In which Sarah Brady Cries

Went to the Nez Perce county gun show this morning in an effort to find a replacement part for the piece that went flying across my shop last weekend.  Upon arrival around noon the place was packed.  While waiting for the line to get in to thin down I snapped this picture with the thought it will make Sarah Brady cry.

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Such a wonderful sight to see ammunition companies sponsoring the county fair.  To their credit though they are a direct part of the community. 

Once inside I began my hunt for the parts I was looking for.  No luck, I did get some leads to some online companies to try so I’ll be making some phone calls this week.  There was a wonderful Luger Collection by one of the vendors.

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Each a different year and slightly different model.  They were all in beautiful condition to boot.  I remained on good behavior and did as the wife said and left with just what I arrived with since I couldn’t find the part I was looking for.  Given the fact we owe our dear frivolous Uncle who couldn’t spend within his means if his life depended on it this year we are putting cash to the side to cover those expenses.  This tightened the petty cash budget.

I did however see some nice belt buckles which I know the wife wouldn’t mind having:

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I’m not sure why he tossed the extra E in there, I prefer the straight People Eating Tasty Animals.  I suspect that PETAs lawyers were possibility involved at one point.  The fact it’s on leather just is extra gravy on top.

From there I grabbed a quick lunch and headed down to the range.

Some other observations though from the gun show.  That place was packed.  Moving around was difficult just because of the number of people.  That was the most women I’ve ever seen at a gun show, and they were there buying guns.  The statement that the number of gun owners is decreasing by the Brady Campaign is them still in the first stage of grief.  That was the most people I’d seen at the Lewiston Gun show in the past year that I’ve been there.

SSCC #283–Henderson

This is a bad one…

A federal jury in Memphis convicted Robert Stacy Kilgore Wednesday on four separate charges involving pornographic material he made of a 10-year-old girl and shipped across state lines.

Another predator in a position of trust.  More and more cops will employ force against children who disobey further increasing their compliance due to fear.

At least in this case they put him on trial, but only 30 years for such an abuse of power.  It is disturbing how much people blindly trust representatives of the state just because they’re from the state.  Just because they have a badge doesn’t make them some sort of saint.  They can just as easily be a predator who convinced the state to give him qualified immunity.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 283: Robert Stacy Kilgore

Because everyone’s human and those we give tin badges should be trusted by everyone implicitly without question.

No Correlation Between The Law and Justice

Still don’t believe me?  Well here it is from U.S. District court Judge Keith Ellison.

Federal law does not recognize actual innocence as a mechanism to overturn an otherwise valid conviction.

What was the purpose of that statement?  It was his reasoning behind him denying a motion for a new trial.  Think about that long and hard.  Innocence is not a reason to overturn a conviction.  Being innocent does not prevent you from being found guilty and evidence that proves your innocence does not provide a route to overturn a bad verdict.

Translation: “There is no correlation between the law and justice.”

Remember, It takes a good prosecutor to convict a guilty man, it takes a great prosecutor to convict an innocent one.  Couple that with three felonies a day and you’re only allowed to remain free by their good graces.

via Uncle.

SSCC #282–Seattle

They just can’t stop, and this time they’re using your tax money to help shield them.

The department believes a public records fight over thousands of dash cam videos could carry a heavy price tag this year, according to the city’s own internal documents.

Well how bad could it be?

The department has already paid out more than $100,000, and this year it expects the amount to nearly triple with a projected loss of at least $300,000.

They’ve already been slapped before regarding this but they keep coming back because suppressing video is the cornerstone which protects their hired goons officers.  When video gets out, that’s when officers get caught.  Maybe they think they actually have a chance though and are justified.

Egan also discovered an email from the city attorney’s office about a lawsuit filed by KOMO News. We sued last fall after SPD refused a request for police videos. The email indicates the city believes its chances of winning the case after court appeals are less than 50 percent.

So in other words they’re spending money that isn’t theirs on a frivolous lawsuit to protect criminals hired by the state.

State Sponsored Criminal Count 282: Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes

Because the job of the City Attorney is to waste taxpayer dollars protecting the state’s hired goons who terrorize those same taxpayers.

