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8 November, 2009

'An aggressive response to a mass-shooting can save lives'

A police officer and mother of one was hailed a heroine yesterday after it emerged that she almost single handedly ended the massacre at America’s biggest military base. Kimberly Munley does not look as if she would be much of a match for a heavily armed US soldier on a murderous rampage. But the slightly built 34-year-old civilian officer was first on the scene after Major Nidal Malik Hasan began firing on comrades at Ford Hood in Texas as they prepared to deploy to Afghanistan and Iraq. The 39-year-old psychologist killed 13 and left 31 others with serious injuries.

On Thursday afternoon Ms Munley was doing her usual job of directing traffic on the sprawling base. By chance, she and her partner happened to walk past the Soldiers’ Readiness Processing Centre soon after Major Hasan — armed with two handguns — cornered his fellow soldiers. Soldiers who witnessed the rampage described the gunfire as continuous, methodical and well aimed.

Ms Munley succeeded in bringing him down by shooting him four times, even after being hit by a bullet that passed through both her legs, according to witnesses. Her swift reaction and courage were being praised last night for preventing many more deaths. “It was an amazing and aggressive performance by this police officer,” said Lieutenant-General Robert Cone, Fort Hood’s commanding officer. “The critical factor here was her quick response to the situation.”

President Obama led the nation’s mourning yesterday and will visit Fort Hood for a memorial service in the coming days. He ordered all flags at the White House and other federal buildings to be flown at half mast until Veterans Day on November 11. But he urged Americans against “jumping to conclusions” about the killer’s motives.

Major Hasan, a Muslim and an expert in combat stress, survived the shooting and is now being treated in a nearby hospital, under armed guard. It emerged yesterday that he was opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and had tried to buy his way out of the army rather than being deployed overseas. The request was turned down. He had shouted the Arabic phrase Allahu akbar (God is greatest) before opening fire, witnesses said.

Ms Munley, the mother of a three-year-old girl, is in a stable condition, with injuries to the upper leg and thigh. General Cone said her fearless response to the gunman had saved countless lives. Trained in active-response tactics, she rushed into the building where he was shooting, and confronted him directly. Officials confirmed that she had continued firing even after being hit.

Those who treated the police officer said that her first request after being taken to hospital was to call her colleagues and friends to let them know she was OK — and to find out about casualty numbers. Her stepmother, Wanda Barbour, said Ms Munley was an oustanding police officer. “She’s concerned about all the people who’ve lost their lives,” she said. “We’re just real proud of her and so grateful and thankful to the Lord that she’s going to be okay.”

General Cone said that Ms Munley’s actions demonstated that an aggressive response to a mass-shooting can save lives. “She walked up and engaged him,” he said.

Source




Ore: Hunter shot in self-defense: "No murder charges will be filed against the Scappoose family involved in a fight with Portland hunter Frank Means the day he died, a grand jury concluded. Rather, Means was shot to death in self defense by the son of another hunter who Means was holding a gun to. A Wheeler County grand jury concluded Thursday that Means died after he shoved a 9-millimeter handgun into the stomach of 63-year-old Gary Havlik, in front of Havlik’s two grown sons and grandson. Fearing his father would get shot by Means, who was drunk, Daron Havlik shot Means, District Attorney Daniel Ousley said. “Witness accounts described Mr. Means as upset, angry and apparently very intoxicated as he continued to refuse their pleas and pointed his handgun into Gary Havlik's stomach and chest area,” the district attorney said. The 61-year-old Means was shot to death on Oct. 7 near the John Day River."



Florida home invader shot: "A home invasion ended with one of the suspects dead and several others injured early Saturday morning. Seminole County deputies said two men returned to a home on Fernbrook Way, when witnesses said the two were confronted by armed suspects who forced their way inside and opened fire. That, deputies said, was when one of the victims grabbed a gun and started shooting back. When deputies arrived, they found Maurice Thomas collapsed in the street. He was rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center, but he did not survive. Three other people were shot, but officials said they were expected to be OK. A second suspect was found in a nearby wooded area, and faces charges. Officials said, Mack Brooks, one of the victims found in the home, was also shot during a previous home invasion in Orange County."



