Gun Free Zones are Deadly

On the evening of Wednesday, October 25th, 2023 a mentally unstable U.S. Army Reservist opened fire at a bowling alley and then Schemengees Bar and Grille bar in Lewiston, Maine. A total of 31 were shot, with 18 fatalities thus far. Within hours Gavin Newsom, who is clearly running for President, shamelessly put out fundraising emails. WTF?

My suggestion is we remember and honor those shot in Lewiston by creating one law that may actually prevent further tragedies. Not as our Leftist political leaders, who likely have never owned or fired a semiautomatic rifle or pistol, would like but in a way that has proven to work throughout the country.

If you have a valid concealed weapons permit you should be able to carry almost anywhere in your state. No business owner or state agency should have the right to disarm you of your lawfully concealed weapon. Your training, finger prints, background check and standing as a trusted citizen has earned you the right to become the good guy with a gun. 

How do I know this is a good idea? To be honest I don't. I can't find a study comparing localities that allow concealed carry versus those that don't which in itself is troublesome. Considering we have many states and localities with and without concealed weapon restrictions there exists a plethora of research opportunities. The lack of research speaks volumes.

Before saying this is nuts, ask yourself how many state Capitals currently allow concealed carry within their walls? How many allow open carry? How many states allow parents to conceal carry in school even though this clearly violates federal law? It's almost impossible to believe but yes you can walk into some state capitals packing.

I remember my visit of Utah's State Capitol which if you didn't know was built when Utah was flush with silver profits and is absolutely amazing. The trooper I talked with was perfectly fine with folks carrying in his Capital and mentioned their has only been only one gun related incident in the last 100 years and that was between two legislators who hated each other.

I know it's insane to want my government to enforce the gun laws we have and allow those who can qualify for a concealed weapons permit to be the proverbial good guy with a gun. I want my government to stop missing clear signals that a mentality unstable person needs help or at the very least needs to be temporarily relieved of their weapons. I want my government to listen when a grandmother tells them her grandson is a threat to others and himself.

The only thing that stops a mentally disturbed person on a killing spree is a good guy with a gun. There is a reason gun free zones are consistently targeted by those who wish others harm. Gun free zones need to be reviewed and in most cases reversed even on private property. If you have a concealed weapons permit you should be allowed to covertly carry your weapon without fear of prosecution.

My proposal is simple. Any building without armed security must allow concealed carry to those with a valid concealed carry license.

PS I'm ex-military with a concealed weapons permit who has never once carried in public. This last mass shooting was very close to home and has me rethinking lots of things. Members of Congress please note that being disarming by you was definitely not one of my thoughts and I for one was and am very glad that I can defend myself and my family if needed.

PPS On October 7th, 2023 more than 1,200 unarmed men, women and children, mostly Israelis and Jewish, where killed by HAMAS in attacks so barbaric to be unbelievably. An additional 240 plus we're taken hostage. "Compared with the U.S., Israel has relatively restrictive firearm laws. With few exceptions, guns are restricted to Israelis with weapons training or in security professions. Untrained civilians, don't qualify." It turns out the only thing that prevented an even higher death and hostage toll was HAMAS breaking into homes of armed residents. Since the attacks Israel has seen a massive increase in gun registrations just as American politicians are attempting to roll back if not repealed our 2nd Amendment rights.

Joe Biden for President?

It's hard to imagine a scenario where Joe Biden does not win his parties nomination, but will he be on the ballot in 2024? I don't think so. I think the Dems figured this out 18 months ago when Democrats made South Carolina their 1st primary state. At this time they added a provision to deal with the possibility that Joe Biden would not be fit for office.

How would this work? 

Most likely just before or even during the Democrat convention, President Biden will step down for personal reasons. He may say it's for the well being of the nation or for obvious health issues. At this time the "party" will select someone to replace Joe on the ballot. This will not be a "democratic" process. Democrat Super Delegates will pick their nominee and our Democracy will die a little bit more behind closed doors.

Gavin Newsom?

Michelle Obama?

Susan Rice?

Someone yet to be identified?

Soon after declaring his candidacy Robert F. Kennedy Jr. learned that the pathway to the democratic nomination was for all practical matters impossible. If he won every "winner take all state" and 50% of the state delegates allotted by percentage he still wouldn't have enough delegates to overcome the Super Delegate hegemony. Obviously, democracy in the Democratic party can't be trusted to the voting public. 

So again, it's pretty clear President Biden will "win" his parties nomination but not be on the ballot in November. I believe President Biden will step down and his replacement will be chosen by Democrat Super Delegates. The narrative that this is democracy in action will be celebrated but you and I will know the truth. This is yet another manifestation of the permanent, mostly unelected, ruling class of United States.

Update July 21st, 2024 - It would seem that reality finally caught up with the Democrats, the President's family, his doctors and the Media... The lies are exposed and Joe is done. Will he remain President?

Update August 21st, 2024 - Last night Vice President Harris accepted the Democrat Party's nomination for President. I knew Joe had lost it. I also knew the Harris was massively unpopular and many felt she might get booted off the ticket. Well, the same people who got a demented old man elected President from his basement have shined up Kamala Harris as the next savior. She's the grassroots nominee without receiving a single primary vote. Fool me once, shame on you promoting Joe Biden as sharp as a tack. Fool me twice shame on me for Kamala Harris does not belong in any office let alone Presidential of the United States. Please God let the honeymoon be over. Let America see real Vice President Harris before it's too late.

PS When Harris is actually being herself it's clear she's not the leftist who seems determined to end the American Experiment. Unfortunately I don't think she's been her true self for years and there ain't no going back once you sell your soul to the unelected bureaucracy that seemingly has a death grip on the governance of our country. 

🙏

Rep. Jamaal Bowman - You Lie!

Fire alarm puller New York Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman thinks we are stupid. Weeks after being video taped pulling the fire alarm he is still lying. He clearly pulled the alarm to delay an ongoing vote on the floor of the house. Are we really expected to believe a member of Congress didn't know what a fire alarm was or how it works? Will the BS ever stop? Our leaders should be held to a higher standard and when they blatantly lie to the American people they should be held accountable by law enforcement, House leadership and eventually the ballot box.

