A True American Western Icon - Ward Bond

Unlike actors today, his voice was as rugged as the West.

Some have said he was hard as nails and no non-sense on and off-screen. Others have said his tough and proud - yet understanding - manner depicted the essence of being an American.

His full name was Wardell Edwin Bond, but the world knew him as Ward Bond. He was born on April 9th, 1903, and died on November 5th, 1960.

He was an American film actor. And yes, most of his characters were gruff and burly Cowboys in one form or another. The fact is that he acted in so many Western films that he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City in 2001.

For his contribution to the television industry, Bond has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6933 Hollywood Blvd. And yes, there is also a Ward Bond Memorial Park in his birthplace of Benkelman, Nebraska.

Lately, with all of the junk in the movies these days, like many of us, I've turned to watch old movies on DVDs. Westerns are my preference, but there are a lot of old movies that I enjoy that are not Westerns. Tonight, I talked my wife into watching one of my favorite old movies - The Long Gray Line.

The Long Gray Line is a 1955 American drama directed by famed Western director John Ford. It is based on the life of Marty Maher - a soldier who spent 50 years of his life at West Point Military Academy. In the movie, famed actor Tyrone Power stars as the Irish immigrant Martin Maher whose 50-year career at West Point took him from dishwasher to NCO (non-commissioned officer) and athletic instructor.

Maureen O'Hara, who most will surely remember as co-staring with John Wayne in classics such as Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Wings Of Eagles, McLintock, and Big Jake, plays Maher's wife and fellow Irish immigrant, Mary O'Donnell. The film co-stars Ward Bond as Herman Koehler, the Master of the Sword (West Point's athletic director) and Army's head football coach in 1897, who also befriends Maher.

The phrase "The Long Gray Line" is used to describe, as a continuum, all Army graduates and cadets of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. It is based on a true story as the film recalls the first days at the Point for Irish immigrant Maher (Tyrone Power), who can't seem to fit in with the Army and in especially West Point's regimen of unquestioning discipline.

As the Point's Athletic director, Ward Bond takes a liking to Maher and arranges for the young man to become his assistant. Bond even goes so far as to play Cupid between Maher and Irish maidservant Mary O'Donnell (Maureen O'Hara).

The movie is one of my favorites and I recommend anyone to check it out. My favorite scene in the movie is when Ward Bond as Captain Koehler orders Marty Maher (Tyrone Power) into the ring to give him some one-on-one boxing instruction. It doesn't turn out well for the scrappy Maher.

Ward Bond played that part as he did most others. He fit the part of a hard as nails, yet an insightful leader. Ward Bond depicts the soldier's soldier in this film. And no, no other could have played that part.

Of course, growing up in the late 1950s and early 60s when TV Westerns were hot, I remember Ward Bond as the take-charge Wagon Master in the television series Wagon Train.

Wagon Train was inspired by the 1950 film Wagon Master, in which Bond also appeared, and was influenced by The Big Trail.

In her recent article WAGON MASTER 1950, Ms. Keith Payne talks about how the film Wagon Master was named many times by famed director John Ford as being one of his favorite movies.

Ford was one of the most visual of directors, at this time working near the peak of his career, and he called Wagon Master not only his favorite Western but described it as, “along with The Fugitive (1947) and The Sun Shines Bright (1953), the closest to being what I had wanted to achieve.”

Ward Bond starred in Wagon Master where he played the leader of a group of Mormons in their journey across the West. Headed to their supposed promised land, they sought a place where they would be able to settle down and form a community without the prejudices and hardships of where they came from.

Although Ben Johnson, Joanne Dru, and Harry Carey, Jr. received top billing on the film, Ward Bond was paid the top money, $20,000 for a film with a one million dollar budget. Dobe Carey said many times later that it was Ward Bond who was actually the star. Bond is also credited with being the glue that held the entire movie together.

One quote from his book, “A Company of Heroes” was that he had great regard for Ward Bond and said that he brought stability in every scene he was in.

One scene required Ward Bond to break up a fight between Sandy and one of the Mormons. John Ford had wanted two of the dogs who had been fighting each other most of the filming days to be fighting in the background. Instead, when the take began, both dogs froze, then one took off and the other ran in and tore Ward Bond’s pants as he was separating the boys.

