Why No Purple Hearts for Fort Hood Victims?

Why not?

When it comes to combat action, anyone who has been there can tell you that combat action takes all sorts of forms.

On the morning of November 5th, 2009, a combat situation took place when a Muslim insurgent, a terrorist, a jihadist, our enemy, opened fire in a vicious attack specifically designed as an ambush to kill as many U.S. soldiers as possible at Fort Hood.

Muslim jihadists are usually motivated with the ultimate aim of spreading Islam worldwide.  Jihadists use international Islamic terrorism, guerrilla warfare, and terrorist attacks - all in the name of their prophet Muhammad and Allah.

The Jihadist insurgent at Fort Hood was supposedly one of their own.

At approximately 1:34 pm local time, Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army Major who served as a Psychiatrist entered the Soldier Readiness Processing Center where he worked, a place where personnel receive routine medical treatment immediately prior to and on return from deployment.

He was armed with the FN Five-seven pistol, which he had fitted with two Lasermax laser sights: one red, and one green. He was also armed with a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, but was not used.

According to eyewitnesses, Nidal Malik Hasan, the U.S. Army Major who turned Muslim Terrorist, had taken a seat at an empty table and bowed his head for several seconds before suddenly standing up and yelling "Allahu Akbar!" while he opened fire.

Witnesses said Hasan initially "sprayed bullets at soldiers in a fan like motion" before taking aim at individual soldiers. Eyewitness Sgt. Michael Davis said, "The rate of fire was pretty much constant shooting. When I initially heard it it sounded like an M16."

A shooting victim being transported to a waiting ambulance Army reserve Captain John Gaffaney attempted to stop Hasan by charging him, but was mortally wounded before he could reach him.

Civilian physician assistant Michael Cahill also tried to charge Hasan with a chair, but was shot and killed. Army reserve Specialist Logan Burnette tried to stop Hasan by throwing a folding table at him, but he was shot in the left hip, fell down, and crawled to a nearby cubicle.

His intent was to target U.S. Soldiers!

According to testimony from witnesses, Nidal Malik Hasan, the U.S. Army Major who turned Muslim Terrorist, passed up several opportunities to shoot civilians - but instead purposely targeting soldiers in uniform.

At one point, Hasan reportedly approached a group of five civilians hiding under a desk. He looked at them, swept the dot of his pistol's laser sight over one of the men's faces - then turned away without firing.

Base civilian police Sergeant Kimberly Munley, who had rushed to the scene in her patrol car, encountered Hasan in the area outside the Soldier Readiness Processing Center. Major Hasan fired at Munley, who returned fire using her 9mm M9 pistol.

Munley's hand was hit by shrapnel when one of Hasan's bullets struck a nearby rain gutter, and then two bullets struck Munley - the first bullet hit her thigh, and the second hit her knee. As she began to fall from the first bullet, the second bullet struck her femur, severely shattering it and knocking her to the ground.

Hasan then calmly walked up to Munley and kicked her pistol out of reach.

As the shooting continued outside, nurses and medics entered the building, secured the doors with a belt and rushed to help the wounded.

According to the responding nurses, the blood loss inside the building was so heavy they were unable to maintain balance, and had difficulty reaching the wounded to help them.

In the area outside the building, Nidal Malik Hasan, was not done yet. He continued his attack by shooting at fleeing soldiers. The enemy was certainly there that day.

Civilian police Sergeant Mark Todd arrived and shouted commands at Hasan to surrender.

Todd later said, "Then he turned and fired a couple of rounds at me. I didn't hear him say a word, he just turned and fired."

The two exchanged fire, and Hasan fell after being hit by five shots from Todd - who then went to Hasan and kicked his pistol out of his hand and away from the maniac. As Hasan became unconscious, Todd placed him in handcuffs.

Hasan wanted to commit Mass Destruction!

An investigator later testified that 146 spent shell casings were recovered inside the building. Another 68 casings were collected outside, for a total of 214 rounds were fired by either the attacker or the responding police officers.

A medic who treated Major Hasan's wounds said that Hasan's pockets were full of pistol magazines.

When the shooting ended, he was still carrying 177 rounds of unfired ammunition in his pockets, contained in both 20- and 30-round magazines.

As a result of enemy action that day, which lasted about 10 minutes, 30 people wounded and 13 killed. All in all, 12 soldiers and one civilian. Eleven died at the scene, and two died later in a hospital.

Initially, three soldiers were believed to have been involved in the terrorist attack. Two soldiers were actually detained, but who were subsequently released.

The Fort Hood website posted a notice indicating that the terrorist attack was indeed -  not a drill.

Immediately after the shooting, the base and surrounding areas were locked down by military police and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID) until around 7 pm local time. In addition, Texas Rangers, Texas DPS troopers, deputies from the Bell County Sheriff's Office, and FBI agents from Austin and Waco were dispatched.

Later, President Obama was briefed on what took place and immediately put their political machine into gear to play down the Muslim terrorist attack and depict it as a simple workplace shooting incident. I still don't understand why the Obama White House made such a concerted effort to play down the role that Hasan's Muslim faith played in his decision to kill American soldiers?

It's as if Obama just refused to acknowledge that this was an act of Islamic terrorism.

Fact is, by his own admission, Army Major Nidal Hasan waged "jihad" against American soldiers that day. So whether the Obama administration wants to call a spade a spade or not, fact is that it was a Muslim terrorist attack on our military.

The jihadist attack at Fort Hood is no different than the thwarted Muslim terrorist attack on Fort Dix. The 2008 terrorist plot to attack Fort Dix was stopped and led to the arrest and conviction of  "The Ft. Dix Six" which was a homegrown Muslim terror cell of immigrants here from Jordan, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

Fact is, Nidal Hasan's jihadist attack resulted in the first massacre of American troops on U.S. soil by Muslims in the War on Terrorism.

Fox News program "The Enemy Within" interviews Survivors.

Survivors of the Fort Hood massacre say they expected Army Major Nidal Hasan, to "come in and finish the job," according to exclusive interviews to broadcast on "Fox Files: The Enemy Within."

"I saw the muzzle of the weapon pointed at me about six feet away," Pvt. George Stratton III told Fox News in his first TV interview since the November 5th, 2009, Muslim terrorist attack that killed 13 and injured more than 43 others.

Private Stratton, who had just turned 18 years of age at the time of the attack, said the Readiness Center was turned into a battlefield bathed in blood as the wounded crawled to the exit doors to trying to save themselves.

"As soon as I got out the first set of doors, I got up to my knees, pushed the other door open and kneed my way out, and I got up to my feet," he said.

Stratton, who needed his family’s permission to enlist at the age of 17, thought he might be safe until he heard a soldier cry out that the shooter was following the wounded.

"He's coming around the corner with the gun, he's shooting and killing people," Stratton said. "I just sat there - felt helpless - felt hopeless waiting for this person to come in and finish the job."

Staff Sgt. Shawn Manning was shot six times, with one bullet narrowly missing his heart.

Manning said, he had sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States against all enemies Foreign and Domestic. Manning paused as he described the shooter.

"Domestic enemy, I mean, that’s what this was," Manning said. "He might have wore the uniform, but he wasn't a soldier. He didn't act like a soldier. He tried to kill soldiers. I mean, he was an enemy - plain and simple."

When it came to Hasan, Manning said, there was a double standard. Hasan wrote emails to radical American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki - seeking advice on reconciling his Muslim faith with serving in the Army.

Believe it or not, this fact was known to the FBI - but they did nothing about it.

And yes, Manning has a point here when he says, "You could lose your security clearance in the Army for having bad credit and be kicked out of the Army. But you can't lose your security clearance for talking to a member of Al Qaeda, through e-mail. I mean, it doesn't make any sense."

The Awards!

On November 5, 2010, one year later, 52 individuals received awards for their actions in the shooting.

The Soldier's Medal was awarded to 10 soldiers, one of which was Captain John Gaffaney, who died attempting to charge the shooter.

The Soldier's Medal is an award of the United States Army.  Per Army Regulation 600-8-22, the criteria for the Soldier's Medal are as follows: "The Soldier's Medal is awarded to any person of the Armed Forces of the United States or of a friendly foreign nation who, while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, distinguished himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy."

Granted that the Soldier's Medal is a honor to receive, it is held to be equal to or greater than the level which would have justified an award of the Distinguished Flying Cross had the act occurred in combat.

