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21 November, 2009

IN: Homeowner Holds Burglar Hostage: "An accused robber is behind bars after a Central Indiana homeowner fights back. 22 year-old Jorge Barrera now faces burglary charges. According to police, Barrera entered the home on the southwest side of Indianapolis late last night armed with a screw driver. When Barrera began looking around the house with a flashlight the homeowner grabbed his gun and fired a shot, striking a glass door. When polce arrived, they found the homeowner holding Barrerra at gunpoint."



WV: Robbery thwarted: "Two men attempted to Rob Gifford’s gas station in Reader Sunday night, but all they got away with were some ventilation holes in their getaway vehicle. At approximately 11:20 p.m. a man went to the residence next door to the station and asked owner Tom Gifford if he could use his phone because his car had broken down. Gifford got the phone and when he turned around, the man was holding an knife and a second man wearing a ski mask was in his house holding a pistol. The unmasked man asked for money and drugs; Gifford complied. ‘They didn’t want his blood pressure medicine,’ commented Sheriff James Hoskins. The duo led Gifford back to the store where they wanted more money and items. ‘They wanted into the safe,’ said Gifford. What the perpetrators didn’t know was that the store owner had a loaded pistol ready on top of the safe. ‘When they saw the gun, I was going to shoot them, but the safety was on,’ said Gifford. ‘When I finally got it off they had run out of the building.’ The owner then exited the building and unloaded seven shots into their vehicle as they were speeding away …”



IL: Store clerk shoots, kills would-be robber: "A robbery attempt turned deadly early today when a store clerk shot one robber in the chest, police say. Illinois State Police Lt. James Morrisey said the shooting happened just after 3 a.m. Thursday at Quality Market, at 10th Street and Bond Avenue. … Four men entered the store after forcing their way in through a locked front door. … The clerk, a 21-year-old, had a pistol for his protection. ‘The robbers wrestled with the clerk over the gun, the gun discharged during the struggle and struck one of the bandits in the chest,’ Morrisey said.”



Second Amendment protects all Americans, Supreme Court told: "Gun rights advocates have sketched out arguments they hope will convince the U.S. Supreme Court that no state can be a Second Amendment-free zone. In a 73-page legal brief filed on Monday, the groups representing four Chicago residents asked the Supreme Court to overturn the city’s extremely restrictive firearms laws …. ‘It is unfathomable that the states are constitutionally limited in their regulation of medical decisions or intimate relations, because these matters touch upon personal autonomy, but are unrestrained in their ability to trample upon the enumerated right to arms designed to enable self-preservation,’ says the brief, written by attorneys … on behalf of the Second Amendment Foundation.”



20 November, 2009

PA: Clerk kills robber: "A liquor store clerk shot and killed a masked gunman who tried to rob him Tuesday night, according to Wilmington police. Two gunmen came into Favor’s Liquor Store on S. Walnut Street around 9:30 p.m. and ordered the clerk to give them the money in the register. When the gunmen came around the counter to try to get the money themselves, the clerk opened fire, hitting one of the masked men, police said. The man who was shot staggered out of the store and collapsed on the sidewalk. He died at the hospital. Police were using dogs to try to track down the second gunman, who fled.”



Lesson from foiled attack on Maersk Alabama? Fire back!: "The lesson from an unsuccessful pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden this week was simple: Guns talk. The Maersk Alabama, the American-flagged ship infamously attacked by pirates in April, was attacked again Monday when Somali pirates opened fire on the ship in an attempt to board it. But the pirates didn’t get far this time, after a four-man security team aboard the ship fired back, thwarting the attack. … In Monday’s attack, the Maersk Alabama used a powerful loudspeaker system, called a long-range acoustic device, or LRAD, that can be painful to the human ear and fend off attackers. But the nonlethal device was not effective, Gortney said at the Pentagon Wednesday. The pirates were stopped only when the Maersk Alabama began returning fire.”



