Police officers are never fully trusted or appreciated.
Here in Indianapolis, we have one who has been trying to use the legal system to wrangle out of a drunken driving charge while on duty, one that resulted in the death of an innocent man and serious injuries to two others.
We have had rogue undercover narcotics cops raiding suspects' homes, taking money found, keeping the drugs and selling them.
We have seen overzealous cops who have arrested people who may have deserved to be roughed up because they thought they could whip the officer during a police action, but in no way deserved to be pummeled mercilessly well after they had been neutralized.
It's just like any other urban police force in the nation here in the Midwest, we have some who lie, cheat, and steal, all behind the cover of a badge. In the midst of their corruptions, we all know well that it is these cops that usually make the news.
But for the most part, the majority of police officers on the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department are people like anyone else. They are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and many good friends to other people they know. They get up everyday and work hard to make the place they live in safer, from people who care nothing for others or their properties.
Is someone breaking into your house? Who do you call?
Someone stole your car? Who do you call?
The list can go on, but the fact remains that these people volunteer to put their lives on the line everyday. They put on their uniform, walk out that door to go to work, not knowing what they will face on that given day. Their enemy wears no uniform, therefore they cannot be easily identified.
Last Sunday, one such officer did just that.
He woke up to the alarm, got ready, got dressed, and left his home. While out early that morning, he made a traffic stop. It turned out the car had been stolen. As Officer David Moore approached the car he had stopped, a man jumped out and shot him four times, quite possibly a couple of times after he was down and unconscious.
Since that time, he has been hanging on by a thread in a local hospital. After he was stabilized enough to get an MRI to determine the extent of his injuries, it was learned that nothing could be done to save his life. So the family had to make preparations to donate his organs and take him off life support. They had to make a lifetime's worth of decisions in the course of the last 24 hours, for a tragic event that just happened three days ago.
This morning before the sun came up on the city, IMPD Officer David Moore died. Mr. Moore died because someone didn't want to go to jail for something he knew he did wrong. He died because a bad man shot him for doing his job.
No charges have been filed yet in the case, but the suspect is in jail for robbing a Dollar General Store in the ensuing moments after the shooting. He did this, knowing the entire police force would be distracted at the scene where he had done his dirty lowlife deed.
My sources tell me they are building a good case against the depraved bastard who perpetrated this act. I just wish they could put me in a room with him for a few minutes, and go get themselves a cup of coffee. I wouldn't kill him, I promise.
ADDENDUM:
By all accounts I have heard for a variety of sources, this guy was one of the good ones. Check out the video and/or read the story at this link.
Showing posts with label Criminal Justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Criminal Justice. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
What Did Sheriff Clarence Dupnik Know? And When Did He Know It?
After listening to the MSM most every day since Saturday, it would come to no surprise that the NBC Nightly News would still be devoting half of their evening newscast to the fallout from the Tucson shooting. If I were naive, it might give me cause to wonder. But I am not and it doesn't.
Likewise, in the same amount of time, we are still hearing CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Left Wing Blogs, and other bullhorns for liberal bias, toot the same tired old rhetoric, even in the face of contradictory evidence. Despite the fact we now know the shooter is a very mentally disturbed man, they are keeping this story in the cycle for the specific purpose of demonizing a movement. They are working overtime to discredit those whose only sin is they do not agree with the Progressive agenda.
We have seen a Sheriff who very likely came out on a full frontal assault against those who disagree with that very agenda for purposes that we do not yet understand, but may be beginning to interpret. First news conference was hectic and we cut him some slack. But now he has maintained his offensive, so we must look a little deeper.
Before he had the facts, he was pointing the finger away from himself. Which now makes me wonder why, his department is refusing to give the media information about the shooter -- information that could be used to discredit his theory.
We do know that Loughner's mom works for the county.
We know that county government is an entity where favors are often procured for future favors. It could very well be that Sheriff Dupnik owed a few to Amy Loughner, so he cut the kid some breaks along the way with his brushes against the law.
We also know that Dupnik hasn't always been the liberal hero, some would have us all believe.
We are also learning that the "noble" lawman's daughter was busted on drug charges. The article poses the important question, did he get her the help SHE needed, or did he just cover it up under the rug?
Now that we are learning more about this situation, we may now be seeing why the Sheriff drove the first tank over the line in what is now a blitzkrieg. We may be just beginning to understand that he has something to hide and wanted to throw up a smoke screen to protect his own ass, form his severe lack of efficiency in this matter
So after all of this new information is now coming to light, it still comes as no surprise that not one minute of half an NBC newscast was focused on the Sheriff, and much of it was devoted to vitriolic rhetoric, gun control, and the President's visit. This is just one more reason why the network news is becoming less and less relevant, as days go by.
And maybe, just maybe, it's one more reason why the pathetic progressives will lose even more power, in the next election. People are tired of it. Yes, the discourse does need to become more civil and strictly confined to policy debates. But it cannot be to one side or another, or that simply becomes silencing the opposition.
Likewise, in the same amount of time, we are still hearing CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Left Wing Blogs, and other bullhorns for liberal bias, toot the same tired old rhetoric, even in the face of contradictory evidence. Despite the fact we now know the shooter is a very mentally disturbed man, they are keeping this story in the cycle for the specific purpose of demonizing a movement. They are working overtime to discredit those whose only sin is they do not agree with the Progressive agenda.
We have seen a Sheriff who very likely came out on a full frontal assault against those who disagree with that very agenda for purposes that we do not yet understand, but may be beginning to interpret. First news conference was hectic and we cut him some slack. But now he has maintained his offensive, so we must look a little deeper.
Before he had the facts, he was pointing the finger away from himself. Which now makes me wonder why, his department is refusing to give the media information about the shooter -- information that could be used to discredit his theory.
We do know that Loughner's mom works for the county.
Amy Loughner got a job with the county just before Jared was born, and since at least 2002 has been the supervisor for Roy P. Drachman Agua Caliente Park on the outskirts of the city. She earns $25.70 an hour, according to Gwyn Hatcher, Pima County's human resources director.
We know that county government is an entity where favors are often procured for future favors. It could very well be that Sheriff Dupnik owed a few to Amy Loughner, so he cut the kid some breaks along the way with his brushes against the law.
We also know that Dupnik hasn't always been the liberal hero, some would have us all believe.
In 1981, Dupnik sent a message to all residents: Arm yourselves. Police couldn't adequately protect the populace, he said, because they didn't have sufficient manpower: "Not only are things not good, they are going to get worse. For those who are so inclined, it's time to start protecting yourselves."
We are also learning that the "noble" lawman's daughter was busted on drug charges. The article poses the important question, did he get her the help SHE needed, or did he just cover it up under the rug?
Now that we are learning more about this situation, we may now be seeing why the Sheriff drove the first tank over the line in what is now a blitzkrieg. We may be just beginning to understand that he has something to hide and wanted to throw up a smoke screen to protect his own ass, form his severe lack of efficiency in this matter
So after all of this new information is now coming to light, it still comes as no surprise that not one minute of half an NBC newscast was focused on the Sheriff, and much of it was devoted to vitriolic rhetoric, gun control, and the President's visit. This is just one more reason why the network news is becoming less and less relevant, as days go by.
And maybe, just maybe, it's one more reason why the pathetic progressives will lose even more power, in the next election. People are tired of it. Yes, the discourse does need to become more civil and strictly confined to policy debates. But it cannot be to one side or another, or that simply becomes silencing the opposition.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
In The Aftermath Of The Giffords Shootings: An Entreaty And Explanation
Part I: The Entreaty
After an entire Sunday news cycle has been driving (and dictating the pace of) this post-shooting discussion, we have a little more information to work with and have had some time to sort through what we do have and analyze it, more judiciously.
It comes as no surprise that the Left Wing establishment has made every effort to demonize those who do NOT stand for their positions on important issues, or their worldview in general. Almost immediately, we heard about Sarah Palin's target map of Blue Dog Democrats who conservatives wanted to unseat in the November election, and we heard almost incessant rhetoric about the TEA Party movement in general. Naturally, the fingers were pointed at them.
If commentators were not directly pointing fingers, they were subtlety leading in that direction through the way they phrased their questions in general. Their goal seemed to be creating sound bites to be used over and over, in order to plant suspicion that the killer was probably a Right Wing nut job, affiliated with the TEA Party organizations.
And why not?
Over the course of the last two years we have seen the desperate attempts to discredit the movement with hateful rhetoric, accusations of racism, going so far as to plant union thugs at rallies who claim to be white supremacists. We have even witnessed members of the CBC (while putting up a brazen display of arrogance and power drunkenness) claiming that they heard someone use the "N" word and accused another of spitting, on one of them. None of that has ever been proven even with a $100,000 reward at stake, but that has not stopped their desperate accusations.
Still, none of that worked, as was made evident by the last election.
Bluntly put, that kind of fiery inflammatory rhetoric made no difference in the outcome. And it has driven the Left crazy to no end.
So what do they do now?
They, being the crass and desperate opportunists they are, use a tragic and senseless situation/event to take the opportunity to stoke the fire even more. The goal is the same, the methods are just a little different.
No one of any political influence has failed to be in utter shock and disbelief, anymore than the officials who have benefited from this last election. They are hurt every bit as much as those who did not.
This is not who we are as a nation or a movement. Decent people do not seek this kind of thing, nor do we revel in it. But, this is exactly what the despicable extremes of both sides want and they will surely get it, if cooler heads do not prevail on BOTH sides.
It is not enough for the conservatives in power to condemn this kind of thing, we must have help from the people who we merely disagree with us on policy issues. And where are these people? Where is Harry Reid? Where is Nancy Pelsoi? Nowhere.
I personally do not want anyone who I vehemently disagree with on politics, to suffer anything like this.... in any way, shape, or form. I want them VOTED out of power, into the private sector. But I do NOT wish them to become dead at the hands of anyone else, because of their politics. NONE, not one. I respect life way too much.
Believe it, for it is true. And in the meantime, know without a doubt I personally know of no one else who believes in this kind of thing either. And I kniow many who are far more conservative than me.
So if the reader of this post is still with me, please understand something clearly. There are some things that are not being made known by the Media hacks who are advancing this inflammatory discussion Many of them are directing this story toward decent citizens. who merely want to slow the government down from spending our children's and grandchildren's future away. NOTHING MORE.
