gets More Press in California: David Julian has his unloaded
gun strapped to his hip anytime he's walking his dog, grocery shopping
or eating dinner at a restaurant. The 28-year-old Cupertino resident
estimates that he's one of 40 people in the Bay Area and more than 100
in the state exercising his legal right to carry an unloaded handgun in
plain sight. Second to protecting themselves, the purpose of this
loosely organized "open-carry" group is to usher in reforms to
California's gun laws. "We consider ourselves coming out of the closet
with our gun rights," said Julian, who often carries openly throughout
San Mateo County. "The Bay Area is the last stand." The movement has
sparked controversy across the state and is now hitting close to home on
the Peninsula, where law enforcers are responding to the group with
mixed feelings. Simply put: They are trying to strike a balance between
upholding state law and protecting the community from what they say can
lead to a dangerous and deadly scene. The county Sheriff's Office was
the first to issue a public memo last week, alerting the community that
it's legal to carry unloaded guns. In the same breath, deputies said
they do not recommend doing so...
http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/Firearms-out-in-the-open-82852497.html
---
Hearing Set in Philadelphia Shooting: Temple law student Gerald Ung will
face a preliminary hearing in April in the shooting case that happened
in front of Fox 29. Ung was initially charged with attempted murder
after he allegedly shot former Villanova student Ed DiDonato Jr. at 4th
and Market Streets in Philadelphia. The hearing's date was set on
Monday. Ung was released on bail last week after his mother posted bail.
Fox 29 security cameras caught the violence on videotape around 2:30
a.m. Sunday on January 17, when Ung bumped into DiDonato and his
friends. Next, DiDonato and his friends appear to follow Ung. That's
when you see Ung pull out a gun and point the weapon. Then, the video
shows DiDonato - who is unarmed - lunge toward Ung. Police say Ung fired
five times, critically wounding DiDonato... Police sources tell Fox 29
that Ung has a firearms permit issued to him from Virginia.
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/april-hearing-set-in-old-city-shooting
---
Oops, Wrong Apartment: Emergency rooms around the Tri-State are on
alert, waiting for a suspect police believe was shot by a 77 year old
Avondale [OH] man in self-defense. "I shot because he was going to shoot
me. I could have shot him two or three times." Clyde Tucker says two men
broke down his door at the Hale Apartments on Tuesday. Tucker says
lately, residents of his building have been victims of the same kind of
crime-thugs who break down doors and rob them. So Tucker says, he was
ready. "The guy was knocking on my door and I didn't respond so I got my
pistol out." Tucker fired, and the men ran out of the building. A
witness, Eric Hamilton, saw the men run out and says it was clear one of
the suspects had been hit by a bullet. He was holding his torso. Police
found a trail of blood coming out of the apartment building. "I could
have shot him if I wanted to kill the guy or something but I don't want
to do nothing like that. They'll get their lesson though." Police say
the suspect will likely show up for treatment of his wound and when he
does, they'll be ready to arrest him.
http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Elderly-Man-Shoots-Intruder/fyT8VlMUGEG8HNXz8vdBRg.cspx
---
Oops, Wrong House: A Fort Wayne [IN] man fatally shot an armed, masked
intruder who was trying to break into a southeast-side home early
Wednesday. Investigators believe 21-year-old Trenton Tavon Jones was
planning to rob the residents at 4730 Reed St. about 3:15 a.m. According
to police, Jones tried to force his way through the home's front door...
The name of the shooter has not been released, and no charges have been
filed. Police believe Jones had accomplices who fled in a dark-colored
vehicle. The shooting occurred after one of two men inside the home
approached the front door with a gun upon hearing the attempted
intrusion, police said. It was unclear how many shots were fired. The
first officers to arrive at the home found Jones, wearing a ski mask,
critically wounded, they said. Officers also found a gun they believe
Jones was carrying...
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100128/LOCAL07/301289976/1002/LOCAL
---
Model for NYPD Training Target Dies: Thousands of cops opened fire at
Jesse Oldshein over the years - and all it did was make him smile. The
retired NYPD lieutenant believed to be the real-life inspiration for a
paper target used in firearms training died last week at his Florida
home, relatives said. He was 92 and had battled bladder cancer. It was
less than two years ago that Oldshein was unmasked as "The Thug" whose
visage was supposed to inspire cops to shoot straight. For years, there
was debate in police circles about the identity of the snarling,
pug-nosed gunman with all the charm of a kick in the teeth... When the
NYPD said in November 2008 it was replacing "The Thug" with two targets
- a Mr. Clean look-alike and a faceless alien - retired Detective Harold
Schiffer came forward and said Oldshein was the mystery man. Oldshein
said Schiffer was no liar and told how he showed up for target practice
one day in the early 1960s and was asked to pose for a picture. "They
said, 'Pose in a boxing stance,'" Oldshein said in 2008. "Next thing I
know, my face is on the target." ...
