An Easier Way

I'm going to have to ask a Robbish question here:

Wouldn't it be easier to just type it into the address bar?

Someone did a search that linked them here. Here is the referring URL:
http://yandex.ru/yandsearch?text=freedomismandatory.blogspot.com&lr=84

A Declaration

Via this post by AP comes this declaration. I post it here in agreement, and will be sending copies to all of my congress-traitors.

Whereas, on the 14th of December, 2011, the House of Representatives of these United States voted in favor of indefinite military detention, without charges, of any American, anywhere, anytime, without due process of law, at the discretion of the government alone;
Whereas, on the 15th of December, 2011, the Senate of these United States voted in favor of the same bill;
Whereas, the proscription against the use of military force to police the populous has been an essential feature of American civic life and civic liberty since the arrival of our civilization upon this continent;
Whereas, the wanton violation of this proscription was one of the chief causes of the separation of the American peoples from their government in Great Britain;
Whereas, the Constitution so chartering the government of these United States does not grant this power;
Whereas, the Constitution forbids the addition of any power not enumerated to the general government;
Whereas, the use of such draconian measures has been an essential feature of the enforcement of tyranny by totalitarian governments of the 20th century, including, but not limited to, the Nationalist-Socialist government of Germany, the fascist government of Italy, the government of the United Soviet Socialist Republics, and the government of Vietnam;
Whereas, the use of such draconian measures is carefully calculated to quash all political dissent amongst a captive people;
Whereas, the codification of such draconian measures effectively nullifies all civil liberties the people may hope to hold;
Whereas, the codification of such draconian measures are the last act in the quest to hold a people captive to the rapacious will of their government without recourse;
And whereas, the codification of such draconian measures is an act of war against the populous at large;
Therefore, be it declared that a STATE OF WAR formally exists between the Government of these United States and the People of these United States.
We, the People of these United States, declare any and all attempts to enforce the provisions of HR 1540 to be unlawful, void, and of no force.
We, declare ALL WHO voted in favor of HR 1540, and ALL WHO attempt to enforce HR 1540 to be traitors to these United States, punishable under law.
We, SHALL DISOBEY, APPREHEND, OR RESIST WITH DEADLY FORCE, in our discretion, any person who attempts to enforce the provisions of HR 1540.
We, SHALL NOT aggress against any employee of any American government who shall not attempt to enforce or aid and abet the enforcement of HR 1540, they being as trapped as the rest of the populous.
Such STATE OF WAR shall continue until HR 1540 is stricken from the code of law, and all who had hand in HR 1540 are brought to justice under due process of law.
Signed and witnessed by we, the individual citizens of these United States, below:


M.G.




Act Free.

Some Range Time and Poor Man's Ballistics Testing

Yesterday I finally got out to do some much needed shooting. I had a little fun, but also made sure to get some meaningful practice in. Among the meaningful practice was some weak-hand shooting, point-shooting, GOTX, shooting on the move, multiple targets, and working on my draw. A great resource I've found for mindset and training ideas is warriortalknews. It was a good time, and I feel like I have a better readiness for what could happen in a real situation as a result. Now, if only I had the money to feed it and get more prepared. In all, I touched off 180 rounds of .22LR, 20 rounds of .40S&W, and one 12 gauge. The last one was just for fun, as I'll show you here.

What I did for fun was the ballistics testing. :) The testing target, an ~10" pumpkin:

From 25 yards, a .22LR entrance hole:

The exit hole:

10 yards, .40 FMJ 180gr entrance:

And the exit:

And 10 yards, 12ga 2 3/4" cut shell 7 1/2 shot entrance:

And exit:

 Notice the many bb marks on the entrance side. Talk about tearing up the inside of something real bad. Oh, and it did knock the pumpkin off the bucket, but I put it back to get better pics. Now, for those who don't know what a "cut" shell is, it is when you take a knife and cut through the shell, but not the wad, at the compression area of the wad, leaving just enough of the hull to hold it together to chamber it, but not so much as to keep it from breaking off when you fire it. You have pretty much just turned your shotshell into a specialty slug. I was fortunate enough to be able to recover everything after firing (except the bb's), so you can see the results.

 Left to right - the wad, what was left in the chamber after firing, and the part that left the barrel. What is flared out on the latter is what used to be the crimp on the shell. Yes, it did actually fold over on itself all the way around, like turning a sock inside-out. Pretty cool, huh?

Thus concluded my fun day in the back yard. It was followed by electrical wiring and cleaning, so it was the highlight of my day, even though I do like electrical work.

I hope the showing of this mayhem brightened someone's day.


Act Free.

Some Thoughts on Freedom

I recently received a comment on one of the more popular posts, which I decided deserved a response in its own post. If necessary, read the old post first, then come back to the comment and my reply.

I am told, deer almost never travel more than five miles from their birthplaces during their lives. If an enclosure were located outside the normal unimpeded limits of a deer's lifetime wanderings would the deer enclosed be imprisoned? Perhaps, but note that it makes a difference to our intuitions whether someone install that enclosure[..] A jail without a jailer is not a jail. D. Dennett Elbow Room. The Varieties of Free Will Worth Wanting. Now, it seems to me that the jail V is talking about is too many things at the same time. It's of course the prison created by the authoritative regime on the deviants as on the regular citizens and its employees, but it's also the happy unaware life, it's an existence without principles, it's the life of whom fears the death. But where is the jailer? In this passage V looks to me much more schizophrenic than in the rest of the graphic novel, in the sense that he's obsessed with an idea over any logical limit.

I will first say to the analogy of a deer that yes, the deer is imprisoned. Allow me to illustrate it this way - Does one's perception of a thing change the reality of it? Because you are not able to smell a rose, does it mean that a rose has no scent? The answer is an obvious "no". Therefore, does the deer's perception of being free to go wherever it chooses mean that it is not in a cage, simply because it has not seen the bars? No.Who put up the enclosure? That would be the jailer.

Now, we do find a point of agreement in that one of the jails he is talking about is that which was created by the regime. However, I believe that if you think about it, there is no contradiction or schizophrenia in the places he takes the bigger concept of freedom. Bear in mind, I live with a paranoid schizophrenic, so I have an idea of what I’m talking about.

