Trigger-Happy Houston Cop Kills Shoplifter

Houston Chronicle  via democommie

An off-duty Harris County sheriff's deputy said Friday that he was afraid for his life when he fatally shot a suspected shoplifter in a Walmart parking lot.

Deputy Louis Campbell was working an extra security job at the store in the 10400 block of the North Freeway about 9:45 p.m. Thursday when he fired the shot that killed 27-year-old Shelly Frey.

Prior to the shooting, a Walmart employee told Campbell that a group of women, including Frey, were stuffing store merchandise into their bags.  They paid for a few small items but then tried to leave without paying for the rest, Harris County sheriff's deputies said.

Campbell confronted the women in the doorway and ordered them to stop. They tried to force their way past him. One of the women, later identified as Frey, hit the deputy and ran.

Campbell followed them into the parking lot, where the shoplifting suspects climbed into a waiting car. Campbell opened the car door and ordered Frey to get out. But she refused, officials said.
Andrews began to drive away while the deputy was standing between the open door and the driver's seat.

"She threw it in reverse and tried to run over the deputy," said Thomas Gilliland, a Harris County sheriff's spokesman. Campbell later told investigators he feared for his safety and opened fire.  The car sped away.

You know what this is, really? This is summary execution for disobedience. Cops don't like it when you disobey like that.  Of course in order to justify it they always claim fear for their life, but I don't buy it.  He was unhurt. If his life had really been in jeopardy, he'd have suffered some injuries, no?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

12 Facts about Mass Shootings

The Washington Post

1. Shooting sprees are not rare in the United States. 

Mother Jones has tracked and mapped every shooting spree in the last three decades. “Since 1982, there have been at least 61 mass murders carried out with firearms across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii,” they found. And in most cases, the killers had obtained their weapons legally:

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Statement

Ladd Everitt writing for the CSGV

"THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS" ARE NOT ENOUGH

Washington, DC—We can only imagine the scale of the human tragedy that has unfolded in Newtown, Connecticut as reports continue to emerge about the massacre committed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. There are many parents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, and others who will now never see their loved ones again, never again know the warmth of their presence, never see their potential realized over the course of their natural lives. While shockingly familiar, the nature of this tragedy has left those of us at the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence feeling shaken to our core, physically and spiritually sick that this could happen in a civilized society in a place of learning for children.

Our elected leaders, in the coming hours, will issue the typical platitudes to those who have seen their loved ones gunned down in cold blood, telling them, “Our thoughts and prayers with you.” Then, if the pattern holds, they will immediately retreat into silence and refuse to engage in any meaningful debate about America’s catastrophically flawed gun laws, which directly facilitate one gun massacre after the next.

To people of conscience, this should not be acceptable. After today’s horror, Americans must demand immediate action by our President and Congress to reform our gun laws. This must include legislation requiring background checks on all gun sales, strengthening those background checks (particularly in terms of mental health and substance abuse screening), and renewing the ban on military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines. We expect President Obama—as a man who has seen first-hand the devastation that gun violence inflicts on families and communities during his time as a volunteer in Chicago—to be a leader in this process and to speak out boldly and directly.

If we’ve reached a point where our children cannot attend school without fear of being gunned down by a homicidal maniac who has obtained easy access to firearms, then the freedom we cherish as citizens of the world’s greatest democracy is at risk of extinction.

More than a dozen children were massacred in a kindergarten classroom today. If elected officials cannot find their voices now and call for change—if NRA campaign contributions and threats continue to dictate their decision-making, taking priority over the preservation of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness—what will it say about them?

Moreover, if we allow them to remain silent, what will it say about us?

Michael Dunn Indicted on 1st Degree Murder

Local news reports - our post at the time of the incident.

A Florida grand jury has indicted a man on a first-degree murder charge in the death of a teenager following an argument over loud music coming from the teen's car.

The Florida Times-Union reports officials in the state attorney's office said Thursday they won't be seeking the death penalty against 46-year-old Michael David Dunn. He was initially charged with second-degree murder.

Dunn is accused of the Nov. 23 shooting death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis.

I'm glad to hear they won't seek the death penalty. For me it's enough that there's one less dangerous gun owner out there. It's pretty sure Mr. Dunn won't be shooting anybody else for a good long while.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Michigan Gun Laws Moving in the Right Direction

The Detroit News reports on what seems to be a turnaround from what was expected.

