FIRST SHOT!
Gun-Control Crazies Mobilize in Wake of Batman Movie Massacre
Right after the massacre in Aurora, I told my wife two things would take place: First, liberals will come out of the woodwork demanding stricter Gun-Control. And second, as a result of their call for more Gun-Control, gun sales across the nation will go up.
With the bodies of victims still in the theatre, New York City's Mayor Bloomberg immediately jumped at the chance to further his anti-gun agenda by coming out with statements regarding his perceived need for more Gun-Control.
Liberals are easy to figure out that way, no matter if its a catastrophe at sea such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico where a BP oil rig a huge industrial accident which resulted in an oil spill or in the case of the Movie massacre, it seems to me that they use any tragedy to push their political agenda.
Most of the workers escaped the rig by lifeboat and were subsequently evacuated by boat or airlifted by helicopter for medical treatment. But sadly, eleven workers were never found despite a three-day Coast Guard search operation, and are believed to have died in the explosion.Efforts by multiple ships to douse the flames were unsuccessful. After burning for approximately 36 hours, the Deepwater Horizon sank on the morning of 22 April 2010.
The result was an environment disaster. One which fueled liberal environmentalist to call for an immediate halt to ALL drilling in the United States. And yes, their allies in the Obama White House were more than willing to assist in an effort to shut down oil production in the Gulf of Mexico.
On Friday, the Aurora Movie Massacre takes place. On Saturday, as soon as a friend saw me today, he said, "Well, it's started! The gun control nuts are using the movie theatre massacre to try to restrict sales of guns!"
And yes, he was right. Within hours of a madman opening fire in a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, Gun-Control advocates began to use the theater shooting spree, which left 12 dead and 71 wounded, to push their agenda.
While bodies were still in the theatre, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an ardent gun-control advocate, led the way by citing the massacre on a radio broadcast Friday morning. He seems to jump at the opportunity to push his personal ant-gun agenda.
And yes, he was all too eager to say that statements of sympathy and concern from President Barack Obama’s and Mitt Romney’s campaigns were not enough.
I find it interesting that New York City has tough gun laws, almost as strict as Chicago, yet the murder rate in New York City is climbing. Just like Chicago, extremely strict gun laws in New York City hasn't done anything to curtail the numbers of murders there.
Their laws are designed to disarm their residents and make them ripe targets.
For Bloomberg to come out with advice for the rest of the nation, I can't help but wonder who Bloomberg thinks he is?
Mayor Bloomberg should try tending to his own responsibilities before telling the country what to do. Maybe if he were a better Mayor, his city wouldn't be as screwed up as it is these days?
By Saturday much of the liberal media had weighed in with calls for more control.
In an editorial, The Washington Post wrote, "There is no rational basis for allowing ordinary Americans to purchase assault rifles. They’re not necessary for hunting, and they’re not needed for self-defense."
It added, "Yes, the Second Amendment protects a citizen’s right to own a gun, but it does not preclude reasonable regulation for public safety. Yes, mass killings occur in societies with stronger gun laws, but not with such regularity — and not against the backdrop of daily gun violence, both criminal and accidental, that distinguishes the United States."
The Washington Post editorial misses the mark on some major points here. First, it describes Holmes as an "ordinary Americans" when he is definitely not an "ordinary Americans." Ordinary Americans don't go on killing sprees.
Second, their editorial says, "the Second Amendment ... does not preclude reasonable regulation for public safety." Reasonable regulation for public safety is why we have gun laws, yet stricter gun laws like the ones in Aurora Colorado did not provide the public any safety from a person with the intent to commit mass murder.
And lastly, what is this "regularity" the Washington Post is talking about? The only "mass killings occur ... with such regularity" are the killings taking place in gang ridden cities like Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles where strict gun laws have been in place for years to no effect.
Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter who represents the Aurora area where the shooting occurred, said of Holmes: “I don’t know why he had such easy access to guns.”
Perlmutter said it was “premature” to consider political issues, however his Democratic colleague in the House, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of New York was not so bashful. “We as a nation should … not continue to ignore avenues to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future," said McCarthy, whose husband was shot to death on the Long Island Railroad in 1993.