You start with the idea of the “happy unaware life”. Go back to the analogy of the deer. It has an happy, unaware life in its enclosure, yet it is still enclosed. It goes with the saying that “ignorance is bliss”, however, if you think about some of the people you know who are ignorant by choice, it seldom ends well. I talk to my dad a lot about things that I think are coming down the pipe, whether it be civil unrest, food shortages, a currency collapse, or anything else, always with knowledge to back up my beliefs, and it brings out things he tries not to think about. Some things he tries not to consider or even know. He does not seek out information about the things I tell him. Each time we discuss things, he says that he knows I’m right, but prefers not to think about them because it can be overwhelming in an already hectic life (can I get an Amen?). But consider, if he goes on the path ignoring everything he sees and hears for too long, remaining ignorant and complacent, how overwhelmed will he be if the excrement hits the impeller? Ignorance is temporary bliss. The happy unaware life ends in pain at the confrontation of knowledge willfully ignored.

As a side note, know that I love my dad and we are fairly close. Simply using him as a “case study”, if you will.

“Existence without principles”. Can you think of a world that would be worse to live in than one in which there was no standard to live by? Nothing to live for? Now, I’m a God-fearing, Bible-believing man. In Scripture, examples of lives like that never have a happy ending. In the New Testament, Christ and his apostles spoke to this idea as being in bondage to sin. A slave. The master – Satan. Life without principles and purpose is a life of slavery to an invisible, but real master. Spiritual slavery is still slavery, or prison, if you prefer.

“The life of whom fears the death”. Now this can turn into an interesting philosophical discussion. It is said that babies are only born with two fears – falling and loud noises. All other fears are learned fears. Why does one become afraid of spiders? Either a parent taught them to be, or they had a bad experience. Water? Big dogs? Same thing. The fears are learned either through experience or teaching, rational or irrational. We all know that fear has the potential to be debilitating, to make us feel, shall we say, imprisoned. It limits the places that we allow ourselves to go and the things we allow ourselves to do. Who is responsible for our continued state of fear? Is it not ourselves? If we bear responsibility for our fear, who then keeps us imprisoned by it? Who then is the jailer? Is it not ourselves? “I have met the enemy, and it is me.”

Most people fear death. Why? Is it not the experiences and teachings we have had ingrained in us that death is painful and the end? How do we overcome our fears? By confronting them. In confrontation of fears, most of them irrational, we conquer them and release ourselves of them in the confrontation, proving to ourselves that there was nothing to fear. Death is often more difficult to overcome the fear of. We can’t threaten to kill ourselves and put the gun to our head and start to pull the trigger in order to rid ourselves of the fear of death. The fear of death is much more of a mental and spiritual fear. Spiritually, if you have made yourself right in your relationship with God, and you trust him, you will have no fear of death. Second, you have to rationalize (mental) that death is not the worst thing that can happen to you. If you are prepared, death is a release, another step in life, not the end of it.

I think that the point V was making was not some eclectic form of philosophy, but rather in the exposing of multiple jailers. Government, ignorance, Satan, and ourselves offer resistance to us in differing ways, but the end is the same – imprisonment. This list may not be, and probably isn’t exhaustive, but creates an answer to the questions posed, and perhaps provides a springboard for understanding if other issues of prison/prisoner arise.

Discussion, anyone?

Act Free.

OC Joy

Something I've noticed lately has made me very happy. I've been seeing a lot of people open carrying their sidearms. And not just young folks, either. That was the chord that was struck today - two "old" men were carrying. I mean, old enough to be retired.

Now, I see OC almost every day at work, and am happy whenever I see it. Seeing older folks doing it makes me that much happier. To me, that means it's starting to mainstream in our area.

Freedom may be coming back in style...


Act Free.

We're not voting our way out

Robb takes a swing and hits it out of the park. Take the time to read it all - it's worth it.
http://blog.robballen.com/2011/10/31/p5209-youre-not-voting-your-way-out-of-this-people.post

While not completely convinced, I tend to agree that the fight will be predicated by a total economic collapse. It is coming (both of the above). What are you doing to prepare for it?

Act Free.

I've Been Hearing The "R" Word A Lot

I've noticed a lot in public conversations I've overheard across the past few months that I've heard the "R" word several times. No, not Republican. Or retarded.

The word I've been hearing is "revolution". I work in a very public place, and the conversations that take place there are likewise very public.

That leads me to believe one thing - people are ANGRY. And they know exactly why the Second Amendment was put into place. And they are nigh unto putting it into practice.

May God keep us from that end if there is another way out of this mess. And if not, may he grant us safety, wisdom, good eyesight, an unbreakable resolve, and a steady trigger finger.

Petitions for Restoration of Gun Rights!

Via Robb comes this link to a post suggesting several petitions to sign on the White House web site. As he says, don't worry about getting added to a list. If you aren't already on one, you're not trying hard enough.

And yes, I registered and signed them all.

Also, check out this post from Mike, and act accordingly. This bill would be a great thing for freedom-lovers.

A Chilling Reminder

That militant Muslims abound here in the U.S. Yet they will not be having any visits from DHS. Protect yourself.

Act Free.

Welcome the EPA!

Just looked at stats, and it seems a third .gov agency has checked me out. Surely I have earned my spot on a list now, especially with the conversation I had with an FBI agent a couple weeks back!

An Unexpected Event: Lessons Learned

Almost everyone in my area would be aware of a shooting that took place two days ago at our local Walmart. For those not in my area, and who didn't watch the news, I can provide you with the story fairly well, especially since I was there.

I was down at the gas station, about 100 yards across the parking lot. Little did I know what was about to unfold. A woman and her husband of 20 years had been fighting at home earlier that morning. She left for work (Walmart) and he followed her. After unsuccessfully trying to run her over with his truck as she walked into the building, he stopped his truck, got out, went towards her, fired his shotgun four times at her, then ran back to his truck and took off. Hard to miss that sound, even from 100 yards. Knowing that he had left, and it had already been at least a minute, I grabbed my get-home bag, which included a first-aid kit, and ran to the woman to try to help. I was the first person to get there that wasn't just standing back and whispering. For anyone who has never personally seen someone lying on the ground bleeding because of gunshot wounds, I do not wish that on you. It's one thing to see it on television, another entirely to be right next to the woman on the ground. It's not an image soon forgotten.