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/01/27/2010-01-27_thug_who_survived_countless_cop_bullets_dies_happy_in_florida.html#ixzz0dpUVPrGo
---
Glock Generation 4 Only Offered in Two Models: Glock has unveiled two
new pistols for 2010 - the GLOCK 22 Gen4 and GLOCK 17 Gen4. The new
Gen4s have several new features, most noticeably a multiple backstrap
system that allows the user to change the circumference of the grip. The
grip has three options; a short frame version, medium frame or large
frame that are easily changed and secured with a single pin. Also, the
magazine release catch of the Gen4 is reversible and enlarged. The
reversible magazine catch allow users to switch access of the catch to
the left or right side of the pistol with no additional parts.
Internally, the original recoil spring has been replaced with a dual
recoil spring assembly. The dual recoil spring assembly noticeably
reduces the recoil while simultaneously increasing the life cycle of the
pistol. Additionally, the Gen4 has a new Rough Textured Frame (RTF)
surface designed to enhance grip traction and is present on the frame as
well as the interchangeable backstraps. (My take - the only reason for
the interchangeable back straps is to compete for law-enforcement
contracts. While the short frame makes the gun friendlier to smaller
hands, I would have liked to see an insert creating a flat or nearly
flat back strap. For those of us who are not fond of the Glock hump, at
least it's not as much of a problem on the service-size pistols as on
the compact and sub-compact models.)
http://www.gunreports.com/news/news/Glock-Gen4-new-pistols_1799-1.html?ET=gunreports:e625:183810a:&st=email
---
Hmong Hunters Get Guidance over Radio: Along the barren airwaves of AM
radio in Northern California, somewhere between gospel music and traffic
updates, Yia Yang can be heard telling his devoted listeners to always
be aware of their gun muzzles. A 50-year-old Hmong immigrant from
northern Laos, Mr. Yang is the host of a regular all-things-hunting
program on KJAY 1430-AM. The station serves one of the nation's largest
Hmong populations - one for whom the link between hunting and survival
is still palpable... "In Laos, a big part of the traditional role for
men was to provide meat," said Paul Hillmer, a professor of history and
director of the Hmong Oral History Project at Concordia University in
St. Paul. "The adjustment for Hmong men in this country was getting used
to things like private-property boundaries, hunting licenses and
regulations." So Mr. Yang patiently answers a steady stream of callers
from all over the Sacramento Valley, whose questions range from the
mundane -- Do I need a special license to hunt deer with a bow and
arrow? (No, but a hunting license is required, as is a deer tag for
archery.) - to the exotic. How, exactly, one hunter wanted to know, was
he to deliver the severed head of the black bear he had shot to the
State Department of Fish and Game, as required by law. (Present the
skull - even if damaged - to a department office or officer within 10
days of killing the bear.) State officials praise Mr. Yang for
translating the nitty-gritty of fish and game law for people from an
ethnic group that can be wary of authority figures... (Recall that a few
years back a Hmong hunter was confronted while using a tree stand on
private land in Wisconsin and ultimately convicted in the murder of all
six of them; as I recall the case, they apparently continued to harangue
him after he had descended from the tree stand and removed the scope
from his SKS rifle.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/us/28sacramento.html?ref=us
---
When Guns Are Outlawed...: Police are looking for persons involved in a
break-in at a Champaign [IL] house on Sunday night. According to a
Champaign police report, two men entered the back door of a house under
construction in the 3600 block of Freedom Boulevard at 8:34 p.m. Sunday.
According to Champaign Police Department spokeswoman Rene Dunn, a woman
who owns the house that was under construction was there at the time of
the break-in. She reported watching the men try to open a locked service
door leading to the garage. The men then walked to the back of the house
while shining a flashlight into the kitchen area. Once they got inside
the house, the two men encountered the 67-year-old woman, who hit one of
them in the head with an ax and then pressed the alarm button on the
remote control of her car, activating the horn. The two men ran from the
house and joined a third person in a white sport utility vehicle, which
was last seen headed north on Freedom Boulevard. Dunn said the people in
the SUV were not found... (Illinois residents are not actually
prohibited from owning firearms, so long as they maintain a state issued
Firearm Owner's Identification card. It is, however, very cumbersome for
them to transport them lawfully outside the home, much less wear a
concealed handgun, and it sounds as though this woman did not yet reside
on the premises.)