"I’m thankful for the quick resolution from the District of Columbia Attorney General’s office on this issue and grateful that the United States Capitol Police General Counsel’s office agreed I did not obstruct nor intend to obstruct any House vote or proceedings," he said. "I am responsible for activating a fire alarm, I will be paying the fine issued, and look forward to these charges being ultimately dropped." - Jamaal Bowman

$1000 fine and all of this goes away in three months? Are you kidding me? Maybe, if he told the truth but he hasn't come clean and has actually doubled down on his lie. Jamaal Bowman should be punished to the maximum extent of the law. I don't think Jamaal should be held in solitary confinement for a year but you bet he should be prosecuted for:

25 CFR § 11.430 - Falsely setting off a fire alarm.

18 U.S. Code § 1505 - Obstruction of official proceeding before the U.S. House of Representatives. 

18 U.S.C. § 1001 - Intentionally making false statements to a federal agent or investigator.

"Today, as I was rushing to make a vote, I came to a door that is usually open for votes but today would not open," he said on X at the time. "I am embarrassed to admit that I activated the fire alarm, mistakenly thinking it would open the door. I regret this and sincerely apologize for any confusion this caused." - Jamaal Bowman

Radical 2nd Amendment?

 I've been going back and forth with my oldest daughter (The Army Major) regarding the 2nd Amendment and it's forced me to sharpen my Pro 2nd Amendment arguments. 

#1 The 2nd Amendment is NOT and NEVER was about hunting. Political leaders who say things like deer aren't wearing bullet proof vests etc. are uninformed or just lying. The right to keep and bear arms is about ensuring that our government thinks twice about tyranny. Absolute power leads to tyranny and history is ripe with examples of unarmed citizens being massacred.

#2 The Left is absolutely misinformed when they consistently go after long guns aka the AR-15 rather than everyday handguns. You are exceedingly more likely to be beaten to death with a hammer than you are being killed with someone's AR-15.

#3 The gun show loophole? It's not a thing and the people saying this have never attended a gun show or are just lying. Gun purchases at gun shows require background checks. Basically, if you sell a gun for profit anywhere in the U.S. (including out of your trunk at a gun show) you're a dealer and must comply with FBI background checks.

#4 Universal Background Checks? It's already the freaking law. Yes there are cracks in the system which are typically government employees not complying with the law or just not willing to do their job.

#5 Small arms versus the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines? I honestly don't think our military would turn it's awesome firepower upon the population. The FBI, ATF, IRS, DHS, etc... that is a whole other matter. Luckily, so far these agencies don't have tanks, assault helicopters or artillery.

#6 DC banned guns and armed home invasions became common. SCOTUS stepped up with the Heller decision affirming the right to keep and bear arms. Although guns and magazines (limited to 10 rounds) have to be registered with the local police department and physically reviewed every two years the subsequent reduction in home invasions was notable.

#7 For decades semi automatic rifles have proven very effective against modern militaries. Before the American Revolution armed militias proved effective against French Canadian and Indian attacks. It's important to understand "the most effective way to destroy a citizens militia was to disarm the citizens." - Anthony Scalia.

#8 Maybe the most important take away is the vast majority, I'm talking 95% plus of all gun related deaths, including suicides are with handguns. The leadership on the Left knows this so why do they continue to go after long guns?

If handguns are to blame then why is the media, the Left and the Democrats all going after long guns specifically AR-15 style weapons? Could it be as simple as feelings over facts? I find it hard to believe the motivation is more nefarious but I've been wrong before.

Bottom line... Guns don't kill people, people with guns kill themselves and others. The weapon of choice, hands down, is the handgun and yet the laws are aimed at the long gun, specifically AR-15 style weapons. True weapons of war like the M1 carbine below that I trained with are not even mentioned.

I hope these arguments ring true for you and as this debate continues those on the Left will take time to educate themselves on the details and nuances of guns and gun control. I find that arguing with people who do not possess the basic understanding of fire arms to be a complete waste of time.

Note: Is it possible that the federal government aka the permanent bureaucracy is fully aware that handguns are the real public safety issue? Is it possible the Democrats who keep pushing for the assault weapons ban really don't know that hammers kill more people than AR-15s? One possible conclusion I've never even considered... The permanent bureaucracy is not afraid of a population armed with hand guns. However, a population armed with millions of AR-15 type weapons could be exceedingly effective in steming government expansion, corruption and tyranny. The truth? Who knows, but anyone with an hour of dedicated training can become extremely deadly with an AR-15.

Hunter Biden - A Burisma Board Member?

No rational person questions Hunter Biden was paid between $50,000 and $83,000 a month by the Ukrainian Energy company, Burisma Holdings, to sit on their board. Furthermore, despite the BS assertions of 51 former intelligent experts, Joe Biden flat out lied that his son's laptop was Russian disinformation. This lie was coordinated and served up to the world during the 2nd Presidential debate.

Forget about everything "Hunter" and focus on one non-disputed thought:

While Joe Biden was Vice President, Hunter was making millions doing what?

Joe Biden has repeatedly said he never discussed his son's "business" activities. (Update - Effective 7/24/2023 The never discussed his son's business has changed to wasn't in business with his son) White House Press Secretaries have repeatedly said Hunter Biden is a private citizen and not part of the Administration. When millions are paid to Hunter by countries visited by Air Force Two, sometimes with Hunter aboard, it's absurd to pretend Joe Biden was completely out of the loop. Hunter was paid millions of dollars while offering no product or service other than access to his father and seemingly "protection" of some kind that is still being fleshed out.

The next big question:

Did Joe get paid? 

All Federal office seekers must disclose their families income, income sources and assets on FEC filings and once in office on OGE Form 278e. Take a look at President Biden's filings and ask yourself how did Joe become so wealthy? Middle class Joe, how did you become a multimillionaire on a senator and VP salary?

How many of Hunter's shell companies need to be exposed before those on the left are forced to admit that the Biden extended family business orbits around Joe Biden and is absolutely rotten to the very core and has been for decades?

The government has a record of every transaction exceeding $10,000 and hundreds of Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) dealing with the Biden shell companies. However, Republican members of Congress use of subpoenas to follow the Biden money trail have been as effective as the subpoenas of Hillary's private email server. It's shocking that the flow of the money is still mostly hidden. However, even with the Department of the Treasury stonewalling and US Banks not cooperating the picture of a massive shakedown operation is slowly emerging.