It turns out that there was nothing I was able to do for her but keep the sun out of her eyes. The story does get better, then to the lessons of it. Her husband was caught half an hour later and charged with attempted first degree murder, aggravated assault, and felony reckless endangerment. The woman was about as lucky as she could be in such a situation for two reasons:

1. he used birdshot - low penetration, and wasn't very close by the pattern of the wounds

2. he was a bad shot - all he hit was her legs and an arm.

The woman was taken to the hospital and expected to fully recover.

Now the lessons, or perhaps more thoughts, we'll see.

First, don't assume that it can't happen where you are. All of us in the area were just as shocked as the woman who got shot. It even got the attention of one of my co-workers who formerly was entirely against the idea of having a firearm in the kiosk under the counter, and she now wants one there, because in her words, "I never expected anything like this would happen here."

Second, I need to get a good spare mag holder or fix mine up to keep the magazine in it when running. It fell out while I was running to her, which could have been deadly if I was the target.

Third, medical training and a GOOD first aid kit. I didn't have anything to help her besides gauze, which my limited supply and her extensive holes didn't do much good for. Worse than that, I got there and didn't even know what to do to help properly, and I was the only one who even cared enough to try to help for the first 5 minutes until her boss got out there and tried to make me leave. Didn't happen. Police got there soon after, at which point I did leave. They knew much more what they were doing, because they had training. What would I have done if it was my wife or a friend who had gotten shot, and I was there feeling that helpless. I don't want that. I will be seeking out some certification in Emergency Medical training now. Anyone know where to get started on that?

Finally, the question I think anyone who carries a gun would ask - what would I have done if I hadn't been 100 yards away, but 10 yards. This one calls for a lot of self-examination. State the obvious - I had my weapon on me, ready to roll in its holster, just like always. If I was closer, would I have been paying enough attention to my surroundings (aka situational awareness) to know what was happening and to react? How would I have reacted? Would I have seen the shotgun and an angry black man and immediately said he was a threat? Would I have frozen? Would I have been so shaky as to be a threat to others when I drew my weapon? Would I have run at the sight of the shotgun, knowing all I had was a pistol? I like to think not, considering the actions I did take, but again, I was fairly certain the scene was safe when I started running towards it. Then again, I wasn't there right when it happens, so who knows?

As much as I, and many sheepdogs like me, tend to run scenarios through our head to try to train ourselves into a mental and physical response, you still don't know how you will react. When you are that close to a situation, it makes you question a lot of yourself. Now, I know that I still will continue to carry and train with my weapon, and to prepare mentally, there's just a set of feelings that I can't quite put to words. I've been trying to figure out how to put this for two days, and still don't know how. So, I guess I'll stop here. Perhaps someone can help me who has been there. That's all for now.

Be safe out there.

Act Free

Another New Shooter (or two)

Recently some of my wife's family spent a week with us, including three of her younger cousins. The older of them, who is just starting college here locally, 800 miles from home, I taught a few summers ago how to shoot. Well, her 17-year-old sister wanted to learn, too. Never one to turn down an opportunity to shoot, or teach a new shooter, especially female, I jumped on it. Sorry I don't have any pictures, just a video I'm not posting because I haven't transferred it to the computer yet, and to tell the truth, the best part wasn't captured anyway.

To start with, safety. Four rules. Then a going-over of the parts of the .22 rifle I was going to be using to teach her, an old Savage Model 66. My grandpa gave it to me last month after owning it for 66 years. No telling how many thousands of rounds we have put through it over the years. After the initial nervousness, she started enjoying it, just like everyone does. she shot almost a straight line up and down at 12 yards, so I told her to control her breathing, and she got some grouping. Having fun, and ready to try the pistol.

So, we close to about 5 yards, go over pistol parts and proper grip/stance, and boy did she learn fast. She was immediately shooting better groups on the target than any new people I've taken shooting for the first or second time. She though it was bad that she was that close to the target and still rounds were several inches apart in the circle. Then I explained how GOOD she was actually doing, and the fun became exhilaration. The look on her face as she continued shooting was one that I don't think a picture could have done justice if I had tried. She was taught, and empowered, and it was written all over her face. Her grouping even got better as she went. Natural shooter indeed. To make it even better, she then asked her dad for a gun for Christmas. She was turned down, but will soon be 18 and able to take her new love as her own personal responsibility.

The other good part was getting to expose her 11-year-old sister to shooting. It was getting dark by the time that she got to the point of wanting to try, as she had been watching us the whole time. So I went over safety and function again with her, sat her on the porch, and loaded a single round since that's all she wanted to try (yeah, right, they never stop after the first one). True to my expectations, she fired it and asked to fire again. I loaded three more (again, almost dark) and let her fire them. A happy girl, and I think a new convert once I get ahold of her again.

Two minors taught proper gun safety and handling, shooting over 100 rounds total, no injuries, or even near injuries. All rules were followed, and two young ladies found a new love. A night, and ammo well spent.

Brady bunch, chew on that. That, my dear readers, is why us gunnies win.

Act Free.

Rewarding Failure

I understand that the title of "Rewarding Failure" can be applied in many instances in our society today. I am going to apply it to something that I was just told by my wife's 11-year-old cousin this past week.

She was in a small class, and they were split into pairs. They were given a set of ten math problems, adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying fractions. Her pair got the most right in the class, and therefore won Cokes. The catch? She and her partner only got four out of the ten right.

In another circumstance, they were individually working on problems. They were given four problems and promised a piece of candy for each problem they got right. She got the most right in the class, and therefore got her "prize" doubled. She got two out of four correct.

They are rewarding students for failing grades - forty and fifty percent. Is it any wonder our education system is in shambles? Then again, they aren't just applying this principle in our schools either, they are applying it everywhere.