Any American service member who is eligible for retirement pay will receive an increase of 10 percent in retirement pay, if the level of valor was equal to that which would earn the Distinguished Service Cross.

The Soldier's Medal is the highest honor a soldier can receive for an act of valor in a non-combat situation. 
 
But friends, this was a combat action no different than if it took place in Afghanistan or Iraq or wherever else our troops are in harm's way. This was an enemy attack.
 
This is no different than when Sgt. Hasan Akbar, of the 101st Airborne Division, attacked Army Captain Christopher Seifert and Air Force Major Gregory Stone, as well as wounding 14 fellow soldiers in March 2003 in Kuwait at the beginning of the war in Iraq.
 
That attack occurred at Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait, a rear base camp. There, Sgt Akbar threw four hand grenades into three tents during the early morning when the majority of troops were sleeping - and then opened fired on his fellow soldiers with his rifle during the ensuing chaos.
 
The situation in Fort Hood is no different in circumstance, just location.
 
Thankfully, the Secretary of the Army Award for Valor was awarded to police officers Kimberly Munley and Mark Todd, for the roles they played in stopping the shooter.

On May 23, 2011, the Army Award for Valor was also posthumously awarded to civilian physician assistant Michael Cahill, who died attempting to charge Major Hasan with a chair.

So why no Purple Hearts?

Why haven't the Soldiers wounded or killed in that terrorist attack received Purple Hearts?

The Purple Heart differs from all other U.S. military decorations in that an individual is not "recommended" for the decoration. It is strictly based on whether he or she is entitled to it upon meeting specific criteria.

Per United States Army regulation 600-8-22: the Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of the Armed Forces of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after April 5, 1917, has been wounded or killed.

Current active duty personnel are awarded the Purple Heart upon recommendation from their chain of command, stating the injury that was received, and the action in which the service member was wounded.

The award authority for the Purple Heart is normally at the level of an Army Brigade, Marine Corps Division, Air Force Wing, or Navy Task Force.

While the award of the Purple Heart is considered automatic for all wounds received in combat, each award presentation must still be reviewed to ensure that the wounds received were as a result of enemy action.

Despite calls from some members of Congress, none of the wounded or murdered soldiers from the 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood - the action in which the service member was wounded or killed - have been awarded the Purple Heart.

In my opinion, this should be corrected. It needs to be made right!


Story by Tom Correa

Random Shots - Molester Beaten to Death, IRS to use Million for Obamacare, SF Bicyclist Charged with Manslaughter, USS Enterprise, and More!

FIRST SHOT!

Molester Beaten to Death by Texas Dad Identified, Disturbing New Details Released

On a previous Random Shots, we talked about a Texas man who killed a pedophile who was trying to molest his daughter. We didn't have much in the way of particulars other than that the incident took place.

Now the man who was beaten to death by a Texas dad for trying to molest his 5-year-old daughter has been identified by authorities.

Previous news reports had identified the girl as a 4-year-old, but her age was corrected by Lavaca County authorities in a press release Friday, obtained by the Victoria Advocate.

Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon said that the father killed Jesus Mora Flores, age 47, from Gonzales, Texas.

The sheriff said Flores was not in the U.S. illegally and was in possession of a green card also known as a permanent resident card. Investigators have been working with Mexican Consulate officials to locate his family, the news release revealed.

Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon. (Source: co.lavaca.tx.us)

Harmon previously indicated that it is not likely that the 23-year-old father, who has not been identified to protect his daughter, will face any criminal charges. It seems even less likely in light of some new details that have been released.

On June 9th, the killing occurred in Mt. Olive, Texas, near a barn where some horses were being kept. The adults were shoeing a horse while the little girl and her brother went to feed chickens, KPRC in Houston reports.

The two kids’ grandfather later said the boy returned and told him that his sister had been taken away by a man (Flores) who apparently dragged her behind some bushes on the property. Immediately the Texas dad went out looking for her, calling her name. KPRC reportedly spoke with the family.

Soon, he heard the sound of his little girl’s screams and rushed to find her. When he did, he says Flores was molesting his daughter.

The dad yanked him off of her and repeatedly struck him in the head and neck with his fists, ultimately killing him. Flores, an acquaintance of the father, had been hired to help tend to some of the family’s horses.

But it is now clear that the father walked into a even more horrifying scene than previously known.

"When emergency medical personnel arrived, Jesus Mora Flores‘ pants and underwear were down and the man’s genitals were exposed," Harmon was quoted saying in the press release, as reported by the Victoria Advocate.

There has been no evidence that has conflicted with the father’s account of the events, Harmon said. The dad was reportedly very remorseful and told investigators he did not intend to kill Flores. Further, the sheriff said the father and his family have cooperated with authorities.

"Despite all the other factors involved, this is still a homicide investigation," Harmon explained.

Now the Texas dad’s fate is in the hands of a grand jury who will hear his case and decide whether he will face any charges.

"Sheriff Harmon made the right decision in not arresting the father at the time of the incident," Lavaca County District Attorney Heather McMinn said.

Harmon said, in his eight years as sheriff, he has only investigated six homicides. The autopsy on Flores won’t be done for several weeks, the Advocate reports.

"This case has been very traumatizing on the child, her father and his entire family," he added.

One less scumbag is a good thing for the world, but it's a shame that it has to come at such a heavy cost to those involved. I can only hope and pray that time wipes the little girl's mind clean of this horrible act.

SECOND SHOT!


IRS to Use $881 Million Taxpayer Dollars to Implement ObamaCare

The Internal Revenue Service, the IRS, has stated that it is expecting to use $881 Million in Taxpayer Dollars to put into place the first four years of ObamaCare.

That includes more than $500 Million that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) diverted to the agency. This is according to a new federal audit.

The new Government Accountability Office audit calls ObamaCare a "significant effort for IRS," CNS reported on Friday.

The IRS "implementation costs" are expected to total $881 Million from fiscal years 2010 to 2013, it says.

The $881 Million cost only covers work through 2013. However, the IRS has implementation work planned through 2018, so the total cost could be much much higher.

Of the $881 Million, $521 Million will come from the HHS Health Insurance Reform Implementation Fund (HIRIF), which Republicans criticize as being nothing but a "slush fund." The remaining $360 Million is to come from IRS's 2013 budget request, expected to be awarded through the Congressional budget process.

Health Insurance Reform Implementation Fund received $1 Billion from Congress to implement the health care overhaul. The GAO has said that transferring of $521 Million from that to the IRS is legal.

As of the end of fiscal year 2011, IRS had received $187 Million of the HHS money, according to the audit. The remaining $332 Million is expected to come by the end of this fiscal year.

As of April 27, however, about $135 Million of that amount had been awarded.

So if ObamaCare is struck down by the Supreme Court, all of this hidden Taxpayer Dollars will be wasted.

I know people don't like it when I call Democrats a bunch of Jackasses, but this really is what you get from liberal Congressmen and women who say crap like "We have to pass it into law before we can find out what's in it."

I'd wager they wouldn't be so fast to act like that again if they thought the law they didn't want to read called for Congressional salary cuts!

THIRD SHOT!

Republican Fear of Liberal Millionaires Spurs Romney Donations


With all of the news about Obama running around the country attending Million Dollar Hollywood fundraisers, lobbyist, special interest groups, and such, Republicans are now trying to play catch up.

Yes, Obama actually raised $15 Million from big money Hollywood liberals on a single weekend in May. That was more money than Romney brought in for the entire quarter at that point. I read where Obama has almost ten to fifteen times the money that  

This sort of news has finally put fear in Republicans across the nation. And now, as a result of the word getting out that Obama has raised more than ten times the money that Romney has - Republicans are now pouring money into the effort to elect Mitt Romney and congressional Republican candidates. 

And don't think our dollars aren't being used toward the fight to unseat Obama, because it is. In fact, we are waging a coast-to-coast attack right now -  taking aim at swing states and President Obama.

It's a fight for air time because the Democrats have Hollywood money, environmentalist money, lobbyist money, Teachers and SEIU and Big Labor and Auto Workers Union money. And yes, they have money coming in from all sorts of fringe groups both in America and over-seas. I've read where all sorts of money was raised for Obama in 2008 from wealthy Socialist in Europe and Foreign Oil to make sure we don't drill here.

It's pretty hard to fight all that cash!

With the money Republicans are getting in, the National Republican Congressional Committee has started advertising in districts from California to Massachusetts to protect our House majority.