What we know is still relatively limited. More may be known than has been released, but for some reason the information hasn't been made public. Bits and pieces about the event itself and the possible motives behind it, are slowly coming out. But some things have been refuted along the way, as well.
The 24-hour news cycle has been a double-edged sword at times, since its development. Thus, it is always important for intelligent people to realize that what we think we may know at a given moment, may or may not be true. The 24/7 news networks do this for ratings.
"This just in, but we cannot verify it yet"...."we have word from some source"....all of that kind of thing has to be dealt with much patience and prudence. It is utterly imperative to be circumspect in the formation of our conclusions.
Part II: The Explanation
From what we have been able to establish so far, we can say with much certainty that this gunman was a bit deranged. Derangement comes from a variety of sources, one of those is mental illness.
In the case with physical illness, the sources are different in nature and must be looked at differently. But we also know that some organ systems can affect others, causing other complications along the way. Such is the case with mental illness. And I have worked with mentally ill patients some years ago and can say from a professional perspective that not all disorders are exactly the same.
My intention in this portion of the post is not to teach a class on mental illness per se, but to help lay people to understand a little something about what we term, thought disorders. One of those disorders is Schizophrenia.
There are several types. But for the purposes this discussion is not important to know much about them or their differences. It takes years of experience to have the ability to diagnose more specifically.
What is important is that you know that a huge component of a thought disorder is based on the kinds of delusional material they think about. They may be have grandiose thoughts, thoughts of persecution, or may exhibit paranoia. Whatever the nature of those thoughts, most of the time, they are not right thoughts.... but just know the person affected establishes them as fact, in their own mind.
There are primarily three topics that these people can ruminate and fixate on: Sex, religion, and politics. They can have one, all, or any combination of the three. It makes no difference the number or which ones.
As we we believe we now know, this gunman put up some videos along with a My Space page, and possibly a Facebook page. (I have seen the videos and I will not link to them. If you wish to see them, others have done so and you can see them if you wish.) The important thing to note here is he was fixated on both religion and politics.
We know that he has a history of erratic and disruptive behaviors. How many times have we seen this before now? How many times have we heard the people say, there were red flags everywhere, yet nobody did anything at all?
A guy gets fired for erratic behaviors or just being creepy in some way and later he shoots the place up. Many times we find the man was paranoid and could have been helped, if someone would have made an effort to intervene properly.
But let's refocus here.
Remember, the thoughts of the person with a thought disorder are not accurate.
It is the person's perception that is deluded. Many times there are impulsive acts, sometimes they are more deliberate after long periods of fixation. We still do not know for a surety what angle this guy came from, in the political component of his delusions.
We do know that he wanted some kind of new currency, but what that was and why was not made particularly clear. We have evidence that has been spiraling into this inaccurate world of his, for awhile now.
The argument now becomes the motive.
Was it political in a real sense... or was it as a result of a series of delusional thoughts?
From the evidence we have, it strongly points to the delusions.
Was it driven by Left Wing or Right Wing politics?
From what we have gathered so far, we cannot tell right now. The real issue here is whether the guy was able to make a true conscious decision based on some real cause, or something he merely believed to be a cause.
I do not believe that Timothy McVeigh was mentally ill. He had a cause and a belief system and was fully capable of planning and implementing a heinous act that will forever be in our minds, whenever these kinds of things occur. The mentally ill person with a thought disorder is typically not capable, because they are disorganized and erratic as his videos have shown.
So Hillary Clinton can travel the world and tell others that an extremist shot Rep. Giffords if she wants. But she clearly does not have her facts correct to make such a statement. Neither do the MSM hacks or the Left Wing web sites like the Daily Kos.
So in forming your own judgments, be careful that you do not buy into just one aspect or component of this event, without considering all things together. And more than anything, let your conscience me your guide and leave the hacks to make utter and complete fools of themselves.
The fact remains that there are six people dead and others wounded, and a Congresswoman fighting for her life. Let's pray for them and their loved ones that they can find the strength to endure a very difficult situation, they did not ask to be put in.
After an entire Sunday news cycle has been driving (and dictating the pace of) this post-shooting discussion, we have a little more information to work with and have had some time to sort through what we do have and analyze it, more judiciously.
It comes as no surprise that the Left Wing establishment has made every effort to demonize those who do NOT stand for their positions on important issues, or their worldview in general. Almost immediately, we heard about Sarah Palin's target map of Blue Dog Democrats who conservatives wanted to unseat in the November election, and we heard almost incessant rhetoric about the TEA Party movement in general. Naturally, the fingers were pointed at them.
If commentators were not directly pointing fingers, they were subtlety leading in that direction through the way they phrased their questions in general. Their goal seemed to be creating sound bites to be used over and over, in order to plant suspicion that the killer was probably a Right Wing nut job, affiliated with the TEA Party organizations.
And why not?
Over the course of the last two years we have seen the desperate attempts to discredit the movement with hateful rhetoric, accusations of racism, going so far as to plant union thugs at rallies who claim to be white supremacists. We have even witnessed members of the CBC (while putting up a brazen display of arrogance and power drunkenness) claiming that they heard someone use the "N" word and accused another of spitting, on one of them. None of that has ever been proven even with a $100,000 reward at stake, but that has not stopped their desperate accusations.
Still, none of that worked, as was made evident by the last election.
Bluntly put, that kind of fiery inflammatory rhetoric made no difference in the outcome. And it has driven the Left crazy to no end.
So what do they do now?
They, being the crass and desperate opportunists they are, use a tragic and senseless situation/event to take the opportunity to stoke the fire even more. The goal is the same, the methods are just a little different.
No one of any political influence has failed to be in utter shock and disbelief, anymore than the officials who have benefited from this last election. They are hurt every bit as much as those who did not.
This is not who we are as a nation or a movement. Decent people do not seek this kind of thing, nor do we revel in it. But, this is exactly what the despicable extremes of both sides want and they will surely get it, if cooler heads do not prevail on BOTH sides.
It is not enough for the conservatives in power to condemn this kind of thing, we must have help from the people who we merely disagree with us on policy issues. And where are these people? Where is Harry Reid? Where is Nancy Pelsoi? Nowhere.
I personally do not want anyone who I vehemently disagree with on politics, to suffer anything like this.... in any way, shape, or form. I want them VOTED out of power, into the private sector. But I do NOT wish them to become dead at the hands of anyone else, because of their politics. NONE, not one. I respect life way too much.
Believe it, for it is true. And in the meantime, know without a doubt I personally know of no one else who believes in this kind of thing either. And I kniow many who are far more conservative than me.
So if the reader of this post is still with me, please understand something clearly. There are some things that are not being made known by the Media hacks who are advancing this inflammatory discussion Many of them are directing this story toward decent citizens. who merely want to slow the government down from spending our children's and grandchildren's future away. NOTHING MORE.
What we know is still relatively limited. More may be known than has been released, but for some reason the information hasn't been made public. Bits and pieces about the event itself and the possible motives behind it, are slowly coming out. But some things have been refuted along the way, as well.
The 24-hour news cycle has been a double-edged sword at times, since its development. Thus, it is always important for intelligent people to realize that what we think we may know at a given moment, may or may not be true. The 24/7 news networks do this for ratings.
"This just in, but we cannot verify it yet"...."we have word from some source"....all of that kind of thing has to be dealt with much patience and prudence. It is utterly imperative to be circumspect in the formation of our conclusions.
Part II: The Explanation
From what we have been able to establish so far, we can say with much certainty that this gunman was a bit deranged. Derangement comes from a variety of sources, one of those is mental illness.
In the case with physical illness, the sources are different in nature and must be looked at differently. But we also know that some organ systems can affect others, causing other complications along the way. Such is the case with mental illness. And I have worked with mentally ill patients some years ago and can say from a professional perspective that not all disorders are exactly the same.
My intention in this portion of the post is not to teach a class on mental illness per se, but to help lay people to understand a little something about what we term, thought disorders. One of those disorders is Schizophrenia.
There are several types. But for the purposes this discussion is not important to know much about them or their differences. It takes years of experience to have the ability to diagnose more specifically.
What is important is that you know that a huge component of a thought disorder is based on the kinds of delusional material they think about. They may be have grandiose thoughts, thoughts of persecution, or may exhibit paranoia. Whatever the nature of those thoughts, most of the time, they are not right thoughts.... but just know the person affected establishes them as fact, in their own mind.
There are primarily three topics that these people can ruminate and fixate on: Sex, religion, and politics. They can have one, all, or any combination of the three. It makes no difference the number or which ones.
As we we believe we now know, this gunman put up some videos along with a My Space page, and possibly a Facebook page. (I have seen the videos and I will not link to them. If you wish to see them, others have done so and you can see them if you wish.) The important thing to note here is he was fixated on both religion and politics.
We know that he has a history of erratic and disruptive behaviors. How many times have we seen this before now? How many times have we heard the people say, there were red flags everywhere, yet nobody did anything at all?
A guy gets fired for erratic behaviors or just being creepy in some way and later he shoots the place up. Many times we find the man was paranoid and could have been helped, if someone would have made an effort to intervene properly.
But let's refocus here.
Remember, the thoughts of the person with a thought disorder are not accurate.
It is the person's perception that is deluded. Many times there are impulsive acts, sometimes they are more deliberate after long periods of fixation. We still do not know for a surety what angle this guy came from, in the political component of his delusions.
We do know that he wanted some kind of new currency, but what that was and why was not made particularly clear. We have evidence that has been spiraling into this inaccurate world of his, for awhile now.
The argument now becomes the motive.
Was it political in a real sense... or was it as a result of a series of delusional thoughts?
From the evidence we have, it strongly points to the delusions.
Was it driven by Left Wing or Right Wing politics?
From what we have gathered so far, we cannot tell right now. The real issue here is whether the guy was able to make a true conscious decision based on some real cause, or something he merely believed to be a cause.
I do not believe that Timothy McVeigh was mentally ill. He had a cause and a belief system and was fully capable of planning and implementing a heinous act that will forever be in our minds, whenever these kinds of things occur. The mentally ill person with a thought disorder is typically not capable, because they are disorganized and erratic as his videos have shown.
So Hillary Clinton can travel the world and tell others that an extremist shot Rep. Giffords if she wants. But she clearly does not have her facts correct to make such a statement. Neither do the MSM hacks or the Left Wing web sites like the Daily Kos.
