About TMM

TMM is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms. Many know his private name and information however due to the current political climate, many are distancing themselves due to the abandonment of Due Process.

Hosting Issues…

For those unaware there is a massive attack on all WordPress sites currently.  My hosting provider has taken some actions to “help stop the attack”.

Well their actions have caused me to have to disable CloudFlare and have effectively issued a denial of service attack against me and those I take care of site maintenance for.

I was able to get my blog unlocked, but I have not been able to gain access to the necessary files for the other blogs.  I am now ripping support a new one and calling this a total customer service failure.  Pissed barely begins to describe my attitude on this because their poor customer service has made my customer service look poor.  AKA shit rolls down hill and it’s making me look bad.

It looks like for this reason this weekend I will finally fire up a VPS.  Currently I’m getting a little cash to help subsidize the cost but I’m going to have to find a bit more.  It’s an expensive route but it’s just about the only way I can make sure that “my hosting provider” doesn’t go !@#$ing around under the hood of my websites and screw crap up.  I was going to do this when a friend was looking at me to host a site for him and was going to cover a decent amount of the cost.  Looks like I’m just going to have to bite the bullet.

*Nitty details*  The web-hosting provider has blocked all access to the WordPress Login page resulting in no access.  The fix to this is to edit the .htaccess file and they restructured their “App Services” for security reasons and I can no longer find the other websites I’ve installed.  This has left me unable to alter or change the access for the other sites effectively locking me, and the users out unless they were already logged in.

Our own worst enemies

Seriously folks, we are our own worst enemies.

image

Pardon my straight face but I spent this morning searching for where the NRA is supporting the compromise.  Seriously  I went through all the NRA-ILA feed again trying to find it.  Tried to find it using Google.  Lastly I sent an email to Sebastian asking him to confirm this stance if possible.

I did find this which I am reposting in full just to illustrate the sheer “WTFO!?” moment I had when I saw the above image on Facebook.

Dear Senator,

I am writing regarding the National Rifle Association’s position on several firearms-related proposals under consideration in the Senate.

S. 649, the “Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013”, introduced on March 21, contains a number of provisions that would unfairly infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.  This legislation would criminalize the private transfer of firearms by honest citizens, requiring friends, neighbors and many family members to get government permission to exercise a fundamental right or face prosecution. The NRA is unequivocally opposed to S. 649.

In addition, the NRA will oppose any amendments offered to S. 649 that restrict fundamental Second Amendment freedoms; including, but not limited to, proposals that would ban commonly and lawfully owned firearms and magazines or criminalize the private transfer of firearms through an expansion of background checks.  This includes the misguided “compromise” proposal drafted by Senators Joe Manchin, Pat Toomey and Chuck Schumer.  As we have noted previously, expanding background checks, at gun shows or elsewhere, will not reduce violent crime or keep our kids safe in their schools.  Given the importance of these issues, votes on all anti-gun amendments or proposals will be considered in NRA’s future candidate evaluations.

Rather than focus its efforts on restricting the rights of America’s 100 million law-abiding gun owners, there are things Congress can do to fix our broken mental health system; increase prosecutions of violent criminals; and make our schools safer.  During consideration of S. 649, should one or more amendments be offered that adequately address these important issues while protecting the fundamental rights of law-abiding gun owners, the NRA will offer our enthusiastic support and consider those votes in our future candidate evaluations as well.

We hope the Senate will replace the current provisions of S. 649 with language that is properly focused on addressing mental health inadequacies; prosecuting violent criminals; and keeping our kids safe in their schools.  Should it fail to do so, the NRA will make an exception to our standard policy of not “scoring” procedural votes and strongly oppose a cloture motion to move to final passage of S. 649.

Sincerely,
Chris W. Cox

Tell me, where in that letter does it say the NRA is accepting the “compromise”?  An hour ago the NRA-ILA feed was posting information about the possible filibuster from Paul and the other Republicans.

There was another comment from the NRA-ILA as well, found via Sabastian.

Expanding background checks at gun shows will not prevent the next shooting, will not solve violent crime and will not keep our kids safe in schools. While the overwhelming rejection of President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg’s “universal” background check agenda is a positive development, we have a broken mental health system that is not going to be fixed with more background checks at gun shows. The sad truth is that no background check would have prevented the tragedies in Newtown, Aurora or Tucson. We need a serious and meaningful solution that addresses crime in cities like Chicago, addresses mental health deficiencies, while at the same time protecting the rights of those of us who are not a danger to anyone. President Obama should be as committed to dealing with the gang problem that is tormenting honest people in his hometown as he is to blaming law-abiding gun owners for the acts of psychopathic murderers.