• Fail in business? Get a bailout.
• Fail to plan for retirement? Get a dwindling Social Security check.
• Fail to plan for a family? Get Medicaid and public housing.
• Fail at living morally? Get free room and board with exercise rooms, library, and degree program. Or, just an "attaboy" slap on the wrist with public assistance to help you "recover".
• Fail at work ethic? Just pop out another baby and we'll increase your welfare payment.
• Add your fail here?(or in the comments, rather)

What they are doing is creating a system in which failure to learn from mistakes is being normalized and okay'd. Failure in itself is good, if the only reward for it is knowledge of how to succeed the next time. When we reward failure for being failure, with things other than just knowledge, we have crossed a dangerous line. Where is the impetus for improvement? Why would anyone want to improve themselves if they are being rewarded for being not just average, but below average?

Now, consider what happens to those who learn from failures and pull themselves up to success. In school they are derided to get back in line for the failure handouts. At work they are called ***-kissers. By the government, they are forced to abide by stifling regulations and pay inordinate amounts of taxes.

Now what happens when the successes decide to withdraw consent from the system? The failures no longer have a sugar daddy, because daddy's money ran out. What happens when you tell the bear you just tossed the fish to that that was your last fish, even if he's still hungry? Better yet, what happens when you have twenty bears around you, but only five fish? Doesn't sound pretty, does it? Yet think about our entitlement system, the reward-for-failure system. How many more dependents can it hold until the government runs out of fish, airlifts itself out of the way, and tells the bears its all our fault?

Get ready. You saw the hits our market has taken the past two weeks. Yeah, the hits that weren't supposed to happen if the debt ceiling got raised. When are we going to wake up? The house of cards is about to fall, just needs someone to bump the table. How many warnings will we get?

Don't wait. Get prepared spiritually first, then physically. And you might want to get on that really soon.

Act Free.

Double-take on Guerrilla Warfare

Can't remember where I first saw this, so my apologies. However, this is an excellent examination of two different ways to conduct guerrilla warfare. Think big picture and how it applies to us fighting to restore our republic.

WN 38 IRA VS. AL QAEDA: I WAS WRONG

Afterthoughs

On my way home from a side job yesterday, I was listening to the radio, and it stoked some thoughts.

I realize it was a depressing set of posts I put up on Monday - that's how I felt. But that's not the whole story. Sometimes we need to be reminded of other things.

America is not lost yet. The spirit of America is still alive. Joplin, Missouri should show us that. The floods in North Dakota, also. People still help others, still love others, still fight for what is right.

Yes, the governments are doing all that they can to squelch the spirit - but they have not succeeded yet. There is still hope. We can still restore America, hopefully without bloodshed. Perhaps that is overly optimistic. We must hope for the best, though. Prepare for the worst, yes, but never lose hope.

If people need educated, let's educate them. If they need woken up, let's shake them. Let us do whatever we can to save our country without a bloody fight.

Never give up.

Act Free.

Reading for the Fourth

From like-minded folks.

Arctic Patriot

Sipsey Street

Via WRSA
Sultan Knish

Independence Day

Many people will be celebrating today - I will not. Yeah, I'm going to watch some fireworks tonight, but only because that's where my wife will be.

I have to think this year that too many don't even understand what they are celebrating. They don't understand the dire straits this country is in right now. They don't know, much less understand, our founding documents. They don't see that if they founders were alive today, they would tell us that they declared independence under circumstances less dire than those of today, and ask why we haven't done the same.

No, today I will not be celebrating. I will be reflecting, thinking, and praying.
Please do the same.

Act Free.

Turning the Other Cheek

Via WRSA comes this quote:

"Violence must be replied to with violence. The only time I would suggest turning the other cheek is when firing off the left shoulder with a rifle after taking cover in a doorway."

– Venlet, citing de Havilland

Now, I have to ask you, for whatever contingency arises, whether it be TEOTWAWKI or armed thugs in your home, are you PRACTICING? Do you dry-fire practice from low-ready and high-ready positions? Do you practice leaning around a corner and making sure your barrel clears the wall/doorway? It's easy to shoot the wall if you don't practice.

By the way, if you practice consistently, especially with an older rifle (you know, the kind that is all wood and metal, one of my favorites being my Mosin Nagant M38 - weighs 7.5 pounds empty), it is a very toning exercise for your arms.

How you train is how you fight. Do you want to fight like an amateur when your life depends on it? Keep watching TV. Do you want to win the fight (live)? Practice. Now.

Act Free.

No Matter What

Below is an e-mail I recently received. I disagree, and will note points on the other side.

DR. WILLIAMS predicts that Obama can not lose the 2012 election.

IN ADDITION TO THE VOTING BLOCKS HE MENTIONS, THERE IS ANOTHER HUGE GROUP: THE NEARLY ONE-HALF OF ALL ADULTS DO NOT PAY ANY TAXES AND, IN FACT, MOST OF THEM RECEIVE MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT. THESE PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO "SHAKE THE BOAT" TO DO ANYTHING TO STOP THE FLOW OF TAXPAYER MONEY TO THEMSELVES.

Dr. Williams prediction: Maybe you have read some newspaper articles written by Dr. Williams a conservative economist who happens to be Black. He has taught at several Universities and is currently teaching at George Mason University.


No Matter What

By Dr. Walter Williams

Can President Obama be defeated in 2012? No. He can't. I am going on record as saying that President Barak Obama will win a second term.

The media won't tell you this because a good election campaign means hundreds of millions (or in Obama's case billions) of dollars to them in advertising.

But the truth is, there simply are no conditions under which Barak Obama can be defeated in 2012.
The quality of the Republican candidate doesn't matter. Obama gets reelected. Nine percent unemployment? No problem. Obama will win. Gas pricesmoving toward five dollars a gallon? He still wins. The economy soars or goes into the gutter. Obama wins. War in the Middle East? He wins a second term.

America's role as the leading Superpower disappears? Hurrah for Barak Obama! The U.S. government rushes toward bankruptcy, the dollar continues to sink on world markets and the price of daily goods and services soars due to inflation fueled by Obama's extraordinary deficit spending? Obama wins handily.

You are crazy Williams. Don't you understand how volatile politics can be when overall economic, government, and world conditions are declining? Sure I do.

And that's why I know Obama will win. The American people are notoriously ignorant of economics. And economics is the key to why Obama should be defeated.