So in forming your own judgments, be careful that you do not buy into just one aspect or component of this event, without considering all things together. And more than anything, let your conscience me your guide and leave the hacks to make utter and complete fools of themselves.
The fact remains that there are six people dead and others wounded, and a Congresswoman fighting for her life. Let's pray for them and their loved ones that they can find the strength to endure a very difficult situation, they did not ask to be put in.
Who Or What Can Be Blamed In The Giffords Shooting?
The nation's decent citizens mourn the senseless shooting in Tucson, where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was injured and 6 others were killed (to include a federal judge and a young child). And PYY will go on the record to condemn such heinous un-American and morally depraved acts to the nth degree, here and in any forum.
I say this because it really was despicable. This kind of thing has no place in any repository of solutions, nor does it go any distance to salvage anything of any value, at all. Nothing was gained from this, and much was lost.
With that said, we all had to know that once this tragic story broke this afternoon is, there would be moronic idiots on the Left who could not wait to classify it politically. In their minds, every gun tragedy must be manipulated into a right wing plot, at the hands of a disaffected, right wing, gun-toting nut job. And as we can see from ITHM, there are many who are laying this directly at the feet of conservative figures like Sarah Palin and the TEA Party Movement in general.
I actually found out about this on Facebook through a posting by Michele Bachmann, who immediately condemned this act and asked her followers for prayers to be offered up for her colleague, and the others who were shot. Other members of Congress and the prominent conservative organizations that I follow on FB did the very same thing.
Immediately after I heard the name of the shooter released, I did a search on Facebook. Before it was taken down, there was a page with the name Jared Laughner (not a typo, it was an "a" instead of an "o") and he just happened to be from Tucson.
It's always possible that it may not have been the same guy, and he may have taken it down because he did not want to be confused with the shooter. I don’t know for a surety and I don't think any of us do. But it was odd.
He had a lot of privacy applications, but did have a few things visible to the public. In his profile pic was a picture of the President. On his "Info" page, he had listed (with pics) a heading that said People who inspired me and he listed the following: Obama, Alinsky, Chomsky, Chavez, Che, Castro, Mao, Stalin, and Arafat.
Again, it has now been taken down and it could be coincidence. But I would be curious to know how many Jared Laughners (or Loughners) there are in Tucson. I did a search on the White Pages and found none. A bit strange maybe, but a cell phone account and/or living in a parent’s basement is all one needs to avoid a listing there.
But since the page is no longer available and it could be said by Left-Wing hate mongers that I am lying, let's look at this more in depth from what we know to be true, what we can prove, and as a result form a logical theory based on reasonable and rational thought.
Giffords was a Blue Dog Democrat who supported gun rights and controlling the border more efficiently. Although she voted for some unpopular bills along the way, she doesn't exactly fit the mold of someone that a true Right-Wing nut job would target for an assassination. And when we put this information with the info I found on the Facebook page, it seems far more likely this was a hit job by a Left-Wing nut job who is hell-bent on sparking a wave of anti-conservative dissent.
The videos he posted on his You Tube account (some of which can be seen in the ITHM post as I will not post them here) were indicative of someone very disturbed and psychotic. The books he listed as his favorites (on the YT site) were also a bit telling, in that he was not specifically interested in literature of a Right-Wing nature.
The books were as follows: Animal Farm, Brave New World, The Wizard Of OZ, Aesop Fables, The Odyssey, Alice Adventures Into Wonderland, Fahrenheit 451, Peter Pan, To Kill A Mockingbird, We The Living, Phantom Toll Booth, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Pulp, Through The Looking Glass, The Communist Manifesto, Siddhartha, The Old Man And The Sea, Gulliver’s Travels, Mein Kampf, The Republic, and Meno.
Analyzing this list from a psychological standpoint shows a very disheveled thought process and a typical trait of someone with a very serious thought disorder, as classified by the DSM. But to the Democratic progressive hacks who have nothing better to do than act as if they have the first damned clue about this kind of thing, there is no shame.
The facts are not all out and it may turn out that we may never know them all with crystal clear clarity, especially if the guy is truly a psychotic and delusional mental case. But with the little evidence we have now, we must maintain some level of prudence in our judgments until we know more. Until then, I will reserve my more reasoned judgments for later on when we know more about the case.
STAY TUNED....More to come and I will post more on it later, as I have the time to gather information.
First, some other voices and their thoughts can be found at these excellent blogs:
Fore Left
Always On Watch
AF Ticker
Right Truth
GM's Place
ITHM has more
More links to follow as I can add them.
I say this because it really was despicable. This kind of thing has no place in any repository of solutions, nor does it go any distance to salvage anything of any value, at all. Nothing was gained from this, and much was lost.
With that said, we all had to know that once this tragic story broke this afternoon is, there would be moronic idiots on the Left who could not wait to classify it politically. In their minds, every gun tragedy must be manipulated into a right wing plot, at the hands of a disaffected, right wing, gun-toting nut job. And as we can see from ITHM, there are many who are laying this directly at the feet of conservative figures like Sarah Palin and the TEA Party Movement in general.
I actually found out about this on Facebook through a posting by Michele Bachmann, who immediately condemned this act and asked her followers for prayers to be offered up for her colleague, and the others who were shot. Other members of Congress and the prominent conservative organizations that I follow on FB did the very same thing.
Immediately after I heard the name of the shooter released, I did a search on Facebook. Before it was taken down, there was a page with the name Jared Laughner (not a typo, it was an "a" instead of an "o") and he just happened to be from Tucson.
It's always possible that it may not have been the same guy, and he may have taken it down because he did not want to be confused with the shooter. I don’t know for a surety and I don't think any of us do. But it was odd.
He had a lot of privacy applications, but did have a few things visible to the public. In his profile pic was a picture of the President. On his "Info" page, he had listed (with pics) a heading that said People who inspired me and he listed the following: Obama, Alinsky, Chomsky, Chavez, Che, Castro, Mao, Stalin, and Arafat.
Again, it has now been taken down and it could be coincidence. But I would be curious to know how many Jared Laughners (or Loughners) there are in Tucson. I did a search on the White Pages and found none. A bit strange maybe, but a cell phone account and/or living in a parent’s basement is all one needs to avoid a listing there.
But since the page is no longer available and it could be said by Left-Wing hate mongers that I am lying, let's look at this more in depth from what we know to be true, what we can prove, and as a result form a logical theory based on reasonable and rational thought.
Giffords was a Blue Dog Democrat who supported gun rights and controlling the border more efficiently. Although she voted for some unpopular bills along the way, she doesn't exactly fit the mold of someone that a true Right-Wing nut job would target for an assassination. And when we put this information with the info I found on the Facebook page, it seems far more likely this was a hit job by a Left-Wing nut job who is hell-bent on sparking a wave of anti-conservative dissent.
The videos he posted on his You Tube account (some of which can be seen in the ITHM post as I will not post them here) were indicative of someone very disturbed and psychotic. The books he listed as his favorites (on the YT site) were also a bit telling, in that he was not specifically interested in literature of a Right-Wing nature.
The books were as follows: Animal Farm, Brave New World, The Wizard Of OZ, Aesop Fables, The Odyssey, Alice Adventures Into Wonderland, Fahrenheit 451, Peter Pan, To Kill A Mockingbird, We The Living, Phantom Toll Booth, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Pulp, Through The Looking Glass, The Communist Manifesto, Siddhartha, The Old Man And The Sea, Gulliver’s Travels, Mein Kampf, The Republic, and Meno.
Analyzing this list from a psychological standpoint shows a very disheveled thought process and a typical trait of someone with a very serious thought disorder, as classified by the DSM. But to the Democratic progressive hacks who have nothing better to do than act as if they have the first damned clue about this kind of thing, there is no shame.
The facts are not all out and it may turn out that we may never know them all with crystal clear clarity, especially if the guy is truly a psychotic and delusional mental case. But with the little evidence we have now, we must maintain some level of prudence in our judgments until we know more. Until then, I will reserve my more reasoned judgments for later on when we know more about the case.
STAY TUNED....More to come and I will post more on it later, as I have the time to gather information.
First, some other voices and their thoughts can be found at these excellent blogs:
Fore Left
Always On Watch
AF Ticker
Right Truth
GM's Place
ITHM has more
More links to follow as I can add them.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Welcome To 2011
Every new year is usually filled with expectation and hope. If you are watching or involved with government, you will no doubt notice some new laws and regulations which they tell us will make life better for the people.
This year, the state of California begins the annum novo with 725 new laws going into effect. It is already one of the most regulated and legislated states in the union. But that's okay, they obviously needed some more.
Here are but just a few from the short list provided in the link:
So...the landlords must eat the costs of no rent from these people for how long? I am not sure it says, but I am not sure it matters to the authors. It's just another infringement on property rights, if you ask me.
Another business unfriendly measure designed to discourage people from starting a small produce market. Like many of these free enterprise hating measures, most of their ideas end up hurting small businesses more than the large corporations.
Forcing these businesses to use food stamps will cause a greater cost to the owners when it comes time to redeem them....and who says they will be able to? At the rate the government is going now, how long will they have any value at all?
Not a bad law on the surface, we all know that parents need to be more accountable for their children's actions or inactions. For all of the food stamp/government check receiving parents, who sit at home on their asses, this may be applicable. But how will they penalize them? Will they take it out of their government checks?
And what if the parent is a hard working parent who shuns public assistance and must work hard every day to make ends meet? Every day they must go to work or face disciplinary issues and even termination at work. How will they be penalized? Will the state fine them incessantly for a kid who will just not go? Will they do it to the point where the parent ends back on public assistance?
More business killing legislation to prevent global warming...er, I mean, climate change. And they wonder why the corporate tax base in the Golden State is shrinking. If I owned a business in California that wasn't dependent on Californians, I'd be getting out as fast as I could.
Adding more debt to the state that is already broke...at the taxpayer's expense. At 18, they can join the military. Why does the state need to provide services to California's foster children, when they could get a job?
Oh...I forgot. There are no jobs because there is a shrinking corporate taxe base, because businesses are fleeing....and we need people to learn how to stay dependent on government. How silly of me.
Putting killers back on the street so that the federal government can pick up the tab? People in other states are soon going to be bailing California out, one way or another. If not by a huge money payout, they'll do it by incremental shifts in burdens like this. A little here, a little there, pretty soon you'll wish you just wrote them a check and could be done with it.
More freedom lost.