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2010/01/28/police_looking_for_suspects_in_breakin
Almost 3,000 South African police firearms were lost or stolen in just
nine months, it emerged today - about three for every police station in
the country, which has some of the highest crime rates in the world... A
parliamentary committee heard that 2,944 police weapons were lost or
stolen between January and September last year - more than in the whole
of 2008, which was itself an increase on 2007, she said. The recovery
rate for weapons stolen from or lost by police was "extremely low", Ms
Kohler Barnard added, in contrast to thefts from civilians, where it was
100 per cent. The figures suggest that, wittingly or unwittingly, South
African police could be a major supplier of weapons to the country's
criminal underworld. "I can't discount that," said Ms Kohler-Barnard,
adding that it was impossible to say how many of the guns declared lost
had instead been sold by corrupt officers. "I don't know whether they
are selling them or leaving them on the counter at Wimpy's when they go
to have a hamburger." Investigations into lost firearms were sometimes
launched, she said, but "nothing ever comes of them, nothing ever
happens and no one is punished"...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/7085320/South-Africa-police-lose-3000-guns-a-year.html
---
Tangentially Related: President Barack Obama's pointed criticism of the
Supreme Court in tonight's State of the Union address, which we reported
on here and here was beyond unusual; it was almost unprecedented. The
third branch rarely even merits a mention in the State of the Union
speeches, according to a search we've made going back to Woodrow
Wilson's speech in 1913 in this University of California Santa Barbara
database. (Thanks to editor David Brown for the research.) Presidents
have mentioned the Supreme Court by name only nine times since that
Wilson speech nearly a century ago, according to the search, and it
would be hard to categorize many of those nine as criticisms. Even
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had a lot of grievances with the
Court, never mentioned it in any of his State of the Union messages. And
Richard Nixon, who campaigned against the Warren Court, mentioned the
Supreme Court in a State of the Union talk only once, in 1972, in a
bland, welcoming way...
http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2010/01/high-court-is-rare-topic-for-state-of-the-union-speeches.html
POLITICO's Kasie Hunt, who's in the House chamber, reports that Justice
Samuel Alito mouthed the words "not true" when President Barack Obama
criticized the Supreme Court's campaign finance decision. "Last week,
the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for
special interests -- including foreign corporations -- to spend without
limit in our elections," Obama said. "Well I don't think American
elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or
worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American
people, and that's why I'm urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a
bill that helps to right this wrong." The shot of the black-robed
Supreme Court justices, stone-faced, was priceless. Sen. Chuck Schumer
(D-N.Y.) stood up behind the justices and clapped vigorously while Alito
shook his head and quietly mouthed his discontent. Schumer and Rep.
Chris Van Hollen (D-Md) are trying to find a way to legislate around the
Supreme Court decision...
http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/0110/Justice_Alitos_You_lie_moment.html
A Search Engine That Promises Privacy: Who in the world knows as much
about you and your private thoughts as Google? That's the question
Katherine Albrecht, radio talk-show host and spokeswoman for Startpage,
a search engine that protects user privacy, is posing to American
Internet surfers. "It would blow people's minds if they knew how much
information the big search engines have on the American public," she
told WND. "In fact, their dossiers are so detailed they would probably
be the envy of the KGB." It happens every day, Albrecht explained. When
an unfamiliar topic crosses people's minds, they often go straight to
Google, Yahoo or Bing and enter key terms into those search engines.
Every day, more than a billion searches for information are performed on
Google alone... But she said there's good news. Startpage, and its
European brand Ixquick,, are introducing a new search alternative that
will protect and never store private information about its users.
Startpage will launch its new proxy service tonight at 10 p.m. EST. The
proxy service allows users to search and surf the Web anonymously. With
each Startpage search, the word "proxy" appears under each result. If a
user clicks "proxy," they may view the result privately...
http://startpage.com/
--
Stephen P. Wenger, KE7QBY
Firearm safety - It's a matter
for education, not legislation.
The tactics and skills to use a firearm
in self-defense don't come naturally
with the right to keep and bear arms.
http://www.spw-duf.info