The Michigan Senate on Wednesday rejected a National Rifle Association-backed proposal to let people buy handguns through private sales without undergoing criminal background checks.
The Senate instead voted 27-11 for a substitute proposal that makes it easier for people to apply for gun permits but retains the checks.

The state House voted in June for a bill to repeal the requirement to undergo a check before buying a handgun. Federal law requires checks before buying guns from licensed dealers but not for private sales. The House bill also would have required police to discard their records of previous gun purchase applications.

The Senate was poised to vote on the House-passed bill Wednesday, but instead agreed on a voice vote to consider a substitute that retained the pre-sale background check provisions.

The Senate bill makes several steps to ease the gun purchase application process in Michigan. Most notably, it eliminates the requirement that people buying handguns from licensed dealers go through state and federal background checks. Only people buying guns from private individuals — about 48 percent of Michigan sales, according to the mayors' group — would need the checks.

The bill also extends the period for which a purchase license is valid from 10 days to 30 days. And it expands the locations at which people can obtain applications to more police locations. People now must apply at the police department in the place where they live, but the bill would let them apply at any police agency.

I suppose you could say Michigan is moving in the right direction after all.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Adam Lanza - Connecticut Shooter

Yahoo News reports

Adam Lanza of Newtown, Connecticut was a child of the suburbs and a child of divorce who at age 20 still lived with his mother. 

This morning he appears to have started his day by shooting his mother Nancy in the face, and then driving to nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School armed with at least two handguns and at least one semi-automatic rifle. 

There, before turning his gun on himself, he shot and killed 20 children, who President Obama later described as between five and 10 years of age. Six adults were also killed at the school. Nancy Lanza was found dead in her home.

The 2nd Worst Mass Shooting in U.S. History

I blame the gun-rights movement.

The reason I say that is this shooting, like all the others, is the direct result of loose gun laws and the resultant gun availability to unfit people. The gun-rights folks, led by the NRA, are responsible for keeping things that way, and in many cases, making them even worse. They spend lots of money and even more time and effort on the internet spreading their false doctrine that more guns means less crime. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In the next days we'll hear countless pro-gun fanatics claim that this wouldn't have happened if the school hadn't been a gun-free zone. They frequently claim that mass shooters calculatingly select gun-free zones for their attacks. This is a double lie.

The truth is, as was probably the case today, spree shooters generally go to the place of their grievance regardless of its gun control status. And, as we saw in Phoenix last year, when the shooting takes place where guns are allowed, concealed carry permit holders are powerless to stop it.

Proper gun control laws would eliminate some of these incidents. Gun availability to the unfit, whether they be dangerous criminals or the mentally ill, could easily be diminished by simply closing the private-sale loophole. Borderline psychotics could in many cases be identified before they act, with improved mental health background checks and basic mental health testing.  Gun-rights activists are preventing this from happening. That's why they are to blame.

Hopefully, the Presidents tearful remarks today will augur well for the long-overdue changes we need in our gun laws and our attitudes of accepting these all-too-frequent shootings.

President Obama on the CT Shooting

Connecticut School Shooting - 27 Dead including 20 Children

The Chicago Tribune reports

The suspect in the Connecticut school shootings that killed 26 people is a 20-year-old and his brother is being held for questioning, a law enforcement official said Friday. Sources had earlier identified the shooter as a 24-year-old.

The law enforcement official says the boys' mother, Nancy Lanza, worked at the school as a teacher and is presumed dead.
 
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the suspect is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the source was not authorized to speak on the record about the developing criminal investigation.

According to the official, the suspect drove to the scene of the shootings in his mother's car. Three guns were found at the scene — a Glock and a Sig Sauer, both pistols — and a .223-caliber rifle. The rifle was recovered from the back of a car at the school. The two pistols were recovered from inside the school.

The dead included 20 children and six adults. The gunman was also dead.

I have no words.

Another School Shooting!

How many of these have happened so far this week? Isn't mass shooting becoming a daily event in the US?




Ah, the price of freedom!

Don't scenes like this make you so proud to be American?

Zappadan 2012 - Day 11 - Absolutely Free

Wikipedia

Like many of the songs on We're Only in It for the Money, "Absolutely Free" criticizes the hippie movement and the Summer of Love. The song's lyrics are a parody of psychedelia, especially the idea of expanding one's consciousness through the use of drugs. To this end, the song frequently mentions the word "discorporate", which is explained by Zappa in the spoken introduction to the song ("The first word in this song is discorporate. It means to leave your body"). The lyrics also reference the song "Mellow Yellow" by singer-songwriter Donovan, who is often associated with the hippie movement ("The dreams as they live them are all mellow yellow").

