Now Is Not The Time For More Gun Control

To the chagrin of the media and other liberals, the “mass shooting” in San Bernardino, California last week was a terrorist attack. The media held back revealing the names of the two dead terrorist for four hours, hoping they could find any connection with right-wing, anti-abortion, Tea Party, NRA card carrying registered Republicans. No luck. Anyone with the slightest ability to analyze the facts surrounding the shooting would have concluded early on that this was no ordinary “mass shooting.” And, when the media finally revealed the names of the shooters as Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, liberals started howling because they knew this would reinforce in the minds of public that a quarter million Syrian refugees, many of whom are supportive or sympathetic to ISIS, shouldn’t be allowed to obtain refugee status in the U.S. for fear of ISIS infiltration and future terrorist attacks. Before the number of victims was known, or details about the shooters were released, upon hearing about the event, President Obama and Hillary Clinton, like Pavlov’s dog, immediately called for more gun control. The event in San Bernardino made it clear that restrictive gun laws in California had absolutely no effect in stopping this terrorist attack. California already has all the gun control measures in place the president has been advocating. The two handguns recovered were legally purchased by Farook. The two semi-automatic rifles they had were legally purchased, but by a friend of his. The two rifles were modified “to make them more powerful” according to a CBS news report. They were probably “more powerful” because Farook and Malik had many 30-round standard capacity magazines, which are, of course, unlawful in California but readily available in many other states. Farook and Malik duct taped three homemade pipe bombs and left them at the scene of the shooting; fortunately, they didn’t explode remotely as intended. Another dozen were found at their apartment. Neighbors saw suspicious activity by them and other Middle Eastern man, during all hours of the night, at Farook’s apartment but they didn’t report it to the authorities for fear of being accused of “racial profiling.” In light of this attack coming on the heels of the tragic events in Paris, this is not the time to address more restrictive gun control. Hillary Clinton suggests that the “Australian and U.K.” models of gun control should be explored. That translates into gun confiscation. Why would she and others consider disarming law abiding citizens when Muslim extremists are attacking our country? Liberals want to confiscate your guns and let in 250,000 Muslim Syrian refugees who cannot be properly screened. How can the U.S. conduct criminal background checks on citizens of a country it has no diplomatic relations with? ISIS has made it clear it intends to infiltrate the refugee population headed to the U.S. and Europe to conduct more jihad, but this doesn’t matter to the president, Hillary, or Bernie. The U.S. should take the fight to the enemy and conduct “shock and awe” style air campaigns in ISIS held territories and oil fields, and then send in badly needed ground troops to take out the survivors. The president’s pin prick approach at “containing” ISIS obviously is not working. What doesn’t the president, Hillary, Bernie, and John Kerry understand about the potential disaster that awaits us if we don’t act decisively, and soon? I don’t believe that ISIS has the capacity to conduct another 9/11 style attack. However, I predict that there will be several other similar attacks before the next election by a handful of individuals who were inspired by the Paris and San Bernardino attacks. Bringing Syrian refugees to this country just increases the chances my prediction will be realized. The sooner we take out ISIS, the sooner the refugees can return home.

Whatever Happened To Accountability?