Maybe if they try hard enough, they can follow the lead of the warped nanny-city of San Fransicko and ban Happy Meals statewide.
Look.... there are needs for laws, we all know that.
If humans weren't so self-serving and dishonest, there would be no need for a lot of them. But I cannot help wondering if we need to enforce the good laws we already have and implement punishments to fit the crimes, before we start tacking on things that infringe on the rights of the law abiding citizens and those who are working to keep this economy moving.
We certainly do not need to make laws to appease the false prophets like the social justice lamebrains, the Global Warming ministry, and the race-baiting racists just to shut them up. They do not produce anything...except idiocy.
So once again, welcome to MMXI. Leave your sense of humor at the door. Because if the newly elected Congress doesn't start a corrective process and path, you may find yourself crying a lot this year.
This year, the state of California begins the annum novo with 725 new laws going into effect. It is already one of the most regulated and legislated states in the union. But that's okay, they obviously needed some more.
Here are but just a few from the short list provided in the link:
SB 782 prevents landlords from evicting tenants who are victims of domestic or sexual abuse or stalking.
So...the landlords must eat the costs of no rent from these people for how long? I am not sure it says, but I am not sure it matters to the authors. It's just another infringement on property rights, if you ask me.
AB 537 will make food stamps an acceptable form of payment at farmers markets through an EBT process.
Another business unfriendly measure designed to discourage people from starting a small produce market. Like many of these free enterprise hating measures, most of their ideas end up hurting small businesses more than the large corporations.
Forcing these businesses to use food stamps will cause a greater cost to the owners when it comes time to redeem them....and who says they will be able to? At the rate the government is going now, how long will they have any value at all?
SB 1317 allows the state to slap parents with a $2,000 fine if their K-8 child misses more than 10 percent of the school year without a valid excuse. It also allows the state to punish parents with up to a year in prison for the misdemeanor.
Not a bad law on the surface, we all know that parents need to be more accountable for their children's actions or inactions. For all of the food stamp/government check receiving parents, who sit at home on their asses, this may be applicable. But how will they penalize them? Will they take it out of their government checks?
And what if the parent is a hard working parent who shuns public assistance and must work hard every day to make ends meet? Every day they must go to work or face disciplinary issues and even termination at work. How will they be penalized? Will the state fine them incessantly for a kid who will just not go? Will they do it to the point where the parent ends back on public assistance?
AB 715 makes a change to the California Green Building Standards code. The change will require new California buildings to be energy efficient.
More business killing legislation to prevent global warming...er, I mean, climate change. And they wonder why the corporate tax base in the Golden State is shrinking. If I owned a business in California that wasn't dependent on Californians, I'd be getting out as fast as I could.
AB 12 allows foster youth to acquire state services until the age of 21.
Adding more debt to the state that is already broke...at the taxpayer's expense. At 18, they can join the military. Why does the state need to provide services to California's foster children, when they could get a job?
Oh...I forgot. There are no jobs because there is a shrinking corporate taxe base, because businesses are fleeing....and we need people to learn how to stay dependent on government. How silly of me.
SB 1399 allows California to medically parole state prison inmates with physical incapacitating conditions and ultimately shifts some of the cost of care to the federal government.
Putting killers back on the street so that the federal government can pick up the tab? People in other states are soon going to be bailing California out, one way or another. If not by a huge money payout, they'll do it by incremental shifts in burdens like this. A little here, a little there, pretty soon you'll wish you just wrote them a check and could be done with it.
AB 97 bans the use of trans-fats in food facilities.
More freedom lost.
Maybe if they try hard enough, they can follow the lead of the warped nanny-city of San Fransicko and ban Happy Meals statewide.
Look.... there are needs for laws, we all know that.
If humans weren't so self-serving and dishonest, there would be no need for a lot of them. But I cannot help wondering if we need to enforce the good laws we already have and implement punishments to fit the crimes, before we start tacking on things that infringe on the rights of the law abiding citizens and those who are working to keep this economy moving.
We certainly do not need to make laws to appease the false prophets like the social justice lamebrains, the Global Warming ministry, and the race-baiting racists just to shut them up. They do not produce anything...except idiocy.
So once again, welcome to MMXI. Leave your sense of humor at the door. Because if the newly elected Congress doesn't start a corrective process and path, you may find yourself crying a lot this year.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
A Tale Of Self-Preservation
Here comes another tale that gets told over and over. It is not a tale that is pleasant to tell... and is not one that brings any level of happiness, as it is being told. But nevertheless, it is one that needs to be told from time to time--to keep it fresh.
A man was shot the other night.
I know, I know.
I am sure you are asking, what's new about this? And the answer is nothing.
Except..... it (once again) shows how important it is to have the basic right to protect yourself, and those you love.
Here's the gist of the news report on the incident:
Yes it's sad.
And it didn't have to happen.
But what's a person to do when they are accosted in such a brazen and dangerous manner? Hampton obviously miscalculated and underestimated the resolve of a young kid who just wanted to get moved into a new place. You can't blame the protector and self-preservationist.
But before you feel too blue about this entire scenario, take a look at this story -- one that followed up:
So now that we have the rest of the story, it appears that this career thug just saved a lot of grief for a lot of people. He presented himself to someone who wasn't going to take it, someone who had a right to meet that objective (if confronted). On the other end of this process is a man who lost his battle with his inner-most demons, when he made that fateful choice.
Certainly, the man who was forced to pull this trigger and facilitate this act is responsible for a woman being able to sleep better at nights, knowing that this jerk will never threaten her again. But not only her, all of the future victims of his strong-armed tactics can now rest a little easier, even though they know not who they are.
Bottom line, no one will ever have to face this puke again.
Despite what seems like a case of a creep getting his just desserts, the man did have a name and a family. The day after this, a family member was on TV grieving and plainly in denial. He said that his brother was not there to rob anyone. He went on to say that he was there to buy drugs and the reason he knew this, was because his late brother had earlier made a statement that he needed to get some money----for drugs.
This isn't rocket science here, but I do struggle with this kind of thinking sometime.
Even at that, I am willing to bet that with this surviving sibling's words out in the open, the authorities will not heed his pleas and keep this investigation open any longer. Why should they?
And just to let you all know, if I had so happened to be the man who was forced to pull the trigger in this (or any other similar) instance, I would not exactly be beaming with radiant joy right now.
But make no mistake..... I would regret NOTHING.
A man was shot the other night.
I know, I know.
I am sure you are asking, what's new about this? And the answer is nothing.
Except..... it (once again) shows how important it is to have the basic right to protect yourself, and those you love.
Here's the gist of the news report on the incident:
Metro Police say it appears that a man opened fire and shot another man in self defense during an attempted robbery at a downtown apartment complex.
Brian Blevins, 24, told police he was moving into a building near 16th and Pennsylvania on Sunday when he was approached by 38-year-old Christopher Hampton. Blevins said Hampton asked him if he had change for a $5 bill.
“The one guy said no the other guy said yeah let me go get it, it's in the apartment so he then followed him into the apartment, once they were in he pulled a gun out on them and ordered them into the back room,” said Sgt. Matt Mount of the Indianapolis Metro Police Department.
Police say Blevins kept his gun in a back room. He came out and opened fire shooting Hampton in the back.
Hampton was pronounced dead at the scene.
Yes it's sad.
And it didn't have to happen.
But what's a person to do when they are accosted in such a brazen and dangerous manner? Hampton obviously miscalculated and underestimated the resolve of a young kid who just wanted to get moved into a new place. You can't blame the protector and self-preservationist.
But before you feel too blue about this entire scenario, take a look at this story -- one that followed up:
24-Hour News 8 has uncovered more about an alleged armed robber who was shot and killed Sunday. We've learned that would-be robber was already being monitored with a GPS tracking device for other alleged crimes.
Christopher Hampton was wearing an ankle bracelet so officers could track his whereabouts. But when Hampton allegedly robbed two men Sunday afternoon, his GPS anklet wasn't working.
Hampton's rap sheet stands as proof that the 38-year old had a tough time staying out of jail. He has 10 convictions in 15-years, five of which are felonies.
Earlier this month he got in trouble again. He was accused of violating a no-contact order with his wife. A judge mandated he wear a GPS tracking device around his ankle.
So now that we have the rest of the story, it appears that this career thug just saved a lot of grief for a lot of people. He presented himself to someone who wasn't going to take it, someone who had a right to meet that objective (if confronted). On the other end of this process is a man who lost his battle with his inner-most demons, when he made that fateful choice.
Certainly, the man who was forced to pull this trigger and facilitate this act is responsible for a woman being able to sleep better at nights, knowing that this jerk will never threaten her again. But not only her, all of the future victims of his strong-armed tactics can now rest a little easier, even though they know not who they are.
Bottom line, no one will ever have to face this puke again.
Despite what seems like a case of a creep getting his just desserts, the man did have a name and a family. The day after this, a family member was on TV grieving and plainly in denial. He said that his brother was not there to rob anyone. He went on to say that he was there to buy drugs and the reason he knew this, was because his late brother had earlier made a statement that he needed to get some money----for drugs.
This isn't rocket science here, but I do struggle with this kind of thinking sometime.
Even at that, I am willing to bet that with this surviving sibling's words out in the open, the authorities will not heed his pleas and keep this investigation open any longer. Why should they?
And just to let you all know, if I had so happened to be the man who was forced to pull the trigger in this (or any other similar) instance, I would not exactly be beaming with radiant joy right now.
But make no mistake..... I would regret NOTHING.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Out Of Focus
The Alabama professor being charged with Capital Murder (for the shooting deaths of her peers) seems to be painting an odd picture of herself.
So let me see if I can get this one right: I am sorry that I shot those people, who I do not remember shooting. Does that sum it up?
Just asking.
But more importantly, I cannot get over the irony of people saying: She seemed so very normal -- never did we think she was even slightly capable of this. She gave us no indication at all.
We find that an incompetent or corrupt group of law enforcement officials screwed up a case against her, for killing her brother. We learn of allegations of a bomb sent to Harvard. And if that wasn't enough, we learn that she assaulted a waitress over a booster seat.
We are educated, we are enlightened and intellectual beings...far above so many of the peasants and plebeians who do not understand our special powers of wisdom.
But honestly, we never knew. We never made the connection.
We did not see a thing.
The Alabama university professor charged with fatally shooting three colleagues is remorseful but does not recall the shooting, her defense attorney said Friday.