Even when Obama's policies lead the nation to final ruin, the majority of the American people are going to believe the bait-and-switch tactics Obama and his supporters in the media will use to explain why it isn't his fault. After all, things were much worse than understood when he took office.

Obama's reelection is really a very, very simple math problem. Consider the following:

1) Blacks will vote for Obama blindly. Period. Doesn't matter what he does. It's a race thing. He's one of us,

2) College educated women will vote for Obama. Though they will be offended by this, they swoon at his oratory. It's really not more complex than that,

3) Liberals will vote for Obama. He is their great hope,

4) Democrats will vote for Obama. He is the leader of their party and his coat tails will carry them to victory nationwide,

5) Hispanics will vote for Obama. He is the path to citizenship for those who are illegal and Hispanic leaders recognize the political clout they carry in the Democratic Party,

6) Union members will vote overwhelmingly for Obama. He is their key to money and power in business, state and local politics,

7) Big Business will support Obama. They already have. He has almost $1 Billion dollars in his reelection purse gained largely from his connections with Big Business and is gaining more everyday. Big Business loves Obama because he gives them access to taxpayer money so long as they support his social and political agenda,

8) The media love him. They may attack the people who work for him, but they love him. After all, to not love him would be racist,

9) Most other minorities and special interest groups will vote for him. Oddly, the overwhelming majority of Jews and Muslims will support him because they won't vote Republican. American Indians will support him. Obviously homosexuals tend to vote Democratic. And lastly,

10) Approximately half of independents will vote for Obama. And he doesn't need anywhere near that number because he has all of the groups previously mentioned. The President will win an overwhelming victory in 2012.

-- Dr. Walter Williams

Okay, now for my thoughts. Let’s start with the assumption at the beginning that all of the people who don’t pay taxes and get money from the government are happy with that situation. WRONG. I will use myself as a case study. I have not had to pay taxes for the past 3 years. I have not made enough to fall into even the lowest tax bracket. As a result, we (my wife and I) have even received a large amount of tax credits. This is not because we want to be in this situation, but rather because we have been forced into it since the only job I could find was at a gas station, and she is a full-time student. How many people are there like us who know things would be better and we would not need the tax credits if Obama was out of office?

As far as most Americans being ignorant of economics, that’s true. However, I don’t think it is as bad as in 2008, as many are waking up and educating themselves. Now, let’s get on to the points he made one at a time.

1) Is Dr. Williams voting for Obama? He’s black after all. What about the TEA Party folks who are black? What about the good, hardworking Christian black folks (like those I go to church with)? It will not be a blind vote, although a majority will vote for him.

2) Two examples contrary – my wife and one of my co-workers. Didn’t vote for him the first time, and sure ain’t going to the second.

3) Liberals? Yeah, I give him that one. They are not too bright, and they long for the destruction of America.

4) Democrats? Many, but only because they fall into the same category as above. I also know Dems who for the first time ever did not vote Democrat in 2008, and do not intend to again this time around.

5) Hispanics? Well, the illegals for sure. (If you actually believe they aren’t voting illegally, I can’t help you.) I know though that many who are here legally as citizens HATE the idea of someone just getting the magic wand treatment and becoming citizens, after they had to work hard to obtain it through the proper channels.

6) Unions? Overwhelmingly, yes. There are good folks who are trapped in a union just so they can provide for their family, yet strongly oppose unions and their goals.

7) Big business? That could go either way. Obama has caused a lot of uncertainty in the markets which is actually hindering the companies’ ability to turn profit. They can’t easily expand for fear of the unknown. Although I don’t know for sure, the company I work for certainly appears to be in that place. I believe it was last year they opened 30-40 stores just in January and February, and I haven’t heard of any significant amount since then. Keep in mind this is a company that has a goal of 3000 stores, and is currently at about a third of that, and doing well. Trust me, I’ve seen profit and loss reports.

8) Media. Media. Media. Is it any wonder they are losing their viewers and readers? Meanwhile, Fox is growing. Now, yes, most of the media (mainstream) is in the pocket of Obama and the socialists, but I have seen them recently make small attacks on him. Nothing like Fox, but an improvement over the past 3 years. People are turning to alternative media rather than the liberal lapdogs for their news.

9) Minorities and special interest. See “3)”. Jews? Hmm. Hopefully they are seeing the true colors in the recent actions withIsrael, and they turn away from Obama. I know some are, and hope the rest will. Muslims? Definitely on a large scale. How better to destroy the “Great Satan” than from within by electing liberals who also want to destroy America.

10) Half of Independents? Ummm, no. Maybe a quarter. Obama’s colors have been revealed, and most Americans don’t like it at all, including many that voted for him the first time.


The one thing that I think could be a death blow that gets Obama re-elected? The GOP puts forward a candidate who is not a true Conservative, i.e. Mitt Romney and the like. I for one will not vote for Romney, PERIOD. Case closed. I will vote independent if Romney makes it as the GOP candidate. I know many others who feel the same way. We are tired of DEMLite. Give us a real conservative that we can get behind who truly represents us. How will we know that candidate? The liberals and the media will throw a fit because they are scared. Rick Perry comes to mind when I think of scaring liberals. I need to do more research on him if he gets into the race.

Look, we need to get rid of this defeatist attitude. A lot of people are saying stuff like Williams. I’ll side with Rush on this one. If we choose a conservative candidate, Obama is “landslidable defeatable.” He has nothing to run on. People are ticked at what he has done, which, no matter how you look at it, has been screwing the American people (unless you’re a liberal, in which case, you think it’s for our own good to let you created your utopia that doesn’t exist, kinda like ocean-front property in Arizona.) We can turn this country around, but I fear this is our last chance. We have to make it count, because it’s going to be a long fight back to a truly free America. Pray it’s not too late.

Act Free.

Rush Limbaugh on Project Gunwalker

I know I haven't said much about the ATF operation turned scandle, but time has been short, and I have the link to Sipsey Street in the sidebar and hope some took the opportunity to find out why Mike is a daily read.

Today I heard Rush mentiong the Gunwalker Scandle, and had to cringe when he got one of the facts wrong. He said the story was originally broke on CBS in March. So, I hope that he is able to admit he was wrong and correct it on-air to give credit where it is truly due - Mike Vanderboegh and David Codrea. Below is the e-mail I sent.