On some pressings of the album, especially on earlier releases, two lines of the lyrics were censored. The first is the sentence "I don't do publicity balling for you anymore", uttered at the very beginning of the song by the character of Suzy Creamcheese. The word "balling" was cut from this line. The other line that was censored ("Flower power sucks!") was cut entirely.

MASS STABBING INCIDENT IN CHINA: 23 VICTIMS

Yes, there was a mass stabbing incident in China where 23 victims were stabbed- at least two of them seriously!  None are dead!

Security at China's schools has been increased in recent years following a spate of similar knife attacks in which nearly 20 children have been killed.

The BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai says many of the attackers have been mentally disturbed men, prompting a debate about the effects of China's recent, rapid social change and the inability of an antiquated hospital system to cope with rising levels of mental illness.

The agency also quotes a county hospital administrator as saying that the man first attacked an elderly woman, then the children, before being overpowered by security guards

Let's see how many mass shooting with how many dead have there been in the US in the last year?

More here

Florida Gun Owner Kills Roomate over a Pork Chop

Local news reports 

A roommate was killed over a pork chop dispute in Holly Hill, Florida Tuesday night. 

The fatal disagreement came soon after Robert Eugene Gray, Jr., 35, arrived home drunk. He and Thomas Matthew Hahn, 55, argued over how to prepare the pork chop meal and it turned to violence. 

Hahn used a .22-caliber Ruger rifle to settle the issue with one of his three roommates. 

"This appears to be a senseless act of violence stemming from a minor domestic dispute between roommates," said police Chief Mark Barker."  There is no clear answer at this hour as to why [he] acted with such extreme violence."

Good thing so few gun owners drink and have problems with conflict resolution.

By the way, does he remind you of anyone?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Stephen Colbert for the Senate

The Colbert Report
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Cenk on the Michigan Anti-Sharia Law

Father of 11-Year-old Oregon Boy Arrested

This story follows our earlier post.

The father of an 11-year-old boy accused of attempted armed robbery pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge of endangering a child by allowing access to a firearm.

Joseph D. Charlton is the first person charged under a Portland ordinance holding parents responsible when a gun ends up in the hands of a child. It was passed in 2010 in response to gang shootings.

Charlton, 34, also is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, The Oregonian reported.

I'd bet dollars to donuts if the guy had been a lawful gun owner he wouldn't have been charged with anyting.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Brady Campaign vs. Armslist is About Closing the Private Sale Loophole

The Daily Beast

On April 13th, 2011, Jitka Vesel was walking to her car when she saw a man she knew running toward her, shooting at her with a handgun.

Vesel threw coffee at her attacker and began to run away, but he pursued her and shot her in the back and in the back of the head, killing her and leaving her corpse so disfigured that local police would not allow Vesel’s family to see her body. Vesel was killed by Demetry Smirnov, a man she had met on the Internet and who had stalked her for years after she allegedly ended their brief romantic relationship.

Smirnov bought the .40-caliber handgun he used to kill Vesel via Armslist, an online firearms marketplace that has tens of thousands of guns listed, with no fees, no auctions—and no enforced background checks for buyers.

On Wednesday, Vesel’s family and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a prominent gun-control advocacy group, filed a lawsuit (PDF) against Armslist for negligence in allowing Smirnov to purchase his weapon. The suit claims Smirnov bought the gun illegally: private sellers are restricted to selling guns in-state only; Smirnov was an immigrant from Russia living in Canada when he bought the gun.

The Brady Campaign, represented by Jonathan Lowy, director of the campaign’s Legal Action Project, says this is the first lawsuit against an online gun site for causing a shooting.

Gun control advocates say potentially taking down Armslist is a crucial piece of the complex task of narrowing what they say is a massive loophole that allows criminals to buy guns from private sellers without being background-checked.

While all licensed dealers are required to subject their sellers to a background check, the same rule does not apply to unlicensed, private dealers, many of whom use sites like Armslist, Gun Listings, and Glock Talk to sell weapons.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Oregon FFL Gun Dealer Indicted

Local news reports with video

The owner of a Grants Pass gun store is facing a seven-count indictment after illegally selling firearms.