"What we've said from Day One is we’re going on the offensive across the country against House Democrats," committee spokesman Paul Lindsay said Thursday.

He also acknowledged that efforts to defeat Democratic Congressional candidates are inevitably connected to the President.

"It's clear House Democrats are going to have to deal with the toxicity of President Obama’s agenda," Lindsay said.

The reserved ads - from the NRCC’s independent expenditure arm - could go into as many as 25 Congressional districts and either target vulnerable Democrats, or help Republican incumbents in tough challenges.

The committee could shift the spending among the district or change amounts - just as House Democrats could with the $32 Million in reserved ads they announced earlier this year. And yes, in case you're wondering, they do have a lot more money now!


FOURTH SHOT!

Cyclist Chris Bucchere faces Manslaughter after Killing Pedestrian in San Francisco

For anyone who has tried to get through the streets of San Francisco knows how tough it can be. It is a mess, and yes, driving in just about any other city in America including New Yolk City is easier than dealing with the craziness in San Francisco.

Now add bicycles, lots and lots of bicycles, and you get absolute mayhem.

They run red lights, they slap and beat on your vehicle, they cut you off, flip you off, and I've actually had a bicyclist call me all sorts of thing before kicking my truck and zipping off in front of traffic. Yes, they think they own San Francisco.

As I said, anyone who has been there knows, they run red lights because they feel the traffic laws don't pertain to them. I have personally witnessed pedestrians being knocked down without so much as taking a moment out to see how they were doing.

Well on March 29th, 2012, Chris Bucchere, age 36, ran a red traffic light and plowed into 71-year-old Sutchi Hui in a crosswalk with his bicycle. On April 2nd, 2012, Sutchi Hui died because of the injuries he got from being plowed into.

Now San Francisco prosecutors said they would file felony vehicular manslaughter charges against a bicyclist who hit and killed Sutchi Hui who was a pedestrian.

The case has become what some are calling a flash point over the debate regarding bicyclists' in the city by the bay. The manslaughter charges, unusually stiff for what the liberal left is calling just a "bicycle accident" are long overdue. 

An arrest warrant was issued for Chris Bucchere, who will be arraigned early next week, said San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, adding that the manslaughter charges are unusual for an incident that would usually be treated as a misdemeanor.


"I'm hoping this case serves to raise awareness that rules of the road apply to everyone," Gascon said in a news conference Thursday.

For people who have had to drive in San Francisco for one reason or another, it is common knowledge that the bicyclists there have a lot of clout with the city. So for this to actually be happening is pretty amazing!

FIFTH SHOT!

California Can Expect Blackouts This Summer When San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant Go Offline

Southern California utility officials are warning that blackouts in the region are almost a certainty this summer as a result of the sidelined San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant.

The plant is likely to remain sidelined until at least the end of August while inspectors probe excessive wear in tubing that carries radioactive water, the plant's operator said Thursday.

The officials say that if a heat wave hits while the twin-reactor Nuclear Plant is offline, rotating blackouts are very much a possibility.

Utilities have been scrambling to find replacement power as a precaution, including restarting two retired natural gas-fired plants in Orange County.

Southern California Edison said in a statement that the company plans by the end of July to submit a plan to Federal regulators to restart the Unit 2 reactor, where damage to tubes in its steam generators has been less severe than in its twin, Unit 3.

A proposal to restart either reactor must be approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and that review could take weeks - or months - OK, maybe even longer since it is an election year and the Environmentalist lobby has a great deal of politically clout with the Obama administration.

Southern California Edison spokeswoman Jennifer Manfre said it's likely the plant between San Diego and Los Angeles will remain shuttered at least through August.

The trouble began to unfold in January, when the Unit 3 reactor was shut down as a precaution after a tube break. Traces of radiation escaped at the time, but officials said there was no danger to workers or neighbors. Unit 2 had been taken offline earlier that month for maintenance, but inspectors later found unexpected wear on hundreds of tubes in both units.

Gradual wear is common in such tubing, but the rate of erosion in some tubes at San Onofre alarmed officials since the generators are relatively new. The company has said 1,300 tubes will be taken out of service, although the number is well within the margin to allow the generators to keep operating.

The company has found that the tube wear is being caused by vibration and friction with adjacent tubes and bracing, but inspectors have yet to say why that's happening or how they will fix it.

Southern California Edison initially targeted a June restart for at least one of the twin reactors. A tentative plan called for restarting and running the seaside reactors at lower power, at least for several months, because engineers believe that will ease vibration that could be eroding tubes.

The NRC has said there is no timetable to restart the reactors, which were replaced in 2009 and 2010 in a $670 million overhaul.

About 7.4 Million Californians live within 50 miles of San Onofre, which can power 1.4 Million homes.

Presure from anti-Nuclear environmentalist groups have been putting pressure on Congress, as well as Sacramento and the surrounding communities. The environmentalist want San Onofre to shut down permanently.

The Irvine City Council urged the NRC to thoroughly review safety conditions at the plant before it is considered for re-licensing in 2022.

The plant is owned by SCE, San Diego Gas & Electric and the city of Riverside. The Unit 1 reactor operated from 1968 to 1992, when it was shut down and dismantled.

Back in the early '90s, I had the opportunity to work at San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant when I was still doing inspection work. I can say without hesitation that Southern California Edison is a good company and really does have the safety of the public and its employees as the company's top concern.

SIXTH SHOT!
 
Dallas County expands spraying for West Nile Virus
 
Out of Dallas, Texas, comes a report that says that you can expect to see trucks spraying for West Nile virus on a regular basis in North Texas.

Mosquitoes carrying West Nile have already been found in Plano, Denton, and Dallas County. And in fact, Denton County already has a confirmed human case of West Nile.

Mark Funderburk is a pest control expert and says he's dealing with the mosquitoes already. "There's a lot of water around and the environment is really good for mosquitoes", he said.

"We're getting calls about it but we're not spraying yet so we won't be doing that until we really get calls for that", Funderburk said.

Mosquitoes infected with West Nile can cause encephalitis making a person feel like they have the flu. In some cases it can be fatal.

The mild winter and regular rainfall has led to an early mosquito season. Normally, the threat of West Nile shows up in middle of summer.

In March, David Jefferson with Tarrant County Public Health told CW 33 "human cases which fortunately has been very low the last few years usually show up toward the end of the summer, August, September.”

In Dallas County, spraying started last week and will continue through Tuesday morning of this week if the weather holds up. South Dallas and portions of Oak Lawn are the target areas.

In the meantime, there are ways to protect yourself - such as avoiding being outside in the evenings are late at night when mosquitoes are most active, getting rid of standing water even small amounts, wearing the proper clothing like long sleeve shirts, and use a  mosquito repellent.

But if you must be outside, Funderburk said "the best thing that I tell them to do is use mosquito repellent. That's the most effective way to keep mosquitoes off you as a person."

I recommend that an insect repellent containing DEET should be used. Use it on exposed skin surfaces when mosquitoes are around. DEET is the most effective and best studied insect repellent on the market - and with a remarkable safety profile after 40 years of worldwide use, you can feel safe using it.

There are low absorption formulations of DEET that are available. It is preferable to use a DEET concentration of not more than 35%.

When applying DEET, care must be taken to avoid allowing the repellent to contact the eyes or mouth.

Remember that preventing West Nile Virus is a two step process - mosquito reduction and personal protection.

As for your horses, I would not drag my feet and immediately contact my Veterinarian about West Nile Virus vaccinations for my animals.

LAST SHOT!

70th Anniversary of Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway took place on June 4th, 1942. That battle cost America many lives.

Two years before D-Day in 1944, the Battle of Midway's heroic drama was critical in that the outcome would turn the tide of World War II in the Pacific. Victory was a must, and it came at a heavy cost.

Seventy years later, among the places where commemoration ceremonies took place. One special place was in the Arabian Gulf aboard the USS Enterprise.

On June 4th, 2012, Sailors and Marines aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN -65) again showed their metal by participate in a memorial ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Midway.

 

  

It is a special sort of anniversary for the crew of the USS Enterprise. The previous USS Enterprise (CV-6) played a key role in the Battle of Midway.

The Battle of Midway began on the morning of 4 June 1942, when four enemy Japanese carriers, unaware of the presence of U.S. naval forces, launched attacks on Midway Island.

Just three hours after the first bomb fell on Midway, planes from the U.S. carriers attacked. Enterprise launched her aircraft for what would be a failed attack using torpedo bombers. But soon after that, dive bombers from the Enterprise attacked and sank the enemy Japanese carriers Kaga and Akagi.