"Correction to June 20, 2011 broadcast Re: Project Gunwalker

Rush,
Thank you for covering Project Gunwalker on you show. It really has not gotten enough attention in the media, especially given that it is now in hearings in Congress.

One thing I would like to suggest for you to correct though is that this scandle was not initially broke on CBS in March. That was simply the first time MSM picked it up. For several months preceding that, the story was being covered doggedly by two bloggers with contacts in ATF. These two men worked tirelessly and mostly thanklessly to cover what was sure to preclude another assault on our Second Amendment rights. These are their names and their blog sites, if you seek to give credit to two men who certainly deserve it.

Mike Vanderboegh - http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com

David Codrea - http://waronguns.blogspot.com

Thank you,
Matt"

We shall see.

Act Free.

Coffee Shop Conversation

Sitting here in the coffee shop I frequent in order to have internet access, I overheard a conversation. A man was talking to some lady he knew (but didn't come with) and happened to ask her if she had seen the guy who was a college student in here that carries a gun. He remarked that he he's kinda scary. I was listening intently for another bit of information as he then stated that they guy's pistol is a .40 caliber.

Mind you, while I am sitting and listening to this conversation, I am openly carrying my sidearm. Now, I've talked to this man before, so when he stood up right afterward, I asked him if it's the guy who is normally around here in the mornings. He said yes. My reply? "That would be me." You should have seen the look on his face. He apologized so many times it was obnoxious. Meanwhile, the people around him (who had come with the woman) were getting a kick out of watching him backstep in his words. Meanwhile, one of the workers comes in and he and I get into a very informative conversation about carrying. He is not old enough yet, but would like to carry when he is. I was able to help him understand the responsibility and the current process (which hopefully will get changed.)

Another day open carrying, another person taught. The best part, everyone in the room got to see how someone openly carrying a gun responded to the, I guess you could say, insults or insinuations, of someone who viewed him negatively. What everyone saw was a young man with a handgun professionally, politely, and respectfully answering.

+1 for OC.

Act Free.

Infanticide

Arctic Patriot has it.

Read it. He's right.

Camp of The Saints

WRSA pointed me to this book, and it is a read I highly suggest. You can download it and read it free.

Camp of The Saints

Fair warning, it starts kinda slow, like a Tom Clancy novel, and it has a lot of subtle satire, and some foul language.

Thank God for the Fallen Soldiers

Not for the fact that they died, but for what they died. The ideals, the freedom embodied in the great experiment known as these united States of America. (For anyone who watches grammar an capitalization, I did that on purpose. Do the research.)

Since we cannot bring them back to life, let us examine ourselves to see if we are being as courageous as they were, and if we are fulfilling our duty in preserving freedom while we are still on OUR shores.
If not, let us resolve to do so in order that their sacrifices were not in vain.
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Restless Nights

I was hardly able to get any sleep last night. There were simply too many things on my mind. It wouldn't be so bad but this is the third or fourth night in a week like this, and I normally sleep like a rock. A couple personal issues, but those don't burden me like what hit me yesterday, and some of the other news of the past two weeks.

First thing yesterday, an issue at work. Black woman got a drink, gave me a dollar and a dime, claimed to have given me a 10. She went off cussing calling me a thief and a liar (though neither is true, I can deal with that, been falsely called that a lot in the past 3 ½ years I've been a cashier. People all the time trying to pull one over on you). Had that been all she said, I would have done my best to calm the situation, but it wasn't. Then she said, "You did it cause I'm black!" I lost it. I don't yell at customers, but I did right then. It's one thing when someone blanket statements that a group you are a part of is racist. It's another altogether when someone says it to your face. Some background – I attend a congregation of the church in which one woman plus my wife and I are the only white people there. If I'm racist, that's news to everyone I go to church with, and the previous congregation. We would pick up kids from the low-income (welfare) apartments across the street from our house and take them to church. Majority of them were black. Skin color doesn't matter. It's the heart. At that point yesterday I came to personally experience how great the divide is between the races in many parts of the country. People are trying to turn everything into a race issue, no matter how small. I am hoping that the good people on both sides (which I believe to be a shrinking majority) will stand up and put a stop to this, but my hope lately is low.

The thing troubling me the most lately is the turning of America into a police state. Think Jose Guerena. Think the Indiana Supreme Court ruling, which said that if a cop tries (or does) enter your home illegally, you have no right to resist. Think the US Supreme Court ruling, which just expanded warrantless search abilities. The Fourth Amendment? What's that? I was discussing these subjects with a coworker, then I left work and turned on the radio just to hear about an instance of police brutality in DC yesterday. Apparently some activists were dancing at the Jefferson Memorial, the police didn't like it, even though the activists were not breaking the law, and the police arrested a dozen of them, body-slamming one man and choking him (start at about 3 minutes into the first video).

Some people are saying that violent resistance is not the answer. They say violence only begets violence. Supposedly conservatives saying this. Hmmm. They rationalize that if a police officer is the one abusing you it's different than if it's a burglar or a rapist, in which case it's alright to be violent. Guess the brainwashing has been effective. Look, people, a criminal is a criminal, whether they are wearing a badge or a mask. The only difference is that our "justice" system has become so corrupt that they will prosecute you for defending yourself from a criminal with a badge, rather than prosecuting the criminal. That's not how it should be. The government workers are supposed to be CIVIL SERVANTS, not violent lords. If we don't do something, when does the abuse stop? You think voting can save us? You are either more optomistic or more naïve than me. The more I watch, week after week, the more I believe we've passed the point of no return. As I told my wife last night, if this was the late 1700's, the founders would have shot the D.C. police. Where is our sense of outrage? Did it die with the acceptance of the status quo? Wake up!!!!

I hope I'm wrong, but let's face it – we pretty much have two options staring us in the face, and they may coincide or agitate each other, or be unconnected in any way. One option is the complete collapse of our financial system. Remember what happens in times of crisis – the people generally call for the government to do something, so therefore the government siezes more power, even though it doesn't help the problem. What will you do if the dollar crumbles, as it is already doing now? Haven't you watched as you buy groceries? Have you watch the price of gold shoot up? It's not because gold is suddenly worth more, it's because the dollar is suddenly worth less. If I remember the numbers correctly, for every one ounce of gold in possession of the U.S., there are about $56,000 dollars printed. So, that means that if we had to have a base for our currency (which we should), then the true price of gold right now is about $56,000 per ounce. Have I made my point yet?