Authorities say 63 year old Wilson Lee Clow Jr., owner of 2nd Amendment Guns, knowingly sold several high caliber weapons to a felon.

The court paperwork also reveals that the man falsified gun transaction paperwork.

He could face up to 10 years in prison with a fine of up to a quarter of a million dollars.

I'm sure the pro-gun explanation is that guys like this are as rare as false DGUs. It's hard to argue with willful, self-serving blindness like that.

What's your opinion?

Lawful Florida Gun Owner Shot by Police (Warning Penis Joke Involved)

 Local news reports

An early morning argument between a Palm Beach Shores man and a woman next door over the small size of his manhood sparked a police shooting that left the man wounded and facing years in prison, Gossip Extra has learned. 

Police sources tell me Adam Brown, 45, was swimming naked in the pool of the El Coqui apartment complex about 2:30 a.m. yesterday when a female neighbor started trash-talking about his penis.

“She said something about it being really small,” said one investigator at the scene who asked not to be named. “So, he just got out of the pool, still naked, walked into his apartment and came out with a rifle.”

Brown allegedly knocked on the door of the woman, identified as Jenny Arroway, after she retreated inside. When she opened, the source said he pointed the rifle at her face, then ”he told her: ‘How do you like the size of this?’”

I've noticed that pro-gun folks frequently accuse gun control folks of making penis jokes.  So frequently that, in fact, the accusations actually outnumber the offensive jokes themselves.

Rarely do we have a news story about gun misuse that actually contains the famous joke.

For me, the emphasis on this story is not the guy's dick size, but the fact that he was another lawful gun owner who resorted to bullying behavior with a gun when pressured.  I suppose the iceberg-theory which they apply to DGUs applies here as well.  95% of these incidents do not get reported.  The ones that make the news are a tiny fraction of what's actually happening.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

5-Year-old Philadelphia Girl Shoots Herself in the Foot

Local news reports

Police say a 5-year-old girl has shot herself in the foot while playing with a gun. 

WCAU-TV reports (bit.ly/YYF8eE) that the girl was at home with her father and two siblings in the city's Kensington section Tuesday night when the gun went off and hit her big toe. Her father rushed her to the hospital. Police say the injuries are minor. 

It is unclear how the girl got the gun. Police say the weapon belongs to the girl's father, who works in private security.

Dad should be working on the county jail chow line about now. What do you think?

Please leave a comment.

Jacob Tyler Roberts - Clackamas Mall Shooter

The Chicago Tribune reports with video

A masked gunman who opened fire in a crowded Oregon mall in the middle of the holiday shopping season, killing two people and wounding a third before taking his own life, appears to have acted alone in a random rampage, police said on Wednesday. 

 Investigators identified the man behind Tuesday's shooting as Jacob Tyler Roberts, 22, who they said had no significant criminal history and acted without any obvious warning, though his Facebook page indicated an affinity for guns and alcohol.

Rochester MN (not ND) Preacher Shoots Granddaughter

 Local news reports with video

Rochester police say a grandfather shot and critically wounded his teenage granddaughter after mistaking her for an intruder.

There are many ways in which a gun in the home can do more harm than good. This is an extreme example. The simple and obvious fact is that the chance that his gun would some day save the day are smaller than the possibility that it will be misused one day.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Pennsylvania Man Has Charges Dropped after Accidental Shooting

Local news reports

All charges against a man accused of accidentally shooting his 12-year-old brother at a residence in Uniontown in September were dismissed on Tuesday.
Uniontown police Detective Donald M. Gmitter said David Dwayne Brooks, 19, of 205 Fifth St., California, was charged before Magisterial District Judge Ronald J. Haggerty Jr. with aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and carrying a firearm without a license for shooting his brother, Timothy Brooks.

Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros dismissed all charges against David Brooks after Timothy Brooks refused to testify in the case during a preliminary hearing.

According to Gmitter, the shooting occurred Sept. 30 as Brooks was taking a handgun from his pocket inside their father’s residence at 201 S. Mount Vernon Ave. when a round was fired from the gun.

The bullet struck Timothy Brooks in the back of one of his hands and then traveled out his palm and into his stomach, where it became lodged, Gmitter said.