That isn’t a statement to accept it, it’s a statement of, if you’re serious about fixing “the problem” then actually do so!

Why do we need to drive a wedge between gun owners for particular groups?  More specifically why do some people feel the need to spread lies and falsehoods to vilify those who are on the same side?  What service does that do other than damage those who support you?

Seriously folks, don’t believe everything you see, especially on Facebook and even the blogs.  Not everyone spends time and effort trying to confirm or disprove the facts.  Just because it has a thousand likes, or has been shared hundreds of times doesn’t make it true.

Update from Sebastian: The Graham Bill clarified mental adjudication and is perceived,  at least by him, it was an attempt to get Dems to bite on something.  When it comes to vote vs. filibuster, since the NRA will be scoring cloture on S. 649, they would like to put some of these folks on record to hang them in 2014 and 2016.  NAGR is merely criticizing because they don’t have the risks or ability to decide strategically what happens in this fight.

*My comments on the email I got from Sebastian.  It makes sense but I have NOT found anything to confirm that the NRA is against the filibuster either.  Honestly I think this was just a big fat troll to drive a wedge.

SSCC #567-#568: Irving

CBS-11 has learned two state troopers involved in a controversial roadside cavity search of two North Texas women have been indicted on criminal charges by a Dallas County Grand Jury.

CBS-11 has learned that one of the troopers, Kelley Helleson, who left the courthouse after testifying Friday, is charged with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of official oppression.

Oh but it gets better folks.

CBS-11 has learned the other trooper in the case, David Farrell, is charged with theft after one of the women said her prescription bottle of the painkiller hydrocodone was missing after the search.

They searched the women in public on the side of an exit ramp.  As an FYI, the officers didn’t find any drugs, further validating that they didn’t really have probable cause.  Nothing says I’m with law enforcement quite like violating someone’s rights under the incorrect misbelief that you just can.

State Sponsored Criminal #567: Kelly Helleson

#568: David Farrel

Because when you’re having a boring night, why not sexually assault two people on the side of the highway.  You’re just trying to fight the war on drugs right?

SSCC #566: Kern County

The victim reported that two deputies went to her home in the Tehachapi area at about 11:00 p.m., to investigate a burglary involving a man who was at her home. 

While speaking to deputies in her home she was handcuffed and led into a room by one of the deputies to be searched.  While being searched she was sexually assaulted by the deputy, according to reports.

Violated not once but twice.  First by the criminal who stole her property and then by the agent of the state sent there to investigate the crime.  This isn’t the first time something like this has happened either.

Not only that but he returned and assaulted her again.

State Sponsored Criminal #566: Gabriel Lopez

Because when a woman reports a crime you can just commit one against her yourself right?

SSCC #565: Bolivia

A small-town North Carolina cop raped a 13-year-old girl while on duty, and the town hired him without any psychological screening after he had raped an 11-year-old, the teenager claims in court.

Just go read.

State Sponsored Criminal #565: Jaymin Lenwood Murphy

Because… well I’ve got nothing on this one.

Quote of the Day – Michael Bane(4/9/2012)

Yes, the words of victims have special poignancy, but what they don’t have is any special truth. Grief drives us to look toward the heavens and demand an answer from any nearby Deity. Grief drives us to demand a solution to the fundamental insoluble problem, which is that the world is as it is. Bad things happen, often to good people, and grief drives us to…do something.

To me there is no greater sin…and I use the word “sin” specifically…than harnessing grief to serve a crass political agenda.

Michael BaneRIVERDANCE With Blood

April 9th, 2012


[QTFMFT!  The other side of this debate points at us as if we are heartless and have absolutely no empathy with the victims.  That is merely a tactic they use to dehumanize their “enemy”.

We know that being a victim doesn’t make you magically knowledgeable about a subject.  We know that the only thing it does is give you the perspective of being a victim.  It doesn’t mean that because you say “Doing X” will actually make it better.  Other than being a victim, what supporting facts and evidence do they have?

This comes right back to the rules for coping with tragedy.

There are those who hate those rules because emotion is the only argument they have. -B]