So let me see if I can get this one right: I am sorry that I shot those people, who I do not remember shooting. Does that sum it up?
Just asking.
But more importantly, I cannot get over the irony of people saying: She seemed so very normal -- never did we think she was even slightly capable of this. She gave us no indication at all.
We find that an incompetent or corrupt group of law enforcement officials screwed up a case against her, for killing her brother. We learn of allegations of a bomb sent to Harvard. And if that wasn't enough, we learn that she assaulted a waitress over a booster seat.
We are educated, we are enlightened and intellectual beings...far above so many of the peasants and plebeians who do not understand our special powers of wisdom.
But honestly, we never knew. We never made the connection.
We did not see a thing.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Nothing Funny Today
As most know by now, a senseless carnage took place at Fort Hood yesterday. As a result of this tragedy, I do not feel it to be appropriate to post a Friday Funnies today.
I have some thoughts about this incident, but I have been too short on time to organize them into a reasonably cogent post and there are just too many questions that have not been answered. One can only hope that the authorities are asking the same questions that are popping into our minds and will make those answers public at such time as it is appropriate. But with the current leadership in Washington being remiss in the vast majority of their duties, I have my doubts.
Rest assured, those in the blogosphere who seek and understand wholesale truths will be asking tough questions and demanding answers. PYY will be there, also.
I have some thoughts about this incident, but I have been too short on time to organize them into a reasonably cogent post and there are just too many questions that have not been answered. One can only hope that the authorities are asking the same questions that are popping into our minds and will make those answers public at such time as it is appropriate. But with the current leadership in Washington being remiss in the vast majority of their duties, I have my doubts.
Rest assured, those in the blogosphere who seek and understand wholesale truths will be asking tough questions and demanding answers. PYY will be there, also.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
PYY's Depraved Bastard Of The Week
Meet Tayuan Chism.
Bro. T is 18. The little 14-month girl, who he beat with a belt because she wouldn't eat and she "disrespected" him, has died. The 21-year old mother was also beaten when she tried to stop the beating. Others are being investigated for being present, standing by, and doing nothing.
Not only is Chism depraved, he is a punk. And I would love nothing more than to have him in a room with me, alone, no witnesses, for about a half an hour. I promise, I would NOT kill him.
Addendum:It sounds like there is a solid case against this heinous creep, so he's going to do some time. Exactly how much, remains to be seen. If he's smart he'll plea bargain.
But I have to say that even among the most depraved individuals in a Level 4 facility, they really don't like child-killers. Prison community justice is probably very likely in this case. Plus, at his fresh young age, he will be somebody's wife at some point along the way, if he hasn't been already.
Bro. T is 18. The little 14-month girl, who he beat with a belt because she wouldn't eat and she "disrespected" him, has died. The 21-year old mother was also beaten when she tried to stop the beating. Others are being investigated for being present, standing by, and doing nothing.
Not only is Chism depraved, he is a punk. And I would love nothing more than to have him in a room with me, alone, no witnesses, for about a half an hour. I promise, I would NOT kill him.
Addendum:It sounds like there is a solid case against this heinous creep, so he's going to do some time. Exactly how much, remains to be seen. If he's smart he'll plea bargain.
But I have to say that even among the most depraved individuals in a Level 4 facility, they really don't like child-killers. Prison community justice is probably very likely in this case. Plus, at his fresh young age, he will be somebody's wife at some point along the way, if he hasn't been already.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Learning From Tragedy
Like everyone else, I am shocked and stunned at the shootings that just occurred on two separate continents. Maybe not as much as people who live in those communities, but certainly more than those that have never been to either area.
You see, I was stationed not far from both shootings. I used to know both areas pretty well at one time, many years ago. So in a sense, I feel a certain kinship to those people who are grieving. I am sure they are desperately trying to cope with these tragedies. And in whatever way they possibly can, they are trying to make some small shred of sense from what is one of the most senseless acts, imaginable.
It's easy for me to sit here and say things about these incidents. One of my kids wasn't killed, so I have no real experience at what the families must be going through right now. It wasn't my kid who pulled the trigger, so I cannot even imagine what is going on in the heads of those who survive these gunmen. So, take my words for what they are worth, as, I am no expert in these matters.
But I am a parent who has raised children. Neither of them have been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and both have greatly contributed to the graying of what was once a full set of brown hair. I thank my God daily that they have never been capable of doing anything like this, nor did they ever witness or experience it. And I think it should definitely go without saying, I am doubly thankful they were never the victim of such a tragedy.
The first knee-jerk reaction will be to blame the parents of the gunmen. I think it can be a starting place to look for answers, but in the Alabama case the mother is dead. If she in any way contributed to the mental anguish (or did not), we may never know because she has paid the ultimate price with the other victims. The case in Germany may be different, but who can actually say at this point?
Neither of these kids (I know the Alabama man was 27, but at my age, he's still a kid) showed any signs of being capable of such heinous acts. At least that's the early report. Both gunmen were described as quiet and reserved. I know many quiet and shy people, this alone is not a sign that someone will snap like this. When someone is not able to express their thoughts in a setting that is non-judgmental and non-threatening, who knows what they are thinking? As a result, how does one find a red flag in this kind of case?
Many times over the years, I have tried to encourage my children to verbally express themselves. Sometimes they did, other times they didn't. But if not, I always left the door open if they changed their minds. So if there is any one thing that a parent can do, it's listen. Sure, we lecture. That's what parents do. Mine did it, I did it, and I am sure my kids will do it when it is their turn. But we also have to listen. Or they will get very good at shutting us out. As a result, they will not listen to us.
The second knee-jerk reaction will be for anti-gun advocates to cry out for stricter gun laws. In Europe, this will certainly be a major rallying cry and already has been in the hours since the tragedy occurred. To which I still say, the guns did not kill anyone. They did not just start firing on their own. Someone had to load them, aim them, and fire them. Those that are capable of this kind of thing will only find other ways to carry out the deed.
So when struggling to understand the incomprehensible, it is important to note something. We must try to understand, what made these kids want to believe this was a viable option in whatever turmoil they were experiencing. What caused them to snap? If we can learn something from this, we may be able to recognize something in the future. We might just be able to recognize the same things in others, who may have the capability of doing something like this. As time passes, we may learn more valuable information that may help us prevent something like this in the future.
But for right now, we know the best prevention is for parents to do their jobs, and one of those jobs is to listen to their children. It doesn't mean they have to give in on anything, on which they are not inclined to do so. It doesn't mean they have to ignore their better judgment. It means they listen to what the kids are saying and then, they teach them how to develop independent problem-solving skills.
Right now, there are too many parents that are not doing their jobs. While their kids may never snap like this, many will make other poor decisions down the road, as a result of the parents not taking the time to listen and teach proper coping skills. And unfortunately, many of those poor decisions may have a lasting effect on some other innocent person.
You see, I was stationed not far from both shootings. I used to know both areas pretty well at one time, many years ago. So in a sense, I feel a certain kinship to those people who are grieving. I am sure they are desperately trying to cope with these tragedies. And in whatever way they possibly can, they are trying to make some small shred of sense from what is one of the most senseless acts, imaginable.
It's easy for me to sit here and say things about these incidents. One of my kids wasn't killed, so I have no real experience at what the families must be going through right now. It wasn't my kid who pulled the trigger, so I cannot even imagine what is going on in the heads of those who survive these gunmen. So, take my words for what they are worth, as, I am no expert in these matters.
But I am a parent who has raised children. Neither of them have been perfect by any stretch of the imagination, and both have greatly contributed to the graying of what was once a full set of brown hair. I thank my God daily that they have never been capable of doing anything like this, nor did they ever witness or experience it. And I think it should definitely go without saying, I am doubly thankful they were never the victim of such a tragedy.
The first knee-jerk reaction will be to blame the parents of the gunmen. I think it can be a starting place to look for answers, but in the Alabama case the mother is dead. If she in any way contributed to the mental anguish (or did not), we may never know because she has paid the ultimate price with the other victims. The case in Germany may be different, but who can actually say at this point?
Neither of these kids (I know the Alabama man was 27, but at my age, he's still a kid) showed any signs of being capable of such heinous acts. At least that's the early report. Both gunmen were described as quiet and reserved. I know many quiet and shy people, this alone is not a sign that someone will snap like this. When someone is not able to express their thoughts in a setting that is non-judgmental and non-threatening, who knows what they are thinking? As a result, how does one find a red flag in this kind of case?
Many times over the years, I have tried to encourage my children to verbally express themselves. Sometimes they did, other times they didn't. But if not, I always left the door open if they changed their minds. So if there is any one thing that a parent can do, it's listen. Sure, we lecture. That's what parents do. Mine did it, I did it, and I am sure my kids will do it when it is their turn. But we also have to listen. Or they will get very good at shutting us out. As a result, they will not listen to us.
The second knee-jerk reaction will be for anti-gun advocates to cry out for stricter gun laws. In Europe, this will certainly be a major rallying cry and already has been in the hours since the tragedy occurred. To which I still say, the guns did not kill anyone. They did not just start firing on their own. Someone had to load them, aim them, and fire them. Those that are capable of this kind of thing will only find other ways to carry out the deed.
So when struggling to understand the incomprehensible, it is important to note something. We must try to understand, what made these kids want to believe this was a viable option in whatever turmoil they were experiencing. What caused them to snap? If we can learn something from this, we may be able to recognize something in the future. We might just be able to recognize the same things in others, who may have the capability of doing something like this. As time passes, we may learn more valuable information that may help us prevent something like this in the future.
But for right now, we know the best prevention is for parents to do their jobs, and one of those jobs is to listen to their children. It doesn't mean they have to give in on anything, on which they are not inclined to do so. It doesn't mean they have to ignore their better judgment. It means they listen to what the kids are saying and then, they teach them how to develop independent problem-solving skills.
Right now, there are too many parents that are not doing their jobs. While their kids may never snap like this, many will make other poor decisions down the road, as a result of the parents not taking the time to listen and teach proper coping skills. And unfortunately, many of those poor decisions may have a lasting effect on some other innocent person.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Michael Phelps: Flying High
Here comes Mikey.
Michael Phelps.
Mike worked hard training to achieve a goal and the objective was met. This has to be a story for the ages, right there. No need to go any further. Stop.
But no, we are not stopping there.