This is how they do it, you see?  If they're willing to so easily drop all charges against this guy, imagine how much more readily they do so when the irresponsible individual is a lawful concealed carry permit holder. In Pennsylvania, fat white men especially enjoy leniency.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Missouri 12-Year-old Kills Friend with Granddad's Gun - No Charges

Local Fox News reports

A 12-year-old Missouri boy shot and killed his friend Tuesday with a gun that belonged to his grandfather.

The boy found the gun in an unlocked bedroom at his grandfather`s house in University City, a suburb Northwest of St. Louis. The boy reportedly lived with his grandfather.

 The boy who fired the shot told police he was playing with the handgun and it went off, hitting the other 12-year-old boy in the head. The two were friends and classmates.

 Fox2Now.com reported that the boy who fired the shot was taken to authorities in the family court while the investigation unfolds. Investigators say they are treating the case as an accidental shooting.

The boy was taken to family court, whatever that means, and the grandfather? Nothing?

Josh Horwitz on the Clackamas Mall Shooting

It's happened again. Yesterday Jacob Tyler Roberts, 22, opened fire with an AR-15 assault rifle at the busy Clackamas Town Center mall in Portland, Oregon. According to witnesses, Roberts wore a hockey mask, camouflage and a bulletproof vest. Witnesses heard the gunman say "I am the shooter" before firing up to 60 shots, killing 2 people and seriously wounding a 15-year-old girl. Police arrived to a scene of pandemonium, with shoppers hiding in bathrooms and dressing rooms and locked down in stores. The gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the scene.

This has gone much too far, and none of us want to live in a country where people have to face random gunfire from assault weapons while doing their holiday shopping at the mall.

Our elected leaders need to hear from you RIGHT NOW that you've had enough of lax laws that enable daily gun violence tragedies. Please take action right away to create sustained pressure for sane gun laws: 
 

1) Call your U.S. Senators and Representative through the U.S. Capitol Hotline at (202) 224-3121 and tell them you want to see the "Fix Gun Checks Act" and a new Assault Weapons Ban enacted, immediately. 

2) Call President Obama at (202) 456-1111 and tell him you want him to show leadership on this issue and speak out publicly and forcefully about the need for URGENT action to strengthen our gun laws.

Let's make it clear to our elected leaders that we are sick and tired of waiting for the next mass shooting to occur in our malls, movie theaters, or schools! Together we can send a strong message and build safer communities free from the scourge of gun violence.

Sincerely,

Josh Horwitz
Executive Director

Zappadan 2012 - Day 9 - Zomby Woof

Also see Urantian Sojourn

MN Progressive Project has video of George Duke talking about Frank.

Why Do People Decide to Carry Concealed?

Local news reports on the concealed-carry victory in Illinois.

Twenty years ago, Bob Zimmerman ran into a panhandler who wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
The Germantown Hills resident was at a rest stop in Florida, and the man wanted money. 

Things didn't get physical, Zimmerman said, but if he hadn't gotten into his truck as quickly as he did, he's sure there would have been a fight.

From that point on, Zimmerman knew he needed a gun.

Does anyone see the problem with that rationale? If anything the incident in Florida proved that a gun is not necessary. All the fear-driven what-if scenarios are not justification for carrying a gun. They're just fear-driven what-if scenarios.

Men who feel intimidated by their own fantasies, sometimes make the mistake of thinking a gun will supply the answer.  They're wrong, as we've seen earlier today, and yesterday, and meantime gun-rights fanatics are calling for even fewer restrictions.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

PA Concealed Carry Permit Holder Loses Gun to Armed Robber

Local news reports

A York man reported to city police this weekend that he had been robbed at gunpoint -- and that the thief made off with the his gun.

Jose A. Diaz-Dechoudens, of the 600 block of East Princess Street, told police the crime happened early Sunday morning, according to the York City Police log. 

The incident took place in the 700 block of East Princess Street, Diaz-Dechoudens said, and a pistol was taken. No other details were available.

I'd laugh if it weren't so sad. I don't suppose this is the only time something like this has happened. Most guys would be too embarrassed to report it.  What could the police do anyway?

This is just another example of how counterproductive and useless concealed carry is.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Valuable Nazi Rifle Turned in at Gun Buy-Back

ABC News reports

Just like a scene out of “Antiques Roadshow,” a woman in Hartford, Conn., turned in an old rifle to her local police station’s gun buy-back,  only to discover the gun was worth anywhere from $20,000 to $25,000. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, inherited the gun from her father who had brought it home with him from Europe as a memento from World War II.