Hunter Biden was infact being paid huge sums of money by a Ukrainian company, under investigation, while his father was Vice President and in charge of Ukrainian policy. Contrary to what fact checkers claim the prosecutor investigating Burisma was in fact fired after Vice President Joe Biden threatened to pull a billion dollar Ukrainian loan guarantee. Furthermore, it's now obvious the Biden's have been laundering money for years if not decades and in some cases not paid taxes on their ill-gotten gains.

Update: Yesterday both the House and Senate released the recently divulged and initially denied FBI FD-1023 Confidential Human Source Report that documents why Hunter Biden was hired by Burisma Holdings. Besides his outrageous board member salary, Hunter and "another" Biden were paid $5 million each and that "it would take them (investigators) 10 years to find the records (i.e. elicit payments to Joe Biden)." 

Not that we needed proof, but we also now know the "Big Guy" is in fact Joe Biden.

1,000 Mile Road Trip (France)

The month of June was spent in France. 

I woke up at 2:00 AM and flew out of Portland, Maine a few hours later. Due to a flight rescheduling our layover at JFK was about 10 hours. We had a nice flight to Nice, got through immigration & customs, got our car and started the road trip. 

We picked up fresh fruit and vegetables and stopped at the French equivalent to a super Walmart to get more food and a cooler which doubled as a seat. While doing our best to avoid highways we saw a few sights and even toured one of the best preserved Roman coliseums that is still used not for gladiators but concerts.

After many, many narrow winding mountain roads we finally made it to our first camping site on a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean. From getting up to going to bed a full 37 hours had elapsed. The start of our French trip was epic and I venture to say I WILL NEVER do anything that exhausting again in my life!

Our game plan was camp for a few days, stay at a hotel and then camp some more. We ended using our tent (yes we packed a tent) at three different camp grounds. For a few days we "glamped" in a modern two story canvas tent and stayed at four pretty nice hotels. The most relaxing time was the four days spent with a friend and her elderly mother who didn't speak English. 

You know your are off the beaten path when a few people you meet disclose they have never met an American. I'm not even going to try to explain what we saw.  Besides the amazing geology, I was absolutely blown away with all the monuments, streets, etc... commemorating the various wars in France. The French people haven't forgotten the World Wars. They may not remember what America did in the "Great War" but they absolutely remember what America did in World War II and are still grateful.

4,000 Mile Road Trip

4,043 miles, 15 days, 8 hotels, 11 different beds and 21 dead deer later...

I got to see my oldest and youngest daughter. Celebrated with mom who turned 89 on Mother's Day. There was a rare moment when she put her arm around me and with a tear in her eye said she loved me. We spent a evening with my wife's Peace Corps roommate and who was the boyfriend of my childhood friend's wife in Samoa. Saw my last remaining and favorite uncle @ 93, a Federal District Court Judge and middle school friend, my two brothers and their wives, my oldest nephew, his wife (due in early June) and their adorable daughter. My goddaughter, her husband and three slightly out of control little boys, and finally my last aunt (Noriko) who turns 87 in August... Yet another Leo in my life.

Finding out my uncle only grew corn and soybeans on his 1,000 acre Iowa farm (I spent a few summers there) raising 600 to 700 pigs a year for decades with a one-day piglet record of 64 was pretty cool. Hearing him recall his fishing trips with a tear in his eye and call me “Big D" was special.

Spending time with my wonderful 86 year-old Japanese aunt and 2nd wife of my mom's brother was great. Learning what it was like working on an American base and being married to an American in post war Japan is a slice of history we are not taught in America. Finding out my Uncle Bill didn't finish his training in time to fly in WW-II, but was instead the lead navigator of 65 B-29 bombing missions over Korea and in 1950 bombed Inchon on Christmas Eve just blew my mind.

DT doesn't stand for Drive Tour. This is likely the last visit to a few beloved members of my family. I'm so lucky to have spent it with my wife who continues to impress me with the depth of her knowledge and wisdom.

From driving through one of, if not the oldest river valleys on our planet (360 million years old), oddly named New River Gorge, hearing Willy Nelson perform live in Cedar Rapids Iowa, visiting three generations of Beemers at the Beemer gravesite in Hampton, Iowa, the Spam Museum in Austin Minnesota, a family reunion at my oldest brother's house in Hudson, Wisconsin, the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, checking out downtown Ottawa, looking over the awesome city of Montreal from Mount Royal while eating a fresh bagel from St. Viateur (not Fairmount Bagel!) to finally driving through the amazing North West corner of Maine, there is no doubt this trip was epic.

Diversity?

Diversity Equity and inclusion!

AKA "DEI"

Sounds good right?

Not so fast... DEI is an anti meritocracy movement forcing equal outcomes that I believe is shaking the very foundations of our society.

There is no doubt that diversity, at it's core is a good thing. You absolutely want diversity of thought when you are solving problems. However assuming you automatically get diversity of thought by focusing on physical attributes such as the color of one's skin, sex, etc... has resulted in the left becoming hostile to diversity of opinions and political beliefs.

How can the left scream for diversity while literally screaming at those with different political or "worse" religious beliefs? God forbid you support the 2nd Amendment, state the climate is changing but the change has been constant for the last 450 years or want to ban abortions after the fetus clearly has become conscious.

The right to think and believe differently than your fellow American is enshrined in our Constitution and First Amendment. We have a God given right to vehemently disagree with our fellow citizens. This does not give us the right to silence them under the cloak of DEI. 

The right to think and express yourself is under attack. All Americans need to step up and make it clear that diversity of thought, meritocracy and not discriminating against any group is what's protected.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free." - Ronald Reagan

The "Assault Weapons" Ban is Back

Over the next few days, maybe weeks, many of us will be hearing over and over that guns are now the number one killer of kids. 

First of all is that true? 

Secondly people kill people with guns. Guns don't typically kill people.

Yes, it's true guns are the number one killer of kids if you expand the definition of kids to include 18, 19 and 20 year olds and toss is suicide with a handgun. I honestly believe there is a special place in hell for people who manipulate data to push a narrative. No end justifies the manipulation of data and thus the American people.

It turns out that young black men are killing each other and young white women are killing themselves at all time highs. So sad in all cases but long guns are NOT the problem and they have never been. Regardless of the narrative rifles including "assault weapons" are only involved in 3% of murders and very few suicides. If the stated goal is saving lives why is the President and the Democratic party yet again pushing the "Assault Weapons" ban?