Later in the afternoon, a mixed squadron of Enterprise and Yorktown bombers destroyed Hiryu. Aircraft from Yorktown also sank the Soryu.

During the Battle of Midway, the Yorktown and Hammann were the only American ships sunk. Task Force 16 and 17 lost a total of 113 planes, 61 of them in combat, during the battle.

Japanese losses were much larger: four carriers, one cruiser, and 272 carrier aircraft. Despite losses to her aircraft squadrons, Enterprise came through undamaged and returned to Pearl Harbor on 13 June 1942.

She would see a lot more action before the end of the war. She was bombed and actually had a Kamikaze dive into her deck, but she survived.

After World War II, Enterprise was one of many ships used to shuttle troops home. In 1947, she was decommissioned. 

In November 1961, her name was revived with the commissioning of USS Enterprise (CVN-65), the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Upon commissioning, various artifacts and mementos, including porthole from the previous Enterprise was kept aboard. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed the "Big E".

At 1,123 feet, she is the longest naval vessel in the world. Her 93,284 long tons displacement ranks her as the 11th heaviest Super-Carrier, after the 10 carriers of the USS Nimitz class.

She has the distinction of being the only ship of her class, and the USS Enterprise is the second oldest commissioned vessel in the United States Navy -  after the wooden-hulled three-masted frigate USS Constitution.

The USS Enterprise has a crew of some 4,600 people. She is right now deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts, and of course support missions such as close air-ground support for troops on the ground as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

She is scheduled for decommissioning in 2014. Until then, we can rest easy knowing that she is still on guard.

Yes, I agree with those who say that today her Sailors and Marines continue to set the standard for excellence aboard a legend that began more than two centuries ago with the first Enterprise.

I pray her crew is blessed with Fair Winds and Following Seas! 

Story by Tom Correa

Random Shots - World Less Thrilled With Obama, Anal Educators in New York, Obama Fraud, and Much More!

FIRST SHOT!

World Less Thrilled With Obama Now


Yes, the world around us is finally recognizing what we see! Countries around the world that hailed Barack Obama when he first took office in 2009 are no longer so keen about the president, a new survey finds.

A Pew Research survey of 21 countries shows that global confidence in and attitudes toward the United States have slipped since Obama moved into the White House. The biggest drop in approval of Obama’s foreign policies occurred in China, where it plummeted from 57 percent in 2009 to 27 percent now, the Global Attitudes Project survey revealed.

The survey found Europeans still remain largely confident in Obama, albeit somewhat less so than in 2009. In Muslim countries, however, the public remains highly critical of Obama, In Japan, confidence in Oabma’s policies dropped from 77 percent in 2009 to 58 percent today,

In nearly all countries, more than half the public disapproves of the Obama administration’s use of unmanned drones to take out terror suspects. His ineptness is affecting their economies and subsequently their households. He stands for nothing other than Black rights, Socialism, and Muslim appeasement. 

The rest of the world, like most Americans, sees Obama as setting Race Relations in America back 50 years. And yes, people are tired of his constant playing of the Race Card at every turn. 

His nemesis the Tea Party doesn't give a shit that he's black, his policies are what they can't accept. Why can't he understand the difference between disagreeing with someone over substance? Why can't Obama stop making it into something that it is not about?

Sorry, Mr. President but no one really cares that you're half black. They care about the fact that you have shown open disdain for us, our way of life, our form of government, and our culture. You have openly embraced America's enemies and tried taking credit for what troops out in the field facing real danger are doing to keep us safe.

As for Obama's love of Socialism, most of the real world -- sans college kids who have wealthy parents -- has had about a belly full of Socialism. The system of government being our lord and master doesn't appeal to anyone with half a brain in their head. In fact, even Communist China has had to talk to Obama about the benefits of Capitalism.

As for Muslim appeasement, he's sold out all of our allies -- including the only democracy in the Middle East just so he can be "popular". He reminds me of a girl that I once knew in college that would play one person against the other just to be "liked". 

Maybe we should make it mandatory that our President is secure with himself, and has no mommy/ daddy issues before they assume the office of president? Obama, the poor bastard, seems to be loaded with all sorts of conflicts - black, white, racial, religious, economic, and ideological!

SECOND SHOT!

Top Global Accounting Firm says U.S. Debt Crisis "Bigger Than You Think"

What is the real cost of the U.S. government's nearly $16 trillion debt? "The debt crisis is likely bigger than you think," a new report issued last week by Deloitte, one of the world's largest accounting firms, concluded.

That's because interest payments add a whole new level of fiscal pain to the country's debt problem. Interest payments on the national debt alone, it noted, are expected to total some $4.2 Trillion over the next decade. And that number could fluctuate depending on rates.

The lead author of the Deloitte study, director Bill Eggers, stressed the way that U.S. government debt could quickly spiral out of control if investors become less willing to lend more money. "If interest rates go up by simply 3 percent over the next decade, the additional cost to the Treasury, just for interest payments, would equal the peak combined cost of the wars in both Afghanistan in Iraq," he said.

So what can the huge amount of $4.2 Trillion Taxpayer Dollars buy instead? Deloitte, an accounting and consulting firm that often audits government finances, says it's enough to do all of the following:

Build 80,000 miles of highways; Pay tuition for every science/math/engineering college degree in the country; Triple U.S. government general R&D funding; Build six international space stations; Offset 80 percent of global warming pollution in the atmosphere as recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report notes that the $4.2 Trillion could also be given back in the form of tax cuts. Imagine that!

What a concept! Give the money back to the people! Nope, they'll never go for it! 

Not all economists are on board with the implications of the study. "The major holders of government bonds are agencies and individuals within the U.S.," Robert Stonebraker, an economics professor at Winthrop University, told Fox News. "So if you pay $1 Trillion in interest on the debt, a lot of it will go back to Americans anyway."

But Eggers noted that a lot of the interest payments do go overseas. "If you look at the interest payments going to foreign countries, soon we're going to be spending enough to essentially finance the Chinese military," he said. Currently, foreigners own some $5 Trillion in U.S. government bonds, $1 Trillion of which is owned by China. 

Some criticized the report's ideas. "I think they're overhyping the need to fix the debt crisis in the short run," Stonebraker said. "If the economy recovers, a lot of the debt will go away automatically. There wouldn't be as much need for unemployment benefits, food stamps, Medicaid -- so a significant part of the spending would go away, and debt growth would slow on its own."

Stonebraker agreed with the Deloitte report that debt will eventually need to be dealt with, but said he disagreed on the timing. "It's not appropriate to cut spending during an economic slowdown -- that is exactly when you need deficit spending to stimulate the economy and get people back to work."

Other analysts say that the deficit should be brought under control quickly, and cite European countries that are cutting budgets as an example. "There are a whole set of economists who think that we need to bite the bullet and start making cuts now, essentially what the U.K. government is doing now," Eggers said. "The debt is not something that is going to go away the more time that goes by."

THIRD SHOT!

Bible-College Student Arrested In New York For Having Pocketknife

A student from a Pennsylvania Bible college was arrested and charged with a high misdemeanor for carrying a pocketknife at the subway station in Times Square during a visit to New York, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Clayton Baltzer, 19, who attends Baptist Bible College & Seminary in Clarks Summit, Pa., has paid a $125 fine and completed two days of community service for the March 27 offense.

He is becoming something of a poster child for "the prosecution of honest citizens carrying knives," Doug Ritter, chairman of the advocacy group Knife Rights, told the paper. Baltzer, a camping-ministry major who considers the arrest part of God’s plan, tells the paper that he's "never been in trouble before" and would use similar knives to whittle for children at special-needs camps.

Nevertheless, a few years ago, New York cracked down on illegal knives, the paper reported. Ohio's case law, meanwhile, leans toward not considering a common pocket knife a deadly weapon. The report said the arrest will likely drop from Baltzer’s record in a year, but that Baltzer may have soured on the Big Apple.

The paper reported, he said, "I don't plan on visiting New York unless I have to." 

And honestly now, would you blame the guy if he never went back? I wouldn't.

FOURTH SHOT!

NYC principal bars students from singing 'God Bless the USA' at graduation

From the New York Post, on June 12th, 2012: A New York City principal has pulled the plug on patriotism by preventing students from singing "God Bless the USA" at their graduation.