The two officers conducting the gun buy-back, who are resident gun experts for the Hartford Police Department, informed the owner she was in possession of a Nazi Assault Rifle, the first of its kind, that dates back to 1944.

The unnamed owner of the gun has left the valuable artifact at the police station for safe keeping.
“We did not take the gun in for the gun buy-back program,” Crabtree said. “If we took it as part of the buy-back, we would have no choice but to destroy the gun. We don’t want to destroy that gun.”

The owner intends to sell the Sturmgewehr 44.

This is one of the complaints gun-rights folks have with gun buy-back programs. But, it seems the cops were on top of it.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Toy Guns Lead to Gun Crime and Antisocial Behavior

The Derbyshire Times reports

Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Charles is asking families and charities not to give youngsters realistic-looking toy guns this Christmas.

His call comes in support of an appeal by the Gun Control Network amid concerns that many children have already received toy and BB guns – which fire small plastic or aluminium balls – as gifts from Santa.

Mr Charles said: “While most toy guns are harmless, BB guns can cause considerable damage if fired irresponsibly. There’s also a strong argument that giving toy and BB guns to youngsters can lead to future gun crime and antisocial behaviour.”

He's in England, what does he know?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Oregon Mall Shooting Rampage

ABC News reports with video

A masked gunman opened fire today at Clackamas Town Center, a mall in suburban Portland, Ore., killing two people, injuring one, and then killing himself. "I can confirm the shooter is dead of an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound," Lt. James Rhodes of the Clackamas County, Ore., Sheriff's Department said today. "By all accounts there were no rounds fired by law enforcement today in the mall."

Just the other day one of the gun-nut commenters took exception to my calling Oregon a state with a gun culture. That's when we were talking about the 7 and 11-year-old gunslingers. I'm sure he and the others will have no difficulty explaining this incident away too.

My theory is the guy was influenced by and trying to imitate Ted Nugent, camo gear, automatic weapons, pissed off.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Jon Stewart on the Right Time to Talk about Guns

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Zappadan 2012 - Day 8 - Mom and Dad from We're Only in it for the Money

Frank wrote this song a full two years before the Kent State incident, so the video is a bit misleading. I suppose there were a number of events in '67 and '68 to inspire him, although I wouldn't discount prophesy as being among his many talents.

See The Iranian Redneck if you like watermelon.

Memphis 2-Year-old Shoots Himself

Local news reports

Wayne La Pierre Really Embarrassed Himself on this One

The New Civil Rights Movement

National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre claims that Jovan Belcher‘s girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, would be alive today if she only had had her own gun. 

LaPierre is dead wrong: there were eight guns in the Belcher-Perkins house. So much for NRA bull. 

 “The one thing missing in that equation is that woman owning a gun so she could have saved her life from that murderer,” LaPierre told USA TODAY Sports, talking about Kasandra Perkins and Jovan Belcher. 

“According to Kansas City police, Belcher owned multiple guns, and they were in the house,” USA TODAY reports. 

“In addition, Sports Illustrated has reported that Perkins went to shooting ranges with Belcher.” 

Jack Dickey at Deadspin writes, “Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins kept ‘about eight guns’ in their house and liked to go shooting together, according to a new report from Sports Illustrated.”

So, Wayne LaPierre and the NRA are full of it.

There are many examples of this, perhaps the best is Meleanie Hain. The obvious lesson from this is that battered women need to remove themselves from the threat. Having a gun is rarely good enough.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

Georgia Gas Station Attendant Loses It - 2 People Shot

Local news reports

A Columbus gas station worker is accused of shooting two customers after an argument got out of hand.

Police said 25-year Darschan Bhalodi is free on bond after being charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Police told WTVM that an argument developed over payment for a purchase Friday night. The argument moved outside, where Bhalodi said he was threatened with a beer bottle. Police said Bhalodi fired a handgun, striking one man in the buttocks and the other in the arm. Both are expected to recover.

Police Lt. John McMichael told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer that it seemed like a huge overreaction to what was happening.

Bhalodi was released on bond Saturday.