If our leaders cared about "KIDS" using guns to kill each other and themselves why not try laws that impact the weapons used 97% of the time... handguns? 

I believe most Americans would support requiring a concealed weapons permit to buy or possess a handgun based on the obvious concept that handguns are so easy to conceal. This would likely significantly reducing gun deaths. 

I think most Americans would support raising the age to own or possess a handgun to 21 and make possession of a hand gun under the age of 21 a felony while committing a crime an automatic felony. Establish a federal law that make the possession of a hand gun by someone under 21 illegal. No exceptions and if found guilty the federal sentencing mandatory guidelines require six months in jail.

Caught with a handgun under 21 and your going to spend 6 months in jail. Just like the "Assault Weapons" ban Congress could build in a sunset provision. If a universal handgun concealed weapons permit requirement and increasing the age to 22 didn't reduce gun deaths it would sunset. Just like the "Assault Weapons" ban did back in September 13, 2004.

PS I would seriously consider raising the age of handgun possession to 25. This has already faced pushback from the courts and not trying to be funny, I'm told raising the age of handgun ownership is racist?

206 House Democrats Vote Against Free Speech?

Just hours ago the Republican controlled House passed H.R. 140, THE PROTECTING SPEECH FROM GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE ACT. 

I have to admit that I'm as happy as an alligator chomping on a wayward child at Disney World. Why? Because this bill is just eight pages long and will at least expose the Democrats war on free speech and the American people. 

If a government employee colludes with anyone or any entity private or public to suppress free speech they maybe debarred from federal employment for a period not to exceed 5 years and pay a $1,000 or 10,000 civil penalty depending on if the person is a senior government official. 

Kentucky GOP Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Accountability Committee, sponsored the Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act, which sets a standard that "employees acting in their official capacity should neither take action within their authority or influence to promote the censorship of any lawful speech, nor advocate that a third party, including a private entity, censor such speech."

What's almost impossible to believe is that 206 Democrats voted against this bill. The Dems yet again show their stripes. 

PS Do you think the Main Stream Media will cover this? There is little doubt this Bill will die in the Senate without even being discussed. Thank you Chuck Schumer & John Fetterman... NOT!

Kentucky Rep. James Comer - Hero of the Day!

Angus King You Just Don't Get It

Senator King, you say a video of you comparing January 6th to 9/11 was edited in such a way to make you look like a Democrat. Instead of fighting back you reach out to various social media companies and ask them to review aka takedown the video.

Clearly you and your staff (mostly lawyers) didn't see a problem with this.

Once the video was taken down you state the social media company(s) asked if you had any other issues and only then you supplied your "enemies" list... an Excel spreadsheet sheet of 500 plus "suspicious" accounts.

Again, didn't you see any problem with this?

Saying you are fighting "lies" this way because "... a lie can make its way around the world before the truth can get is boots on. In the Internet age, that’s accelerated greatly and all of us are still trying to navigate this new reality." is Orwellian.

Sir, one man's lie (Covid came from a lab) is another man's truth. The only tool in a free society to combat "lies" is more speech not less. You don't abuse your position as a sitting Senator by asking social media to do ANYTHING for you. Matter of fact this likely meets the classification of an in-kind campaign contribution. 

I call on you to review this situation, come clean (it's all going to all come out eventually), apologize and make it clear that you will not engage in activities like this egregious infringement on free speech ever again.

Update - You should absolutely support H.R. 140 the "Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act."

Democracy is fragile and we are only a generation away from loosing ours.

Angus King's Response Letter...

Senator Angus King Shame On You!

Angus King, what in the hell were you thinking when you compiled an enemies list and shared it with various social media companies? 

Update 3/12/2023 - The Bangor Daily News story is now 100% behind a paywall. I have never seen a paper put the title of a story behind a paywall. Here are another links to this story: 

The Maine Wire

Maine Public

Portland Press Herald

Washington Examiner 

I've heard that candidates loose 5 points of IQ every week during an election. Sir, you blew that out of the water and set the standard for stupid. Thank God you're not a Mainer. Born and raised in Alexandria Virginia, or as some would say where the swamp goes to sleep, you certainly showed your true colors with your Constitution crushing campaign efforts to suppress free speech.

You and your staff requested Facebook and Twitter (Google, Snapchat, etc...?) review hundreds of your fellow citizens social media accounts that you deemed suspicious. Suspicious for what? Retweeting your despicable 9/11 comments? Retweeting your opponent's tweets? Retweeting Herman Cain's tweets?

Is winning an election worth taking a big steaming dump on the Constitution?

Shame on you Senator King. Not only did you squelch the free speech of the citizens you swore an oath to protect you robbed me of hearing what those people had to say. How anyone could put a list like this together and submit it to the overloads at Twitter and Facebook is beyond me. That a sitting Senator I once admired would undergo such a despicable endeavor is frankly maddening.

Just a tiny example... Brakey was King's opponent

Update: Got a response from Senator King. According to the Senator there was an edited video that misrepresented his comparison of January 6th to 9/11. His campaign staff reached out to various social media companies and ask that this video be reviewed aka removed.

The social media companies did as suggested and then asked his campaign if they had any other accounts with issues. This was the opening that resulted in the Senator providing a freaking spread sheet of 500 accounts to be "reviewed" aka banned, suspended, throttled or shadow banned.

Of course it was just the suspicious accounts mind you... nothing to see here move along!

U.S. Constitution

 The Constitution of the United States

Article 1 - Establishes Congress

Article 2 - Establishes Executive

Article 3 - Establishes Judicial

Article 4 - Establishes relationship with States

Article 5 - Establishes how to amend

Article 6 - Establishes that previous debts, laws, agreements, treaties, etc... continue.