President Obama has recently released 6,000 federal “non-violent drug offenders” back into our communities without them completing their entire sentences. California Governor Jerry Brown releases hundreds of convicted murders and thousands of other “non-violent offenders” from state prisons because of alleged overcrowding. Some prisoners only did a fraction of their sentences before being released. Hollywood starlets spend 45 minutes in the Los Angeles County Jail for drunk driving convictions because of overcrowding. Someone who didn’t file federal income taxes for years hires a tax attorney who convinces the IRS to reduce the amount owned by 85%. California voters decide to lower some felony crimes to misdemeanors in an effort to “save money” on state prisons. When the crime rate goes up, these same people who voted for proposition 47 are scratching their heads asking why? Gov. Brown has suspended high school exit exams apparently because too few students were passing them. When federal prosecutors finally decide to indict someone for making a straw purchase of a firearm for a convicted felon or gang member, they consistently take a plea bargain allowing the individual to receive probation. Then liberal gun control freaks blame the NRA for gun violence. President Obama and Hillary Clinton both want to restore voting rights to convicted felons, and conceal their criminal histories from perspective employers. Juvenile offenders get to have their criminal records expunged. Poor work performers are allowed to resign in lieu of being fired. Those convicted of possessing hard drugs, which are felonies, can go to a drug rehab to get their convictions erased. Speeders can go to traffic school in lieu of paying a fine and get their speeding ticket erased from their driving record. President Obama violates his oath of office by circumventing Congress and the Constitution to allow illegal immigrants to stay in the country. He makes efforts to close GITMO prison, despite a Congressional act against such a move. Yet, there is not even a peep from Congress about impeaching him. High school students in Michigan are paid up to $400.00 per school year to organize an event or even read a book. Illegal aliens either sneak into the country or overstay their visas. But, instead of punishing them for violating federal immigration laws and deporting them, they are rewarded with free housing, free education, in-state tuition, free medical care, and they are shielded from immigration authorities by “sanctuary cities.” Hundreds of cities declare themselves “sanctuary cities,” yet, Democrat senators filibuster any attempt to either cut federal funding to them, or mandating a five year sentence for those who return to the country after being deported. About two dozen states allow for either “medical marijuana” or “recreational” use of the drug, which is against federal law; however the president orders his U.S. attorneys not to prosecute anyone in those states for federal drug violations. Whatever happened to accountability? Remember when there were consequences for bad behavior? Like when you didn’t study for a test, you received something less than an “A?” Or, if you received a well-deserved speeding ticket as a juvenile, your parents’ auto insurance premiums increased. That meant you were responsible for getting a part-time job to pay for the increase? Or, when criminals knew there was a risk of long-term imprisonment if they were caught buying a gun for someone else, robbing a bank, or selling drugs? Those days are slipping away fast. In Liberal Utopia, NO ONE is held responsible for their actions. You see, it’s society’s fault when someone becomes a drug dealer, bank robber, illegal alien, or whatever. It could NEVER be THEIR fault. Some external influence made them speed, steal, get expelled from school, join a gang or rob a store. And, to prove how much their hearts bleed for them, liberals don’t ever want anyone to know just what a rotten, conniving, thieving, cheating, dope dealing SOBs they are, so, they’re going to fix the system so they will never have to be accountable for anything ever again. Back in the day there was a saying, “If you ain’t got the time, don’t do the crime.” Now, when someone commits the crime and is lucky enough to have an Eric Holder as Attorney General, or a Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton as president, just file a petition and they’ll find an excuse to let you return to society to victimize more people. Bring back accountability and there will be better grades in school, more high school graduates, less crime, less drunk drivers, and substantially fewer illegal aliens.

Gun Free “Kill Zones”