WI: State statute may violate Second Amendment: "The Seventh Circuit last week vacated a man’s conviction for possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. However, the court did not strike the statute down as unconstitutional, but remanded the case to the district court to give the government the opportunity to ‘establish a reasonable fit’ between the ’statute’s means and its end.’ Addressing the record made before the district court, Judge Diane S. Sykes wrote for the court, ‘The government … has premised its argument almost entirely on Heller’s reference to the presumptive validity of felon-dispossession laws and reasoned by analogy that sec. 922(g)(9) therefore passes constitutional muster. That’s not enough.’"



SC: State offers shoppers tax-free weekend on guns: "South Carolina shoppers will get a second chance to buy tax-free guns. The state Revenue Department sent out a reminder Wednesday of the upcoming ‘Second Amendment Weekend.’ The 48-hour tax break begins just after midnight the Friday after Thanksgiving. Shoppers will pay no state or local sales taxes on handguns, rifles and shotguns, which can total 9 percent. Taxes still apply to ammunition and accessories. South Carolina had the nation’s only tax holiday on guns last year. Legislators tacked it on to a tax break on energy-efficient appliances, then restored it in the budget this year.”



19 November, 2009

Md. store owner kills robber: Police are investigating after a robbery suspect was shot by the owner of a convenience store in Fort Washington, Maryland during a robbery attempt on Tuesday night. It happened at the Food Zone, which is located in the 12500 block of Livingston Road, just before 9:30 p.m. FOX 5 has learned that two suspects came into the store wearing masks, and were attempting to rob it. Investigators say the owner of the store was inside, and the store is equipped with security glass. Police say one of the suspects tried to reach inside the glass to rob the store, but the owner of the store hit the man in the hand, knocking away his gun. Then, investigators say, the store owner shot the man. Witnesses said the man was killed"



Bloomberg`s Phantom Mayors: "Billionaire anti-gun zealot Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, recently appeared on "Meet the Press." Host David Gregory asked him, "How can you muster the clout and the power to take on the NRA?" Bloomberg raised some eyebrows with his response. "If you look at what the real numbers are, I think that we can pull together here and raise enough money . . . to take on this issue and explain to Congress this is just an outrage," said Bloomberg. Having called your Second Amendment rights an "outrage," Bloomberg went on to add, "I`m going to not only do that myself, I`m going to ask plenty of other people to do it. If you want to beat the NRA, you have to go out and get your message out. And it costs money to do that." But not all is well in the ranks of Bloomberg`s supporters. His anti-gun lobbying group, "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" (MAIG), is in a state of turmoil. That may explain why Bloomberg has had to provide more than 95 percent of the funding for his anti-gun crusades from his personal fortune. Bloomberg proudly cites the number of mayors in his group. But at least 25 members of his group are not mayors at all. Another five members have already lost their re-election campaigns or have retired. Nine members of the group--all of them actual mayors, at least for the moment--were arrested or indicted on criminal charges. These include the perennial misdeeds of corrupt politicians at the lowest levels of government--bribery, corruption and money laundering. The list of charges hanging over Bloomberg`s members also includes conspiracy, tax fraud, possession of child pornography and sexual assault on a child."



Idiot thinks Mexican druglords rely on the USA for their guns: "The former head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection called Monday for the U.S. to reinstitute the ban on assault weapons and take other measures to rein in the war between Mexico and its drug cartels, saying the violence has the potential to bring down legitimate rule in that country. Former CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner also called for the United States to more aggressively investigate U.S. gun sellers and tighten security along its side of the border, describing the situation as "critical" to the safety of people in both countries, whether they live near the border or not." [The big fish shop worldwide for anything they want]