The decision has sparked fireworks at a school filled with "proud immigrants." 

What the hell are "proud immigrants"? If they are so proud of where they came from, then ask them to go back! This is a fallacy. No one leaves anywhere that they can't be away from being away from. Pride in another culture that is not our culture means that you have no desire in assimilating into American society. 

Greta Hawkins, principal of PS 90, the Edna Cohen School, will not allow kindergarten students to belt out the beloved Lee Greenwood ballad, also known as "Proud to be an American," at their moving-up ceremony. Five classes spent months learning the patriotic song, which skyrocketed in popularity after the 9/11 attacks and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It was to be the rousing finale of their musical show at the June 20 commencement. The kids, dressed up for their big day, would wave tiny American flags -- which, as the lyrics proclaim, "still stand for freedom."

But Hawkins marched in on a recent rehearsal and ordered a CD playing the anthem to be shut off, staffers said. She told the teachers to drop the song from the program. 

"We don't want to offend other cultures," they quoted her as explaining.

These people are the ones screwing us up! Other cultures? Why can't these people understand assimilation? Cultural assimilation supports and promotes the assimilation of cultural and ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. In this case, the melting pot we call America.

The term assimilation is often used when referring to immigrants and various ethnic groups settling in a new land. New customs and attitudes are acquired through contact and communication. The great part about America is that it has always been the case where each group of immigrants contributes some of its own cultural traits to the new society - and that's fine as long as they have no misgivings as to where they are. Assimilation usually involves a gradual change and takes place in varying degrees - full assimilation occurs when new members of a society become indistinguishable from older members.

Why do teachers, liberals, want a divided nation? It is happening here, in Great Britain, France, Germany, and really all over Europe. This whole concept of having one nation divided into hundreds of cultures - all divided among its people - is asinine. It encourages strive and dissension and violence.

And yes, besides being completely anal, to consciously encourage division instead of seizing the moment to instill some unity, divisiveness is criminal. Why can't liberal "educators" see this? Why are liberal "educators" all so dumb? If I could answer that, I'd cure the world's problems.

FIFTH SHOT!

Obama Fraud "Biggest Potential Crime" In U.S. History

Citizenry urged not to abandon "irradiated" eligibility issue. 

This is from World Net Daily, June 11th., 2012: In an hour-long radio interview on presidential eligibility, an award-winning journalist and author declared Barack Obama could be at the center of the “biggest potential crime in all of American history.”

Diana West, a columnist known for her boldness and penchant for eliciting dropped jaws, was interviewed Saturday by Frank Gaffney, founder of the Center for Security Policy, on his Secure Freedom Radio. According to the show’s promotion, "Despite the results of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Cold Case Unit, which found that both Obama’s birth certificate and Selective Service Registration card had been forged, Obama’s behavior in the ’08 elections and the very words of the Constitution itself, the government has not allowed for a thorough and fair investigation into the issue of Obama’s eligibility.”

West contends Americans should be investigating exactly what is going on. The nation is "looking at a great unsolved mystery, the greatest potential crime of all of American history," she told Gaffney. “What we’re looking at is a president of the United States whose documentation has not been presented, vetted, corroborated,” she said.

Gaffney noted that the subject has become "irradiated."

The issue has been raised in dozens of lawsuits and other legal challenges. Yet the courts and media have combined to make sure “this is a subject that does not make it into America’s living rooms and parlors,” West said. "It’s not considered polite conversation."

But according to documentation in some of the legal challenges, the potentially damaging consequences are unquantifiable. The issues that would arise should Obama be declared ineligible include the status of laws he has signed and the international agreements he has made?

West said determining Obama’s eligibility isn’t complicated; it’s a matter of the definition of “natural born citizen,” which is what the Constitution requires for presidents.

"This was a specific designation that was much discussed among the Founders in order to eliminate any possibility of divided loyalties in the commander of the American armed forces," she said.

She cited a 19th century U.S. Supreme Court case that determined a “natural born citizen” is the offspring of two citizen parents. Obama’s father, Barack Obama Sr., was in the United States only as a student and never was a citizen. West discussed a pending court case in Florida that raises the issue of the parentage of natural-born citizens.

She explained that the judge in that case already has noted that while critics of Obama have cited a legal definition for natural born citizen, supporters of the president have failed to cite a single instance to back their position. "The mystery must be solved," she said.

While serving as an editorial writer for The Washington Times, West began writing a regular column in 1999. It went to syndication shortly after Sept. 11, 2001. West won second place for editorial writing in the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association Contest in 2001. She left the Times in 2002 to write her first book, "The Death of the Grown-Up: How America’s Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization," by St. Martin’s Press.

Not one to shy away from controversial commentary, along with Obama’s eligibility, West explores such topics as Islam’s claim to be "a religion of peace," and society’s efforts to "protect" children from Mother’s Day.

SIXTH SHOT!

Texas Man On Trial In Stand-Your-Ground Case Facing Life

This is one of those stories that the liberal news media wants to use to depict all gun owners as being the same. This is a story of horrible needless lose to one family. 

Western Justice came to a retired Houston-area firefighter, as he now faces up to life in prison after a jury convicted him of murder after he gun down his unarmed neighbor during a dispute over a noisy house party. That's right, this guy actually shot someone over too much noise!

Raul Rodriguez, 47, argued he was within his rights under Texas' version of a "Stand-Your-Ground" law when he killed Kelly Danaher in 2010. The trial's punishment phase, which will include further testimony, was scheduled to begin Thursday. The report said that Rodriguez was angry about the noise coming from Danaher's home, where the family was having a birthday party for Danaher's wife and young daughter. Because of his anger over the noise, Rodriguez went to the home and got into an argument with Danaher, a 36-year-old elementary school teacher, and two other men who were at the party.

Actually, it was a lot worse than that. And to top it off, believe it or not, Rodriguez filmed it all!

In a 22-minute video that Rodriguez recorded the night of the shooting, Rodriguez can be heard telling a police dispatcher "my life is in danger now" and "these people are going to go try and kill me." He then said "I'm standing my ground here," and shot Danaher after somebody appeared to grab his camera. The two other men were wounded. Rodriguez's reference to standing his ground was his attempt to link his actions to the commonly known self-defense doctrine of the same name. 

But can you imagine this? This is what it sounds like to me: He goes over to their house with a gun and a video camera, then proceeds to bait them outside. In this case, he wanted them to come out into the street. Then, while the camera is rolling, he says his lines - and fires. That's what it sounds like to me.

I have no idea what makes people like this tick. I have no idea what he wanted to do with the video? What if they would have said, okay and shut their door? Would he have been disappointed? What if it were a kid who grabbed for the camera, who he have done the same thing?

No, this is totally unconscionable!

The victim's wife, Mindy Danaher, said she cried tears of joy and sadness after the verdict was read. "I'm just glad that he can't hurt anybody else. That's my main thing," she said outside the courtroom. "I love my husband and I miss him so much."

Rodriguez's attorneys left the courtroom without speaking to reporters. His family, who sobbed after hearing the verdict, declined to comment. His attorneys did not present any witnesses in his defense.

Jurors deliberated for about five hours after having received the case following closing arguments earlier Wednesday. During closing arguments, prosecutor Kelli Johnson said Rodriguez started the confrontation -- when instead of calmly asking Danaher to turn down the music -- he armed himself with a handgun and a camera and proceeded to harass people at the party. Johnson said in essence Rodriguez lured and provoked Danaher and two other men to come out onto the street and threaten them by brandishing his gun.

Rodriguez did have a concealed handgun license. She said Danaher and the two other men were unarmed and that Rodriguez's life was never in any danger.

Danaher's widow had told jurors her husband was not a confrontational person. "This is not what stand your ground is," Johnson said. "Stand your ground is something the law takes very seriously. The law makes it very clear" when the law can be used.

Texas' version of the law, which is known as the Castle Doctrine, was revised in 2007 to expand the right to use deadly force. It allows people to defend themselves not only in their homes but also in their workplaces or vehicles. What some people fail to understand, or simply try to conveniently disregard, is that the law also says "a person using force cannot provoke the attacker or be involved in criminal activity at the time."

Johnson said Rodriguez can't hide behind the stand-your-ground law because he provoked the confrontation and then brandished his weapon against an unarmed individual, which is a crime. 