The tragic events at Umpqua Community College (UCC) in Roseburg, Oregon, may be repeated if legislators and school managers fail to recognize that “Gun Free Zones” are in reality deathtraps that attract mentally unstable people to commit mass shootings. The college had one unarmed security guard on campus, and it has a policy of not allowing anyone to carry a concealed weapon on the property, despite Oregon law that allows concealed firearms licensees to do so in public places. According to Dr. Rita Cavin, the interim president of UCC, “Staff is responsible for student safety.” That sure makes me feel a lot safer. What the good doctor and misguided school administrators, legislators, pastors, business owners, and others don’t realize is that 93% of all “mass shootings” in this country have occurred at locations designated as “Gun Free Zones.” These locations include elementary schools, high schools, college campuses, movie theaters, churches, and shopping malls. The belief that these locations are supposedly free of persons carrying guns makes them magnets for the criminally insane that are hell bent on mass murder. They reason that they will not encounter anyone with a firearm, other than a police officer, to put a stop to their goals. Anti-gun California has a “Gun Free School Zone Act” dating back to 1995. The law makes it a felony for anyone to possess or discharge a firearm within 1,000 feet of any school, making felons out of anyone who merely drives by a school on the way to a shooting range. The gun doesn’t even have to be loaded to violate this act. The same geniuses that came up with the California “Gun Free School Zone Act” also limit the number of bullets a pistol or rifle magazine can hold to 10, even though the weapon is capable of holding more. They theorize that unarmed members of the public would spring into action to tackle an “active shooter” while he is reloading his weapon after firing off his first 10 rounds instead of 12, 15, or 30. Do these people actually believe that an active shooter in a “Gun Free Zone” would only use a 10-round magazine when magazines of higher capacities are readily available? If you’re a California concealed weapons permit holder, you would obey the law and have a 10-round magazine, but you would be at a distinct disadvantage if you got into a gunfight with an active shooter who has a 15-round magazine. But it doesn’t matter to anti-gun legislators whose ultimate goal is to have all firearms confiscated and make America a Gun Free Country like the U.K. and Australia. The real problem is the government’s inability to involuntarily commit mentally ill people to treatment centers. Apparently crazy people have a Constitutional right to remain crazy, and their danger to public safety doesn’t seem to matter. President Obama immediately politicized the shooting at UCC in yet another effort to move his anti-gun agenda forward. Instead of shaming Congress into action, he should direct his 94 United States Attorneys to enforce existing gun laws. According to the FBI, in the past decade, over 700,000 persons attempting to purchase firearms were denied because of their criminal backgrounds or other valid reasons. This means they lied on the ATF Form 4473 they filled out, which is a federal felony. Yet, only a hand full is prosecuted each year. For example, according to the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, in 2002, 60,739 persons were denied firearms purchases, but only 141 were prosecuted by U.S. Attorneys. Why? Straw purchasers are another problem that doesn’t get much attention from U.S. attorneys. For a fee, these people will buy firearms for persons who would normally fail the instant background check. Others obtain phony ID of someone without a criminal record to make the purchases. These prosecutions are also a low priority for U.S. attorneys when straw purchasers should be imprisoned in order to stop the flow of illegal firearms to criminals and severe penalties would serve as a deterrent to others. Even though the UCC shooter purchased his weapons legally, this brings us back to the mental health problems in this country that overlook people like him and others who have no business possessing firearms. Liberals need to stop blaming the gun for the actions of mentally depraved persons.

Where Candidates Stand On Illegal Immigration

Despite recent news reports of illegal aliens murdering Americans, and exposing “Sanctuary Cities” for what they really are, the city of Huntington Park, California has appointed two illegal aliens to city boards. California cities appear to be hell bent on turning themselves into mini-Tijuanas. For non-Hispanics residing in the Golden State, it seems as though they have been kidnapped and transported to a foreign country. There are pockets of Los Angeles and Orange Counties that are inundated with illegal migrants from Mexico, and because of their sheer numbers, coupled with ingrained political correctness and a president who refuses to enforce immigration laws, they seem to out in the sunshine instead of “living in the shadows.” Illegal aliens in California are eligible for driver licenses, membership to the state bar association, Section 8 housing, welfare, food stamps, public education, in-state college tuition and grants, and soon Medical, California’s version of Medicare. They comprise at least thirty percent of the state’s prison population, and in some counties, account for eighty percent of all births (anchor babies) in public hospitals at taxpayer expense. In 2014, illegal aliens accounted for thirty-seven percent of all federal convictions nationally. The politically correct media refuse to mention the immigration status of the many foreign criminals arrested by the police for committing a variety of crimes. To do so would bring attention to the problem of illegal aliens committing crimes all over the country, not just California. Recently, where I live in Monterey County, California adjacent San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies raided a corn field that was being used by Mexican drug cartel members to conceal at least one thousand marijuana plants. Nine were arrested and about the same number escaped on foot. Many of them were armed. This exact event happens frequently in different parts of California, especially in national and State parks. Although it was reported on the local television news, not one word was printed about it in the local Monterey newspaper, which is highly politically correct and apparently sensitive to the feelings of illegal Mexican drug cartel members. If the media was just a tiny bit curious about the immigration status of a Spanish speaking suspect who needs an interpreter during court proceedings, it might blow the lid off of a more important underlying story about Mexican and Central American illegal immigrants committing crime. It would also validate what a lot of Americans are saying about how the problem of illegal and legal immigration is killing this country. It’s apparent that Americans are tired of cheap laborers lowering wages for unskilled American workers, and taking jobs that Americans will gladly do. They are tired of their tax money being spent on solving crimes committed by illegals, related court expenses, housing illegal inmates, and cleaning up gang graffiti left by their children. They’re tired of being victims of robberies, fraud, hit-and-runs, burglaries, and drunk drivers. They realize that none of this would be happening if illegal immigrants were not here. But, leave it to immigrant-friendly Huntington Park to ignore all these problems and appoint two illegal alien Mexican citizens on its boards instead of calling immigration authorities to arrest them. Not surprisingly, the good citizens of Huntington Park, after hearing about the appointments, jammed the city council chambers and complained loudly about its actions. One black woman in the audience told the council that the reason Donald Trump was so popular was “because of people like you!” Amen. Many presidential candidates are on record signing bills to provide in-state tuition for illegals (Christie, Perry and Huckabee), co-authored a “comprehensive immigration reform” bill (Rubio, Graham), or said that the illegals already here should be allowed to stay (Kasich, Bush, Graham). Jeb Bush thinks illegal aliens in this country are committing “an act of love.” He was all in for illegals obtaining Florida driver licenses. But, with Trump’s rise in the polls, all you now hear from the other Republican presidential candidates is how they will “secure the border” without offering any specifics. Somehow, I find that hard to believe. For example, Gov. Rick Perry is on record of opposing E-Verify, and is fond of saying that if you build a ten foot wall, there will suddenly be a demand for eleven foot ladders. Gov. Christie has said that he’s never seen a fence you couldn’t “go over, under, or around.” Rand Paul refers to illegal aliens as “undocumented citizens.” Hillary Clinton has an illegal alien as her campaign’s director of Latino Outreach, so you know where she stands. Maybe the next president will take the problem seriously and actually do something about it.