Option 2 – The massive implementation of the police state finally crosses the line and plunges us into another revolution. There are many people who will not stand down to an illegal entry. The new court rulings and precedents that have been set will lead to bloodshed, both of honest civilians, and taxpayer subsidized gangs (police). Much like in the movie "V for Vendetta" there will be a trip point, as Americans are waking up. In the movie, a little girl was wearing one of the masks, and a "police officer" shot her in the back. The people swarmed with improvised weapons, killed him, and the revolution was unstoppable. What will be our trip point?

I need to put a disclaimer here for any .gov people paying attention (as a few have visited). None of this is a threat or should be taken as such. It is mearly my gleanings from historical principals of past events and translating them into potential outcomes.

As for me, I'm preparing for whatever may come, to the best of my abilities. I'm also trying to find a way to help the system keep itself in check. On my list of plans is to have a meeting with our county sherriff and possibly the local town police chief. I'm not sure how to arrange this, but I'm going to do my best. I'm also going to arrange it (best as possible) at a public place, and will be openly wearing my sidearm as a citizen. Some would say this is dangerous. I hope you are wrong, though I'm not sure, myself.
So, for my readers, I would ask that you give me some feedback. In the light of current events, if you were meeting with local officials, what would you personally ask them? If you have a site of your own, I would also ask that you help me with this, as it could turn into a major project that I share for others to reproduce.

Thank you for bearing with me.

Act Free.

Die on Your Feet?

Would like to pose a quote, then a question for consideration.

In reference to freedom and slavery (not prayer, so don't take this out of context), George Washington said, "The thing that sets the American christian apart from all other people in the world is that he will die on his feet before he will live on his knees."

Question: Is this still true today or have we become a nation of cowards?
Is our country becoming more free or less free?
More moral or less moral?
What are YOU, personally, doing about it?

Are you a coward, or are you an American christian?
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Where are the virgins?

Not where you are, Bin Laden, you murderous pig.
Rest in pieces.

Good on the U.S. Military.

'Nuff said.
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Amen.

Saw a t-shirt at work today that is worth relating.

It had an outline of an AR rifle, filled with the pattern of the U.S. Flag. Underneath was written these words:
"I defend my rights
May God help those that doubt me"

So be it.
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Good for Them!

Watching the TN House Finance, Ways & Means Committee, HB 1298 came up. I came in in the middle of the discussion, but the jist of the bill was to make it an offense to not have your license plate lights working. It would allow you to be pulled over and fined on account of it. For a non-working LICENSE PLATE LIGHT. No safety issue. Just another excuse to tax citizens for something unimportant.

Thankfully the committee members, of both parties, called the bill on account of that. Oh, yeah, they voted it down. A little sense still remaining in the .gov.
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T-Shirt Idea

So, I've been thinking of making a new T-shirt to wear, and considering what to put on it. Bear in mind this would be a shirt I want to wear while Open Carrying.

One thought:

Front - DHS calls me a "right wing extremist"

Back - The founders would call me their countryman

(Reference This)

Another:

Freedom un-exercised is freedom lost.

And:

If you want to BE free, ACT free.

Thoughts? Other ideas?

Andrew Klavan: On the Culture

For any who have not see the videos done by Andrew Klavan, they are well worth your time. Some are funny with a serious twist, some are just serious, and all are sarcastic but right on the money.

Check them out on YouTube.

Why I Carry at Home, Reason #3

This would be the reason I sometimes carry a .22LR pistol at the house - dealing with vermin. In this case, it's the kind that demolished my garden last year.

Was cleaning up some stuff, lifted up a panel and saw movement, drew the gun, fired four times, killed three ground moles. One mother and two babies. They've eaten the last of my beans and corn.

Oh, and no, I'm not an expert shot - they were pretty much holding still when I fired, and at point blank range (2 feet).

Note to self - sub-sonic ammo out of a pistol, firing towards the ground at close range, is still loud.

If you're wondering why this is reason #3, here are the preceding two:

#1 - Dealing with 2-legged predators.

#2 - Dealing with 4-legged predators.

I Wish I Was Kidding

Saw this in a high school cafeteria denoting which food was in which line. Couldn't resist a picture.

*slapping forehead*

And we wonder why kids are in so much trouble nowadays. Even the people working in schools don't understand proper construction of English words.

For those that haven't figured out the problem in the picture yet, it should be written "Salads", not "Salad's." The apostrophe denotes ownership, rather than plurality.

Amen. Good Litmus Test for Politicians

No further comments. Read it for yourself.

http://arcticpatriot.blogspot.com/2011/04/l-neil-smith-why-did-it-have-to-beguns.html
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No, I'm Not Kidding

A guy around 20 years old just wrote a check to where I work. Do you know how he spelled the number "4" on it? "Fore"

No joke. Add this to the pile of evidence that we should do away with the No Child Left Behind Act and the DoE.
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V for Vendetta Revisited

Some may remember my previous post regarding the movie, V for Vendetta: Scary Parallels to America Today. Anyway, about a year or so ago, my wife bought me the book, which is actually like a long comic book. I finally got around to reading it last week, and have to say it blew me away. I highly recommend the book.

We all know that in many cases, the movie bites in comparison to the book. I don't think I can say either one is really superior in this case. For being a movie based upon a book, it was done very well, although there were still some variations. I don't want to ruin it for anyone who takes me up on it and actually reads the book, so I'll keep it short. The thing I like most about the book is that at the end, it does a much better job of portraying the idea of being able to kill a person, but not an idea. In this case, freedom is the idea, one that dwells deep in the soul of everyone, though many do not act on it because of fear and laziness.

I want to give you a few snippets of conversation in the book. The first is between V and Evey, after he has let her out of the prison cell.

Evey: You did this to me. . . .

V: Because I love you. Because I want to set you free.

Evey: Because? Set me free? Don't you realize? Don't you realize what you did to me? You nearly drove me mad, V!!

V: If that's what it takes, Evey.