It seems that Michael was photographed smoking pot from a bong and now the world is agog. Some have assumed a holier-than-thou, he should be held accountable by losing the $100 million in contracts, etc., etc., etc. Many of these people were never 23, they never made a mistake. Just ask them. Others may be so under the influence, they still haven't heard the news story, even yet. They are not sure what day it is.
With this scenario in mind, this is your lucky day. PYY readers will get two rants in one post:
The drug laws in the U.S. are antiquated and hypocritical. Let's just (for this argument) take marijuana and alcohol, for instance. Both are drugs, no? Both create euphoria, right? One is legal, the other is not. Makes sense, right?
Wrong.
The history of alcohol in the U.S. should teach us the lessons we need to know about this. Prohibition is the era, in particular.
Remember how alcohol distribution went underground and created the opportunity for the growth of organized crime? Well, take a look around now. Marijuana is one of the modern day mob enterprises. Knowing this to be the case, what sense does it make to create these opportunities today?
We know that demand is there, we know that supply is there. We know that the war on drugs has not worked.
If for no other reason in the world, look at the fiscal end of it. Money is getting dumped into this and has had little effect (if any) on the demand or the supply. The vast majority of the war on drugs has been on supply. This to to say, it has been spent on enforcement of the laws, by making criminals out of these people. I am sorry folks, but it just isn't working. Why keep beating a dead horse?
How about this? How about we legalize marijuana? Alcohol destroys many lives, wrecks homes, kills people. Far more so, than marijuana. So I am not accepting this particular argument, which many will be tempted to counterpoint with me.
Allow pot to be sold in liquors stores with the same laws as the liquor industry. Then, tax the hell out of it. Stop tying up jail space and police officers wasting time arresting people like Waldo (who likes to smoke a joint on the weekends in the privacy in his own home).
The exceptions to this should be driving under the influence and providing it to minors. If someone is caught doing either, throw the book at them.
Now, I promised two rants. I want to make good on that promise.
This one is directed at Michael and others athletes/celebrities that require physical health, drive, and dedication to perform their jobs. Knowing how Mike had all of these contracts lined up, knowing how he could be financially secure for life, what kind of an idiot cannot show the self discipline it takes to make that kind of money? Like the NBA stars that get busted at the beginning of training camp doing stupid stuff (SEE: Indiana Pacers, before this year), why is it that they cannot behave themselves long enough to perform their craft to the best of their ability?
As for Michael specifically, despite my liberality in the drug laws debate, I think you should leave that crap alone. You need to keep your body as healthy as you can, for as long as you can. That's the talent you have been given, that's the talent you should use to the best of your ability. You started out with nothing, your mom busted her backside to help you get where you are now. Don't blow it for a few moments of socialization and escape.
And the same goes to others.
If you want to be a doctor, leave that stuff alone. Do not compromise your ability to think clearly, so you can learn what you need to learn. And later, you can use what you learn without distractions. Teachers, lawyers, businessmen and women, whatever, it will not make you any more successful by doing it.
If it affects your ability to exercise good judgments, it cannot be a good thing.
No one is going to care if you screw your own lives up without affecting them. But they will, if you screw up their lives in the process.
Think about it.
Michael Phelps.
Mike worked hard training to achieve a goal and the objective was met. This has to be a story for the ages, right there. No need to go any further. Stop.
But no, we are not stopping there.
It seems that Michael was photographed smoking pot from a bong and now the world is agog. Some have assumed a holier-than-thou, he should be held accountable by losing the $100 million in contracts, etc., etc., etc. Many of these people were never 23, they never made a mistake. Just ask them. Others may be so under the influence, they still haven't heard the news story, even yet. They are not sure what day it is.
With this scenario in mind, this is your lucky day. PYY readers will get two rants in one post:
The drug laws in the U.S. are antiquated and hypocritical. Let's just (for this argument) take marijuana and alcohol, for instance. Both are drugs, no? Both create euphoria, right? One is legal, the other is not. Makes sense, right?
Wrong.
The history of alcohol in the U.S. should teach us the lessons we need to know about this. Prohibition is the era, in particular.
Remember how alcohol distribution went underground and created the opportunity for the growth of organized crime? Well, take a look around now. Marijuana is one of the modern day mob enterprises. Knowing this to be the case, what sense does it make to create these opportunities today?
We know that demand is there, we know that supply is there. We know that the war on drugs has not worked.
If for no other reason in the world, look at the fiscal end of it. Money is getting dumped into this and has had little effect (if any) on the demand or the supply. The vast majority of the war on drugs has been on supply. This to to say, it has been spent on enforcement of the laws, by making criminals out of these people. I am sorry folks, but it just isn't working. Why keep beating a dead horse?
How about this? How about we legalize marijuana? Alcohol destroys many lives, wrecks homes, kills people. Far more so, than marijuana. So I am not accepting this particular argument, which many will be tempted to counterpoint with me.
Allow pot to be sold in liquors stores with the same laws as the liquor industry. Then, tax the hell out of it. Stop tying up jail space and police officers wasting time arresting people like Waldo (who likes to smoke a joint on the weekends in the privacy in his own home).
The exceptions to this should be driving under the influence and providing it to minors. If someone is caught doing either, throw the book at them.
Now, I promised two rants. I want to make good on that promise.
This one is directed at Michael and others athletes/celebrities that require physical health, drive, and dedication to perform their jobs. Knowing how Mike had all of these contracts lined up, knowing how he could be financially secure for life, what kind of an idiot cannot show the self discipline it takes to make that kind of money? Like the NBA stars that get busted at the beginning of training camp doing stupid stuff (SEE: Indiana Pacers, before this year), why is it that they cannot behave themselves long enough to perform their craft to the best of their ability?
As for Michael specifically, despite my liberality in the drug laws debate, I think you should leave that crap alone. You need to keep your body as healthy as you can, for as long as you can. That's the talent you have been given, that's the talent you should use to the best of your ability. You started out with nothing, your mom busted her backside to help you get where you are now. Don't blow it for a few moments of socialization and escape.
And the same goes to others.
If you want to be a doctor, leave that stuff alone. Do not compromise your ability to think clearly, so you can learn what you need to learn. And later, you can use what you learn without distractions. Teachers, lawyers, businessmen and women, whatever, it will not make you any more successful by doing it.
If it affects your ability to exercise good judgments, it cannot be a good thing.
No one is going to care if you screw your own lives up without affecting them. But they will, if you screw up their lives in the process.
Think about it.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Back To Reality
As it goes every year, Christmas is now over and we're back to the real world. In fact, somehow, the real world found its way into the midst of the celebration. By real world, I mean the usual nonsensical violence that permeates our society.
By now, we have all heard the story of the Santa gunman/arsonist in SoCal and if that isn't enough, we have this story:
The article goes on to say that after the shooting, the gunman sat back down and continued watching the movie.
Then, there's this event that occurred in the days leading up to the Christmas holiday:
But that's not all. Another fine display of Christmas ill-will can be found here:
I suppose I can comb the newspapers across the country and find snippets like these in almost every part of the country. These are particularly tragic stories, because they all happened during a time when "peace on earth and goodwill towards men" were supposed to be the themes of the day.
There are some people in this world that believe there is no good or evil, only misunderstandings. But, I am not one of them.
There is an element that only seeks to do harm to people. They are a selfish, brazen, and purely anti-social element that have seared their consciences and thoroughly deadened their nerve endings. They have allowed themselves to be consumed with getting their way, by any means possible, and they will stop at nothing to get it. Their thinking is twisted and they have no shame about much of anything.
To think that a man would dream up such a diabolical plot to invade a family holiday gathering and shoot any and everyone in the way is all the proof I need. To know that a man would stab his great-grandmother, while the family is grieving over the loss of another family member, is unconscionable. These two examples and the others are more than enough to convince me.
No folks, I didn't need these instances. I have seen far too many other examples in my days on this earth.
By now, we have all heard the story of the Santa gunman/arsonist in SoCal and if that isn't enough, we have this story:
A South Philadelphia man enraged because a father and son were talking during a Christmas showing of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button took care of the situation when he pulled a .380-caliber gun and shot the father, police said.
The article goes on to say that after the shooting, the gunman sat back down and continued watching the movie.
Then, there's this event that occurred in the days leading up to the Christmas holiday:
A 7-year-old Phoenix boy has died of injuries he suffered when he and his 10-year-old were severely beaten Tuesday afternoon in a city park, The Associated Press says.
But that's not all. Another fine display of Christmas ill-will can be found here:
Daisy Brown and her family gathered for Christmas, but the mood was hardly celebratory.
The 18-year-old, along with her mom, her 1-year-old baby and her boyfriend's father, gathered to offer one another comfort as they mourned the deaths of two family members and the arrest of another within a three-day span.
On Monday, Brown's boyfriend, 18-year-old Broque Lumbreras, died at Methodist Hospital after being shot early Sunday.
As the family confronted that tragedy, Lumbreras' great-grandmother and a family matriarch, Marian Cobb, was fatally stabbed early Wednesday in her Near-Northside home. Cobb's great-grandson Bryan Torrence, a friend and cousin of Lumbreras' who had been staying with Cobb for a few weeks, was arrested in connection with the stabbing.
I suppose I can comb the newspapers across the country and find snippets like these in almost every part of the country. These are particularly tragic stories, because they all happened during a time when "peace on earth and goodwill towards men" were supposed to be the themes of the day.
There are some people in this world that believe there is no good or evil, only misunderstandings. But, I am not one of them.
There is an element that only seeks to do harm to people. They are a selfish, brazen, and purely anti-social element that have seared their consciences and thoroughly deadened their nerve endings. They have allowed themselves to be consumed with getting their way, by any means possible, and they will stop at nothing to get it. Their thinking is twisted and they have no shame about much of anything.
To think that a man would dream up such a diabolical plot to invade a family holiday gathering and shoot any and everyone in the way is all the proof I need. To know that a man would stab his great-grandmother, while the family is grieving over the loss of another family member, is unconscionable. These two examples and the others are more than enough to convince me.
No folks, I didn't need these instances. I have seen far too many other examples in my days on this earth.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Buyer Beware
I just have to say a few things about the Bernard Madoff affair. You know the one, the one that bilked some real heavyweight money bags through a hedge fund scam. The depth and the breadth of this scheme is still becoming known, with no one really knowing just how much damage has been done (and to whom).
