Somethings to be thankful for.

That in 49 states you wouldn't have to spend an hour and a half running for your life from a madman on a rather small island.

That is why I own guns.


BATFE:
$1.12 Billion Budget
2359 Agents

US Marine Corps
$29 Billion Budget
202,779 Marines

Be thankful that we DON'T get all the government we pay for.....

I'm still here

Dear Blog,

Sorry I've been gone for so long.  It's been an interesting month.  Yep, I'm back on Chemo.  One more week to go and then I'm off of it for 4 weeks.

But, inspite of that I've still been busy.  After I went to the Blogger shoot, Robert and I went to T-Town (Teutopolis, IL) to see family one weekend and then Peoria to see some of the folks I had served with in Germany.    More on those later.

In fact, I've been typing alot.  Just not on this computer, but on the laptop.  It's pretty much stream of consciousness on several different topics.  All of them are fuzzy and messy and desperately need re-write and editing before they get turned into electrons on the interwebz.

The other thing other then it being summer and being outside and busy is that I've been doing more reading, not just other bloggers and the interwebz stuff, but real dead tree books.  Between War and Peace: How America Ends It's Wars is a series of essays examining the end and aftermath of America's wars, how they ended and the reactions thereafter.  And the consensus is that we are great at winning wars.  We're reeeeaaaallllllyyyyy good at kicking ass and taking names.  However, we pretty much fail after we spike the ball in the endzone. The only time we had anything that even almost, kinda, sorta, maybe had a plan was WWII in Germany.  Although Mr. Morganthau's plan of turning Germany into a land of non--mechanized, peasant farmers quickly fell apart with the start of the Cold War and there were as many "terrorist" attacks in post-war Germany as in Iraq after Gulf WarII.

In GWB's Decision Points he explains the circumstances and the processes he used to arrive at his decisions, and agree or disagree, he sought out opinions, advice and guidance before making decisions, including some that were unpopular.  But I will give him this.  He made all of them based on his principals, not political gain.

There were a couple other books, but nothing worth mentioning.

And I've been sleeping.  These four weeks on suck.  One more to got and then 4 weeks off.

I can't wait.

In the meantime, meet my new hero.  Ron Swanson:

 

On the 4th of July

My friend Stephanie sent me a link on facebook about how we, as Americans need a Seder for the 4th of July. Dennis Prager has a good idea about how, like Passover where Jews recall the Exodus from Egypt 3000 years+ ago, we need to recall what happened in 1776.

The war had started on Lexington Common on April 19th, 1775.  It was well over a year later before we declared our Independence.

And when we did, Thomas Jefferson wrote a document that just sings with rhetorical flourishes that fully exemplify what could be called "The American Ethos."

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

 We had had enough of King George III and British rule.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness

Go back and read that again.  It clearly states that there is a right, and a duty to rebel when any government becomes onerous and overbearing.

They then listed 28 specific grievances against King George and British rule in America.  Funny thing though is how many would apply today.

They then pointed out that they had tried to resolve the issues, but had been rebuffed and ignored by the King and Parliament, and that by so doing had given the colonies no choice but to declare their independence from Britain.

That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved;

Finally, they swore an oath:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

And many did pay dearly as the war raged throughout the colonies.

So this 4th of July weekend, take 10 minutes and conduct the ritual with family and friends to recall why we celebrate.  Then go enjoy the Barbecue and Fireworks.  I guarantee it'll be more meaningful.

A Musical Interlude

With all the rain we've had, yeah....

H/T to Rob at My Tumultuous Journey
and yes, they are also easy on the ears...

These are our "Betters"?

Hearings started today in the US House of Representatives today regarding the BATFE's Operation Fast and Furious.  For those of you unfamiliar, this was a case where Federally Licenced Firearm Dealers (aka FFL's) reported to the Phoenix ATF office their suspicions that certain buyers were buying guns to give/sell to "Prohibited Persons" (people who cannot legally buy firearms).  These are called "Straw Purchases" and are illegal. As in going to Federal Prison illegal. And these guns were going to drug gangs both in the US and Mexico.

