Kids, Guns and America's Failing Education System

Here is a novel idea that would help bring value back into our failing education system.   Start teaching kids gun safety in schools and let the local sheriff departments and responsible community members like those in Tea Team USA help set the courses up.

It's Not The Guns, It's The Madman Doing The Killing!

By Findalis
Monkey in the Middle

After the tragedy of last Friday, the leftist of the nation, headed by President Barack Hussein Obama, are demanding that the nation dismantle the 2nd Amendment and take guns away from the citizens of the land.  It seems that every time a tragedy happens, the left want to remove the guns as if it was the panacea that will cure all the ills of the land.

This panacea has been tried through out Europe and other places.  In Great Britain they removed guns from the hands of the people and violent crime has risen by 25%.  The problem in some areas is so great that the average Brit is afraid to leave his or her home at night.  In fact home invasion robberies are on the rise and the new self-defense weapons (knives, baseball and cricket bats) are now being outlawed.  They are destroying their nation in order to achieve a Utopia.

In Australia guns were removed from the people 5 years ago.  Violent crime has risen 6000%.  The people are demanding their guns to be returned.  They are not safe, the police are not helping and they have no way to defend themselves.

In the City of Chicago there have been 436 murders so far this year.  That is up from 435 for the total of last year.  Chicago has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.  Yet the murder rate is climbing to be almost 2 murders a day.  That is about 60 deaths a month.  Way more than the 26 at Newtown, CT.  Yet the leftists in the city call for more gun control.  It doesn't work.

Now we are hearing the same cries.  Get rid of the guns.  Get rid of the assault weapons.  Get rid of the large magazines.  Get rid of the bullets.  But not the true reason for the massacres.

BLAME THE MURDERER!  GET THE MENTALLY ILL VIOLENT MURDERERS OUT OF OUR MIDST!!!

Now I've just said a horribly bigoted thing.  After all, these people have an illness.  They cannot be just thrown into a hospital.  The old State Mental Hospitals were eliminated because they were cruel placed.  The mentally ill have rights!   They need to be allowed out amongst us.  They have the right to a life.

What the bleeding heart liberals refuse to recognize is that not all the mentally ill are able to be amongst us.  In fact, it is for our safety that they need to be locked away.

The great number of the mentally ill (90%) take their medicine, see their doctor, live quite normal lives.  They are not violent.  They are our neighbors and friends.  They are no harm to themselves and others.

A smaller amount need a more structured environment.  A group home or the like will be fine for these people.  They need a person telling them how to live each day or even each hour at time.  They might become violent or self-destructive, but can be controlled better.

The last group, a very small minority, are extremely violent.  They WILL hurt themselves or others.  They WILL find a way to acquire guns, explosives or even knives.  These are the madmen who WILL commit a murder, murder/suicide, or even a mass murder.  They have no feelings for others, no consciences.  Killing is just another high for them.  These are the mentally ill that MUST be hospitalized before they kill.

Unfortunately there is no way to commit a young person to a State Hospital to protect society.  Until a person commits a crime, and is "in the system", one cannot commit a dangerous individual.  In fact it is only until a mentally ill commits the crime, he or she will not even get any help.  Over 50% of prisoners in US prisons are mentally ill.  In fact our prison system has become our State Mental Hospitals.  Prison budgets are being bloated by the care of the mentally ill.  By the drugs and therapy these people need every day.  And true criminals, many who will repeat their crimes over and over without any mental illness, are put upon the streets of our cities in order to care for the mentally ill.

This should not be.  In fact the tragedy in Newtown, CT could have been prevented if Nancy Lanza had been able to call a state run hotline, explained her fears, and gotten Adam into a state facility for evaluation.  If that had been an option for her, she would be alive and 26 innocent victims would be celebrating the season.

Should we not address the guns which did not kill anyone, but the mentally ill man who commits this crime.

Congress Votes On Eric Holder Contempt Of Congress Resolution Today- Resolution Passes 255/67

By Susan Duclos

Cross posted from Wake up America

This post will be updated with the result of the vote and roll call after the vote.

Today, multiple Democrats are expected to vote with Republicans in the House of Representatives to hold Obama's Attorney General, Eric Holder, In Contempt of Congress.

[Update] House of Representatives voted to hold Eric Holder in Contempt of Congress, the vote was 255 to 67. 17 Democrats voted for the resolution, while two Republicans voted against it. 109 NV's.

So much for it being a Republican "witch hunt".

Roll Call here


The House vote today is a Resolution recommending that the House of Representatives find Eric H. Holder, JR., Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, in Contempt Of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Embedded below is the 270 page: Report of the  of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform House of Representatives together with additional and minority views. 