Quote of the Day–Linoge (03/15/2012)

In a just universe, that much fail concentrated in one organization would create a small, short-duration microsingularity that would simply erase the entire bureaucracy off the face of the planet, never to be heard from again. In our universe, the people in charge get raises, and we get our junk groped.

LinogeI think you are going to need a bigger image


[The lack of critical thinking ability of some people astounds me.  It seems that the majority of the populace seem to think that doing  it again but this time harder somehow actually works.  Not only do they want to do it harder, but they want you and they’re skipping the Vaseline.  Just lie back and think of England. –B]

Ear Worm Wednesday 03/14/2012

SSCC Honorable Mention – Everett

A termination letter by Everett Police Chief Kathy Atwood noted that Nelson, 40, had been a School Resource Officer, as was his then-wife, and that the 16-year-old girl was a student at the school where Nelson’s wife worked.  The girl in question became close to Nelson and his family, the letter said.

Prosecutors declined to charge him since the age of consent is 16 in the state of Washington.  Worth note however is this statement from the police chief.

But the police chief, in her letter to Nelson, said, “Your conduct as credibly detailed by (the girl) reeks of sexual exploitation of a vulnerable minor. You as (1) a police officer, (2) an SRO, (3), the husband of (wife) former SRO, and (4) something of a father figure to (the girl) had an inherently coercive hold over (the girl). Your conduct, as described by (the girl) must be categorized as reprehensible.”

Instead of protecting a minor as a police officer, “you exploited (redacted) and caused her harm,” Atwood said.

Good on the chief for doing the right thing for the right reasons.  As the chief is doing the right thing, barring some how the appeal being accepted, I think this is the best possible outcome in this case.  Though it does beg the question, what would have happened had it been a teacher, would the teacher be prosecuted?

State Sponsored Criminal Count Honorable Mention: Brian Nelson

Because there is no correlation between the law and justice which means as a cop you can do anything morally or ethically questionable.  That is unless you chief actually has a conscience and a pair of stones.

Once More Unto the Breach

It came across my inbox earlier this week that the Big-E is headed out for her final cruise.

The Enterprise holds a special place in my family’s heart, not just for the storied history of the ships that have bore the name, but it was by far one of my fathers favorite deployments as an NFO.  There were numerous stories and she always carried a special place for both of us.  So special in fact she was directly involved in one of the most memorable moments of my young life.

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A common tradition in many scout troops, especially my own, was that an Eagle Scout be presented with a flag that had been flown over the US Capitol.  It was tradition that the father get the flag and present it.

My father ever being the creative man he was knew that a flag over the capitol wouldn’t mean that much to me.  At the time this ball was rolling I had just submitted my application for appointment to Rice University for the NROTC program.  He had maintained numerous contacts within the Navy, many of whom would help me within the coming months as other events unfolded.  My dad, further being the prankster he was pretended the entire time to be constantly forgetting about the flag saying he’ll take care of it later.

I remember sitting there during my Eagle Court as he walked up to the lectern wondering what he had up his sleeve.  When he asked the audience to rise that was expected.  When the color guard carried the flag in from the back, that was expected.  When my dad took the flag from the color guard left hand on top right on bottom, that was expected.  When he turned to me and said, “Son, your journey is just beginning and I know that normal tradition says I should give you a flag flown over the US Capitol.  That however would not do, and would not instill how proud of you I am.  I know that you stand ever ready to shield and protect this National Ensign…”* That was totally unexpected.  My father after handing me the flag ensign, then proceeded to explain to those present who mostly were unaware what a National Ensign is and then proceeded to read the accompanying certificate. DSC_1080

At the time she had just returned to port from the first wave of Operation Enduring Freedom (I still hate that name, I don’t endure my freedom, I celebrate it and defend it).  The XO at the NROTC unit at UW was the Gun Boss on the E at the time and when I met him the following fall and he actually remembered it.

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While my course has changed due to unforeseen events, the impact of that ship and ensign weigh heavily in my memory.

I am sad to see her on her final cruise, however it is not as if she is a child only a few years old.

*Or words to that effect.  I remember being in shock when he said Ensign.

**Side note: Most people who get flags flown over the Capitol have flags that were flown for all of 30 seconds.  They just run them up the pole and back down.  That Ensign went up in the morning at reveille and stayed there until dusk.