TX: TCC students file lawsuit over protest restrictions: "Two community college students who favor carrying concealed weapons are challenging their school’s restrictions on campus protests. Clayton Smith and John Schwertz Jr. announced Thursday that they have filed a federal lawsuit in Dallas against the Tarrant County College District. They contend the college system restricts their First Amendment rights by controlling the time, place and manner of protests. The students plan to participate in a nationwide demonstration next week known as ‘empty holster protests,’ calling attention to policies forbidding concealed weapons on campus. School officials limited the protest to a designated area and prohibited students from wearing empty holsters.”



7 November, 2009

Massachusetts bystander shoots madman: "A patient in a psychiatric center near the Massachusetts General Hospital stabbed his doctor this afternoon before being shot dead by an off-duty security guard, police said. The physician is in stable condition, Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis said at a press conference this afternoon as he described a chaotic scene. A relative said the victim was Dr. Astrid Desrosiers, a Massachusetts General Hospital psychiatrist who worked at the center. Isabellie Desrosiers, Desrosiers' sister-in-law, said she had been told by Desrosiers' sister that Astrid had been shot. Police identified the patient late this afternoon as 37-year-old Jay Carciero of Reading. The actions of the security guard, who does not work at the hospital, were hailed as "heroic" by Bonnie Michelman, head of security for Massachusetts General Hospital. “The man was tall, heavy-set, white, and looked about 35 to 40 years old. He was dressed casually, in jeans.” After at least one gunshot echoed on the fifth floor, two nurses from Schoenfeld's office went to treat the patient, who had apparently been shot in the head by the security guard, Schoenfeld said. At the press conference, Davis said that a male psychiatric patient attacked his female physician during a treatment session, stabbing her with a knife. "During the course of the stabbing incident, an off-duty security officer who was armed interceded," Davis said. "He produced a weapon and ordered the suspect to drop the knife. When the suspect did not comply, he shot the suspect."



Texas oldster fires at suspected rapist: "Law enforcement officials suspect a home invasion in Leon County is connected to a serial rapist who has been terrorizing elderly women in rural areas of Texas for months. On Saturday, police say a man broke into the home of an 81-year-old woman. The woman had a handgun and managed to fire several shots, scaring the man away. The burglar got away with some cash and other items, but the woman was not hurt. Investigators believe this incident may be connected to a series of sexual assaults on elderly women across four Central Texas counties, including Bell County. At least seven women have been attacked since January. All are over 60, widows and live alone in rural areas."



Louisiana: Drug dealer shot: "An Orleans Parish jury unanimously freed a man accused of murder after he told them that the shooting victim and his friends had infested an Algiers neighborhood with drug-dealing. Marcus Henry, 29, admitted killing Aubrey Powell, 31, in a shootout the night of Oct. 27, 2007, in the 800 block of Vallette Street. But it was in self-defense, he testified at Criminal District Court. The jury deliberated for about 3 1/2 hours Thursday before freeing Henry from the second-degree murder charge, which would carry mandatory life in prison upon conviction. Henry, however, remains in jail, serving a 30-month sentence for dealing crack cocaine. He told the jury that he is trying to rebuild his life and at the time of the shooting was working three jobs. Police arrested Henry minutes after the killing, after spotting a car barreling down Opelousas Street -- and then watching someone toss a handgun from the car. The gun was the only weapon entered into evidence at the trial, although jurors heard that multiple shots were fired that night from more than one weapon."



MA: Gun storage law defended in state’s highest court: "The Middlesex district attorney’s office argued today in the state’s highest court that a state law that requires trigger locks on stored guns is valid. But the attorney for a Billerica man charged with keeping his guns unlocked said the law should be invalidated by a recent decision of the US Supreme Court. While the Supreme Court struck down a tough handgun ban last year in the District of Columbia, the court ‘went out of its way to make clear that the right to bear arms, like all rights, is not unlimited. It can be curtailed by regulatory measures,’ said Assistant District Attorney Loretta M. Lillios.”