CRPT-112hrpt546


Related WuA pieces on Fast and Furious:

Embedded Eric Holder Contempt Of Congress Resolution To Be Voted On In The House Of Representatives

Video- Jon Stewart Slams Obama Executive Privilege, Fast and Furious, and Eric Holder

Video-  Dead Border Patrol Agent, Brian Terry, Parents Accuse White House Of Lying

Fast And Furious: Obama Asserts Executive Privilege To Hide FF Documents From Oversight Committee

Eric Holder Letter To Obama Requesting Executive Privilege Be Asserted For Fast and Furious Documents 

Embedded Letter Asserting Obama's Executive Privilege On Fast and Furious Documents 

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Votes Eric Holder In Contempt Of Congress

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Votes Eric Holder In Contempt Of Congress

By Susan Duclos

Quick catchup: Yesterday after House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa and Attorney General Eric Holder failed to come to an understanding about documents the Oversight Committee had issued a subpoena to Holder to obtain and Holder refused to produce , Holder then requested Barack Obama assert Executive Privilege to forestall Holder being held in Contempt of Congress for refusing to produce the documents which are part of the Oversight Committee's investigation into the failed gun running operation.

 Obama complied, granted the request, and sent a letter to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee asserting Executive Privilege for information that the Obama administration previously claimed they had no knowledge of.

 Letter from Holder to Obama requesting Executive Privilege be asserted, embedded HERE.

 Letter from Obama administration asserting Executive Privilege, found HERE.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted and by a vote of 23 to 17, has found Obama's Attorney General, Eric Holder, in contempt of Congress and now heads to the full House of Representatives to be approved.

More from ABC News:

Terry family attorney Pat McGroder on Wednesday released the following statement from Terry’s parents Josephine Terry and Kent Terry Sr.: “Attorney General Eric Holder’s refusal to fully disclose the documents associated with Operation Fast and Furious and President Obama’s assertion of executive privilege serves to compound this tragedy. It denies the Terry family and the American people the truth.”

The Terrys said that their son “was killed by members of a Mexican drug cartel armed with weapons from this failed Justice Department gun trafficking investigation. For more than 18 months we have been asking our federal government for justice and accountability. The documents sought by the House Oversight Committee and associated with Operation Fast and Furious should be produced and turned over to the committee. Our son lost his life protecting this nation, and it is very disappointing that we are now faced with an administration that seems more concerned with protecting themselves rather than revealing the truth behind Operation Fast and Furious.”

Earlier today, Josephine Terry was on Philadelphia Talk Radio 1210 WPHT.

Asked about the president’s assertion, she said, “The only thing I can say is, if he did that they apparently don’t want Issa to get the documents to see what’s in there.” 

“My son and I were very, very close,” she continued. “And my son was a person that believed in justice and he believed in telling the truth. He was a man of his honor. And if anybody knew him, they knew that. And I know he would be saying ‘you know what, I died for my country.’ He was a true American and I think he deserves the truth and I think everybody should know the truth. And if this was a bad thing they did with Fast and Furious it should be acknowledged so it never happens to anybody else’s son.”

A gun from the Fast and Furious operation was found at the scene of Brian Terry's murder.

Despite continuous denials from the Obama administration, the issuing of the Executive Privilege order has now brought to light questions of whether the administration knew more than they originally admitted to or what they are hiding and trying to cover up.

Despite claims that this is a Republican "witch hunt", as of May 2012, 127 House members have demanded Holder be fired or resign, this includes 31 Democrats.


Cross posted from Wake up America

Americans Continue to Arm Themselves In Record Numbers

Americans Continue to Arm Themselves In Record Numbers

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

The last two months of 2011 saw Americans buying guns in record numbers.  December 23^rd saw more guns bought in one day that ever before.  It set a record.

In an article at “The Telegraph,” a British News site, entitled: “Americans buy record numbers of guns for Christmas,” Nick Allen writes:  “According to the FBI, over 1.5 million background checks on customers were requested by gun dealers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in December. Nearly 500,000 of those were in the six days before Christmas.


It was the highest number ever in a single month, surpassing the previous record set in November.


On Dec 23 alone there were 102,222 background checks, making it the second busiest single day for buying guns in history.


The actual number of guns bought may have been even higher if individual customers took home more than one each.” (SOURCE)

Mr. Allen goes on to say:  “Explanations for America's surge in gun buying include that it is a response to the stalled economy with people fearing crime waves. Another theory is that buyers are rushing to gun shops because they believe tighter firearms laws will be introduced in the future.” (SOURCE)

To be sure BOTH the explanations mentioned above are valid -- but there’s more to it that that.