British madness: "A former soldier who handed a discarded shotgun in to police faces at least five years imprisonment for "doing his duty". Paul Clarke, 27, was found guilty of possessing a firearm at Guildford Crown Court on Tuesday – after finding the gun and handing it personally to police officers on March 20 this year. The jury took 20 minutes to make its conviction, and Mr Clarke now faces a minimum of five year's imprisonment for handing in the weapon. In a statement read out in court, Mr Clarke said: "I didn't think for one moment I would be arrested. I thought it was my duty to hand it in and get it off the streets." The court heard how Mr Clarke was on the balcony of his home in Nailsworth Crescent, Merstham, when he spotted a black bin liner at the bottom of his garden. In his statement, he said: "I took it indoors and inside found a shorn-off shotgun and two cartridges. "I didn't know what to do, so the next morning I rang the Chief Superintendent, Adrian Harper, and asked if I could pop in and see him. "At the police station, I took the gun out of the bag and placed it on the table so it was pointing towards the wall." Mr Clarke was then arrested immediately for possession of a firearm at Reigate police station, and taken to the cells. The legal explanation for this fiasco is that possession of a gun without a permit is a 'strict liability' offense (ie there are no excuses) which carries a mandatory (ah yes, those mandatory minimums again...) sentence of at least five years. The real explanation is, of course, that the law is insane."



18 November, 2009

TN: Attorney Says Killing Was Self-Defense: "Attorney Matt Brown said Monday a fatal shooting at Riverside Park on Nov. 5 was a case of self-defense, noting that Edward Jackson III was being beaten by two other men. Antonio Green was fatally shot at the park on Queens Drive off Amnicola Highway. Artie Watson, who was with Green, is charged with attempted aggravated robbery. Darryl Williams said he drove his 1993 Suburban to the park and Jackson pulled up a short time later and got into his vehicle. He said they were talking when Green and Watson walked up. He said he was watching a nearby basketball game and not paying much attention as the two men argued with Jackson. He said Green then began punching Jackson in the face and dragged him out of the vehicle. He said Green got Jackson on the ground and began kicking him. He said when Jackson was pulled out of the vehicle he heard a gun he had with him fall out. Williams said he heard someone say, "He's got a gun," and he said all three of the men went for the weapon and Jackson got it. He said he was getting ready to go try to break up the fight when he heard shots fired... Detective Karl Fields said he went to Erlanger Hospital and found that Green had died from a shot to the chest. He said he then went to Parkridge Hospital, where Jackson was taken. He said he had large knots on his head and blood in his hair and coming out of his ears. He said his left arm was in a sling. He said Jackson told of being beat up by Green and said Watson also joined in the attack. He said he then went for the gun, clutched it to his side and began shooting."



Canadian man Given ‘Self-Defense Award’: "Jeweler Dennis Galloway received a controversial award from a controversial group on Saturday, and says he has mixed feelings about the recognition. “It’s a bittersweet thing,” said Galloway, who along with wife Sharon own Dievert’s Jewelers on Johnston Road. “It’s something that I wish never happened at all, but I appreciate the support and recognition that I did do the right thing for myself and my wife,” he said. It was just before closing time on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008, when two men walked into Dievert’s Jewelers on Johnston Road. One of the men allegedly pulled out a hand-gun and pointed it at Sharon Galloway. Husband Dennis reported he then pulled out a 9 mm handgun and began firing. Although details are scarce, it is believed Galloway first shot the armed man twice before firing eight more times at the second man as he fled the scene. A year later, 46-year old James Gumbleton remains in hospital, reportedly paralyzed from the neck down... For Galloway, the attempted robbery on October 22nd was the second in seven months, and he is unapologetic for his reaction. “He came to our store. I didn’t go after him,” he said. “I have extensive self-defense training in dealing with an attack,” said Lapierre. “If you’re attacked, you have 30 seconds to fend off that attacker. Police cannot come to your rescue in 30 seconds. The only person that is responsible for your safety is you,” he said. Police had recommended a pair of charges against Galloway for allegedly possessing an unregistered handgun. Sources within the justice system told AlberniPortal.ca that Crown Counsel narrowly struck down the charges, but the file could be re-opened."



