May 29, 2024
May 28, 2024
No Second Amendment, No First: God, Guns, and the Government
Today’s Left endlessly preaches the evils of “gun violence.” It is a message increasingly echoed from the nation’s pulpits, presented as common-sense decency and virtue. Calls for “radical non-violence” are routinely endowed with the imprimatur of religious doctrine.
But what if such teachings were misguided, even damaging? What if the potential of a citizenry to exercise force against violent criminals and tyrannical governments is not just compatible with church teaching, but flows from the very heart of Biblical faith and reason? What if the freedoms we treasure are intimately tied to the power to resist violent coercion?
This is the long-overdue case John Zmirak makes with stunning clarity and conviction in No Second Amendment, No First. A Yale-educated journalist and former college professor, Zmirak shows how the right of self-defense against authoritarian government was affirmed in both the Old and New Testaments, is implied in Natural Law, and has been part of Church tradition over the centuries.
The goobermint didn’t ‘spend’ that money. It’s gone into their pockets via accounting slight of hand trick. Plus they think we’re stupid.
WATCH: CBS’s Margaret Brennan laughs in Pete Buttigieg’s face when he is unable to explain why only 7 or 8 electric vehicle charging stations have been built despite the Biden admin spending $7.5 BILLION to build chargers. pic.twitter.com/BmFK17Dk5O
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 26, 2024
— Declaration of Memes (@LibertyCappy) May 27, 2024
DEI and this is what you get. pic.twitter.com/RIxwhVoziS
— Sharemymind (@Hope_for_USA) May 27, 2024
Attacker shot and killed inside Carmichael apartment. Deputies say he was girlfriend’s ex
A man was shot and killed Sunday morning after Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies said he forced his way into a home and assaulted his ex-girlfriend’s new beau as the couple slept in their Carmichael apartment.
The shooting took place on the 5900 block of Sutter Avenue in the Sutter Crossing apartments when the man, described by deputies as an ex-boyfriend, forced his way into the home, according to Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called to the scene by the resident, who said that the man had broken into the home and assaulted him while he and his girlfriend were asleep.
According to radio dispatches reviewed by The Sacramento Bee, the male resident of the apartment called 911 just before 2 a.m., telling dispatchers that the intruder had “choked” him.
According to Gandhi, a fight ensued and the resident furnished a firearm during the assault and shot back at the intruder. According to audio dispatches, the resident had fired one shot from a handgun stored under his pillow, then he and his girlfriend escaped the bedroom and hid in the living room to call 911.
Soon after deputies arrived, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District personnel arrived on scene and pronounced the intruder dead, Gandhi said.
Many details of the encounter — including whether the firearm was registered to the resident — were unknown, Gandhi said, as homicide investigators combed the scene, though the woman did identify the victim as her ex-boyfriend. No arrests were made.
“A lot of this is still going through (the investigation process),” Gandhi said outside the otherwise quiet complex.
“Both the boyfriend and girlfriend, and everybody’s, been very cooperative. So, right now, they’re just kind of working through fact-finding. … There’s a lot of questions that still have to get answered.”
The identity of the man is expected to be released by the Coroner’s Office once relatives are notified of his death.
May 26, 2024
25 years ago, Mom passed away in surgery for a Aortic dissection. Time does not heal all wounds.
MILESFORTIS WILL RETURN.
Not-so-Heavy Metal: The Evolution of Lightweight Guns
In the earliest days of concealed carry, it was easy to understand the materials from which firearms were made.
A handgun was simply an iron tube into which powder and shot were packed, and this iron tube was fastened to a wooden handle. Attach some lockwork, usually also largely made of iron, and there’s your pistol.
It wasn’t until the first really popular repeating handgun — the revolver — hit the market that the material of the frame became important. The frame not only held the lockwork but also had two separate pieces attached to it: the cylinder and the barrel, both of which had to contain explosive forces and the passage of the bullet.
Some early revolvers used brass frames, either for reasons of economy or necessity. It was easier to machine-finish a frame from a brass casting than from iron or steel. As for revolvers produced by the Confederacy during the Civil War, iron was needed for more important things, such as warships and cannons. Iron and steel were definitely preferred, as they stood up to extended use with more-powerful charges without a firearm’s frame gradually stretching over repeated firings.
Narrative: Anti-gunners seek safety; pro-gunners care only about rights. Wrong!
Far too often when a media outlet reports on “gun violence,” the undertone in the article favors the viewpoint of gun grabbers, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
It’s the same basic premise in most news stories: A shooting somewhere prompts anti-gun legislators to pass “commonsense gun control,” but pro-gun lawmakers are simply not interested in passing “gun safety” reform because, well, rights are more important than safety.
The authors often even cite the misleading statistics promulgated by Everytown for Gun Safety or Brady United — both staunch gun-grabbing organizations.
Such was the case again with a story about House Bill 433, the ban on so-called “mass casualty weapons” that, if passed, would result in making nearly all semi-automatic handguns and rifles illegal in Ohio. Fortunately, that bill likely will go nowhere. Another recent example was a story on passing “safe storage” laws.
Speaking of legislation: BFA testifies in favor of SB 32, Sen. Shaffer’s bill to provide civil immunity
What’s getting in the way? According to the typical narrative, it’s extremism. What they’re saying, of course, is that we gun-rights advocates are installing too many pro-gun extremist Ohio legislators who put rights above safety and cater to the evil gun lobby.
I still say that it’s all up to Jill deciding just how much she like the FLOTUS grift.
Don’t Laugh: Here’s How Joe Could Pull Off a ‘Heroic’ Escape from the Brutal 2024 Campaign
It’s almost time for presidential candidates to sprint to the finish line in the 2024 race for the White House. Runners-up will walk away with a t-shirt and a sippy cup. Joe Biden’s already wearing the right shoes. He won’t be able to sprint in his Naturalizers, but there’s one way he could walk away — albeit stiffly — with a remnant of dignity and a great, though apocryphal, story for the family history books.
Now there are many ways that Joe could be tossed from the 2024 race. He could be unceremoniously blown out at his own Antifa convention in Chicago and replaced. His doctors could run out of that go-juice cocktail they fill him with before big events and he could implode more than usual in front of a huge crowd. Or he could leave like a family hero with some semblance of his dignity intact.
Some worry about Joe if he retires from public life. Look, if he gets out of the race he’ll be fine. For 50-plus years in politics, Joe would walk away with lovely parting gifts — and I’m not just talking about the ones he and Jill will steal from the White House and store next to the Corvette in the garage. Speaking of which, is he even allowed to drive that beautiful car anymore? Or is it now just Hunter’s ashtray?
Anyway, should Joe choose the dignified way out of the race which allows him to pretend he’s still a stand-up guy, albeit one who already looks embalmed, he is going to be just fine.
The goal of citizenship for all illegals is very clearly stated by the leader of the Senate.
For some reason, a lot of people still think this is some crazy conspiracy theory!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 25, 2024
Bud Anderson, last surviving World War II triple ace pilot, dies at 102
The last surviving World War II triple ace pilot died at age 102 this week, more than 75 years after serving in the U.S. Air Force and flying missions over Europe, the Washington Post reported.
Brigadier General Clarence E. Anderson, better known as “Bud,” died peacefully in his sleep on May 17, his family said in a statement on his website.
“We were blessed to have him as our father,” the statement read. “Dad lived an amazing life and was loved by many.”
Anderson is survived by his two children, four grandchildren and five great grandchildren. His wife, Eleanor, died in 2015.
Anderson, who was born in California and learned to fly at 19, served two combat tours during World War II, according to his website. He escorted heavy bombers over Europe from November 1943 to January 1945, flying 116 combat missions and destroying over a dozen enemy aircraft in aerial combat as part of the 357th Fighter Group, nicknamed the “Yoxford Boys.” He was the highest scoring ace in his squadron, according to his website.
Anderson’s other military service included serving as the commander of a squadron in post-war Korea and as the commander of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing during combat in Southeast Asia.
During his military service, Anderson earned 25 medals, including two Legion of Merits, 16 Air Medals and “many campaign and service ribbons,” according to his website. He has also been recognized as a fighter ace, or a pilot who has destroyed five or more enemy aircraft in aerial combat, three times over.
When not overseas, Anderson was a fighter test pilot and served multiple roles, including as the deputy director of flight test operations at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. In total, Anderson logged over 7,500 flying hours in more than 130 types of aircraft.
Anderson retired from the Air Force in 1972, and joined the McDonnell Aircraft Company and spent 12 years serving as the manager of a test facility at Edwards Air Force Base in in California. He retired fully in 1984, published an autobiography in 1990, and quit flying at 90 years old but continued to lecture on the topic and consult on computer flying games, according to his website.
Anderson was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2008 and the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 2013, according to his website. He received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2015. In December 2022, he was given an honorary promotion to Brigadier General at the Aerospace Museum of California.
While submarines were highly effective in the Pacific, submarine duty was very dangerous.
Legendary U.S. World War II submarine located 3,000 feet underwater off the Philippines
The final resting place of an iconic U.S. Navy submarine that was sunk 80 years ago during World War II was located 3,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, the Naval History and Heritage Command said Thursday.
The USS Harder, led by famed Cmdr. Samuel D. Dealey, earned a legendary reputation during its fifth patrol when it sunk three destroyers and heavily damaged two others in just four days, forcing a Japanese fleet to leave the area ahead of schedule, the command said. That early departure forced the Japanese commander to delay his carrier force in the Philippine Sea, which ultimately led to Japan being defeated in the ensuing battle.
But Harder’s fortunes changed in late August 1944. Early on Aug. 22, Harder and USS Haddo destroyed three escort ships off the coast of Bataan. Joined by USS Hake later that night, the three vessels headed for Caiman Point, Luzon, before Haddo left to replenish its torpedo stockpile. Before dawn on Aug. 24, Hake sighted an enemy escort ship and patrol boat and plunged deep into the ocean to escape.
Japanese records later revealed Harder fired three times at the Japanese escort ship, but it evaded the torpedoes and began a series of depth charge attacks, sinking Harder and killing all 79 crewmembers.
The “excellent state of preservation of the site” and the quality of the data collected by Lost 52 allowed the Navy’s History and Heritage Command to confirm the wreck was indeed Harder.
“Harder was lost in the course of victory. We must not forget that victory has a price, as does freedom,” said NHHC Director Samuel J. Cox, U.S. Navy rear admiral (retired). “We are grateful that Lost 52 has given us the opportunity to once again honor the valor of the crew of the ‘Hit ’em HARDER’ submarine that sank the most Japanese warships – in particularly audacious attacks – under her legendary skipper, Cmdr. Sam Dealey.”
Harder received the Presidential Unit Citation for her first five patrols and six battle stars for World War II service, and Cmdr. Dealey was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. During his career, Dealey also received a Navy Cross, two Gold Stars, and the Distinguished Service Cross.
Taylor, the Lost 52 Project CEO, previously located other submarines lost during World War II, including the USS Grayback, USS Stickleback, and USS Grunion. Taylor received a Distinguished Public Service Award from the Navy in 2021 for his work.
The Naval History and Heritage Command said the SS Harder wreck “represents the final resting place of sailors that gave their life in defense of the nation and should be respected by all parties as a war grave.”
Other famed warships have been found in the waters off the Phillipines. In 2015, U.S. billionaire Paul Allen located the wreck of the Musashi, one of the two largest Japanese warships ever built, in the Philippines’ Sibuyan Sea.
Last September, deep-sea explorers captured images of three shipwrecks from World War II’s Battle of Midway, including the first up-close photos of a Japanese aircraft carrier since it sank during the historic battle in 1942.
May 25, 2024