Back in January of 2009, in an article entitled: “Americans Are Arming Themselves.  Why?” I wrote the following:  “The popular explanation is that Americans are afraid of what this socialist Congress and president will do to deprive Americans of their constitutional right to keep and bear arms.

Well, that is CERTAINLY a PART of it, but I think there is more, much more, and a far more serious explanation… and, I am convinced the government believes as I do.

See, I think the American people are preparing themselves to go toe to toe with their government.  I believe the American people are making a statement.  That statement is:  “This Far and No Farther!”  In other words, “We are going to give you socialists a chance.  But, if you step over the line, if you attempt to deprive us of our constitutional right to keep and bear arms, we will not tolerate that.”

Some of us older Americans remember what happened when the socialist took over in Russia in 1917. It is NOT going to be allowed to happen here.

I think it is meant to counter the act of the Bush, and soon, Obama Administrations of bringing combat troops back to The States and stationing them here, on US soil, reportedly for population control in the event of “social unrest” or massive acts of “civil disorder or disobedience” keyed by any number of things including the economy going through the floor, or, well, I’ll let your imagination fill in the blank, because, frankly, the subject is so delicate, I don’t even want to touch it! 

I have concluded, rightly or wrongly, that Americans are sending a signal to their government.  That signal is:  “We won’t be bullied. There will be a price to pay if you dare step over the line.”  Congress and the President had better pay attention.  It is low profile stuff at the moment, but it can get very big, very fast.  And… it is VERY dangerous!”  (SOURCE)

Our overseas cousins have great difficulty understanding American’s love of the gun.  But it really IS quite simple.  You see -- America was born at the muzzle of a gun.  We won our freedom at the muzzle of a gun.  We expanded our country from the Atlantic to the Pacific at the muzzle of a gun.  We fought our own war over state’s rights at the muzzle of a gun.  We preserved our freedom by defeating the Japanese and the Germans at the muzzle of a gun and we have assisted a number of countries to maintain, or regain, their freedom at the muzzle of a gun. Even now, as I write, the US military is patrolling the waters of the Persian Gulf to protect the transport of approximately 40% of the world’s oil and ensure it’s passage through the Straits of Hormuz -- at the muzzle of our big naval guns, and we continue an attempt to salvage Afghanistan and drag it into the 21^st century by fighting off religious fanatics -- at the muzzle of a gun.

Americans understand the importance of the ability of every man to defend himself, his family, and his freedom.  We also understand the importance of assisting our global neighbors in defending their freedom -- for the loss of their freedom brings the threat one step closer to our shores.

Americans have a scared duty to halt the encroachment of domestic tyranny. Freedom is our birthright and we WILL defend it.

Many Americans are deeply concerned over the state of the world today.  We remember what happened in the 1930’s when the world found itself in similar circumstances to today.  It led to a world war.

Then, too, there is this:  We rather like the rogue nations, the terrorists, the tyrants, and tin-pot dictators to know that the American public is armed to the teeth, ready, and willing to defend our country should they, through some mental aberration, have designs on it.  The LAST thing you want to confront is a PO’ed American with a gun!

Oh, … and we like to hunt, too.

J. D. Longstreet

New Life for an Old Symbol: “Come And Take It!”

Whether it’s Obama’s elitist disdain for the great unwashed who, “cling to guns or religion,” or McCain’s disregard for the majority of American citizens who don’t want to grant amnesty to ILLEGAL ALIENS, one symbol stands out as the symbol of the day! It’s the Come And Take It" symbol, flag, and slogan used in the Texas Revolution in 1835. This symbol is no longer hiding in a dusty history book. It is now being resurrected as the symbol of America’s fight against Illegal immigration.

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Since the 1980’s gun-rights advocates have modified the original cannon symbol; using instead an aggressive looking assault rifle. But the original cannon has behind it the strength and subtle symbolic power of our long history with Mexico. The symbol of that little original 6 pound Come And Take It cannon now belongs to all American citizens who stand up in defiance of the Mexican invasion!

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We will not be overwhelmed!

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Imagine May Day 2009. Instead of retching at the sight of Mexican flags flying over our American streets, imagine a sea of white and black Come and Take It flags flying as a sign of American Unity against illegal immigration!

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Imagine walking into your local grocery store or Wal-Mart any day and seeing many other Americans proudly wearing their Come And Take It T-shirts or ball caps.

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Imagine thousands of bumper stickers in this election year with the simple words “Come And Take It!” Talk about sending a message to both candidates!!!