Grand jury to weigh case of Fort Worth homeowner who fatally shot suspected burglars: "A grand jury will decide whether a homeowner who fatally shot two suspected burglars last week after they kicked in his front door will face criminal charges, Tarrant County district attorney officials say. Leaving such a decision up to a grand jury is not unusual. Of four other fatal shootings this year in Fort Worth in which the shooter claimed self-defense or protection of property, three have been or will be presented to a grand jury, according to Assistant District Attorney Kevin Rousseau. Relatives of the homeowner involved in the latest shooting told the Star-Telegram that the home in the 4400 block of Shackleford Street had been repeatedly burglarized and vandalized over the year that they have lived there. Before noon Nov. 6, police say, two men apparently intent on burglarizing the home kicked in the front door. The homeowner, who relatives say had recently lost his job, was at home and opened fire. One of the suspects, 27-year-old Jonathan Cruz, was shot in the head. He collapsed on a street and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second, 24-year-old Juan Juarez., ran to the suspects’ Ford Explorer, where the homeowner fired at him again, reportedly after seeing him reach under his seat as if going for a weapon. Juarez died that night at a Fort Worth hospital. Police have since said that no weapon was found in the Explorer."



Unhappiness is a drawn gun: "There’s the real world, and there are representations of it. I draw a picture of, say, a gun. That picture is of a gun; it is not itself an actual gun. It’s just, well, a doodle. This being the case — that doodles differ from real threats — then why was a 13-year-old boy near Mesa, Arizona, suspended from school?”



17 November, 2009

SC: Shots fired after man challenges armed intruder: "A man arriving home around 9:15 Saturday night said when he entered the home he found a black male with a ski mask armed with two pistols. After a short confrontation the two struggled and shots rang out once the men were outside the home. The homeowner told deputies he was sure the intruder was hit in the gunfire. Deputies converged on the Our Road home to find the homeowner with blood on his shirt as he explained the incident. A search of the dirt road yielded no evidence of blood or shell casings. It is unknown at this writing if there was forced entry into the home. The alleged intruder was struck in the leg and possibly in the chest area, according to his victim.”



CO shooting apparently self-defense: "Chris Doyel admits that his son, James, was going through some tough times recently. James Doyel was trying to find work to help support an 18-month-old daughter, Emma’ lee, while trying to reconcile with his wife, Natasha, from whom he recently had become estranged. James Doyel, 23, was shot and killed Thursday night when he and three other people, including his wife, got into some sort of argument at a house at 635 W. Second St. Police have said they will present their findings to the district attorney’s office this week. Police took three people, two men and a woman, in for questioning and later released them. Police also said they are investigating “the possibility that the incident was a result of self-defense.” Family members confirmed Natasha was at the house when Doyel was killed. Prosecutors with the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office will decide what charges, if any, will be filed in connection with Doyel’s death."



What stops mass murderers? A gun: "Hasan reportedly had fired more than 100 rounds, requiring him to change handgun magazines several times — Sgt. Todd said Hasan was reloading again when he shot the suspect. Why didn’t any of the hundreds of Army personnel in the room shoot back, ending his killing spree far sooner? Because they couldn’t. Among President Bill Clinton’s first acts upon taking office in 1993 ‘was to disarm U.S. soldiers on military bases,’ the Washington Times points out. But mass murderers do generally have a harder time of it in Texas, nowadays, thanks to the legislative response to the second deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, which also occurred in Killeen, Texas — home to Fort Hood. In 1991, George Hennard drove his pickup through the window of a Luby’s cafeteria in Killeen, jumped out and began firing two pistols at the defenseless customers and employees inside, killing 23. As Jacob Sullum pointed out in his syndicated column in last week’s Review-Journal, one customer, Suzanna Hupp, saw Hennard gun down her parents. Mrs. Hupp later testified that she had brought a handgun with her that day but, to her bitter regret, left it in her car, as required by state law. Hupp ran for and was elected to the Texas Legislature, where she was able to win passage of a ’shall issue’ law that requires authorities to issue a concealed carry permit to any resident who meets certain objective criteria. Unless they join the Army.”