But defense attorney Neal Davis said he doesn't believe Rodriguez did anything illegal. He said Rodriguez went to complain and was confronted by Danaher and the two other partygoers, and that he didn't pull out his gun until he was standing in the street and Danaher approached him in a threatening manner. "He had a right to be in the street. He was not provoking anybody. He was not engaged in any criminal activity. The stand-your-ground law is not only for home invasions. That's why the law was changed," Davis said. An acquittal of Rodriguez would not "say everyone in the city of Houston is going to turn into the Wild, Wild West," Davis went on to say.

Johnson told jurors prosecutors don't have any problems with guns in Texas. "But with that comes a lot of responsibility. It has to be used as a last resort," she said. 

For me, I've been around firearms for a lot of years, over 50 years really. I support "Stand-Your-Ground" laws, but it was not to be used like this. It angers me when I see something like this. People like this Rodriguez fellow foul our society. They poison the well of understanding that says self-defense has no limits when it is justified. 

Human nature being what it is, it seems that there will always be some jerkweed out there who will try to skirt or abuse or parse the law for their own advantage. Besides the loss of life here, it is a real shame that a law intended for use by wise and clear thinking citizens to defend themselves when they believe that their life or the life of another is in clear mortal danger -- can be twisted and used in this way.

The law states clearly, a person using force cannot provoke the attacker or be involved in criminal activity at the time. All over folks getting too loud at a birthday party? Give me a break! Why didn't he just call the police and let them handle it if he felt threatened? To try to bait someone into a fight in the street, then bring a handgun out and actually film yourself using it? It sounds wicked. It borders evil.

LAST SHOT!

Aging Ranchers And Farmers

American has a crisis on its hands that should be addressed with extreme urgency. Besides the problem of costs going up for Ag supplies and production, urban sprawl has reduced the land available to agriculture, shifting weather patterns have left southwestern states repeatedly parched, there is also another seldom talked about the problem facing American agriculture.

The problem that Ranchers and Farmers across the nation are facing in more and more numbers is that America's ranch and farm producers are aging. And yes, to add to the crisis, fewer young people are being drawn to ranching and farming for a living.

Right now the average age of American beef and farm producers is 57, and Ranchers and Farmers are focused on finding solutions. Along with Ranchers and Farmers, the USDA has started programs aimed at developing more farmers and ranchers - as well as boosting interest in locally grown food.

There are opportunities for agriculture-related jobs because global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows. America still feeds the world, and American Ranchers and Farmers ensure there are products to be shipped. 

They are an important weapon in America's ongoing battle to feed those who right now starve because they live under the yoke of a totalitarian government.

Story by Tom Correa

Random Shots - Florida Sues To Take Dead People Off Voter Rolls, Brits Cut Army Strength, Texas Dad Kills Daughter's Molester, and More!

FIRST SHOT!

State of Florida Sues Homeland Security Over Access To Citizen Database

Reported Monday, June 11th, 2012

The State of Florida sued the U.S. Department of Homeland security over access to a database to verify the citizenship of residents as the state seeks to purge non-citizens and dead people from its voter rolls, a spokesman for Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner said.

Florida claims DHS has refused to give it access despite repeated requests.

After the state filed suit, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas E. Perez slammed Gov. Rick Scott's move in a terse five-page letter.

Calling the state's program "faulty," Perez said the purge comes too close to elections and will endanger the right of thousands of lawful citizens to cast ballots, The Miami Herald reports.

Perez faulted Florida for ignoring warnings by the Justice Department to stop the voter purge. And he threatened a suit as well against the state.“I have authorized the initiation of an enforcement action against Florida in federal court," he wrote.

“The significant problems you are encountering in administering this new program are of your own creation,” Perez wrote.

“Your claim that the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security have worked in concert to deny Florida access to the SAVE Program is simply wrong,” Perez added. “Please immediately cease this unlawful conduct.”

"We have a right to this database,” Florida Gov. Scott said on Fox’s Your World Cavuto show, according to the Miami Herald. “It's supposed to be used for voting registration. I look forward to them giving us the database but, again, we don't' have a choice but to sue them this afternoon.”

Florida’s lawsuit is part of Scott and the state's effort to remove illegals and dead people from voter rolls. About 87 non-citizens have been found on the voter rolls so far, at least 47 of whom may have unlawfully cast ballots, according to the Herald.

Florida’s elections division started comparing a motor vehicles database against some citizenship information, acknowledging that that information can be out of date.

Florida initially believed some 180,000 people might be non-citizens. So far more than 500 people have been contacted on the list and most have been lawful citizens.

The Department of Justice ordered the state to drop the purge two weeks ago saying it likely violated voting laws, particularly the National Voter Registration Act, which bans voter purges within 90 days of a federal election.

On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the State of Florida in Federal Court to stop the purge saying it unfairly targeted minorities.

But wait, how many dead people are registered to vote in Florida?

Well, how about 53,000 dead people! Friends, that a whole hell of a lot dead folks!

That's right, 53,000! On May 17th, 2012, it was reported that as many as 53,000 dead people may be registered to vote in Florida.

When I told my wife about this, her first reaction was "That's crazy! Why can't they just remove their names? Those names aren't doing anyone any good unless you're cheating the system!"

When I told her that Florida Democrats don't want them removed, she just shook her head in disbelief. And yes, I'm sure that most people are shaking their heads because this is so hard to believe.

Why can't election just remove names who are null and void?  Well, that's the problem.

State officials are reportedly pushing local election supervisors to remove the dead voters as the critical 2012 elections near - but friends, Democrats simply don't believe that that should be done. 

They are counting on those votes. Yes, as weird as it sounds, Democrats are counting on the votes of dead people to get their candidates elected - which of course includes re-electing President Obama.

Empowered by an election law passed by the Republican controlled Legislature last year, officials also compared the rolls to federal Social Security files and reportedly identified more than 53,000 dead people still registered to vote, which officials also want deleted from voter rolls.

Democrat supervisors reportedly fired back at state officials asking how certain the state was about the thousands of names on the preliminary ineligible-voters list.

Florida Democrats are pushing to keep those 53,000 dead people on the voter rolls. I can't help but laugh at their argument not to take them off.

And no, no one's questioning the citizenship of dead people - no matter how the Democrats want to paint it.

For the Republican controlled Legislature, it is all about trying to eliminate voter fraud. For the Democrats, it is all about keeping their Democrat voters - no matter if they are dead!

As I see it, if the Democrats really need to keep 53,000 dead people on the voter rolls to keep Obama in office - they are in a real trouble - they have lost any sort of sense of right and wrong.

To regain any sense of integrity, they really need to CHANGE their way of doing business and be honest.

SECOND SHOT!

Firearm-friendly towns in Idaho lure gun makers

Yes, towns in Idaho are trying to lure gun manufacturers. Their goal is to get people working again.

“It’s gonna create some jobs,” says David Brown, mayor of Potlatch, Idaho. “We can stay here, our kids can stay here and live and work.”

Potlatch, in western Idaho, for generations was a mill town. In 1906, it boasted the world’s largest pine saw mill. Its lumber built cities all over the United States. But in 1981, with its mill obsolete, Potlatch Lumber Inc. closed the mill and, with it, the town’s identity.

PNW Arms, a high-tech ammunition company based in Seattle, was recently looking for a new home. Tired of the long drives to the shooting range to test their products, and of course the laundry list of government regulations on weapons makers from a anti-gun state, PNW Arms settled on Potlatch.

“We have a welcoming environment,” says William Lyon, vice president of sales and marketing at PNW Arms. “We’re able to bring on staff that is familiar with our kind of work, and our supply chain is a lot closer.”

About 58 companies that make either guns or ammunition are currently based in Idaho, and government officials throughout the state are targeting more.

The Commerce Department calls it "Rec-Tech". The state legislature is gun-friendly, passing a law that shields weapons makers from liability when their products are involved in tragedies. The goal is to poach gun makers from states where the industry is heavily regulated - or heavily hated.

Potlatch is just getting started. B.J. Swanson, Latah County’s economic development director, has had inquiries from six weapons makers in the past few weeks. She and other officials envision an industrial park on the site of the old mill. Artist drawings show the manufacturing plants surrounded by stores and restaurants catering to gun enthusiasts.

“Big, yes,” says Swanson. “To start off with, maybe small. Maybe a couple companies with 10 employees would be a great start, and we could expand from there.”

Mayor Brown says gun crime is not a concern. Firearms are already a way of life in Potlatch. “Every pickup in town, you’ll see a gun in the rack,” says Brown. He only sees opportunity.