We know that a lot of banks felt this sting, all around the world. We know that high profile names like Steven Spielberg and Mort Zuckerman had charities invested Madoff's scheme. We also know there are countless others who do not have household names, who lost a bundle as well:
This just goes to show that having money does not equate ton having brains. Why would someone as financially savvy as this woman has been billed to be, fall for such a ruse? Better yet, if you have worth £90 million (or own something worth this much), why does a person risk 9% of it in any one thing and then have the audacity to blame U.S. regulators? If I had $90 million, I could live comfortably off the interest even in the lowest return investments. And I would.
Folks, I don't feel sorry for these people, not one bit. I know the guy was well-respected on Wall Street and seemed to know what he was talking about. I know he is the perpetrator here and these people committed no crimes in wanting to make money. But there's a reason there is an economic term called "risk capital". The key word here is risk, which (like money you loan to relatives) should never be more than someone can afford to lose.
Common Sense 101 teaches us an age-old principle - if something sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Another old adage is even plainer and easier to understand: Buyer Beware. This is Rule #1 and cannot be disregarded if one wants to make wise choices. Even with careful thought and consideration, one can be had. But with some measure of prudence, this can be avoided many times more, than not.
We know that a lot of banks felt this sting, all around the world. We know that high profile names like Steven Spielberg and Mort Zuckerman had charities invested Madoff's scheme. We also know there are countless others who do not have household names, who lost a bundle as well:
Nicola Horlick, the British fund manager known as Superwoman for juggling her high-flying City career with bringing up five children, turned her fire on US regulators. Her Bramdean Alternatives investment fund had put 9 per cent – about £10m – with Mr Madoff. She told BBC Radio: "This is the biggest financial scandal, probably in the history of the markets."
This just goes to show that having money does not equate ton having brains. Why would someone as financially savvy as this woman has been billed to be, fall for such a ruse? Better yet, if you have worth £90 million (or own something worth this much), why does a person risk 9% of it in any one thing and then have the audacity to blame U.S. regulators? If I had $90 million, I could live comfortably off the interest even in the lowest return investments. And I would.
Folks, I don't feel sorry for these people, not one bit. I know the guy was well-respected on Wall Street and seemed to know what he was talking about. I know he is the perpetrator here and these people committed no crimes in wanting to make money. But there's a reason there is an economic term called "risk capital". The key word here is risk, which (like money you loan to relatives) should never be more than someone can afford to lose.
Common Sense 101 teaches us an age-old principle - if something sounds to good to be true, it probably is. Another old adage is even plainer and easier to understand: Buyer Beware. This is Rule #1 and cannot be disregarded if one wants to make wise choices. Even with careful thought and consideration, one can be had. But with some measure of prudence, this can be avoided many times more, than not.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Illinois: A Modern Pattern Of Corruption
Here is an article that lists the governors that have served time in prison for misdeeds they committed while in office. Here they are:
That's three of eight (four, if you count Stratton), who got caught with their hands in the cookie jars. And it is my opinion that Stratton merely beat the rap. So with Blago making his big splash in Illinois gubernatorial history, what we now have here is something that is strikingly close to a pattern.
How much more of this pattern will see from Obama's administration? After all is said and done, we cannot forget that he too is an Illinois machine candidate. And yet, just when we think this is the end of it, we get this new revelation that Jesse Jackson Jr. was on the short list of possible candidates for Obama's Senate seat because he was going to pay for it.
Candidate #5 offered some serious money to Blago.
Of course JJ Jr. is denying everything, he and papa will probably turn this into a racial issue if any real heat comes down on him. So unless there is a huge outcry that resonates throughout the media, he's probably going to skate. But there is one bright shining aura that flows from this turn of events: At this point in time, there's precious little chance he will be the one appointed to fill the vacancy.
But let's be clear about this and make no mistake here. This is a damaging turn of events for the Obama camp. There is a remarkable amount of damage that can and will be absorbed.
I believe they had plans for Junior all along. Maybe Blago is outing the whole plan and of course there's always the chance he will spill more beans if he goes to trial. Why else would he be so defiant? It's the old crash and burn policy, take everyone you can with you, spare nothing if you can.
Too bad something like this couldn't have come out, before the election, right? Well it did. It did here at PYY, on the Nobama 08 Blogbursters, and countless other platforms in and out of the blogosphere. We hammered this thing hard, to no avail.
And the sickening thing about all of this? The people of America demonstrated they didn't care. It's painfully apparent, they didn't give a damn about Obama's Chicago and Illinois connections of the past. They didn't care that he sat in a church under a whack job for 20 years, they didn't care that he had questionable ties to a one-time avowed terrorist that showed no remorse. They just didn't care.
They just wanted change they could believe in. So they bought into the delusion and voted it. Thanks to them, here we are today, staring at one of the worst possible moments of corruption ever discovered, knowing it extends to the new White House.
Good job, America. Who knows what new revelation we'll have, next?
_Otto Kerner, a Democrat who was governor from 1961 to 1968, served less than a year of a three-year sentence after his 1973 conviction on bribery, tax evasion and other counts. He was convicted of arranging favorable horse racing dates as governor in return for getting horse racing association stock at reduced prices. Kerner died in 1976.
_Dan Walker, a Democrat who was governor from 1973 to 1977, served 1 1/2 years of a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty in 1987 to bank fraud, misapplication of funds and perjury. The charges were not related to his service as governor.
_George Ryan, a Republican who was governor from 1999 to 2003, was convicted of corruption in 2006 for steering state contracts and leases to political insiders and helping cover up bribes paid in return for truck drivers licenses while he was secretary of state and then governor. He is serving a 6 1/2-year prison term.
In addition, William Stratton, Illinois governor from 1953-1961, was later indicted but was acquitted on charges of income tax evasion.
That's three of eight (four, if you count Stratton), who got caught with their hands in the cookie jars. And it is my opinion that Stratton merely beat the rap. So with Blago making his big splash in Illinois gubernatorial history, what we now have here is something that is strikingly close to a pattern.
How much more of this pattern will see from Obama's administration? After all is said and done, we cannot forget that he too is an Illinois machine candidate. And yet, just when we think this is the end of it, we get this new revelation that Jesse Jackson Jr. was on the short list of possible candidates for Obama's Senate seat because he was going to pay for it.
Candidate #5 offered some serious money to Blago.
Of course JJ Jr. is denying everything, he and papa will probably turn this into a racial issue if any real heat comes down on him. So unless there is a huge outcry that resonates throughout the media, he's probably going to skate. But there is one bright shining aura that flows from this turn of events: At this point in time, there's precious little chance he will be the one appointed to fill the vacancy.
But let's be clear about this and make no mistake here. This is a damaging turn of events for the Obama camp. There is a remarkable amount of damage that can and will be absorbed.
I believe they had plans for Junior all along. Maybe Blago is outing the whole plan and of course there's always the chance he will spill more beans if he goes to trial. Why else would he be so defiant? It's the old crash and burn policy, take everyone you can with you, spare nothing if you can.
Too bad something like this couldn't have come out, before the election, right? Well it did. It did here at PYY, on the Nobama 08 Blogbursters, and countless other platforms in and out of the blogosphere. We hammered this thing hard, to no avail.
And the sickening thing about all of this? The people of America demonstrated they didn't care. It's painfully apparent, they didn't give a damn about Obama's Chicago and Illinois connections of the past. They didn't care that he sat in a church under a whack job for 20 years, they didn't care that he had questionable ties to a one-time avowed terrorist that showed no remorse. They just didn't care.
They just wanted change they could believe in. So they bought into the delusion and voted it. Thanks to them, here we are today, staring at one of the worst possible moments of corruption ever discovered, knowing it extends to the new White House.
Good job, America. Who knows what new revelation we'll have, next?
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Guilty On All Counts
From the AP:
Don't write off the possibility of getting a new trial from the appeals courts, just yet. Meanwhile, in other news, the polar ice cap has reached hell due to an unseasonal cold front and in Iowa, some pigs were already spotted flying south for the winter.
O.J. Simpson, who went from American sports idol to celebrity-in-exile after he was acquitted of murder in 1995, was found guilty Friday of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room.
Don't write off the possibility of getting a new trial from the appeals courts, just yet. Meanwhile, in other news, the polar ice cap has reached hell due to an unseasonal cold front and in Iowa, some pigs were already spotted flying south for the winter.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
News In Brief (And The Usual Opinionated Commentary)
Short on time again, here are the latest news stories the PYY news desk is following:
Pelosi PAC Pays Husband
I distinctly remember Nancy telling the nation that the new Democratic-controlled Congress was going to be the most ethical ever. But as the article states, it isn't:
Pelosi paying hubby, Rangel isn't paying his taxes, and William Jefferson still hasn't faced a trial. I guess they are going to get away with it, as usual.
VP Debate Moderator Writing Book On Age Of Obama
She should excuse herself. If this were a trial, this would be enough for a mistrial. But no one from the MSM will call her on it, and like the unethical and illegal activities of the Democrats in Congress, she'll get away with it.
Obamatons, please tell us all again how wrong we are, in our claims that the MSM is biased and in the tank for Obama.
Use Of Deadly Forced Justified
Yesterday, I posted on the story of Gerald T. Meyers, the sex offender that never registered as required by Indiana law and recipient of the coveted PYY Depraved Bastard Of The Week Award. The late Mr. Meyers met his demise literally at the hands of the father, of the teenage daughter who who was his intended victim.
Well, today Prosecutor Carl Brizzi announced that no charges would be filed, saying that the father was legally justified in protecting his daughter. Now, one would wonder why this would even be an issue, until one happens to stumble upon this follow-up article in the Indianapolis Star.
Let's get one thing straight here. If you are in my home unannounced, uninvited, and are conducting yourself in a threatening manner, you had better have life insurance and a will made out. I won't be happy about what I will do. But make no mistake, I will have no regrets.
I knew it would only be a matter of time before the liberal anit-gun do-gooders would want to weigh in on this. I am still waiting for the ACLU to become involved in some perverted way, like they often do.
Pelosi PAC Pays Husband
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has directed nearly $100,000 from her political action committee to her husband's real estate and investment firm over the past decade, a practice of paying a spouse with political donations that she supported banning last year.
I distinctly remember Nancy telling the nation that the new Democratic-controlled Congress was going to be the most ethical ever. But as the article states, it isn't:
Financial Leasing Services Inc. (FLS), owned by Paul F. Pelosi, has received $99,000 in rent, utilities and accounting fees from the speaker's "PAC to the Future" over the PAC's nine-year history.