What kind of charge is that exactly, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime? Does it mean he was allowed to possess that gun as long as he behaved himself?  He could have been a concealed carry permit holder, for that matter.  In Georgia that's not hard to do.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Obama is Palling Around with Terrorists Again - According to Fox News Conservatives

Old video has been unearthed of South Korean star Psy, of “Gangnam Style” fame, performing some no-holds-barred protests against the American military eight and ten years ago. In 2004, Psy participated in a protest concert in Seoul where he joined others in singing a song (that he didn’t write) about killing U.S. soldiers. He has since apologized. But it turns out Psy is going to be one of many performers at a benefit tonight (to be aired later on TNT) where President Obama will be in attendance. And that’s all Fox needs to bring on a guest suggesting President Obama is palling around with a terrorist.

More on the Celaya Shooting - Death Toll Now 5

USA Today reports

Deputies say Hector Celaya, 31, shot and killed his mother Irene Celaya, 60, and his uncles, Francisco Moreno, 61, and Bernie Moreno, 53, all of whom were found dead Saturday night on the Tule River Indian Reservation.

Deputies also found Hector Celaya's 6-year-old son, Andrew, who was shot at the home on the reservation, which is about 20 miles east of Porterville, Calif. Andrew was taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, Calif.

After the shootings, Celaya fled in a Jeep Grand Cherokee with his two other children, Linea and Alyssa, ages 5 and 8, respectively. Deputies found Celaya around 1:48 a.m. Sunday by using a signal from his cellphone.

Deputies said Celaya was pulled over near Lindsay, Calif., and fired shots at law enforcement. He was shot several times by officers and died hours later at the hospital in Fresno.

It's believed that sometime between the reservation and the stop near Lindsay that Hector Celaya shot his two daughters, Hinesly said. However, it hasn't been ruled out that the children's wounds may have been caused by shots fired by the deputies. Several officers were placed on paid administrative leave, the Sheriff's office said in a written statement.

Maybe he was fleeing with the two kids unharmed for some reason, and the cops shot them. It seems like the only way that could happen is if the cops let loose with a hail of gunfire instead of following the few simple rules of gun safety.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Zappadan 2012 - Day 7 - Black Napkins

Also see Darkblack for all the Zappa you can stand.

For an incredible series of posts about former Mothers' members go to Adventures into the Well Known.

Emily Miller on the State of the Gun Debate

The lies:

"Illinois doesn't allow any rights to bear arms."

"AWB expired because the FBI said we didn't need it any more."

"AWB bans guns that kinda look scary."

"The UN Treaty would water our right to bear arms."

And no biased gun-rights snow job worth its salt would be complete without the perennial

"There were 2.5 million crimes prevented with guns last year."

Emily Miller continues to be the stooge mouth-piece of the NRA, as I've said before.

Should Genetically Modified Food be Labeled as Such?

Two Oregon Kids, 7 and 11-Years-old Attempt Armed Robbery

The Deluth News Tribune reports via Joan Peterson

Two Oregon boys, ages 7 and 11, are accused of trying to rob a woman with a loaded gun, police said Sunday. The boys tried to carjack a 22-year-old woman who was in her family's truck waiting for her parents in a church parking lot, Portland police said in a statement. 

Ami Garrett, of southeast Portland, told officers that when the boys approached her, the younger boy told the older boy to “show her your piece.” 

The woman said that when she refused to give them her vehicle, they demanded cash and her phone. She said that as she drove away, she saw the 11-year-old boy pull a gun from his pocket. 

The boys were apprehended in the parking lot by officers responding to reports of children with guns. Police said they recovered a loaded .22 caliber handgun from the older boy's pockets. 

Detectives were investigating how the boys obtained a gun.

This is exactly the gun culture that Costas and Whitlock were talking about. The feckless investigators seem to be baffled as to how an 11-year-old could get a gun. A lengthy and complicated investigation is in order.

Of course, if we had licensing of gun owners and registration of guns it would take less than a minute to determine the gun belongs to daddy.  As it is, it would take all of ten minutes to determine that. Let's see how the "investigation" pans out.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Alabama Triple Shooting - 1 Dead, 2 Wounded, Shooter Arrested

Local news reports WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL

This is what Costas and Whitlock were talking about.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Multiple Shooting on California Indian Reservation - 4 Dead

Yahoo News reports

Authorities cornered Hector Celaya, 31, on a country road in the middle of citrus orchards 30 miles away from the reservation and about six hours after the shootings Saturday night. In the car with him were two daughters, 8-year-old Alyssa and 5-year-old Linea. One had life-threatening injuries; the other did not. Police did not say which.