6 November, 2009

Delaware: Son fires gun to stop father: "One of the teenage sons of a Dover woman being assaulted by her ex-husband grabbed a shotgun and fired into the air to get his father to stop the attack, Dover police said. The victim's estranged husband, Jeremy S. Stanislow, 32, of the 1100 block of Smyrna Clayton Blvd. in Smyrna, was charged with three counts of assault, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and disorderly conduct. He was later released on $3,000 bail. The victim told officers that she and her estranged husband argued over custody issues because he wanted to take their youngest child with him for the evening. The argument turned physical and Stanislow shoved the victim off the steps and started assaulting her, Getek said. When the woman's 16-year-old son saw his father attacking his mother he picked up a board and hit Stanislow in the back, according to court records. Then, when the woman tried to stop Stanislow from beating up on his son, he turned and began punching her until she blacked out, police said in court records. At this point, the woman's 14-year-old son came out of the house holding a shotgun, pointed it in the air and fired in an effort to get his father to stop attacking his mother, police said. Stanislow then ran".



Alabama: Store employeee fires back: "A barrage of gunfire erupted during a robbery attempt in the Center Point area Tuesday night, authorities said today. Two employees of the Phone Store at 2111 Center Point Road were closing up for the night about 8 p.m. when a man came from behind a trash bin and pointed a gun at the female employee as she was getting in her car, saying "Give up your money; you might as well give it up." When the male employee tried to take cover, the gunman opened fire. The male employee returned fire, firing eight shots at the robber who took off running, said Jefferson County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Randy Christian."



Pennsylvania: Shotgun fired at burglar: "A Franconia Township homeowner who found a burglar in his home early Sunday morning grabbed a shotgun and fired several shots as the person fled. According to Franconia Township Police, the resident of a home in the 300 block of Oak Driver heard a noise in his kitchen at 2:30 a.m. The homeowner saw a man run out of the kitchen door after taking an undetermined amount of cash that was left on the kitchen table, police said. Wielding a shotgun, the homeowner chased the burglar through his backyard, firing several rounds in the direction of the suspect, police said. After losing the suspect, the homeowner notified police."



Florida man stands his ground: "Under Florida's "stand your ground" law, a jury this week acquitted a Hudson man who shot his neighbor. Anthony Boglino of 18252 Thomas Blvd. was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and faced 25 years to life in prison if convicted, said his defense attorney, Chris Frey. Authorities said Boglino, 64, fired one shot at his neighbor, Haigh Frank Kopoain, late on May 13, 2008. Both men were in the yard of another neighbor when they got into an argument. Boglino testified that he felt threatened when Kopoain, then 36, became angry, charged at him and yelled at him to leave the property, Frey said. Boglino has arthritis in his hands and couldn't defend himself. Boglino pulled a 22-caliber revolver from his pocket to protect himself, Frey said. When Kopoain charged again, Boglino fired at his abdomen."



5 November, 2009

TX: Pregnant woman shoots would-be carjacker : "Houston police say a pregnant woman shot and killed a man trying to break into her car. The shooting happened on Pinemont near Alabonson in northwest Houston last night. Investigators say a woman who is eight months pregnant saw a group of men breaking into a neighbor’s car and then the crooks turned toward her vehicle. ‘She looked out the window. She watched them break in to one car. And then, she watched as the males went over to her car. That’s when she retrieved the gun and fired one shot at them,’ said Sgt C.D. Howard with the Houston Police Department. The woman hit one of the men, killing him instantly. The others got away. The case is expected to be referred to a grand jury without charges.”



Ammo sales, prices skyrocket : "U.S. firearms owners have bought an estimated 12 billion rounds of ammunition during the past year, gun industry analysts said. The figure far outstrips the 7 billion to 10 billion rounds sold in a typical year, The Washington Post reported Monday. The spike in sales began when people started to take seriously warnings from the gun lobby that with Democrats controlling the White House and Congress there would be new restrictions on gun ownership, the newspaper said. As consumers stepped up purchases, supplies tightened, prices went up and a shortage developed. The shortage has begun to ebb and gun-control advocates are expressing concern about the record amount of stockpiled ammunition, the Post said.”