Article 7 - Establishes ratification process

Bill of Rights

1st Amendment - Freedom of religion, speech, press, assemble and petition the government

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances

2nd Amendment - Right to Bear Arms

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

3rd Amendment - Quartering of Troops

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

4th Amendment - Unreasonable Searches and Seizures

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.5th - Due Process

5th Amendment - You don't have to testify against yourself

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

6th Amendment - Speedy Trial, Charges, Confront Witnesses, Compulsory process for obtaining witnesses and to be represented by council

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

7th Amendment - You have a right to a trial by jury to settle disputes between your fellow man

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

8th Amendment - Cruel and unusual punishment

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

9th Amendment - James Madison wanted it to be clear the Constitution does NOT take away those rights given to us by our creator

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

10th Amendment - If it's not in the Constitution then the States have it for action

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

-------------------

Other Amendments everyone talks about and you should know:

18th Illegal to drink beer

21st legal to drink beer

16th Legalize the income tax

17th Direct election of Senators (Used to be up to the Governor or State Legislative body)

15th Everyone votes... Except women

19th Women get the vote (August 18th, 1920)

25th Presidential succession

26th Voting age 18 (July 1st, 1971)

27th Prohibits Congress from giving themselves a raise: "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened."

It's a little known fact that the original Bill of Rights had 12 Amendments. The 27th Amendment was the original 2nd Amendment proposed in 1789 but it didn't make the Bill of Rights initial cut and was just left hanging in limbo. Finally on May 7, 1992 the State of Michigan ratified the Amendment giving it the needed 3/4ths of the States to become part of the Constitution. Instead of being the 2nd it became the 27th.

Ensign David Beemer's 1st collateral duty was supporting the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution - USS Robert E. Peary, FF-1073. Basically I got a few boxes of pocket Constitutions and made sure every member of the command got one. Looking back that was a missed opportunity to help my shipmates understand what each of us swore to:

I _____________do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

My pocket Constitution circa 1988

Social Security is Bankrupt

The facts are brutal...

Starting in 2010 Social Security started using the accumulated "Interest" of the trust fund to pay benefits.

Starting in 2021 Social Security started using the "Principle" of the trust fund to pay benefits.

In 2035 the Social Security trust fund will be depleted. Without action social security benefits will be reduced by roughly 20% and decrease every year thereafter.

These are the basic facts that for some reason the left refuses to acknowledge. The Social Security Administration has been extremely clear on what's happened, happening and going to happen for decades and yet Congress refuses to act and for some unexplainable reason many in the media refuse to acknowledge basic math.

I'm not sure why nearly everyone in the mainstream media continue to tell their decreasing audience with such absolute confidence that Social Security it's NOT going bankrupt when their own print media is saying just the opposite?

PS It's interesting to note that the original law implicitly stated that social security numbers would not be used for identification. Reminds me of 15 days to flatten the curve. Are we still really that stupid?

Where is the Picture of President Biden's Classified Documents?

Happy rainy winter and welcome back from the holidays and your winter vacations. For me Iceland in the winter and Northern Ireland not being an armed camp was pretty awesome. There is so much news going on and with the Twitter files being exposed the woke class seems to finally be getting some much needed corrective feedback. Yet it's obvious they are hopelessly looking for yet another story to bash Trump.

If you still have any lingering doubts the FBI is beyond corrupt the photo of classified documents laid out on the floor of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence is proof positive the very core of the FBI is rotten. In what scenario is the FBI leaking the photo of "evidence" not criminal? Then the stories that the documents contained nuclear secrets is laughable but yet lapped up by the Trump deranged media and Biden supporters.

Roger Stone's early morning SWAT team takedown with CNN cameras rolling is yet another obvious example of a corrupt FBI yet ignored. You might as well tag on the FBI giving Trump Advisor, George Papadopoulos  $10,000 in Israel only to unsuccessfully shake Papadopoulos down for said $10,000 at the Dulles airport. Where did that money come from? Why hasn't this been exposed? Lastly, don't forget Trump's economic advisor, Peter Navarro's arrest at Reagan National airport that ended up with him being removed from his flight in leg irons?

The FBI's abuse of power and intimidation is decades old, well documented and continues unabated. Even as the FBI pays millions for false prosecutions and misconduct they continue the exact behavior that has cost them the trust of the American people. Trump followed all the proper protocols to declassify "Crossfire Hurricane" so the public could see just how corrupt the FBI's "Russian Collusion" investigation actually was and yet those documents have yet to be released.

To add insult to injury the last 1.7 trillion dollar omnibus spending bill rewarded the FBI with billions to build a new FBI headquarters. 

So the takeaway is if you hunt down and prosecute hundreds of January 6th protesters for trespassing and parading on federal property without any Congressional pushback you get rewarded with a new FBI building. My question... Why would the FBI stop?

PS Yesterday I renewed my Maine Notary appointment and once again took the oath "To support and defend the Constitution of the United States... So Help Me God." This is what prompted me to overcome my fear of writing anything negative about the FBI. That of itself speaks volumes about the present state of our deep state/permanent bureaucracy.

Ballots not Votes Stupid

The 60 million new voters added to the voting rolls in 2020 is the biggest Trump story that no one has talked about. The lack of journalism surrounding this unbelievable increase in voters is a story unto itself.

The 74.08% voter turnout is also unbelievable and also seemingly not worthy of discussion... Nothing to see here move on...

The 60 million increase in voters during a pandemic and the 74% turnout is frankly impossible without massive government intervention funded by massive amounts of private money.

Government registration efforts

Government ballot mailing

Government follow-up of outstanding ballots

Government curing of defective ballots

Government taking an active roll in "helping" voters vote

Hundreds of voter registrars switched from maintaining the voter rolls and conducting fair and efficient elections to being advocates of democracy in high density areas of battle ground states. This was the direct result of Mark Zuckerberg injecting $419 million into the 2020 election. 

Even when those grant dollars dried up or laws were passed prohibiting "grants" being given to government agencies to conduct elections the Zuckerberg effect lingered. Hundreds of voter registrars have effectively gone from maintaining voter rolls and conducting fair elections to being advocates of Democracy even if that advocacy results in poorly maintained voter rolls and poorly run elections. 

Republicans as usual are playing checkers while the Democrats play chess. The model of campaigning to explain why the other guy's ideas are bad and yours are good is as dead as Blockbuster. 

Finding out who is going to vote for you, making sure they are registered, getting a ballot in their hand, getting that ballot back, curing that ballot and banking those ballets as early as possible is the new model.

Historically this was done on various levels by the two big parties. On the macro level the Trumpers likely registered 15 million new voters in 2020 and gained 11 million more votes than 2016 which was an all-time record. This was crushed by the Democrats registering 45 million new voters and gaining exactly 15,429,987 votes which was also a new record.