Being the consummate actor he was, Ward Bond continued on with the scene. In the end, Mrs. Ledyarde blew her horn, (which, by the way really sounds like that unless you have enough wind to blow it…I know, I have one), to help separate the two, and then saw the tear in Ward Bond’s trousers.

It happened to be large and right at the spot where he had been subjected to years of operations, grafts, and physical therapy for a leg that was almost completely severed in the 40s. In fact, Ward Bond had only in the last few years just been able to walk without the aid of a cane, and in some scenes did not have to wear the large heavy brace.

For Wagon Train, Bond specifically requested Terry Wilson for the role of assistant trail-master Bill Hawks and Frank McGrath as the cook Charlie Wooster. Wilson and McGrath stayed with the series for the entire run. 

Ward Bond was born in Benkelman, Nebraska, a small town located in the Southwestern corner of Nebraska just a few miles from the Kansas and Colorado borders. The Bond family lived in Benkelman until 1919 when they moved to Denver. Ward graduated from East High School in Denver.

Bond attended the University of Southern California and played football on the same team as future USC coach Jess Hill. At 6'2" and 195 pounds, Bond was a starting lineman on USC's first national championship team in 1928.

He was a football player at the University of Southern California when, together with teammate and lifelong friend John Wayne, he was hired as an extra in the silent film Salute (1928), directed by John Ford.  

Actually, Ward Bond, John Wayne, and the entire Southern Cal team were hired to appear in Salute (1929), which was a football film starring George O'Brien and directed by John Ford.   It was during the filming of this movie that Bond and Wayne became friendly with Ford, and both actors would appear in many of Ford's later films.

Both Bond and Wayne continued in films, but it was Wayne who ascended to superstardom. Bond was content with smaller roles and character parts throughout the 1930s. Ward Bond was one of the most prolific of Hollywood's actors over a period of 30 years. He regularly appeared in 10 to 20 films per year, with the record year for him being 1935, when he acted in 30 movies.

He worked with director John Ford on 26 films. Few, if any, actors, have appeared in so many films for a single director. Mostly playing traffic cops, bus drivers, and western heavies, Ward Bond began getting better breaks after a showy role as the murderous Cass in John Ford's Young Mr. Lincoln (1939).

After that film, John Ford cast Bond in important roles all through the 1940s. It's said that Ford would usually contrive ways to include at least one scene per picture in which the camera would favor Bond's rather sizable posterior. It was an "inside" joke which delighted everyone on the set with the exception of Bond.

Ward Bond has been in some really big movies. Today we call them classics, and they are some of the most memorable roles for film history.

For example, we can find Ward Bond as a bus driver with Clark Gable & Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night; as "Bert" the policeman in the Jimmy Stewart classic It's A Wonderful Life; as Reverend Captain Clayton in John Wayne's The Searchers; as the fly fishing Catholic priest in John Ford's The Quiet Man which starred John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara; and as one of the hard-boiled detectives harassing Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon. And for you trivia buffs out there, Ward Bond has the last line in The Maltese Falcon.

It happens when Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) hands over a fake version of the supposedly priceless Maltese Falcon to San Francisco Detective Tom Polhaus (Ward Bond).

Bond asks, "It’s heavy, what is it?" 

Bogart replies, "The stuff that dreams are made of." 

Bond then says, "huh?" - which is the last line of that classic movie.

Actually, Ward Bond has been in 11 films that were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, which may be a record because it's more than any other actor:

 Arrowsmith (1931), Lady for a Day (1933), It Happened One Night (1934), You Can't Take It with You (1938), Gone with the Wind (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Sergeant York (1941), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), The Quiet Man (1952) and Mister Roberts (1955).

He made 16 movies with his friend John Wayne.

They were The Big Trail (1930), Conflict (1936), The Long Voyage Home (1940), The Shepherd of the Hills (1941), Tall in the Saddle (1944), Dakota (1945), They Were Expendable (1945), 3 Godfathers (1948), Fort Apache (1948), Operation Pacific (1951),  The Quiet Man (1952), Hondo (1953), Rookie of the Year (TV drama 1955), The Searchers (1956),  The Wings of Eagles (1957), and his last film Rio Bravo (1959).

One of my favorite Ward Bond roles is his portrayal of boxing champion John L. Sullivan in Gentleman Jim. At 6'2" tall and 195 pounds, he's very believable in that role. Yes, Ward Bond played in over 250 movies during his career.