The “no guns” insult : "How does it make you feel when you start to walk into a business and see a ‘No Guns’ sign prominently posted? Are you angry? Offended? Indifferent? … Do you just turn around and take your business elsewhere? Complain to the management? Just ignore it and go on with your business? The members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League take ‘No Guns’ signs as personally offensive and they let their offense be known — to the business, to fellow VCDL members, and anyone else who’ll listen — or read a web page. VCDL maintains a list of anti-rights Virginia businesses on their web site, www.VCDL.org, and encourages gun owners and rights supporters to avoid these businesses except to let them know that their policy is offensive.”



One step closer to self-defense in restaurants in Ohio: "Ohioans For Concealed Carry is reporting that what some have come to call "Applebee's Carry" is one step closer to reality in Ohio as House Bill 203 will receive its first hearing this Thursday, November 5th. Current Ohio law prohibits firearms by law abiding citizens in almost any commercial establishment that serves alcohol for consumption on premises if anyone in the facility is consuming, even if the armed citizen is not. The only current exception for most people is retail stores such as a grocery store doing a wine tasting. In that situation, a person can carry as long as they do not drink any liquor. HB 203 would extend that exception to restaurants, again provided that the person carrying a firearm for self-defense does not drink."



4 November, 2009

OH: Robber Shot During Break-In: "An attempted break-in in Mifflin Township Thursday night turned into a deadly shooting when the would-be victims fought back. Several people were inside the Northglen Drive home when an armed man burst through the door, 10TV's Kurt Ludlow reported. The incident happened around 7 p.m. Franklin County Sheriff's Deputies said one of the victims inside retrieved a handgun and fired it, shooting one of the robbers at least twice, deputies said. Emergency crews arrived to find Ezekiel D. Feagin, 21, dead on the living room floor. Deputies arrested a second man believed to be involved in the robbery, who was hiding in the bathroom. Details about the robber were not immediately released. Police told 10TV that the man who pulled the trigger will not be charged.



AL: Woman shoots home invading ex-boyfriend in self defense: "A Mobile, Alabama woman fatally shot a violent ex-boyfriend who broke in to her home, hid in her bedroom closet, and attacked her when she returned home. Police say the woman broke up with the 29 year old man, who had a history of domestic violence, nearly 4 years ago. Last week, the ex-boyfriend reportedly broke in to the woman's home on the 700 block of West Louise Drive, and waited in ambush until she arrived home that night. At this point, the ex-boyfriend is said to have emerged from the bedroom closet and attacked the woman. The woman reported grabbed her self defense gun and fired, fatally wounding the home invading ex-boyfriend and saving herself from the violent attack. Police say that neither of the home's children, ages 9 and 15, were harmed."



Messrs. Smith, Wesson for Pink Pistols: "First, let’s get down to the real nitty-gritty gritty about what the new “hate crimes” bill will do and what it won’t do. If you live in the alternate universe our president frequents all too often, then you really believe the new law “will strengthen the protections against crimes based on the color of our skin, the faith in your heart or the place of your birth.” ... That law was designed to make gays and lesbians feel good. It won’t protect them. If they want protection, they’ll have to sign up with a group formed for precisely that purpose. I’m talking about my favorite gay rights group in the entire country, the Pink Pistols. The group’s Web site describes its purpose: “We are dedicated to the legal, safe, and responsible use of firearms for self-defense of the sexual-minority community. We no longer believe it is the right of those who hate and fear gay, lesbian, bi, trans, or polyamorous persons to use us as targets for their rage. Self-defense is our right.” They’re danged skippy it is their right. Gays and lesbians who face violent attacks don’t need the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act to protect them. They don’t need Mr. Obama hailing a new law for them; they don’t need Mr. Holder prosecuting gay bashers for them. Gays and lesbians seeking protection need two other guys, the ones who go by the name Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson."