The payments have quadrupled since Mr. Pelosi took over as treasurer of his wife's committee in 2007, Federal Election Commission records show. FLS is on track to take in $48,000 in payments this year alone - eight times as much as it received annually from 2000 to 2005, when the committee was run by another treasurer.
Pelosi paying hubby, Rangel isn't paying his taxes, and William Jefferson still hasn't faced a trial. I guess they are going to get away with it, as usual.
VP Debate Moderator Writing Book On Age Of Obama
The moderator of tomorrow's vice-presidential debate is writing a book to come out on the day the next president takes the oath of office that aims to "shed new light" on Democratic candidate Barack Obama and other "emerging young African American politicians" who are "forging a bold new path to political power."
She should excuse herself. If this were a trial, this would be enough for a mistrial. But no one from the MSM will call her on it, and like the unethical and illegal activities of the Democrats in Congress, she'll get away with it.
Obamatons, please tell us all again how wrong we are, in our claims that the MSM is biased and in the tank for Obama.
Use Of Deadly Forced Justified
Yesterday, I posted on the story of Gerald T. Meyers, the sex offender that never registered as required by Indiana law and recipient of the coveted PYY Depraved Bastard Of The Week Award. The late Mr. Meyers met his demise literally at the hands of the father, of the teenage daughter who who was his intended victim.
Well, today Prosecutor Carl Brizzi announced that no charges would be filed, saying that the father was legally justified in protecting his daughter. Now, one would wonder why this would even be an issue, until one happens to stumble upon this follow-up article in the Indianapolis Star.
"The underlying premise is that victims of crime can have an opportunity to defend themselves if they choose to do so," said Andrew Arulanandam, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association, which has been a supporter of the push for stronger laws.
But other advocates and state lawmakers say the expansion of such laws could promote violence as a means of retaliation and point to examples of the laws' abuse in other states.
"The concern I've had is that by changing well-developed law, maybe we're encouraging more people to shoot first," said Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which has opposed the strengthening of force laws.
Let's get one thing straight here. If you are in my home unannounced, uninvited, and are conducting yourself in a threatening manner, you had better have life insurance and a will made out. I won't be happy about what I will do. But make no mistake, I will have no regrets.
I knew it would only be a matter of time before the liberal anit-gun do-gooders would want to weigh in on this. I am still waiting for the ACLU to become involved in some perverted way, like they often do.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
PYY's Depraved Bastard Of The Week
Meet Gerald T. Meyers.
Old Gerald decided to break into a house where he knew a teenage girl lived, with the purpose of raping her. He knew where the girl slept, because his uncle owned the house and was renting it to the family.
But Gerald was in for a surprise.
You see, the father of the girl heard her scream and went to investigate the clamor from his daughter's room. Now, poor Gerald cannot collect his Depraved Bastard of the Week award. Dead men cannot collect any awards, that is, personally.
Dad didn't need to shoot the intruder making a bloody mess all over the carpet. He didn't need a foreign object capable of causing blunt trauma injuries. He did it with his bare hands.
Now, there is some question of whether or not the late Mr. Meyers was killed by dad, or had a heart attack. The article reports that he had a bad heart. Regardless of which is the case, he now must be awarded this honor posthumously.
I am anxiously awaiting a statement from the ACLU condemning the father for his bravery in protecting his daughter, saying that Mr. Meyers' civil rights were violated.
Old Gerald decided to break into a house where he knew a teenage girl lived, with the purpose of raping her. He knew where the girl slept, because his uncle owned the house and was renting it to the family.
But Gerald was in for a surprise.
You see, the father of the girl heard her scream and went to investigate the clamor from his daughter's room. Now, poor Gerald cannot collect his Depraved Bastard of the Week award. Dead men cannot collect any awards, that is, personally.
Dad didn't need to shoot the intruder making a bloody mess all over the carpet. He didn't need a foreign object capable of causing blunt trauma injuries. He did it with his bare hands.
Now, there is some question of whether or not the late Mr. Meyers was killed by dad, or had a heart attack. The article reports that he had a bad heart. Regardless of which is the case, he now must be awarded this honor posthumously.
I am anxiously awaiting a statement from the ACLU condemning the father for his bravery in protecting his daughter, saying that Mr. Meyers' civil rights were violated.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Acorn Never Falls Too Far From The Tree
If you want to see what depravity begets, look no further than this Indianapolis Star article.
As you may recall from an earlier post, Brian Reese is the same scumbag that shot Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Jason Fishburn in the head, in July. Here is the Reese family tree's list of civic accomplishments:
I am not trying to turn this into a theological discussion here, but there is a passage in one of the Gospels that clearly states the kind of seed that is sown is the kind that will grow. If you plant corn, it grows corn. If you plant wheat, you grow wheat. If you plant weeds and thistle, you get weeds and thistle.
Having knowledge of that scripture and this particular criminal case, it easy to see this is as evidence of an immutable truth. Better yet, let's just say: The family that commits crimes together, competes for a bunk in the prison system.
(Note-To see the family album of mugshots click on the article and scroll down to the comments section. The officer who was shot, is home but still undergoing outpatient rehab. He was honored at halftime of the Colts game thia past Sunday and awarded the Police Department's version of the Medal of Honor.)
Like other mothers in her Eastside neighborhood, Nancy Swallow warned her young son, Christopher, about getting near the Reese home.
To protect him, she tried to scare him: If he went in, she told him, he might not come out.
That was more than two decades ago, years before Brian Reese stood accused of shooting a police officer and killing three other people within a five-day span this summer. His father, Paul Sr., faces charges in one of those killings, and his mother, Barbara, is accused of helping Brian flee police in her van the night of the officer's shooting.
As you may recall from an earlier post, Brian Reese is the same scumbag that shot Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Jason Fishburn in the head, in July. Here is the Reese family tree's list of civic accomplishments:
Five of the six Reese children -- Paul Jr., 38; John, 37; Brian, 36; Jeremy, 35; and Jenny, 34 -- have been convicted a combined 39 times and have been sentenced to a total of 65 years in prison.
Paul Sr., 66, has nine convictions, for which he has been sentenced to 45 years.
I am not trying to turn this into a theological discussion here, but there is a passage in one of the Gospels that clearly states the kind of seed that is sown is the kind that will grow. If you plant corn, it grows corn. If you plant wheat, you grow wheat. If you plant weeds and thistle, you get weeds and thistle.
Having knowledge of that scripture and this particular criminal case, it easy to see this is as evidence of an immutable truth. Better yet, let's just say: The family that commits crimes together, competes for a bunk in the prison system.
(Note-To see the family album of mugshots click on the article and scroll down to the comments section. The officer who was shot, is home but still undergoing outpatient rehab. He was honored at halftime of the Colts game thia past Sunday and awarded the Police Department's version of the Medal of Honor.)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Britain's Cutlery Problem
Like Indianapolis, Britain is dealing with an upsurge of homicides these fine summer days.
Outrageous!! Something has to be done, and fast.
PYY calls for the the carrying of a concealed weapon to be a crime. By outlawing of all knives (except for law enforcement), the citizens will be safer from knife violence. Anyone caught with a knife should be thoroughly punished. At very least, the government ought to require all knife owners to be registered (after taking government approved knife safety classes, or course).
Britain is struggling to get to grips with a surge of fatal knife attacks, which analysts say reflects a growing sense of insecurity on the country's streets.
While some say young people are increasingly carrying knives as a fashion item, others say it is simply because they are scared of being attacked and so make sure they are armed.
Outrageous!! Something has to be done, and fast.
PYY calls for the the carrying of a concealed weapon to be a crime. By outlawing of all knives (except for law enforcement), the citizens will be safer from knife violence. Anyone caught with a knife should be thoroughly punished. At very least, the government ought to require all knife owners to be registered (after taking government approved knife safety classes, or course).
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Terminally Ill Susan Atkins Parole Denied
I know that several of my readers have disagreed with me on my stance on the death penalty in the past. I have attempted to articulate my reasoning for being against it in the past. One one hand, I understand the arguments for it. I do think there are many cases whereby execution is well-deserved. On the other hand, there are two reasons I am against it:
Today, there is a report that Manson family member Susan Atkins has been denied parole.
As you may recall, Atkins was originally sentenced to death. But later, her sentence and the sentences of other death row inmates at that time (to include Manson) were commuted to life in prison in one of those California moments. Had she been put to death, she would be out of her misery and would never have suffered a damned thing (certainly nothing like suffering she put her victims through).
Now, she is in misery in her illness, cannot be made reasonably comfortable in a prison setting, and her attorneys are asking for her release. To their credit the California Parole Board has rejected that request. Maybe she has given her life to God and truly repented for her evil deeds of 40 years ago. Who knows for sure except her and her Maker?
If she has, good for her. But for this moment, there is still a debt she owes. And if it means her dying in prison never being free on this earth again, so be it.
1. It gives those that deserve it an escape. By that I mean, I think it's better to be put to death than to sit in prison for the rest of one's natural life.
2. Of all of the penalties meted out by our criminal justice system, it is the one that has the greatest potential for abuse by the state, should the state ever assert itself in creating a true despotic regime. One only need look at post-revolution France, to see what I mean.
Today, there is a report that Manson family member Susan Atkins has been denied parole.
No compassionate release for terminally ill Charles Manson follower Susan Atkins, who murdered actress Sharon Tate almost 40 years ago, the California parole board has decided. Doctors and prison officials made the request because she is dying of brain cancer.
Atkins has only about three months to live, doctors say. Her husband told the California Board of Parole that she cannot sit up in bed, her left leg has been amputated and she's paralyzed on her right side. "She literally can't snap her fingers," he said. "She can put sentences together three or four times a day, but that's the extent of it," he said.
As you may recall, Atkins was originally sentenced to death. But later, her sentence and the sentences of other death row inmates at that time (to include Manson) were commuted to life in prison in one of those California moments. Had she been put to death, she would be out of her misery and would never have suffered a damned thing (certainly nothing like suffering she put her victims through).
Now, she is in misery in her illness, cannot be made reasonably comfortable in a prison setting, and her attorneys are asking for her release. To their credit the California Parole Board has rejected that request. Maybe she has given her life to God and truly repented for her evil deeds of 40 years ago. Who knows for sure except her and her Maker?
If she has, good for her. But for this moment, there is still a debt she owes. And if it means her dying in prison never being free on this earth again, so be it.
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