In an effort to "prove" that US FFL's were selling guns to Mexican Drug Gangs/Cartels, the highest levels of  the BATFE ordered that the sales and allowing the guns to "walk" were to continue, despite the warnings and red flags raised by several BATFE agents.  Warnings that these guns probably could and would be used against US Law Enforcement Officers.

Tragically this is what transpired.  Customs and Border Patrol Officer Brian Terry was killed in a firefight with Mexican Drug Gang Members shortly before Christmas 2010, with guns that had been allowed to "walk".

Now hundreds of firearms that were allowed to "walk" are in the hands of drug cartels and other criminals.  Mostly likely some of those guns will end up killing Americans.  Guns that had the BATFE done their job would have been prevented from going into the wrong hands. 

BATFE agents that raised the warnings were threatened with retribution if they didn't "follow the company line".

It is simply unconscionable that the very agency charged with preventing such crimes, actively encouraged it, by allowing it to continued unabated.  Those that made that decision need to not only be removed from office, but also held to account for the murder of Officer Terry and any others killed or maimed by guns they allowed to "walk".

Sadly that won't happen.  They will be shuffled off to a nice retirement courtesy of you and I, and the whole sordid affair will be swept under the rug.  And the BATFE will continue on as before, possibly with more funding to "improve" their methods and tactics.  I say enough.  The BATFE needs to be disbanded as they should have been at the end of Prohibition.  They serve no function that cannot be readily absorb by other Federal Agencies.  The FBI already operates the NICS system for the background checks on gun buyers. Licensing and inspecting FFL's could easily be done by the FBI and reduce the duplication of effort when it comes to enforcing the law.

Creating crime to justify your existence, simply proves that you need not to exist.  The BATFE needs to go.

First They Came For The Light Bulbs.

Not content to make people start hoarding 100W light bulbs.  Now they are going after rat poison.  Yep, in true "We know what's best for you, peasant" mode, the EPA has banned the sale of rodent poisons.  Unless your are a exterminator then you can gouge sell the the bait stations to consumers as part of a treatment.

Really.

If you are not outraged yet, you're not paying attention.

Legalize DDT, it's much safer then DEET.

Department of Education has a SWAT Team ?!?!?!?!?

A while back there was a news item about the US Dept. of Education buying 27 short barrelled Remington 870 Shotguns.  That was back in March 2010  and there was much nattering on various gun blogs about why the DOE needed shotguns.  However, most of the nattering had to do with the fact that why the hell we even need a Federal Department of Education when this is clearly a function of Parents and the Local School Boards. Period. Full Stop.

Well now we know why they need them.  Since having your own Tact-I-Cool SWAT Team seems to be a requirement of every Federal Bureaucracy.  (I mean even the USDA has a SWAT unit, for what ?  Do they really expect this ? )

As I've stated, having a professional, well-trained group able to stop or prevent, isolate and contain VERY BAD PEOPLE about to do VERY BAD THINGS, is a good thing.   But, and this is very important, this gives the LEA the option to use these folks WHEN THEY ARE NOT NEEDED.    Because to justify the extra cost associated with the toys and the "training" that goes along with having one of these units, they get used in situations where other, less flashy methods could achieve the desired result of bad people being arrested and brought before the bar of justice.

Not to long ago we had the Keystone Kops of the Pima County Sheriff's Office shoot a two combat tour veteran of Iraq, in his own home.  Now we have this.

Okay, "Dynamic Entry" is justified when the warrant servers believe that the evidence may be readily destroyed or someone inside may be hurt or killed.

But what in G-d's name justifies the use of the DOE SWAT team in this case.  They were looking for a whole bunch of paperwork and computer stuff..  Did they think she would flush a computer down the toilet ?  Or her maybe burn a bunch of paperwork before Johnnie Law could get inside?  Why not simply surround the house and then knock?   If anybody comes squirting out, put the habeas grabbus on them.  Easy Peezy, Lemon Squeezey.  More then likely, no one gets shot, and at worst maybe some grass stains from the tackle. Then go through the house and execute the search warrant.

So here's the warrant.  So again, tell me why the US Department of Education needs a SWAT Team for this?