Little-known historical flag bears big message: "I’ve always been a history buff at heart and more recently an avid gun enthusiast, but most importantly, a supporter of Second Amendment rights. There’s a difference between just shooting guns and knowing the vast history behind our right to do so. The United States, as a country and before it was a country, has had a long history of flags — specifically, flags relating to our independence …. However, my personal favorite is a flag that may be better known to Texans. … The flag I’m talking about — recently gaining popularity among conservatives and gun-rights activists — originally was called the ‘Come and Take It’ flag, or Molon labe, a Greek phrase that means ‘come and take them.’”



16 November, 2009

FL: Apparent home invader shot to death by homeowner: "A 25-year-old man was shot to death on Orlando’s west side while apparently trying to break into a home….. He was found outside the front door of 5369 Botany Court, near Kirkman Road, around 7:30 Wednesday night.The Orlando Police Department has not provided any details other than that they’re working a death investigation. The homeowner’s mother said her daughter heard three men trying to break into the house and opened fire. The other two suspects ran away.”



Man protests Seattle gun ban at community center: "Bob Warden alerted everyone that he was going to take his legal, concealed, and holstered Glock into the Southwest Community Center at noon. "Public officials who choose to completely go against the law should not be able to get away with it," he said. Warden was protesting the recent executive order by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels to ban the possession of firearms at designated city facilities and parks. It was reaction to the shooting at Seattle's Folklife Festival last year. The state Attorney General's Office says it doesn't believe the city has the legal right to make such an order. "Some people are going to look at this as if the city of Seattle has a big sue me sign on it," said Dan Sytman of the Attorney General's office. The one-man protest was over in a minute. But Warden says it now lays the groundwork to continue to fight the issue. "I now have the legal standing to file suit to challenging the rule," he said. He says that's because he was personally turned away, unlike the plaintiffs in another case. "We're absolutely prepared for the challenge," said Nickels spokesman, Alex Fryer."



Guns or butter: "Some 15,000 Americans died last year because they didn’t have it. As many as five million more experienced a significant reduction in their quality of life, including mental and emotional trauma as well as diminished health, without it. Although large majorities of those Americans fortunate enough to have it are satisfied with what they have, many of the poor who need it most desperately simply cannot afford it. The government already exercises a great deal of control over it. Lives could be saved if we made its purchase mandatory, and subsidized those of limited means, to make ownership universal.No, not health care. Guns.”



‘To disarm the people’: "The title to this commentary was drawn from a 1788 quote by one of our founders, George Mason. Although his quote is more than two hundred years old, it remains as current now as it was then.Some things have simply not changed. Those regimes seeking to assert and maintain absolute control over the citizenry will always try to disarm them first … Without exception, an unarmed citizenry is one that can be effectively bullied and coerced and are readily controlled by the government.”By comparison, a well armed citizenry is an ominous threat to any police or military force who would seek to exert control over them. It is for this reason that our founding fathers introduced the Second Amendment into the U.S. Constitution.”



15 November, 2009

IN: Man who shot wife's ex acted in self-defense, prosecutor says: "No charges will be filed against a Lincoln Township man who police and prosecutors say acted in self-defense when he shot and killed his wife's ex-husband in their home on Oct. 19. Bobby Masters, 34, was fatally shot at the couple's home, in the 2100 block of Lenora Drive, by Leonard Brown, 46, who said Masters was drunk and threatened him, authorities said. Brown lives at the home with his wife and his two stepdaughters, ages 14 and 17, and a 12-year-old stepson, who is Masters' son, police said. Masters had been living at the home also for a few months while he sought help for a reported alcohol and drug problem, the prosecutor's office said. Brown and Masters argued on Oct. 19 when Masters took his 12-year-old son and his 14-year-old stepdaughter fishing. When the three returned about 11 p.m., Brown said Masters had been drinking and had given alcohol to the 12- and the 14-year-olds. Brown locked Masters out of the home. Masters became enraged and kicked down a back door, threatening to kill Brown, Berrien County Prosecuting Attorney Art Cotter said in a press statement. Brown armed himself with a family shotgun that was stored in an upstairs master bedroom, authorities said. When Masters repeatedly threatened Brown, saying "you're dead," Brown retreated to a flight of steps and yelled at Masters to stop, police said. Brown said he pointed the gun at Masters who was coming at him and fired with his eyes shut. When Brown opened his eyes, Masters was standing in front of him and had grabbed the barrel of the weapon and pulled on it. Brown fired again, causing Masters to fall to the ground, Cotter said."