MI: Concealed weapons bill would allow guns in trunks on campus: "Students all over the state of Michigan may soon be able to carry concealed weapons on campus. Bill 5474, introduced by Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, to the Michigan House of Representatives, would prohibit colleges from banning weapons on campus. Section two of the bill specifically outlines what local units of government and institutions of higher learning would not be able to do if the bill were passed. … Reid Smith, the Michigan director for concealedcampus.com, is in favor of students being allowed to carry weapons on campus. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus is an organization comprising over 40,000 individuals, with members in all 50 states. ‘Excluding firearms from campus is an arbitrary decision. [Firearms] don’t take away from learning,’ Smith said. Smith said there is a need for firearms on campuses, and instances such as the one at Virginia Tech could have been prevented if students were allowed to have weapons.”



3 November, 2009

Man dies after argument at Detroit restaurant: "A man shot Saturday at Bert’s Marketplace, a restaurant in Eastern market, following an argument with another man, died at a local hospital hours later, Detroit police said. Police are trying to determine the dead man’s name, since he had no identification on him. They did not release the name of the man accused in the shooting, pending their investigation. Prosecutors are expected to review the matter today to determine if a warrant will be sought, or if the shooting was in self defense. “The suspect says he was being threatened at the time of the shooting,” Detroit Police spokesman John Roach said today. According to Detroit Police Sgt. Eren Stephens, the incident began at 3:15 p.m. when the men got into an argument. One of the men pulled a knife. The other man then pulled out a handgun and shot the man with the knife, she said. The man had a permit to carry the handgun."



NJ: Court rules Americans have no right to buy guns: "A New Jersey appeals court has concluded that Americans have no Second Amendment right to buy a handgun. In a case decided last week, the superior court upheld a state law saying that nobody may possess ‘any handgun’ without obtaining law enforcement approval and permission in advance. That outcome might seem like something of a surprise, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year in the D.C. v. Heller case that the Second Amendment guarantees ‘the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.’ But New Jersey Appellate Division Judge Stephen Skillman wrote on behalf of a unanimous three-judge panel that Heller ‘has no impact upon the constitutionality of’ the state law.”



Analyzing the anti-gun mindset: "We all know people who have an irrational bias against guns. Despite all the evidence they are presented with that gun owners are safe and responsible and that guns save more lives in the hands of the good guys than cause harm in the hands of criminals, they still hold on to a strong aversion. Part of this can be caused by conditioning. A person bombarded since childhood with anti-gun messages from parents, teachers, and other role models become conditioned to thinking that guns are bad. That conditioning can be very hard for them to overcome because it has become ingrained into their psyche. These are the types of people who will recoil in horror at the mere sight of a real firearm and might even be physically unable to touch one. Another possible cause of a strong anti-gun bias that also leads to mistrust of gun owners is psychological projection. A person might harbor hidden hostilities and anger issues that they are unable to deal with and subconsciously project those feelings onto others. When these people fervently argue that "gun toting crazies" will get into shootouts over fender benders or shoot their kid's soccer coach what they're really afraid of is that they might do such things if they had a gun. It is no different from the person who has thoughts of cheating on his or her spouse that becomes convinced the other is having an affair."



Court says threats don't justify felon having gun: "The gun possession conviction of a man prohibited by law from having one has been upheld. Danny Dutton, 24, contended that he began receiving threats the day after he shot and killed a violent intruder at his apartment. Because of a 2004 felony conviction for cultivating marijuana, Dutton is prohibited from possessing firearms. He argued, though, that his only realistic option was to carry a gun to protect himself. Being beaten with a metal pipe in your own apartment can change your outlook on likely threat levels. But the police, a U.S. District Court and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, all of which operate under protection of state-deployed arms, disagreed, and in their guarded wisdom concluded Mr. Dutton did not possess a life worthy of also possessing the means of self-defense. In order to come to this conclusion, they must resort to nothing short of fortune telling, because there are no empirical standards by which they can otherwise reach it. If anything, Dutton would appear to live on the fringes of a higher-risk segment than most. A man--who had already been bludgeoned in his own home--felt he knew his own situation well enough to warrant storing his possessions and changing his appearance. But officials who are not at risk presume to know best how scared he should be."