Mathematically the election was over before election day. The secret sauce was the funding and mobilization of government agencies to do the work of the Democrat party. Like a war crime, it wasn't illegal the first time but now in many areas of the country it's illegal to give "grants" to voter registrars and other government agencies to impact elections.

The proof in this story is how the red wave failed to materialize in areas of the country where laws were not passed to stop government agencies from being de facto agents of the Democrat party. 

In Pennsylvania the efforts to bank votes were so massive the election was over hours after the polls closed. In contrast Florida voter harvesting was crushed so effectively that Governor DeSantis won by almost 20% which hasn't happened since statehood in 1845.

The idea that you can put forth a quality candidate with the right message, reach the people and get them to vote for you in greater numbers than the other candidate is history. The future is here and the future is big tech, data mining, counting and banking ballots.

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PS If you want to understand how FL went from historically blue to deep red (Governor DeSantis' margin of victory almost doubled that of any Republican in Florida's history) over the last few years here is one of the reasons:

On May 6, 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed SB90 into law, establishing that "any person who distributes, orders, requests, collects, delivers, or otherwise physically possesses more than two vote-by-mail ballots per election in addition to his or her own ballot or a ballot belonging to an immediate family member (except as provided in ss. 101.6105-101.69 including supervised voting at assisted living facilities and nursing home facilities as authorized under s. 101.655) has committed a misdemeanor of the first degree."

RV-14A Update #4

Horizontal Stabilizer Completed

Wrapped up the horizontal stabilizer right before our last EAA-87 meeting and it's hanging over the man cave shop now. Lots of lessons learned and both Leo and Nick inspected my work and have advised me to keep building.

Had one issue of inadvertently using a #40 die set in my pneumatic rivet squeezer when I should have used a #30. This involved 28 rivets of which 12 got drilled. Some where not perfectly centered and needed replacement. Others were just easy to replace being near an edge. I emailed Van's and they gave me the "shouldn't be a problem" response. Add that to "build on" from my three tech counselors and I'm not at all worried.

However, as a triple check I very carefully drilled out two rivets and inspected how they actually looked. The Mothership's advice appears spot on as the rivets looked perfectly formed with the exception of the halo.

Mrs. Keith's suggestion that Russ start answering the phone "Van's Tech Support" was pretty funny but sadly true. It's hard to explain how much fun a 58 year old man is having turning a box of parts, some of which you have to partially manufacturer into something that's going to be able to pull +6 -3 g's, fly 1,200 miles at 200 MPH up to 18,000 feet.

Build On!

Dave Beemer, EAA-87 VP, Single Engine Land, Instrument Rated, 800 hours, 13 aircraft & Experimental Test Pilot.

Secretary-General Guterres How Hot is a Burning Planet?

Over and over politicians keep saying our planet is on fire, burning up or will end in so many years, etc...

The last over the top exaggeration was from Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres on September 20th, 2022.

"A cost-of-living crisis is raging. Trust is crumbling. Inequalities are exploding. Our planet is burning..." 

What is wrong with these people?

So I was talking to a guy named DS. We have known each other for a few years and he's worked for the government for the last 30+ years. Let's put it this way he will fly to Australia, give a brief and fly back due to security concerns. He told me that upon President Biden taking office everyone in his building was required to sign a document saying they would not publicly disparage the President or the executive branch in any way. Crazy how the Left says the Right is totalitarian when in fact the Left is doing what the Left has done for centuries.  

I digress... DS and I both agree the climate is changing and the Earth is warming. We both agree that ocean levels are rising but he thinks that's a good thing while I'm in the camp it's rising so slowly as to be a non-issue and warmer in man's history has always been better.

Years ago I gave up trying to determine the Earth's temperature. The problem is fraught with scientific manipulation and is more an art form than science. I wrote a blog that showed eight of the most prestigious scientific organizations all coming up with different global temperatures.

It's hard to believe but none of them were the same. The range of global temps differed by up to .55 degrees Fahrenheit. FYI that's a lot! That's right I couldn't find a consensus of the current global temperature let alone a future global temperature and yet the science is settled.

If the scientific community can't agree what the temperature is now why would anyone think they can agree what the temp will be in 30, 60, 90 years? Thus I went looking for something else to help me determine if the climate was changing because of man.

I concluded the data we currently collect was inconclusive at best and too easily manipulated or as NOAA would say normalized. So how do you measure the worlds temperature and man's input in a way that is definitive and not subject to manipulation? 

Above all I'm looking for a measurement that can't be "normalized" and finally I settled on Sea level rise.

Why?

Because try as "they" might scientists can't normalize or fudge historical written tidal records that go back thousands of years all over the world let alone records that can be reconstructed to the last ice age maximum over 20,000 years ago. Bottom line, tidal gauges don't lie. More heat less land ice and more water in the oceans thus the oceans rise. Even more responsive is warmer oceans equal higher ocean levels because water expands as it warms.

Result of my study.

The world has recorded directly or indirectly ocean levels for the last 20,000 years. More than 600 years of station data are confirmed to still exist in paper form from the America's and Pacific nations alone. For the last 450 years sea level rise has been consistent and doesn't show signs of "ramping up" which indicate man's contribution to the world's CO2 levels has yet to increase the temperature of the planet in a "bad" way.

If you engage a climatologists and ask them to point out the "signal" of man's contribution to climate change it invariably becomes an interesting conversation. Not the knee jerk reaction that the world is burning but a more nuanced discussion of the greening of the planet, feedback loops, solar radiation cycles, Earth's orbital changes, water vapor, clouds, cosmic rays, deep ocean cycles, etc...

So is the world warming? Absolutely, technically we are still in the Palestine ice age and have very recently (geological time) seen the melting of the massive continental glaciers. My study indicates that for the last 450 years sea levels have been rising more or less consistently at 8 inches per 100 years. 

More importantly since 1950 the slope of this rise has not shown ANY increase. As of yet the slope does not show an upturn or better yet a non-liner swing up showing that man hasn't yet made a measurable impact upon the planet. Furthermore, like my friend DS I will be happy to see an uptick because a warmer planet has historically been a more productive planet and maybe my home in Maine will eventually have food wagon's and ice cream vendors year around.

In summery, ocean level rise is well documented for thousands of years has been steady for the last 450 indicating, Antonio Guterres notwithstanding the world is NOT burning up.