Authorities have not disclosed what motivated Celaya to kill his relatives, who lived in a travel trailer on a family compound on the reservation of about 800 people. But tribal members said the former custodian at the reservation's casino had a troubled past.

Deputies found Celaya by tracking his cellphone. A chase ensued, though Celaya never exceeded the speed limit and sometimes slowed to 15 mph, police said.

He eventually pulled over in a rural area deep in the heart of citrus country outside the tiny community of Lindsay, about 30 miles from the reservation. Celaya opened fire, prompting deputies to return fire, sheriff's spokeswoman Chris Douglass said.

She did not say how many shots were fired, but said Celaya fired his gun "multiple times." Celaya was shot during the exchange of gunfire, Douglass said. He died hours later at a hospital. It was unclear when Celaya shot his daughters, Douglass said. Police said he had a tattoo of his daughter Alyssa on his right leg.

Police said Celaya was "known to law enforcement" and "known to use drugs," though Douglass could not provide details.

This is the gun culture that Whitlock and Costas were talking about.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Robert Farago Shows his True Fanaticism

Says Robert:

Sorry FoD, but I don’t think The People of the Gun should erect psychological barriers for Americans contemplating exercising their Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. It really isn’t that complicated. Buy gun, insert bullets (facing forward), don’t point it at someone who doesn’t need shooting. If someone’s trying to kill you, point and shoot. The rest — the safety rules, firearms selection, caliber choice, marksmanship, safe storage, gunfighting techniques, situational awareness—it’s all great stuff. But I don’t think gun guys and gals should overwhelm newbies with the full range of concealed carry considerations. At least from the git-go. Am I wrong?

The sycophantic commenters agreed. No surprise there.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Pro-Gun Lie Put Straight - Again - More Guns Equals Less Crime

The Wall Street Journal reports with video

The number of U.S. homicides has been falling for two decades, but America has become no less violent. 

Crime experts who attribute the drop in killings to better policing or an aging population fail to square the image of a more tranquil nation with this statistic: The reported number of people treated for gunshot attacks from 2001 to 2011 has grown by nearly half.

The number of people treated for gunshot wounds has dramatically increased. How else could it be since the number of guns has increased? The difference is that trauma medicine has improved so much that fewer people die.

But, imagine the cost.  And who do you think picks up the tab for all the emergency room activity?

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Iowa Teen Shot in the Head by his Dad while Hunting

Local news reports

A teenager suffers head injury from accidental shooting while hunting with his father on Saturday. An Omaha television station is reporting that 18-year-old Ryan Rearick of Omaha was struck in the back of the head by a shotgun blast, accidently fired by his father, as the two were pheasant hunting east of Essex Saturday morning. The accident occurred just before 10:30am.

Ryan was taken to Montgomery County Memorial Hosptial in Red Oak, and then transported by medical helicopter to Alegent Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha. He is in stable condition and expected to survive.

How is such a thing even possible? What kind of bumbling idiot could do such a thing?

Please leave a comment.

Pennsylvania 7-Year-old Shot and Killed by his Dad

AZ Central reports

Authorities say a 7-year-old boy was shot to death when a gun accidentally went off as his father was getting into his truck outside a western Pennsylvania gun store.

The boy was shot Saturday morning at Twigs Reloading Den in East Lackawannock Township, 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. Store owner Leonard Mohney says it happened in the parking lot.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the boy was shot when his father’s handgun went off as the man got into the truck while holding the gun.

Police say 44-year-old Joseph V. Loughrey told them he had emptied the magazine but didn’t realize a bullet was still in the chamber. Seven-year-old Craig Allen Loughrey was shot in the chest and died at the scene.

State police are investigating the shooting as an accident.

Sometimes I get so angry at these irresponsible idiots that I think losing a kid is not punishment enough. Public flogging or the amputation of an arm might set the scales straight. Then I calm down and realize that "being investigated as an accident" often means a slap on the wrist and a good stiff warning. Then I get angry all over again, but not only at the fat, white man who proved how unfit he was to own guns, but at the whole system, the cops investigating it, the gun-rights fanatics who say "shit happens," and "accidents can happen to anyone."

When I calm down all over again, I remember that losing a child must be one of the worst things that can happen to a parent.  He should be slapped with a felony or two, receive a suspended jail sentence, submit to probation and LOSE HIS RIGHT TO OWN GUNS FOR THE REST OF HIS MISERABLE LIFE.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.