Some might wonder why he didn't serve in the military in World War II like say John Wayne and other stars in Hollywood did back in those days? The answer to that is because Ward Bond was an epileptic, and he was rejected by the draft board during World War II.

But don't count Ward Bond out of the fight or think that he didn't do his part in some way during World War II. You see besides making great movies to keep the morale of our troops high, he along with another actor by the name of Ronald Reagan made training and morale films for the troops, and there is something else -- because Ward Bond couldn’t serve on active duty in the military during the war, he became an Air Raid Warden and was known to pull duty every chance he had subsequently putting in many long days.

It's interesting to note that because of his efforts during the war, he was given full military honors with an honor guard and flag-draped coffin during his funeral.

As for his politics? Well, to give you an idea of how Conservative he was, during the 1940s Ward Bond was a member of the conservative group called the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals.

The Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals was an American organization of high-profile, politically conservative members of the Hollywood film industry.

It was formed in 1944 for the stated purpose of defending the film industry, and the country as a whole, against what its founders claimed was Communist and Fascist infiltration. It's just my opinion, but I don't think they know how right they were.

Besides Ward Bond, other prominent members of the Alliance included Clark Gable, Ayn Rand, Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Charles Coburn, Gary Cooper, Cecil B. DeMille, Walt Disney, Irene Dunne, Victor Fleming, Ginger Rogers, Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, King Vidor, Frank Wead, and Sam Wood.

In 1960, Bond campaigned for the Republican presidential nominee Richard M. Nixon. Bond died three days before Democrat John F. Kennedy narrowly defeated Nixon.

As for away from films and television? It is said that Ward Bond, John Wayne, and John Ford all loved the outdoor life, and probably did more than a bit of drinking and "raising hell."

Their fishing trips to Catalina Island were well known, and their hunting trips into remote areas in Baja California and other destinations, via horseback, were the stuff of legends.

On one hunting trip, it's true that John Wayne accidentally shot Ward Bond with Bond's own shotgun.

In case you are curious about the shotgun incident, Duke accidentally shot Ward in the butt. That was part of the private joke that Duke and Ford shared about always "shooting" Ward’s backside.

On November 5, 1960, midway into Wagon Train's fourth season, Ward Bond and his wife were in Dallas to attend a Cowboys-LA Rams football game. He was to receive some sort of award at the game. That night, at the couple's hotel, Ward suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Bond was 57 at the time of his death.

At his funeral, John Wayne gave the eulogy. Legendary director John Ford is said to have been in tears.

Duke and Ward owned a private 400-acre "hobby farm". He gave Duke the option of buying out his half in his will. But besides the farm, later when Ward Bond's Will was read, he bequeathed to John Wayne that same shotgun with which the Duke had once accidentally shot Bond.  I'd say that that was pretty fitting.

I've always believed that Ward Bond was the perfect example of what an American should be. Sure I didn't know him other than in his movies. And sure, during his career, he played good guys and bad. But when I saw him on the screen as a Cowboy, a Trail Boss, a Rancher, an Oil Rig Roughneck, a Cop, or even as the Cavalry Top Sergeant, he was that part -- and it was always great.

One writer once wrote of him, "Ward Bond acted best what he was in reality: a dyed-in-the-wool social and political conservative, a perfect expression of the American West."

I agree. I believe Ward Bond was what he was. He played the many facets of Ward Bond extremely well. And yes, that's why Ward Bond is truly an American Western Icon. He was his own man.

Editor's Note:

This article is growing as I get more information. And yes, I want to thank Ms. Keith Payne for all of her assistance with this article.  She knows a great deal about Ward Bond! You can find her at Speakeasy - Where classic stuff is always on tap 

And yes, Keith is a great gal!

Story by Tom Correa

No Amendment To The Constitution Is Absolute To Dictators

The most frightening statement ever made by a sitting American President in the history of the United States was made by Joe Biden when he said, "No Amendment to the Constitution is absolute."

But, before we get into what Biden is doing, let's take a minute or two to talk about America and my getting a bit of hate mail that I really want to address here. Don't worry. I will tie it in with what Biden is doing in a few moments. 

Over the years, I've gotten a lot of hate mail. And, while I haven't let them get to me, there are those times when someone comes up with something that you know you just can't let slide. 