Trump Offers Practical Solutions To Complex Problems

Despite recent news reports of illegal aliens murdering Americans, and exposing “Sanctuary Cities” for what they really are, the city of Huntington Park, California has appointed two illegal aliens to city boards. California cities appear to be hell bent on turning themselves into mini-Tijuanas. For non-Hispanics residing in the Golden State, it seems as though they have been kidnapped and transported to a foreign country. There are pockets of Los Angeles and Orange Counties that are inundated with illegal migrants from Mexico, and because of their sheer numbers, coupled with ingrained political correctness and a president who refuses to enforce immigration laws, they seem to out in the sunshine instead of “living in the shadows.” Illegal aliens in California are eligible for driver licenses, membership to the state bar association, Section 8 housing, welfare, food stamps, public education, in-state college tuition and grants, and soon Medical, California’s version of Medicare. They comprise at least thirty percent of the state’s prison population, and in some counties, account for eighty percent of all births (anchor babies) in public hospitals at taxpayer expense. In 2014, illegal aliens accounted for thirty-seven percent of all federal convictions nationally. The politically correct media refuse to mention the immigration status of the many foreign criminals arrested by the police for committing a variety of crimes. To do so would bring attention to the problem of illegal aliens committing crimes all over the country, not just California. Recently, where I live in Monterey County, California adjacent San Benito County Sheriff’s deputies raided a corn field that was being used by Mexican drug cartel members to conceal at least one thousand marijuana plants. Nine were arrested and about the same number escaped on foot. Many of them were armed. This exact event happens frequently in different parts of California, especially in national and State parks. Although it was reported on the local television news, not one word was printed about it in the local Monterey newspaper, which is highly politically correct and apparently sensitive to the feelings of illegal Mexican drug cartel members. If the media was just a tiny bit curious about the immigration status of a Spanish speaking suspect who needs an interpreter during court proceedings, it might blow the lid off of a more important underlying story about Mexican and Central American illegal immigrants committing crime. It would also validate what Donald Trump has been saying about the problem and how it’s killing this country. Enter Donald Trump Donald Trump’s willingness to address the illegal immigration problem head on and offer practical solutions to it has resonated with the conservative base of the Republican Party, and I suspect, many Democrats and independents as well. They are tired of cheap laborers lowering wages for unskilled American workers, and taking jobs that Americans will gladly do. They are tired of their tax money being spent on solving crimes committed by illegals, related court expenses, housing illegal inmates, and cleaning up gang graffiti left by their children. They’re tired of being victims of robberies, fraud, hit-and-runs, burglaries, and drunk drivers. They realize that none of this would be happening if illegal immigrants were not here. But, leave it to immigrant-friendly Huntington Park to ignore all these problems and appoint two illegal alien Mexican citizens on its boards instead of calling immigration authorities to arrest them. Not surprisingly, the good citizens of Huntington Park, after hearing about the appointments, jammed the city council chambers and complained loudly about its actions. One black woman in the audience told the council that the reason Donald Trump was so popular was “because of people like you!” Amen. Since Teflon Trump entered the presidential race, his message of building a wall to keep illegal Mexicans aliens (and others) out of the country has struck a strong chord with many Americans. The other Republican candidates are already on record for having signed bills to provide in-state tuition for illegals (Christie, Perry and Huckabee), co-authored a “comprehensive immigration reform” bill (Rubio, Graham), or said that the illegals already here should be allowed to stay (Kasich, Bush). Jeb Bush thinks illegal aliens in this country are committing “an act of love.” He was all in for illegals obtaining Florida driver licenses. But, because Trump’s remarks about enforcing existing immigration laws resonates so well with voters, all you now hear from the other Republican presidential candidates is how they will “secure the border” without offering any specifics. Somehow, I don’t believe them. For example, Gov. Rick Perry is on record of opposing E-Verify, and is fond of saying that if you build a ten foot wall, there will suddenly be a demand for eleven foot ladders. Gov. Christie has said that he’s never seen a fence you couldn’t “go over, under, or around.” Rand Paul refers to illegal aliens as “undocumented citizens.” Trump sees a complex problem and offers practical solutions. The other candidates just offer excuses. Hillary Clinton has an illegal alien as her campaign’s director of Latino Outreach, so you know where she stands.