“The guns are gonna be built someplace, why not here?” says Brown. “It’s controlled; we’re not having a lot of killings around here.”

Thanks to places like Idaho, America will prosper!

THIRD SHOT! 

The British Army is being forced to rely on Foreigners and Contractors?

Yes, that's what's happening in Great Britain these days!

Defense cuts will force the British Army to rely on foreign forces and private contractors for support and supply operations, according to Philip Hammond.

Philip Hammond is the current Secretary of State for Defence in the Coalition government led by David Cameron, having succeeded Liam Fox on 14 October 2011. He previously served as Secretary of State for Transport from 13 May 2010, when he was appointed as a Privy Counsellor. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Runnymede and Weybridge.

Hammond's remarks will add to Scottish fears for the future of infantry battalions such as the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5 Scots) and the Scots Dragoon Guards
The Defence Secretary will say that reforms in the Army structure will focus the shrinking force’s resources on its combat units.

The British Army’s "combat service support" operations including logistics will increasingly be provided by other organisations. Other organizations?

Reforms will also mean that regular Army units will always deploy to the front line with troops from an enhanced Territorial Army.

The British Army is being cut from 102,000 soldiers to 82,000 - and as well as shedding personnel, the British Army is also restructuring. That means that "some units inevitably will be lost or will merge," according to Hammond.

The regimental restructuring plan has raised fears for long-standing infantry units like the Black Watch

In a speech to the RUSI Land Warfare Conference, the annual forum for debating the future of the Army, Philip Hammond will ensure folks that the restructuring operation will retain the basic regimental structure of the Army.

The changes will "maintain the ethos, traditions and connections that are part of what makes the British Army so effective – particularly, a regimental system and regionally-focused recruiting."

Philip Hammond insists that ministers "value the history and the heritage because they deliver tangible military benefits in the modern British Army."

However, he warns that a smaller British Army means making "difficult decisions" - "difficult decisions" that mean the Army remains "capable and agile" in the years to come.

A significant part of the reform will be to focus resources on the "teeth" of the Army, the units that are trained and equipped for combat. The cost of that focus will be reductions in "tail" units providing supply, logistics and transport capabilities.

Those capabilities, Hammond suggests, will be increasingly provided by private contractors and Britain’s international allies.

The British Army, according to Hammond,  must be "thinking innovatively" about how combat service support is provided. Using more systematically the skills available in the Reserve and from our contractors. Working closely with partners to operate logistics more rationally through Alliance structures. Looking to others to provide the tail, where Britain is concentrating on providing the teeth."

As the regular Army becomes smaller, British ministers want to make more use of the Territorial Army. To maintain the Army’s ability to carry out its existing military tasks, ministers have said that the capability of Territorial Army reservists will be increased so Generals can rely on 30,000 deployable reservists by 2015.

So what does the British Army think of all of this?  Well, commanders in the regular British Army have serious doubts on that target, questioning the training and commitment of some reservists.

However, ministers insist it will be realized and Hammond will tell Army chiefs that the Territorial Army will become a "permanent" part of the Army's overall strength.

"The integrated Army concept means that light infantry battalions will be reinforced on deployment through a permanent partnership with reserve battalions," according Hammond.

So now my readers are asking why? Why would I put an article about the British Army in the American Cowboy Chronicles?

Well, it's because of the significances of what it means to America's long standing commitment to NATO and because Great Britain is our number one ally in the entire world.

Fact is, yes, we really do have a special relationship with Great Britain that obviously goes back to our beginning, but more so for the last 120 plus years as a military ally.
The idea that the British Army will scale back from 102,000 soldiers to 82,000 is one thing - but the bigger point is that they are going to attempt to privatize part of their Army.

As far back as you want to go, you will find out that Army's run, as Napoleon said, "on their stomaches". Sure the Army has a mission, but it's their supply chain and logistics that keep them going to make the mission a success.

Any hiccup in their supplies and logistics due to labor problems or otherwise by a private contractor could be a horrible thing to have happen. And don't think it hasn't in the past, because it has in America as recently as during World War II.

And yes, Union private contractors are the worse!

Even during World War II, the war itself couldn’t budge organized labor unions into concessions with their corporate counter parts - government contractor or not. Fact is that there were no public employee unions back then, the only unions were those dealing with private companies.

The AFL, CIO, United Auto Workers, and United Mine Workers viewed the war as an opportunity to build power - not to be part of the war effort.

As UAW boss Tom Di Lorenzo told the Washington Post back in 1943 in the midst of World War II, "Our policy is not to win the war at any cost."

Over the years, here in the states, I've seen all sorts of cuts to our military. Many years ago, I watched as Marines were removed from preforming the security duties at Alameda Naval base. They were replaced with civilian security personal. 

Later we Marines were placed on standby waiting for the call to resume the security at the gates - all because base security personal and the base authority were having problems over pay and benefits.

The civilian security couldn't strike, so instead many came down with what was called the "blue flu". It was an illness that made many of them call in sick. Their ailment only lasted until the base agreed to their demands.

These days, here in the states, the Obama administration wants to make cuts to our military as well as to Veteran Services. He wants to cut many branches of needed equipment and services available to the troops, including combat protective measures and certain insurances.

The Obama administration has talked about having returning Veterans find their own health care, even though they may be returning with Service Connected Disabilities.

There is talk that America should do like the British are doing in that we should privatize our supplies and logistics to save money.

Philip Hammond said: "Of course I regret that it has been necessary to make redundancies to deliver our plans for reducing the size of the armed forces. We inherited a multi-billion pound black hole in the defence budget which had meant the previous government had not been able to afford to properly equip our troops with the kit they needed. We've now brought the defence budget back into balance for the first time in a generation. We will have smaller armed forces but we will ensure they will have the protection and equipment they need."

The British term their cuts "redundancies". If it is true that they are cutting redundant jobs, then I'm all for it.

For a long time, I've felt that our own military is filled with redundancies such as every branch of our armed services having Special Forces sorts of units - why does the Air Force and Navy have Special Forces units when the Army and the Marine Corps has their Special Forces units?

The Army actually trains the Air Force Special Forces unit called AFSOC and the Marine Corps trains the Navy's Special Forces unit called the SEALs. All while the Army has it's Rangers and the Marine Corps has its MARSOC. 

That, my friends, is true redundancy!

As for saving money? Well, if the British are indeed cutting back of the redundancy of work in their supply and logistics - then it may save them some money.

But if the British Defence Secretary thinks that his government will save money in the long run by going with private contractors? I don't think private contractors can save the British money, just as I don't think they'd save us money if we tried something like that.

In fact, from what I know of government contractors - because I once worked for one - I don't see them trying to save taxpayers anything. In fact, it's been may experience that they do the opposite.

It would surprise me to find out the Great Britain's Philip Hammond didn't do some research on the history of why an Army or Navy does their own supplies and logistics. It would surprise me to find out that Philip Hammond doesn't understand that there are certain things that can't be trusted to civilian workers, or contractors, or private businessmen and women.

It would really surprise me to find out that he really thinks Great Britain is going to save money and manpower by turning over duties that should be accomplished by the Army - to civilian contractors?

Someone should explain to him the cost involved in government contract over-runs, then maybe he'd think twice about doing what he's doing.

FOURTH SHOT!

Proposed Horse Slaughterhouse polarizes industry

On June 6th, 2012, this report came out of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Emaciated horses barely clinging to life at a New Mexico auction house, the place is their last stop before a lengthy trip to a slaughterhouse south of the border, give credence to grim tales from around the Southwest.

People unable to afford the rising cost of hay are dumping their horses either by selling cheap or by the worse alternative of just turning them loose on the side of the road. This is causing a growing problem as tens of thousands of wild horses are now roaming free foraging for food wherever they can get it. And yes, that means stripping drought-plagued landscapes and draining stock tanks as well.

As horse rescue operations struggle to keep up with a growing number of neglected, abused and starving animals, a businessman in Roswell, New Mexico, has filed an application to open what would be the first horse slaughterhouse to operate in the United States in five years.

The proposal by Valley Meat Co. owner Rick De Los Santos has reignited emotional debates over what constitutes humane treatment of horses, and how best to control an exploding equine population.

The horse is regarded as the iconic animal of the American West. It played a key role in the settling of much of America.

The idea of horse slaughterhouse goes to the question: Are horses livestock or pets?