Let it go - Orange Man Gone

Your right... I don't get it. 

Regarding January 6th: 

"Anyone with the intent to stop that process was wrong. Protesting it. Fine. Physically stopping. Wrong" 

Okay so I absolutely agree with this statement. However, what do you think was the intended outcome of the "nut" jobs attacking the Capital police and Capital? 

Did they want to get into the Capital? I think it's fair to say yep.

Why? I honestly don't know.

Did they want to burn the Capital down like the "mostly" peaceful protestors who burned whole city blocks and countless businesses during the summer of 2020? I think that's an obvious NO because they didn't start any fires. 

Did those trying to get into the Capitol have guns? Zero firearms confiscated on January 6th would indicated that's a big NO. The only shot fired that day killed a unarmed protestor. 

Note: One son who didn't attend Jan 6th turned his dad in for having a gun on the Capital grounds but saying it was an armed insurrection is a lie that will not die an continues to be a democratic talking point the President Biden says over and over.

Did the protesters believe they could stop the count and keep Trump in office? Maybe, because clearly there are some really stupid people who got sucked up in the narrative which I blame not only on Trump but on the Media.

No matter how you slice it 2020 was not the most secure and democratic election in American History. Slowly the facts are coming out. For example in 2020 43% of ballots cast were by mail and 26% voted early but magically the historic ballot rejection rate fell from 3% to .3% which is mathematically impossible without intervention which means millions of votes that would have normally been rejected got "cured" and counted. Thank you Mark Zuckerberg...

My gut tells me President Biden's anger is connected to him finding out that more and more people are starting to figure out his victory was not as clear cut as the left wants everyone to believe. 

Joe Biden ran an undergrown (basement) campaign while the FBI created at worst or allowed to continue a cloud of Russian Collusion over Trump. The media made up and promoted the Afghanistan bounties and The Atlantic's "Suckers and Losers" stories. Social media and the MSM buried the Hunter's laptop story and conspired to drag a dementia ridden Biden across the finish line. 

Thanks to Molly Ball we know how Zuckerberg's $429 million was spent to create a shadow campaign against Trump. What Zuckerberg's folks did wasn't illegal because no one could imagine anyone doing what was done. When you consider hundreds of cellphones were tracked in the vicinity of multiple ballot drop boxes at all hours of the night over and over and another piece of the puzzle comes into focus. Why would anyone want to manipulate the outcome of an election? Seriously who really cares? Money and the belief that Trump is the next Hitler are likely the two driving forces behind what we are now learning.

I didn't know until recently that the FBI is THE federal government agency responsible for investigating federal elections and claims of voter fraud. Unfortunately, it's now clear this is the equivalent of having the fox investigate what happened to the missing chickens.

It's interesting to note that as President Biden's poll numbers fall the leaks and whistleblowers have started to surface. People from the justice department are coming forward in unprecedented numbers to blow the partizan whistle which has also resulted in the AG putting out an unprecedented memo threatening justice department employees if they go directly to members of Congress.

I think the 2022 midterms are going to be a shit show. If 2022 ends up as a Republican landslide the trust in Media will continue to erode as polls are showing the Democratic Party will maintain control of the Senate and might keep Nancy Pelosi as speaker. Polls and media buzz are being used to depress donations to Republicans and reduce volunteer support. It happens every election cycle but just like Charlie Brown we continue to think Lucy is not going to pull that football away at the last minute.

Polls showing close races as clear Democratic wins happen every election cycle and is a form of media voter suppression. It's been happening every election for years and it's like we all have collective mass amnesia. Why Republican's can't recall that the last time the media got it wrong in favor of the GOP was Dewey is beyond me. The more important the race the more the media and polls will be just wrong.

Having the nation on whole vote on the 1st Tuesday of November is a thing of the past and in many states the vote has already started or is getting ready to start. This is NOT what the old white guys who founded the nation wanted. They knew that the voting on one day using the secret ballot would produce the best results. We inherited this process from the English and it worked well for us for over 250 years. Even before Covid the Dems were pushing HR-1 and they absolutely want to change how American votes... WHY?

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How anyone could possibly believe the transition of power was going to be stopped via a mob at the Capitol is beyond belief. Thinking that Mike Pence was going to be killed by unarmed protesters yelling hang Mike Pence is just dumb. The Chairman of the January 6th committee say police officers (yes multiple) died because of the riot was a bold face lie. No one was beaten with a fire extinguisher yet this false narrative resulted in a flag draped coffin lying in state in the nation's capital and millions of American's still don't know that officer Brian Sickneck died of natural causes on January 7th. 

Only Trump supporters died on January 6th. One was shot, two middle age overweight men died of heart attacks likely caused by flash bang grenades and one woman was beaten senseless by a female police officer and then was crushed by the mob.

"The Justice Department says that more than 800 defendants have been arrested in relation to the Capitol riot, including over 250 defendants charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement officers. No one has been charged with murder." Senior FBI officials testified, under oath that Jan 6th was not a coordinated attack. I'm good at picking up info from lots of sources and I do my best to get info from primary sources... I'm not lazy and I take this entire matter very seriously. January 6th casts a  black cloud upon Republicans but it doesn't come close to the carnage, roughly $2 billion in damages and the two dozen deaths during the riots of 2020... Thanks but no thanks to BLM, Antifa and the Leftist progressive movement that continues to threaten out democracy.

The Axis of Evil - BLM, Antifa & Leftists

The 2022 YTD Mass Shooting Narrative Lie

Stanford University MSA Data Project identifies a mass shooting when three or more persons are shot at one location, at the same time, excluding the shooter. Organized crime, gangs and drug war shootings are also excluded as mass shootings.

The narrative that mass shootings are out of control and increasing every year is media hype. This narrative is not only wrong, it's dangerous. People don't fear good people with a gun they fear bad people with a gun. If we take guns away from good people, then the only people with guns will be bad people... Right?

Think about the most powerful weapon in history. The nuclear bomb which can kill millions in a flash. And yet, American's don't fear Great Britain, France or Israel who all possess nukes? Why? They are the good guys.

Some in America want only the government to have guns which would no doubt massively reduce gun violence! The problem with that is history and what eventually happens given enough time. 

People have been killing people since the first caveman clubbed his neighbor to death. During the 20th Century the ability to kill increased exponentially and tragically more than 100 million people were murdered at the hands of "their" government. Mao, Stalin and Hitler win the gold, silver and bronze. 