As most of you know, I'm just a writer. I'm a Conservative, a blogger, a Veteran, an old Marine who volunteers a lot of my time to make my small community a better place. I'm just a man who takes care of a few horses who would have otherwise been put down. I'm just a man who loves America, most of my fellow Americans, certainly not all of them, and sees the world in a lot more ways than simply as black and white -- thanks to great parents and grandparents and other mentors. 

I was brought up to appreciate our nation's fundamental principles and values, including equality, the rule of law, limited government, and the greatness of representative democracy. I was taught to appreciate why our "Founding Principles," sometimes referred to as "America's First Principles," are the foundation of our great nation. 

Among those principles is that we have Rights that come from God, not the government. While the government might make laws governing civil behavior, our Rights come from God. That's a big difference which seems to be forgotten these days. Of course, where's the shock in that since we have a government these days that really sees itself as being God-like. 

As for being forgetful, there's a lot that many of us have forgotten these days. For example, in America, as Americans, we all have the right to be happy and kind, sad, mean, and miserable, a Christian, Jewish, an Atheist, a Conservative, a Liberal, narrow-minded, completely understanding, charitable, and miserly. Yes, we have the right to be all of that in the exact same way that we have the right to be bigots, racists, prejudice, homophobic, xenophobic, or anything else that others might not like. 

It's the luxury that we have of living in a free society. We can be who we want to be. And more so, as Americans, we can be who we want to be without needing the approval of others. You can dislike who you want to dislike. You can love who you want to love. You can despise the political policies of your choice. You can despise the Mainstream Media if you want. You can even hate people for whatever reason that you come up with. If you believe that character matters and not skin color, or that thugs and criminals should be dealt with as harshly as possible, that's your Right.  

No, you do not have to be understanding of jerks and jackasses. You do not have to be understanding of people who commit horrendous crimes just because they are a certain color. And while we are on that subject, you have the right to accept the fact that color is not a race. 

As for other political correctness today, as a free American, you don't have to pretend that a man is a woman when you know full well that they are not what they pretend to be. And really, the government cannot force you to pretend that some gay man is a woman. The government can't because we all have the right to think for ourselves. Yes, you have that right. It's really okay to think for yourself.

Because we're Americans, we don't need anyone's approval to think and feel the way we chose because we have the right to think for ourselves. Even if our opinions are what some may consider offensive to someone's sensitivities and "politically incorrect," we are free to have them. No one can tell you how to think. 

And here's something more, in case you have not been reminded lately, allow me to remind you that whether some people like it or not, the government has absolutely no say in how we view life. It's true. The cold hard fact of life is that no matter how much it makes some on the Left crazy, the government cannot make demands on us other than for us to observe the law. Believe it or not, if you don't have a job, the government can't even force you to pay taxes. So yes, the only thing the government can do is to demand that we be law-abiding citizens. 

The government cannot tell us how to think and feel or act other than demanding that we obey the law. I know that I keep repeating that, but it's essential to remember. Please understand what that means. The government cannot tell you to shut up and conform to its demands to act and think in ways contrary to how you feel about things. No, this is not Nazi Germany of the 1930s. At least, not yet. 

As for political power, we have a "Social Contract" with the government. Our contract with the government states that the will of the governed, we steer our government. This means the American people are boss, not politicians. Somehow we forget to remind them of that fact, and they think the opposite is true. To me, when they start thinking that they are our boss, that's when they need to be shown the door and kicked out of government.

And yes, we have a limited representative republic for a reason. Simply put, historically, Americans distrust a direct democracy because that means "Mob Rule." To protect us against "Mob Rule" and government oppression, our Founders believed that the government's power should be divided with a system of checks. That system of checks is built into the system to ensure that no one branch of government gets so strong that it becomes tyrannical. 

After all of the current events, some wonder if our system of checks is failing. Why? It's because the Presidency is now looking more like a dictatorship issuing edicts than that of a branch of government working to enact legislation for the good of the American people. 

Our Constitution is designed to limit the government's powers, not control the people. Our Constitution limits the power to the government and is only changed through the Amendment process. We should all understand that no sitting President can alter an Amendment of the Constitution. 

Recently, a Leftist jerk who read my article A True American Western Icon - Ward Bond took the time to write just to tell me that Western actor Ward Bond was "a grotesque fascist piece of shit," and then went on to say, "sounds like you are too." 