Gov. Cuomo’s Nightmare Is Finally Over

At a news conference last Sunday following the capture of David Sweat, who had escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, NY, Gov. Mario Cuomo pronounced, “The nightmare is finally over.” David Sweat was convicted of killing a sheriff’s deputy he shot 20 times and then ran over multiple times with his vehicle. His fellow escapee, Richard Matt, killed his employer and dismembered his body. Without a death penalty in New York, both were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Following the tragic shooting event in December of 2013, at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, CT, Gov. Cuomo and his fellow anti-gun legislators went into a hysterical frenzy to swiftly enact the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act. This overreaching legislation limits the number of bullets in a handgun magazine to seven, even if it has the capacity of 12, 15, or more. Originally, this restriction applied to law enforcement officers. It requires registration of all existing semi-automatic rifles liberals like to call “assault weapons,” outlaws standard 30-round capacity rifle magazines, and requires a full background check on all purchasers of ammunition and then their names are reported to the police. Fifty-two of New York State’s 62 counties passed resolutions against the SAFE Act, and many counties directed their police forces not to enforce its provisions. The SAFE Act was so unpopular with New Yorkers that they simply didn’t comply with the requirement to register their semi-automatic firearms with the New York State Police. The State Police recently released data showing that of the estimated 1 – 1.2 million semi-automatic firearms within the state, only 23,847 people registered a total of 44,485 guns before the required deadline. That’s not even a four percent compliance rate. The SAFE Act made criminals out of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who are exercising their Second Amendment rights. So, when Richard Matt and David Sweat made their audacious escape from the maximum security Clinton Correctional Facility, Gov. Cuomo’s nightmare began. As anyone could have predicted, the fugitives burglarized an unoccupied cabin and stole a shotgun that they used in an attempt to carjack a driver. Matt had the shotgun at the time Border Patrol Agents shot and killed him. Gov. Cuomo’s nightmare was about law abiding New Yorkers being killed while reloading their weapons defending themselves and their families against two desperate murderers who had nothing to lose. Such an event would be further evidence that such laws have not, and will never work as intended. To justify passing the SAFE Act, Gov. Cuomo cried out in a speech, “You don’t need 30 bullets to kill a deer!” No you don’t, but you may very well need 30 bullets to ward off two armed and dangerous escaped murders who want to break into your rural home, kill you, and steal your money, guns and car. Why do Gov. Cuomo and his anti-gun cronies feel compelled to place law abiding citizens at a disadvantaged position against armed felons? What makes them believe felons will ever comply with ill-conceived anti-gun laws like the SAFE Act? Why would Gov. Cuomo purposely give the advantage to criminals over the general public? To liberal politicians it does not matter. They don’t like firearms, therefore they must be banned! New Yorkers dodged the bullet (pun intended) when the law enforcement dragnet located Matt and Sweat before they managed to kill again. This entire event should illustrate to New Yorkers and all Americans that no matter how many anti-gun laws liberals pass, they will never stop criminals and mentally ill people from obtaining and using firearms to commit crime. These laws only handcuff honest citizens and diminish their Constitutional right to defend themselves. In light of the actions of Matt and Sweat, New Yorkers would be wise to demand that the SAFE Act be repealed and make sure every legislator who voted for it is held accountable.