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If we can’t see ourselves flying the Come And Take it Flag, or wearing the T-shirt or ball cap, then we better be able to envision ourselves living under the domination of Mexican Flag!

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Note to Mexico: Those who fail to remember history are doomed to repeat history!

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Here’s the brief history of Come And Take It from the Gonzales, Texas Chamber of Commerce.

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“In 1831 the Mexican government loaned the citizens of Gonzales a six-pound cannon as protection against the Indians. In September of 1835, as political unrest grew, Mexican officials at San Antonio de Bexar demanded the cannon be returned.”

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Well that just didn’t happen! Read the entire story here.

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Here’s how it ended:

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“There, in the early-morning hours of Oct. 2, 1835, the colonists crossed the river with their cannon, surprising the troops and waving their hastily fashioned flag, which proclaimed "Come and Take It." Almost immediately the cannon fired, killing one of Castenada's men and scattering the rest, forcing them to retreat to San Antonio de Bexar. Thus was fired the shot that set off the struggle for Texas independence from Mexico.”

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It’s such a simple symbol that anyone with a black permanent marker and white cloth can quickly duplicate it! But wouldn’t it be nice to find a place where we can buy Come and Take It! items?

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When I suggested a line of Come And Take It gifts, clothing, and caps to Texas Fred, he immediately got with the folks at CafePress and added an entire page of Come And Take It goodies. Fred wisely included both the original and modified symbols on his products.

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Disclaimer: I am not involved in Texas Fred’s financial ventures but I applaud his initiative in getting the ball rolling! Check out the Come And Take It gifts here.

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Bloggers can also join the new Come And Take It blogroll here.

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Here are some Come and Take It Flag resources:

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Battle Flags Etc.

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Come and Take It! Flags

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News from ALIPAC Vast majority of states passing immigration enforcement bills!

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“ . . .The truth is that the overwhelming evidence proves that a super majority of Americans oppose Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Guest Worker Program, Temporary Worker Program, Path to Citizenship, etc... That is why the supporters of amnesty have to keep changing the name!

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A majority of Americans support the enforcement of our existing immigration laws only, which results in illegal aliens returning home on their own or with government assistance.

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Any lawmaker, candidate, reporter, activist, or organization that supports the current lack of enforcement of the existing laws, or supports the overthrow of these laws by passage of new legislation, which a majority of Americans oppose, is a traitor to the American republic and an enemy of the citizens of the United States. . . .”

Digg It!

Individuals are the people

From Debbie at Right Truth

"For the first time in history we could get a definitive ruling on what the Second Amendment really means, ... "Gun rights is going to become a centerpiece of the 2008 presidential race, whether these guys like it or not." That's a quote from Dave Workman, an editor at Gun Week in Bellevue, Wash. taken from this Christian Science Monitor article.
Funny. I've never been confused about the interpretation of the Second Amendment, have you?

Some folks are saying that only Militias or Military should carry weapons. That's not what the Constitution says.

The potential landmark case is the first time since 1939 that the Supreme Court will confront whether the Second Amendment protects an individual's right of gun ownership or merely a collective right to keep and bear arms while serving in a state militia.

The answer is important because it could set the ground rules for gun-control laws across the country. If the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right, it will limit government efforts to restrict the prevalence of guns among law-abiding citizens. Gun-control efforts would have to be reasonably related to a government interest, and entire categories of firearms – like handguns – could not be banned. (ATF)

"This week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. In March, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit declared unconstitutional the District's near-total ban on handgun possession. That 2-1 ruling, written by Judge Laurence Silberman, found that when the Second Amendment spoke of the 'right of the people,' it meant the right of 'individuals,' and not some 'collective right' held only by state governments or the National Guard.

"That stirring conclusion was enough to prompt the D.C. government to declare Judge Silberman outside 'the mainstream of American jurisprudence' in its petition to the Supreme Court. We've certainly come to an interesting legal place if asserting principles that appear nowhere in the Constitution is considered normal, but it's beyond the pale to interpret the words that are in the Constitution to mean what they say." [snip]

The phrase "the right of the people" or some variation of it appears repeatedly in the Bill of Rights, and nowhere does it actually mean "the right of the government." When the Bill of Rights was written and adopted, the rights that mattered politically were of one sort -- an individual's, or a minority's, right to be free from interference from the state. Today, rights are most often thought of as an entitlement to receive something from the state, as opposed to a freedom from interference by the state. The Second Amendment is, in our view, clearly a right of the latter sort. (continue reading at Wall Street Journal )

Amen and Amen !