The jerk apparently took offense to the fact that actor Ward Bond was "a dyed-in-the-wool social and political Conservative, a perfect expression of the American West," as one writer described him. In that article, I state how I believe Ward Bond played many facets of himself when playing a First Sgt, a Cop, and more. I also said that he was "his own man."

  

So, knowing that, let's make a couple of things clear. First, I was surprised that the jerk knew how to spell "fascist" since he obviously doesn't know what the term means. He's probably some Leftist who really doesn't know that a fascist is defined as "a person who believes in or sympathizes with fascism." 

He probably also doesn't know that "fascism" is defined as "a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism." 

Think about that. While that jerk called "Conservatives" like actor Ward Bond and myself "fascists," that fool is probably too stupid to notice that the definition of fascism describes Joe Biden in the White House at this very moment in history. 

Fascism is what the Biden/Harris Administration and the Democrat Party are today. While the jerk who wrote me is attacking Conservatives, even a dead Conservative actor like Ward Bond and a blogger like me, he is knowingly supporting a fascist regime in the White House at this very moment. 

Joe Biden's recent comment that "No Amendment to the Constitution is absolute" is something we should all be worried about. That is an incredible statement coming from a U.S. president. And make no mistake about it, the most frightening statement ever made by a sitting President in the history of the United States was made by Joe Biden when he said, "No Amendment to the Constitution is absolute." 

Joe Biden has signed more than 50 Executive Actions. These are edicts to make laws and bypass the legislative process. He is making changes to laws and now wants to make changes to the Amendments of the Constitution. You think that I'm overreacting? Think again! 

On April 8, 2021, Joe Biden said, "No amendment to the Constitution is absolute." While he was talking about the 2nd Amendment, his statement should be taken as a warning to all of us about who the real fascist is at this time. But more than that, his statement should be taken as a threat to our nation and our Constitution as a whole.  

Think of this, since Congress is applauding him and the Supreme Court is too impotent to act, who stops him if Biden decides that other Amendments can be tampered with? What's at stake if Biden decides that the 1st Amendment is no longer absolute and decides to issue Executive Actions as laws regarding religion or prohibiting the freedom of speech, or limiting the press's rights?

What if Biden issues an Executive Order violating the 4th Amendment and creates a society where we have searches without Warrants? How about his issuing an Executive Order to scrape the 5th Amendment and get rid of protections against self-incrimination? How would the Left feel if Biden issues an Executive Order to abolish the 10th Amendment to restrict the States from having any rights? 

If, as Joe Biden said, "No Amendment of the Constitution is absolute," shouldn't we be concerned that he will issue an Executive Order to abolish the 13th Amendment and reinstitute slavery? Will Biden see the 14th Amendment as unnecessary and remove our rights to due process of law and equal protection of the laws? How about if he decides to abolish the voting laws as set by the 15th Amendment? Will he issue an Executive Order to do away with the 21st Amendment that gives women the right to vote?

Where does it end when a President is allowed to tinker with the Amendments of the United States Constitution because he feels that "No amendment to the Constitution is absolute"? 

As for those of you who just read this and said, "That will never happen." Ask yourself when was the last time you heard a President say that "No amendment to the Constitution is absolute"? When was the last time that an American President decided to openly attack the Bill of Rights with the support of Democrats in Congress? When was the last time the Left had such an opportunity to dismantle our system and create a Socialist/Communist government with a totalitarian oligarchy in charge? 

While such a belief as "no Amendment to the Constitution is absolute" is that of this White House and the Democrat Party, those Amendments are what I believe we will end up going to war over. And no, it is not hard to see how a real "armed rebellion" may take place specifically to reestablish our Rights from an oppressive federal government. 

No, it's not hard to believe that such a thing may occur in our future -- especially if Biden and others on the Left see the path to their achieving their dream of an America ruled by a totalitarian oligarchy being accomplished by abolishing our Constitutional Rights. Remember, they have proven themselves to be a ruthless bunch who have zero loyalty to the American people. 

The federal government ruling instead of governing is something that we should be frightened of. Power in the hands of some can be used wisely and for great good. Power in the hands of others means destruction and the elimination of our freedoms. We are seeing the latter in action today.

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