The founding fathers knew that a well regulated Militia was necessary to the security of a free state. One could reasonably argue that gun ownership is essential to our Democracy aka Constitutional Republic.

So what about the widely quoted 250+ mass shootings so far this year? Well that's just BS being pushed by every Democrat, some Republicans and most of the media. Simply put it's NOT true. 

"22 weeks into the year, America has already seen at least 246 mass shootings" Insider

"233 mass shootings have happened so far in 2022" The Hill

"US has seen more than 200 mass shootings in 2022" News Nation

"From Uvalde to Buffalo and now Maryland, there's been 254 mass shootings in 2022" Herald Mail

These headlines are just a sample from the last 30 days. It's just media bull and if you're willing to spend 15 minutes looking at the data you can figure this out for yourself. Typically Wikipedia sucks when it comes to anything political but in this case they nail it. If you apply the FBI's or Stanford Universities definition of a mass shooting to all shootings listed for 2022 there have been 10 "mass shootings" not 250.

In some cases seemingly one death would qualify as a mass shooting. In the past the data required multiple deaths. So why the change? That's easy, the Left wants ONLY the government to have guns and if a few bad guys also have them and use them on the unarmed then that's just the price we all pay to reduce mass shootings in America. It seems the illusion of safety, the gun free school zones, etc... are what the left craves when reality is screaming just the opposite!

Actually even these mass shooting numbers are inflated. Mother Jones adds a very important qualifier to their calculations. To be counted as a mass shooting it must be in a public place and indiscriminate. Now you're getting at the real number which in 2021 totalled six mass shootings that resulted in 43 deaths. Compare that to millions of potential (I would say inevitable given enough time) deaths if you disarm America and I'm a little less sad about the loss of life. It's tragic but it always makes me wonder why the 16,000+ gun related homicides each year hardly receive any national coverage. Don't those victims have families?

Note: I'm absolutely OK with raising the age to possess any "Semi-Automatic" weapon to 21 or even 25 IF underage possession would automatically be charged as a felony and a minimum of one year in prison. You're underage and get caught with a semi-automatic weapon you're going to prison for a year. Run public service ads, prosecute these kids and maintain a website with the picture of every young person arrested, when, where and how and I can only conclude gun crime will plummet in the inner-city. 

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Afterthought: Sometimes I randomly stumble onto something that makes me ponder. Did Ben Franklin yell out: "A Democracy, if you can keep it."? No he did not but the Left knows words have power which is why their "Narrative" is "Democracy" versus "Republic". I wish the Democrats and the media would remember that America is a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC which is very different than a democracy. 

Learn About Guns Before You Ban Them

It's so obvious that most anti-gun activist, politicians and members of the media know basically nothing about guns. From the "Gun Show Loophole" false narrative, the lie that the "Assault Weapons Ban" in the 1994 Crime Bill worked to "journalists" going on and on about the "kick" of the AR-15. The disconnect between knowledge, reality and rhetoric is deeply troubling.

However, as of late a few suggestions by the left have resonated with me. Specifically, increasing the age limit to own a semiautomatic weapon. Kids typically have to pass a basic safety class to fire a gun let alone own one. I for one still proudly have my Minnesota issued gun safety sew-on badge. I don't know why but it seams firearms safety training coupled with live firing seems to drastically reduce the odds a person will become a criminal, let alone a mass shooter. 

In addition the study of gun deaths in the US versus European countries is pretty conclusive... Guns are part of the problem but unfortunately we would have to confiscate all guns to reduce gun deaths commensurate to that of Europe. Only if private gun ownership was illegal will gun involved crimes and suicide deaths drop to what other Western countries experience.

When an an elected official talks about the "AK-15", ghost guns, multiple rounds in a split second, AR-15 round being multiple times faster than other rounds, etc... those with any military background or gun knowledge just roll their eyes. Passion without knowledge is wasted and counter productive but it doesn't stop the Left from spewing nonsense. Without basic gun knowledge the ability to influence gun owners with anti-gun arguments falls upon death ears.

I believe the five rights enshrined by the 1st Amendment are worth fighting for and the 2nd Amendment gives the people the ability to do so. It's seems basic, but it's kinda a big duh the founding fathers understood this and the order of the Amendments in the Bill of Rights isn't happenstance.

It's important to put death and tragedy into context. Tragically this year over 100,000 people will overdose and die. Another 40,000 will die in car crashes. Sadly 6,000 vets will kill themselves for reasons we are just now starting to understand. Finally, on average each day 42 people will be murdered with a gun. 

There are over 136,000 schools, colleges and universities in America and every year a few of these "soft" targets are attacked and on average a dozen or so innocent students and teachers will loose their lives. It's all very sad but the public seemingly forgets the 500+ that die tragically EVERYDAY in America.

Things to TRY as a nation:

- We might raise the age to own a semi-automatic weapon to 21 or even 25.

- Maybe make it a felony with a minimum of one year in prison for anyone under 25 to possess a semi-automatic weapon.

- Absolutely change "Gun Free Zone" laws to allow concealed carry by those with state issued concealed carry permits.

 

- How about increasing training and add actual range time in order to obtain a conceal weapons permit for those without prior police or military experience.

Obviously gun free zones haven't work and I would argue they have actually backfired and created killing zones. Concealed carry requires finger prints, back ground checks, mental health checks and training. Banning these people from schools, movie theaters, etc... has been a resounding failure and yet the sound of gun free zones makes people feel safe? Bad guys don't give a crap about gun free zones. This is beyond obvious but ignored by the Left and liberals who don't know better.

Here is the rub. It's clear to me the left is more concerned with the optics and maintaining this issue into the midterm elections while paying lip service to their base. The Right is paranoid of the slippery slope we all witnessed in 2020. Fifteen days to flatten the curve my ass... Never again!

Lastly, school shootings are beyond heinous but has anyone pondered they may in fact be the price we collectively pay to prevent even a greater loss of life measured in the MILLIONS. Think Mao, Stalin, Hitler and the carnage we are witnessing in Ukraine. 

Far fetched? Maybe, but it's been said:

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known, is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well taught lessons of how they and their lifetime must do the same and if you and I don't do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America where men were free." Ronald Reagan, January 5th, 1967