2 November, 2009

NC: 2 Charged In Shooting, Home Invasion: "Two arrests have been made in a home invasion, robbery and shootout in a Rowan County home. Police charged Timani Stark, 18, with attempted murder and robbery and Tiffany Horne, 19, also with robbery. The pair, along with another suspect, threatened the homeowners and fired shots Friday inside their home in Mooresville. Gunfire was exchanged between the homeowner’s son and the suspect and injuring him. The suspect was taken to Carolina’s Medical Center. He has not been charged. Both Stark and Horne are also charged with robbery at the same house on Monday night."



Montana officials rule cougar shooting justified: "The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks determined that the shooting of a cougar by a 14-year-old elk hunter from Anaconda was justified. Game warden Shane Yaskus said the cougar measured about 7 feet long from nose to tail. Eric Boyd was waiting at an outcropping last week while his father tried to drive an elk past him that they had been tracking. Boyd said he heard a twig snap behind him and when he turned he saw the cougar about 25 yards away. He said the two stared at each other for about 20 seconds before the cat started moving forward, and Boyd fired his rifle, hitting the cougar four times. Boyd said he’s still hunting but that he’s not going to hunt by himself for a while."



Seattle Sued Over Mayor's Anti-Gun Rules: "When San Francisco tried to restrict its residents' right to keep and bear arms, it quickly got shot down by the courts. Now it seems to be Seattle's turn. Here's the background: the Washington state legislature has, with very few exceptions, instructed cities and municipalities that they shall not regulate firearms because state laws are sufficient. The relevant law says: "The state of Washington hereby fully occupies and preempts the entire field of firearms regulation within the boundaries of the state... Cities, towns, and counties or other municipalities may enact only those laws and ordinances relating to firearms that are specifically authorized by state law." Nevertheless, Seattle mayor Greg Nickels, a Democrat, signed an executive order last year directing government agencies to ban guns -- except, of course, for police -- from city property. A more detailed list published last month says that firearms will be banned from parks, golf courses, beaches, playgrounds, athletic fields, and so on. The final rule was signed on October 14. This alarmed the Second Amendment Foundation, conveniently located in nearby Bellevue, which filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Nickels and the city of Seattle that was joined by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the National Rifle Association."



Guns and the Virginia election: "With just days to go before the election, Virginia Democrats are getting desperate. In the race to become the commonwealth's next attorney general, state Delegate Stephen Shannon is trying to tar his opponent, state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, for purportedly giving guns to convicted felons. Mr. Shannon is sending around literature with a scary picture of a violent criminal claiming: "FACT: Ken Cuccinelli, candidate for attorney general, voted to allow violent felons to purchase guns in Virginia." We hate to break it to Mr. Shannon but this isn't going to be his Willie Horton ad. Mr. Shannon's convoluted logic goes this way: Since Mr. Cuccinelli voted against regulating the private sale of guns at gun shows, that means he supports felons having guns. Never mind that it is still illegal for felons to have guns and the senator supports that ban. What Mr. Shannon is really referring to is the misleadingly named "gun show loophole." There is in fact no loophole. The rules for buying guns outside a gun show are precisely the same as they are at a gun show."



1 November, 2009

A good neighbor






AL: Thwarted by gun at laundromat, knife-wielding woman robs Dollar General: "An Irvington woman tried to rob a man at knifepoint Thursday at a south Mobile County laundry facility, only to be chased away when he pulled out a gun, authorities said today. The same woman then went on to rob a dollar store hours later, according to a Mobile County Sheriff's Office news release. Terry Guidry, 40, was arrested on 2 counts of first-degree robbery. Guidry is accused of walking into the M&D Coin Laundry on Bellingrath Road at 10 a.m. armed with a knife and demanding money from a man inside, according to a Mobile Police Department news release. The man then grabbed his pistol and pointed it at the woman, who then fled in a black pickup truck, police said. A couple of hours later, a Dollar General store on Irvington-Bayou La Batre Highway was robbed at knifepoint, according to a Mobile County Sheriff's Office news release. An anonymous tip led authorities to Guidry."