"It's probably the most polarizing issue the horse industry has had to face in a long time," said Ward Stutz, senior director of breed integrity at the American Quarter Horse Association in Amarillo, Texas, one of a number of livestock and horse groups that support a return to domestic slaughter.

"Let me just say it this way," he said. "We believe it is the owner's right to determine what is in the best interest of their horses. We recognize that there is a lot of abandonment and neglect, therefore we believe that horse slaughter should be available."

Many animal humane groups and public officials are outraged at the suggestion, including New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez.

"A horse's companionship is a way of life for many people across New Mexico," Martinez said after the proposal became public earlier this year. "We rely on them for work and bond with them through their loyalty. I believe creating a horse slaughter industry in New Mexico is wrong, and I am strongly opposed."

Supporters of horse slaughter point to a June 2011 report from the federal Government Accountability Office that shows cases of horse abuse and abandonment on a steady rise since Congress effectively banned horse slaughter by cutting funding for USDA inspection programs in 2006.

But a bill passed last year authorized the USDA to resume horse slaughterhouse inspections, prompting the application from De Los Santos. His cattle slaughter business dropped off as area ranchers sold their herds because of drought.

"What we see here will actually break your heart," said Charles Graham, executive director of New Mexico Horse Rescue at Walkin' N Circles Ranch and a supporter of humane horse slaughter in the United States.

"The problem in New Mexico is there is a lot of land. People get a horse, the wife loses her job, they keep the new car, the big TV, the cable service, and a horse in the backyard starving," he said

In Colorado, the GAO report states, investigations for abuse and neglect increased more than 60 percent after horse slaughter was banned domestically, from 975 in 2005 to 1,588 in 2009. Although national data is lacking, the GAO report says California, Texas and Florida have also reported a rise in the number of abandoned horses since 2007.

The number of U.S. horses sent to other countries for slaughter has nearly tripled since domestic horse slaughter ceased. Last year, 68,429 horses were shipped to Mexico and 64,652 to Canada, according to USDA statistics compiled by the Equine Welfare Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to ending horse slaughter. That compares to total exports of 37,884 in 2006.

In New Mexico, Randol Riley, a supervisor with the New Mexico Livestock Board, said he gets calls reporting suspected abuse every day. And he says abandonment is on the rise.

"Here lately it's gotten worse. They are dumping horses like crazy," he said, as he delivered three horses a private landowner found abandoned without food or water on his property. The new arrivals brought the population at Walkin' N Circles to 90 head, 30 above what the facilities and budget are meant to handle. The state's other eight licensed rescues are also above capacity, and have been for years.

The plight of some horses was captured recently on video posted on YouTube by the animal rights group Animal Angels. The video, which shows four horses unable to stand inside a pen at the Southwest Livestock Auction in Valencia, N.M., prompted a criminal probe by local and state officials of the sale yard, where many unwanted horse are bought and sold for slaughter in Mexico.

The Valencia County district attorney on Tuesday charged the auction's owner, Dennis Chavez, with 12 counts of misdemeanor and other animal cruelty charges related to the four horses, which had to be euthanized. Chavez did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press.

Debbie Coburn of Four Corners Equine Rescue in Farmington, N.M., says the case highlights the need to end horse slaughter, including in Mexico. Instead, she said, the horse industry needs to address the issue of population control.

"The slaughter pipeline is where the majority of abuse and neglect take place," said Coburn. "To use slaughter as a way to get away with abuse and neglect is how I see it ... that's what slaughter is, a way for people to throw their trash under the carpet."

Graham said opinions among horse lovers "are all over the board. "

"What really bothers me is the hypocrisy. As soon as they cross the border we turn a blind eye. And those horses die a horrible death," he said. "To say we can't regulate slaughter and make it humane ... we can. Everybody who opposes slaughter, tell me your solution to 130,000 unwanted horses every year."

Graham said rules should be implemented for slaughter to make certain the horses are killed humanely, meaning instantly, taken care of on their way to slaughter by being fed and watered, with injuries treated. Most important, he said, the highly intelligent animals shouldn't see other animals being killed or placed in a position to smell blood.

Indeed, on a recent visit to the rescue operation east of Albuquerque, it was clear how in tune the horses are to other horses. As state livestock inspector Riley drove in with the three new arrivals, each of the some two dozen horses in nearby corrals stood completely focused on the trailer even before it passed through the gates.

For those who think horses are in the same league with livestock, I almost feel sorry for their complete lack of knowledge and understanding of horses.

Shamefully, it is their stupidity that will eventually lead to horse slaughterhouse operation where there should not be one.


FIFTH SHOT!
Texas Dad Beats Daughter's Molester To Death Accidentally

A Texas father has not been arrested and is unlikely to face charges after he beat a man to death. The pedophile was trying to molest his 4-year-old daughter at their rural ranch.

The father told law enforcement that he caught the man molesting his daughter and tried to physically stop him.

Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon said the father, whose name has not been released, said no evidence so far has led investigators to doubt his story.

"There doesn't appear to be any reason other than what he told us," Harmon said.

Harmon described the man as "very remorseful" after the Saturday killing.

"I don't think it was his intent for the man to die," Harmon told the Victoria Advocate. The man's grandfather also said his son was "sorry" and the killing was an "accident."

Harmon said the victim was a 47-year-old man from Gonazles with no apparent prior criminal history. His name continued to be withheld Monday because authorities still hadn't tracked down any of his family.

"We are still having trouble locating the deceased's next of kin," the sheriff said. "The chief deputy has been in Gonzales running down some leads, but his family may end up being from out of the country."

The victim was an "acquaintance" of the father who had come to help care for some horses, Harmon said. He did not know how long the two men may have known each other. The girl was taken to a hospital to be examined and has since been released, Harmon said.

The incident took place through a metal gate, down a rut-filled - almost gully-filled drive in a pasture behind a barn where the father was tending to horses, Harmon said.

Across the county road from where the beating took place, a neighbor said the family who owns the property are "good people."

"They have horses and chickens over there and come out every day to feed and water them," said the neighbor. "They are good people. Good, hard-working people."

The father called police late Saturday afternoon and told them he attacked a man caught trying to sexually assault his daughter, Harmon said. The alleged attack happened near a barn where some horses were being kept.

"In the course of trying to get her away from him, and protect her, he struck the subject several times in the head and the subject died," Harmon said.

Harmon said a grand jury will decide what, if any, charges the father will face. So all in all, no charges have been filed in the case and neither the father nor the 47-year-old man who died has been identified by law enforcement.

District Attorney Heather McMinn said that once the investigation is complete and turned over to her office, she will present it to a grand jury.

The victim's body was sent to the Travis County medical examiner for an autopsy.

The ranch near Shiner is about 130 miles east of Houston. Killings are rare in rural Lavaca County, Harmon said his office has only investigated six in his eight years as sheriff.

This is the sort of event is something that no father ever wants to have happen. I can only hope that there isn't a parent out there who wouldn't do the same thing is they found someone trying to molest their child.

I don't have a second's worth of pity for the child-molester who died.

He got what he deserved. The good part about this - he will not be doing such a horrible act to any other child again.

Now I'm very certain that some will probably write me, and yes they will tell me that I'm not living up to the Cowboy Code or that I'm not a very good Christian because I like the idea that a man gets beaten to death while trying to molest a child.

Sorry folks, but as I said before, being a Cowboy and living to the Cowboy Code don't make folks naive or stupid either. And as for me being a good Christian, well let's just say that I'm definitely not your turn the other other cheek sort of Christian. No, I'm definitely not that sort of Christian at all!

And yes, I'm pretty sure a few homosexuals will write me to say that it's people like me that are keeping gay men from getting their way of lowering the age of consent for boys - as the gay lobby LAMDA is working hard to do with the help of liberal Democrats in the carious states.

My answer to them is that all pedophiles, straight or gay, should be dealt with severely. The reason is simple. They attack the innocent; They strike without hesitation or conscience; They ruin a child's life every time they act out their selfish desires.

Because of this, their lives should be completely ruined in return violently through castration or capital punishment.

Short prison terms and so-called rehabilitation programs have been shown to be poor substitutes for real solutions simply because they don't work to stop child molesters from acting again and again. Let's face the facts, pedophiles are the highest repeat criminal offenders.

Because of that, I really believe that castration or capital punishment should be considered when looking at penalties for child molesters - especially if they are repeat offenders.

In the case of the father in Texas who caught the man molesting his daughter and tried to physically stop him - and accidentally killed him.

That dad should be given a medal!


Story by Tom Correa