President Obama Sides With Thugs

Three days following National Peace Officers Memorial Day, President Barack Obama announced that he is ending the long-running transfers of surplus military gear to State and local police agencies that could save law enforcement officers’ lives. The president said he will prohibit the military transfer of grenade launchers, bayonets, tracked armored vehicles, .50 caliber machine guns and ammunition to State and local police agencies. Interestingly, none of these items, with the exception of grenade launchers, are used by State or local police. Police use grenade launchers not to launch high-explosive fragmentation grenades, but rather tear gas projectiles that are specifically designed to fit in these delivery devices. When is the last time you saw a police officer with a bayonet, or a police helicopter equipped with machine guns? His list of prohibited items is laughable. Also, the president has identified a variety of military equipment that will now be harder for police agencies to obtain: wheeled armored vehicles, manned aircraft, drones, specialized firearms, explosives, riot batons, ramming devices, helmets, shields, and battle dress uniforms, much of which were used to quell the riots and protect the police in Baltimore MD and Ferguson, MO. Police departments will now be required to get city council or mayoral approval before any of this equipment is transferred, and police chiefs will have to justify to the government why their departments needs it. If issued, chiefs will now have to document training with the equipment and keep records of its use. President Obama knows that most urban riots occur in cities run by liberal politicians who will probably not approve the requests for this equipment in the future. While touring the Camden, NJ police department, the president said, “We’ve seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people a feeling like there’s an occupying force, as opposed to a force that’s part of the community that’s protecting them and serving them.” What he failed to mention is that all of this specialized equipment, including surplus military armored vests, are only used for extremely unusual occurrences such as the riots and civil disruptions recently suffered by Ferguson and Baltimore. Under those sets of circumstances, the mere presence of hundreds of police officers in itself might give the appearance of an “occupying force,” regardless of how the officers are dressed and equipped. The president’s former director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (now retired) recommended halting the manufacturing, importation or possession of “armored piercing” green-tipped .223 caliber ammunition commonly used in AR-15 style rifles. These rifles are the most popular sporting firearms sold and used in the United States by hunters, ranchers, and target shooters. More people are murdered by hammers and feet in the U.S. then by these rifles. The Obama Administration’s attempt to ban the ammunition was a back door attempt to render these firearms gun control advocates love to call “assault weapons,” useless. Fortunately, efforts by law enforcement organizations, the National Rifle Association and its membership beat back this regulation and the proposal was withdrawn. One of the justifications for banning the ammunition was that it could pierce commonly worn police vests. What was not mentioned is that any large caliber rifle round will defeat a bullet proof vest designed to only defeat handgun ammunition. If the president is so concerned about law enforcement officers being shot by “assault weapons,” then why is he making it harder for them to obtain surplus military vests and armored vehicles that are designed specifically to defeat rifle ammunition? He can’t have it both ways. These vests weigh about 40 pounds and are heavy, hot, and awkward, but they do what they are designed to do. That’s why mostly police SWAT teams use them, since they are more likely to experience rifle fire during enforcement operations than a normal uniformed police officer. By restricting useful surplus military equipment to State and local law enforcement, President Obama is siding with rampaging thugs. He doesn’t want them to be intimidated by the presence of well-equipped police officers who would be more capable of quelling major disturbances with this equipment.