Evey: I hate you. I hate you because you just talk junk and you think you're so good that you don't have to make any sense! You say you love me and you Don't because you just frighten me and torture me for a joke . . . You say you want to set me free and you put me in a prison . . .

V: You were already in a prison. You've been in a prison all your life.

Evey: Shut up! I don't want to hear it! I wasn't in prison! I was happy! I was happy here until you threw me out.

V: Happiness is a prison, Evey. Happiness is the most insidious prison of all.

Evey: That's warped! That's warped and evil and wrong! When you threw me out I went to live with somebody. I was in love with him. I was happy. If that's a prison, then I don't care!

V: Don't you? Your lover lived in the penitentiary that we are all born into, and was forced to rake the dregs of that world for his living. He knew affection and tenderness but only briefly. . . Eventually, one of the other inmates stabbed him with a cutlass and he drowned upon his own blood. Is that it, Evey? Is that the happiness worth more than freedom?

Evey: How did you know? How did you know what happened to Gordon?

V: It's not an uncommon story, Evey. Many convicts meet with miserable ends. . . Your mother. Your father. Your lover. One by one, take out behind the chemical sheds . . . and shot. All convicts, hunched and deformed by the smallness of their cells; the weight of their chains; the unfairness of their sentences. . . I didn't put you in a prison, Evey. I just showed you the bars.

Evey: You're wrong! It's just life, that's all! It's how life is! It's what we've got to put up with. It's all we've got.. What gives you the right to decide it's not good enough?

V: You're in a prison, Evey. You were born in a prison. You've been in prison so long, you no longer believe theres a world outside.

Evey: Shut up! You're mad! I don't want to hear it!

V: That's because you're afraid, Evey. You're afraid because you can feel freedom closing in upon you. You're afraid because Freedom is terrifying . . . .

The second is short, the speakers not connected except in message, though on opposite sides of the spectrum. Don't know the female character, but the other is V.

V: It does not do to rely too much on silent majorities, Evey, for silence is a fragile thing . . . one loud noise, and it's gone.

???: But the people are so cowed and disorganized. A few might take the opportunity to protest, but it'll just be a voice crying in the wilderness.

V: Noise is relative to the silence preceding it. The more absolute the hush, the more shocking the thunderclap. Our masters have not heard the people's voice for generations, Evey. . . and it is much, much louder than they care to remember.

The third comes in later in the chaos. Brief quote.

"Authority, when first detecting chaos at its heels, will entertain the vilest schemes to save its orderly facade . . . but always order without justice, without love or liberty, which cannot long postpone their world's descent to pandemonium."

So, think about the words above. Many of us live in prisons, and don't even know it. Look for the bars. Wave your hands around all over so you can feel them if for some reason you can't see them. Realize they are there, and once you do, you can become free. Once you have decided to become and remain free, be loud about it. In the past couple of years Americans have made noise louder than many can remember. We aren't loud enough yet. Speak up and act free. Never forget that the sound of freedom scares tyrants, who will try to crush it as they would crush chaos. Stand your ground. Their world will fall.

Be free. Speak free. Act free.

Honesty

Via Alvie comes this. It is definitely worth the entire read, as it describes much of what has put us in the hole we are in today.

On Honesty

TN Senate Bills to Watch

I discovered last week that on one of the PBS stations in our area, it is showing sessions of the TN Legislature, including committees. I’ll start off by saying that I now believe there is incredibly large population of idiots in Memphis. They elected a certain Senator Marrero, who is either a flaming liberal or a moron, but I repeat myself. Anyway, on to the reason for the post.

The TN Senate Judiciary Committee was discussing a couple bills (which passed out of committee) relating to firearms which I thought I should give some publicity.

The first is SB 0306. This bill would give all handgun carry permit holders the ability to buy firearms without additional background checks, since we have already had extensive checks performed on us to get the permit in the first place. If you fail to renew your permit, this of course cuts off for you. For permit holders, this saves time, not to mention $10 each time you buy a new firearm.

The other bill is SB 0519. This is simple enough. It codifies into law that it is not a hazard to employees of a business for customers to be allowed to carry firearms into the building.

If you are a Tennessean, talk to your state congress-critters to support both of these bills. The bills may not go as far as they should, but we are going to have to reclaim our rights the same way we surrendered them – little by little.

Shooting Fun

Today I finally had the chance to get out and shoot a little bit, so I decided to fire the old Mosin Nagant M38 and get it sighted back in after having done some work on it. I also shot a few rounds through my pistol, and would have shot more if it were not so cost-prohibitive. Here are a few things I would like to impart to my readers about the experience today.

1. The M38 still kicks like a freakin’ mule, even with a 1” butt pad on it. I think I can still feel the results of the 32 rounds I put through it.
2. I need more practice with my pistol. The first 5 rounds I shot were totally unacceptable. Wouldn’t be such a big deal if it wasn’t my carry gun.
3. It still is a %$#@$% to clean a rifle after firing corrosive ammo through it.
4. If you are cleaning said rifle in the bathtub (soapy water + window cleaner), finish before your wife gets home. Make sure to clean up the mess you left in the bathtub, but don’t clean the whole tub (unless that’s normal for you) because your wife will then know you were up to something.
5. While looking though gun cleaning supplies, if you value you’re your life or marriage, when you find that stripper clip you were missing, do not excitedly say, “There’s my other stripper!”
6. As Old_Painless would say, "Shooting stuff is still fun."

Global Warming??

This is Jackson, TN as I type. Started an hour ago and we are projected to get 3-5 inches last I heard.
Fifth measurable snowfall in four weeks - in west TN.
In your face Al Gore.
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Quote of the Day - 2A Edition

"The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing."
- In the tagline of a commenter on another site.
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Here it comes

I realize that it's been a while since I've posted, and for good reasons, even though I haven't liked it. Here is something freedom lovers need to pay attention to, especially in the aftermath of the recent shooting in AZ, and it shouldn't surprise anyone who pays attention.

I don't know about you, but as Mike V. would say, I'm tired of backing up. I've had enough of it the past 2 years alone. No more. Please read this, then make your calls, send your letters, just do something.

http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-i-conspired-with-tea-parties-sarah.html
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