CA: Aggressive cop pays the price: "A use-of-force expert for Alberto Alvarez, who is on trial for the murder of East Palo Alto Police Officer Richard May, testified Thursday there was no justifiable reason for the officer to stop Alvarez on Jan. 7, 2006. May violated an East Palo Alto city ordinance against excessive use of force and a police department policy when he followed and attempted to detain Alvarez, 26, defense witness Winthrop Taylor said Thursday afternoon. May was responding to a dispatch call about a fist fight in Villa Taqueria on Cooley Avenue when he saw Alvarez walking across the taqueria's parking lot. A police Explorer on a ride-along with the officer testified Alvarez looked in the officer's direction as he crossed in front of the patrol car, then ran across University Avenue. Alvarez admitted he shot the officer during nearly five hours of testimony Thursday, but said he did so in self defense after being shot in the leg by May and fearing the officer would kill him. Taylor followed his testimony, saying May had no just cause to stop Alvarez under state and federal law. Alvarez did not fit the description of the assailant in the taqueria fight, Taylor said. U.S. Supreme Court decisions have established an officer cannot detain a person simply for running away. May also violated city ordinance and police policy when he struck Alvarez from behind twice with an ASP, an expandable metal baton, Taylor said. The use of a metal baton, considered a defensive weapon, is only to be used if a suspect is assaulting the officer, he said. "When someone is running away, is that assaultive?" Eric Liberman, defense attorney, asked."



NV: Homeowner not charged for shooting, killing home invader: "The homeowner who shot and killed an intruder at his home Thursday evening has not been charged and Las Vegas police continue to investigate possible accomplices involved in the home invasion. The slaying occurred at 1845 Sycamore Trail, near Rancho and Vegas drives, about 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Police Lt. Lew Roberts said the homeowner, whom police did not identify, didn’t know the man who kicked open the door of his home. The men engaged in a scuffle before the homeowner shot and killed the intruder. The Clark County coroner’s office identified the deceased as Mark Matthew McIsaac. The 48-year-old Henderson man died of a gunshot wound to the chest. Roberts said the case will be reviewed by the district attorney’s office. According to Clark County assessor’s office records, the home is owned by Richard Schwartz. Roberts said the homeowner and the suspect engaged in a fight in the front and back of the home. He said the homeowner used a revolver to shoot and kill the man inside the home."



IL: Sam Colt still equalizing: "Jacksie King was an elderly grandmother who lived in a small Illinois house on dead-end Gaty Avenue since her youth. At 87, she mostly stayed at home and enjoyed frequent visits from her daughter. Her life changed one December night when an unidentified intruder cut her phone lines, pried the security bars off her window and invaded her home. After severely beating her, the man robbed her house and escaped. The case was never solved. Two months later, King awoke to the sound of an intruder breaking through her storm door at 2 a.m. As before, the bars were pried off her window to access an enclosed porch, and again the phone lines were cut. King reached for her only remaining lifeline—a .38-cal. Colt revolver her daughter had given her for protection. This time the would-be victim fired, striking 49-year-old Larry Tillman in the chest, immediately dropping him on the doorstep. Terrified, King stayed in her chair for four hours, clutching her revolver, until her daughter arrived. Police later learned Tillman was a career criminal with an extensive record, including residential robbery."






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."