AL: Suspect Killed in Attempted Robbery of Mini Mart: "A fatal shooting occurred Tuesday morning at Yantley Mini Mart, 2410 Highway 10, in Choctaw County, Ala. According to authorities, a suspect attempted to rob the operator of the store around 5:20 a.m. Choctaw County Sheriff James Lovette said the 19-year-old suspect told the owner of the store to "put your hands up, this is a robbery". Lovette said the owner retrieved his pistol and shots were fired by both him and the suspect. The alleged robber died instantly. The owner was not harmed. At this time Sheriff Lovette says his office will not pursue charges against the owner of the store. The name of the robbery suspect was not immediately released pending notification of his family, but the man is from the local area."



FL: Young drunk shot, survives: "The "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law has left one Wesley Chapel couple frustrated and concerned. William and Jeanann Kuch became interested in the 2005 law after a homeowner shot their 23-year-old son in the chest Aug. 1. Their son, also named William, drunkenly wandered up to Gregory Stewart's front door at about 5 a.m. and tried to open it. A short time later, the younger Kuch was on the ground with a bullet wound to the chest. He spent the next month in the hospital recovering. Pasco County Sheriff's Office deputies initially arrested Stewart on an aggravated battery charge, but prosecutors with the Pasco-Pinellas State Attorney's office have declined to prosecute him. Assistant State Attorney Manny Garcia said the investigation determined that Stewart shot Kuch because he believed Kuch presented an imminent danger to him and his family. "It falls under 'Stand Your Ground,'" Garcia said."






Note for non-American readers: Crime reports from America which describe an offender just as a "teen" or "teenager" almost invariably mean a BLACK teenager.


Postings from Brisbane, Australia by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.) -- former member of the Australia-Soviet Friendship Society, former anarcho-capitalist and former member of the British Conservative party.


I am an army man and I am pleased and proud to say that I have worn my country's uniform. Although my service in the Australian army was chiefly noted for its un-notability, I DID join voluntarily in the Vietnam era, I DID reach the rank of Sergeant, and I DID volunteer for a posting in Vietnam. So I think I may be forgiven for saying something that most army men think but which most don't say because they think it is too obvious: The profession of arms is the noblest profession of all because it is the only profession where you offer to lay down your life in performing your duties. Our men fought so that people could say and think what they like but I myself always treat military men with great respect -- respect which in my view is simply their due.


Two lines below of a famous hymn that would be incomprehensible to Leftists today ("honor"? "right"? "freedom?" Freedom to agree with them is the only freedom they believe in)

First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean

It is of course the hymn of the USMC -- still today the relentless warriors that they always were.


The kneejerk response of the Green/Left to people who challenge them is to say that the challenger is in the pay of "Big Oil", "Big Business", "Big Pharma", "Exxon-Mobil", "The Pioneer Fund" or some other entity that they see, in their childish way, as a boogeyman. So I think it might be useful for me to point out that I have NEVER received one cent from anybody by way of support for what I write. As a retired person, I live entirely on my own investments. I do not work for anybody and I am not beholden to anybody. And I have NO investments in oil companies, mining companies or "Big Pharma"

UPDATE: Despite my (statistical) aversion to mining stocks, I have recently bought a few shares in BHP -- the world's biggest miner, I gather. I run the grave risk of becoming a speaker of famous last words for saying this but I suspect that BHP is now so big as to be largely immune from the risks that plague most mining companies. I also know of no issue affecting BHP where my writings would have any relevance. The Left seem to have a visceral hatred of miners. I have never quite figured out why.


Australia does have considerable restrictions on gun ownership (mostly put in place by a conservative administration as a kneejerk reaction to a mass killing) but the restrictions are not too onerous. My brother is a gun collector and has an impressive collection quite legally. And guess who is the patron of his gun club? It is Kevin Rudd, the center-Leftist Prime Minister of Australia!


The intellectual Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) said: "The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane."