Media lack committment to newsworthiness

One thing that continually amazes me about the national media (from whom we have some right to expect ethical and professional behavior) is how we are bombarded, on the national level, with items that are not newsworthy.  Both the left- (ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, HLN) and right-leaning  (FOX) are guilty.  As many have noted, entertainment and news have become dangerously intertwined.  That's one of the reasons why we have so much soap opera crap passing for news.  Another reason is ideological bias.  Anything that is consistent with that ideology and makes the opposition and those who have been demonized (e.g. George Zimmerman, NRA) look bad, will be published/broadcast no matter how much it lacks in newsworthiness.  Further, the media and much of the public seem to be obsessed with celebrities.  Is it really newsworthy what Barbara Streisand, Oprah Winfrey or Ted Nugent thinks about some issue? (See "newsworthiness,"  "News propaganda" and "News values" on Wikipedia)  A recent example brings this home.  Is it nationally newsworthy that George Zimmerman may be having marital problems? Given how the left has demonized Zimmerman, we are probably in for a lot more of this crap about Zimmerman. When are the American people going to realize that the media is dumbing them down and manipulating them through propaganda.  When are the American people going to demand real news presented in a balanced fashion?   When are people going to start thinking for themselves rather than just parroting their favorite ideologically corrupted news source?

Nullifying federal gun laws--a constitutional delusion and dangerous distraction.

A few states have passed laws which purport to nullify new federal gun control laws that allegedly violate the Second Amendment. I appreciate these officials standing up for the Amendment, but these laws are symbolic only.  Nullification is a  constitutional delusion.  It is contrary to the Supremacy clause in Art VI of the Constitution, and has never been (and never will be) endorsed by the U.S. Supreme Court.   The way to defend the Second Amendment is to vote for federal officials who respect the right and bring lawsuits.  President's nominate Supreme Court Justices and the Senate must approve them.  The Second Amendment individual right hangs by one vote in the U.S. Supreme Court.  This is where the real battle will be fought  Anyone who relies on nullification statutes will  lose, and it being distracted from the real fight.

New Texas gun laws effective Sept. 1.

Although Texas government, like most, has many faults, being anti-Second Amendment is not one of them.  This article lists new gun laws, most of which take effect Sept. 1.  I do not like the law reducing the number of training hours.  CHL holders need more on self-defense law, interacting with law enforcement, etc.    Concealed carry in campus buildings did NOT pass.

Fort Hood mass murder gets death penalty

Major Hasan sentenced to death. "Because of the high profile and heavy toll of the Nov. 5, 2009, attack — more than 40 people were killed or wounded — Major Hasan is likely to become the first American soldier in more than half a century to be executed in the military’s death chamber at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The execution would require presidential approval."  Many have argued that the death penalty will turn him into a martyr for extremists.

30 day sentence and judge's comments in rape case spark outrage.

Where do they find these judges?

Home invasion thwarted by armed, elderly homeowner

This is armed, lawful, defensive behavior is what the Second Amendment was designed to allow.  Don't expect to see this on the liberal-dominated media.  Only the misuse of guns gets attention there. 

Another example of prosecutorial misconduct

Prosecutorial misconduct is involved in many convictions of innocent people.  Of course it also happens in the cases of persons who are probably guilty.    However, it too rarely comes to light.  Here, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit calls out the local U.S. Attorney's office.  " The opinion goes on to discuss the dangers to the credibility of the court system when the government bets that its repeated discovery violations will either not be discovered, or as here, not result in a reversal."

Another NYPD outrage

NYPD has secretly labeled all mosques as "terrorist organizations."  That "allows police to use informants to record sermons and spy on imams, often without specific evidence of criminal wrongdoing.  Designating an entire mosque as a terrorism enterprise means that anyone who attends prayer services there is a potential subject of an investigation and fair game for surveillance."  Welcome to Mayor Bloomberg's world.  This guy is not only a threat to the Second Amendment and Fourth Amendment, but freedom of religion and privacy are also in danger. 

TIH: Aug 28

On Aug. 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech during a massive  civil rights rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  This is one of the greatest speeches in American history. Although I don't agree with him on everything, Dr. King is in my "Hall of Fame" (on this blog)

1955	Emmett Till, an African-American teenager from Chicago, was abducted from his uncle's home in Money, Miss., by two white men after he was accused of whistling at a white woman. He was found murdered three days later.
1968	Police and anti-war demonstrators clashed in the streets of Chicago as the Democratic National Convention nominated Hubert H. Humphrey for president. Sen. Abraham Ribicoff: "Gestapo tactics" Chicago Mayor Richard Daley defends police Source: Dallas Morning News.

 

Lawful gun carrier harassment?

Although the officers got qualified immunity on most of the lawsuit, (Rabin v. Flynn, et. al) their actions seem excessive and, given that it happened in one of the strongest anti-gun states (Ill.) perhaps were harassment of a lawful gun carrier.   Read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. 

Joe Biden on Gun Control

Joe is really out of touch with reality.  He is the "no-brainer." Joe is one of millions who are looking for simple answers to very complex questions.

TIH: 1927, Sacco and Vanzetti

1927	Italian-immigrant anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed in Boston for the murders of two men during a robbery in 1920.  Today, the consensus appears to be that they did not get a fair trial and were victims of a national hysteria.

Teens kill jogger "for fun."

Bored teens kill for fun of it.  And some people think guns are the problem.

BLOGGER NOW RETIRED

I have recently retired from my position as a Professor of Criminal Justice.  I warned you that I was low tech.  I will edit/correct material on this home page as soon as I figure out how to do it.  Thanks for your patience. 

Wikileaker Bradley Manning sentenced to 35 years.

Some people think Bradley Manning is a criminal and/or traitor.  Others think he is a hero.  35 year sentence for him will be too short for some and too long for others.  I'm not sure.  I look at this as an act of civil disobedience and an illegal act.  Those who practice civil disobedience must be ready to pay the price--no matter how high as long as it's a legal sentence.

This guy is part of the problem: Americans who fear the Bill of Rights

Sad example of how little many Americans value their constitutional rights.  Obviously a bigger fan of Mayor Bloomberg than he is of the Constitution.  This guy shares the Right's dislike of the Fourth Amendment with the Left's dislike of the Second Amendment.  As if often the case, anti-gun also  means anti-Fourth Amendment as the amendment poses a significant barrier to attempts to enforce gun control laws.

Example of lawful self-defense with firearm

Successful, lawful instances of Americans using firearms to successfully and lawfully defend themselves rarely get mentioned by ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, New York times, etc., yet they occur thousands of times a year.  Here's an example from Iowa involving an escaped convict who invaded a home.  This is an example of why we have a Second Amendment.

N.C. to Pay over $12 Million to two wrongly imprisoned men

Misconduct by the NC State Bureau of Investigation proving costly to their victims and state.  These are not the first big payouts for NC SBI misconduct.

Whitey Bulger convicted

Former Boston Irish organized crime boss and long-time fugitive, James, "Whitey" Bulger was convicted of multiple offenses (murder, racketeering, etc.)  He had been the target of an intensive manhunt for years.

TIH: Aug 14, 1997, Timothy McVeigh sentenced to death

1997	An  unrepentant Timothy McVeigh was sentenced to death for the Oklahoma City bombing.

NYPD stop and frisk program unconstitutional. Bloomberg's obsessive hatred of guns leads to disregard for the law.

Mayor Bloomberg and NYPD in their misguided attempts to use stop and frisk to "get guns of the street," ran afoul of the Constitution.  The U.S. District Court ruled that the racial profiling involved violated the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Few observers were surprised.  Bloomberg reacted angrily, and self-righteously as usual when frustrated by the law.  The obsession with guns resulted in violation of the Constitutional rights of black New Yorkers.  Apparently, to some, this is a small price to pay to get the guns off the street.  A small look at life when the anti-gun ideologues are in charge.  Left-wing authoritarianism on display.

Gun Rights Victory from Mass. Highest Court

The Mass. Supreme Court overturned a bureaucratic attempt to terminate the Plaintiff's gun permit.   Another sign of continued vitality of the Second Amendment civil rights movement. Eternal vigilance and lawsuits are the price of liberty!

Attempt to disarm residents of public housing

Historically, people who live in public housing have been seen as easy targets for gun controllers.  This recent example is from Castle Rock, CO.  Fortunately, public leaders stepped in and protected 2nd Amend rights. Good job!

Disgraced Politicians and Defining Deviance Down

The fact that disgraced politicians Eliot Spitzer and Anthony Weiner have a chance to win upcoming elections is diagraceful.  The fact that S.C. voted disgraced former governor Mark Sanford into the U.S. House is absolutely mind-boggling. Although this kind of things has happened before, it continues to amaze me.  What is wrong with the political system and American electorate?    One interesting theory is Moynihans' defining deviancy down.  This article discusses the theory and the Weiner candidacy.

4th Amend takes a hit.

"In a significant victory for law enforcement, a federal appeals court on Tuesday said that government authorities could extract historical location data directly from telecommunications carriers without a search warrant.  The ruling is the first that squarely addresses the constitutionality of warrantless searches of the historical location data stored by cellphone service providers."  The 5th Circuit justified this under the theory that business records are not covered by the 4th Amend.  This is contrary to a prior state court decision. The Supreme Court needs to step in.  In these times of stress and fear, both the 4th and 2nd Amends are taking hit in the federal courts.

In Newtown, Conn. Gun Permits Surge

Looks like lots  folks in the community where the school massacre happened think that legal guns for protection are a good idea.  This is a badly divided nation.  Some people and most of the media, think guns, even in law-abiding hands, are a bad idea.  Others exercise their constitutional rights to go in the other direction.  I go with the latter.

New book on California Gun Laws

New book out on CA gun laws by a gun-rights attorney,  C. D. (Chuck) Michel.

2nd Amend takes another lower court hit; trends in gun laws

New Jersey's requirement that applicants show a justifiable need before getting a concealed carry permit was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.  What other constitutional or natural law right requires a showing of " justifiable need?"  Crime can sometimes be random.  This is a la-la land decision.  The Supreme Court needs to step in. 

The article also notes that the country seems to be moving in 2 very different directions in terms of gun laws.  (Are we becoming increasingly polarized about gun rights?  Hard to believe we can get any more polarized.  Just goes to show how little value many pols place on the Bill of Rights.)



"New restrictions on guns have passed in Connecticut, New York, Colorado and Maryland, all of which are led by Democrats. More states have moved in the opposite direction: Six states relaxed restrictions, including those on carrying guns into churches, schools or workplace parking lots.
In 1981, just three states -- Maine, Washington and Vermont -- let residents carry weapons in public without giving a reason. Today, about 40 states do.
The New Jersey case is Drake v. Filko, 12-1150, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (Philadelphia). The lower-court case is Muller v. Maenza, 2:10-cv-06110, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey (Newark)"

9mm better than .40 cal for Cops?

Sioux Falls PD moving from .40 to 9mm. The new 9's will apparently be Glocks also.  Their data suggests better accuracy, more rounds and comparable on impact and expansion.  Some disagree and this move appears to be against the trends.

Prison Populations Down for 3rd consecutive year

Sounds like good news, and reflects the generally declining crime rates.