Even while the bodies of the victims are still warm, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence posted a petition on its web site asking for signatures from those who felt the Aurora tragedy was a reason to help prod lawmakers towards more gun control legislation.
No one is surprised that liberal media figures joined in the call for more Gun-Control, CNN talk show host Piers Morgan tweeted extensively on the issue, saying, among other things, that “America has got to do something about its gun laws. Now is the time.”
On the other side!
On the other side of the Twitter debate, singer Chris Daughtry tweeted, "Stricter gun laws will not stop SICK people from getting access to guns...Laws & rules are not in the forefront of the mind of a criminal."
The NRA has more concern for the victim and their families. They are putting themselves above politics and the liberal calls for stricter Gun-Control.
And yes, he was right. Within hours of a madman opening fire in a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, Gun-Control advocates began to use the theater shooting spree, which left 12 dead and 71 wounded, to push their agenda.
While bodies were still in the theatre, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an ardent gun-control advocate, led the way by citing the massacre on a radio broadcast Friday morning. He seems to jump at the opportunity to push his personal ant-gun agenda.
And yes, he was all too eager to say that statements of sympathy and concern from President Barack Obama’s and Mitt Romney’s campaigns were not enough.
I find it interesting that New York City has tough gun laws, almost as strict as Chicago, yet the murder rate in New York City is climbing. Just like Chicago, extremely strict gun laws in New York City hasn't done anything to curtail the numbers of murders there.
Their laws are designed to disarm their residents and make them ripe targets.
For Bloomberg to come out with advice for the rest of the nation, I can't help but wonder who Bloomberg thinks he is?
Mayor Bloomberg should try tending to his own responsibilities before telling the country what to do. Maybe if he were a better Mayor, his city wouldn't be as screwed up as it is these days?
By Saturday much of the liberal media had weighed in with calls for more control.
In an editorial, The Washington Post wrote, "There is no rational basis for allowing ordinary Americans to purchase assault rifles. They’re not necessary for hunting, and they’re not needed for self-defense."
It added, "Yes, the Second Amendment protects a citizen’s right to own a gun, but it does not preclude reasonable regulation for public safety. Yes, mass killings occur in societies with stronger gun laws, but not with such regularity — and not against the backdrop of daily gun violence, both criminal and accidental, that distinguishes the United States."
The Washington Post editorial misses the mark on some major points here. First, it describes Holmes as an "ordinary Americans" when he is definitely not an "ordinary Americans." Ordinary Americans don't go on killing sprees.
Second, their editorial says, "the Second Amendment ... does not preclude reasonable regulation for public safety." Reasonable regulation for public safety is why we have gun laws, yet stricter gun laws like the ones in Aurora Colorado did not provide the public any safety from a person with the intent to commit mass murder.
And lastly, what is this "regularity" the Washington Post is talking about? The only "mass killings occur ... with such regularity" are the killings taking place in gang ridden cities like Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles where strict gun laws have been in place for years to no effect.
Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter who represents the Aurora area where the shooting occurred, said of Holmes: “I don’t know why he had such easy access to guns.”
Perlmutter said it was “premature” to consider political issues, however his Democratic colleague in the House, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of New York was not so bashful. “We as a nation should … not continue to ignore avenues to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future," said McCarthy, whose husband was shot to death on the Long Island Railroad in 1993.
Even while the bodies of the victims are still warm, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence posted a petition on its web site asking for signatures from those who felt the Aurora tragedy was a reason to help prod lawmakers towards more gun control legislation.
No one is surprised that liberal media figures joined in the call for more Gun-Control, CNN talk show host Piers Morgan tweeted extensively on the issue, saying, among other things, that “America has got to do something about its gun laws. Now is the time.”
On the other side!
On the other side of the Twitter debate, singer Chris Daughtry tweeted, "Stricter gun laws will not stop SICK people from getting access to guns...Laws & rules are not in the forefront of the mind of a criminal."
The NRA has more concern for the victim and their families. They are putting themselves above politics and the liberal calls for stricter Gun-Control.
NRA Spokesman Andrew Arulanandams told Newsmax: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families and indeed the whole Aurora community. We will not make any further statements until all the facts are known.”
Support for gun control has fallen in recent years. Gallup says 78 percent wanted stricter gun laws in 1990, falling to 62 percent by 1995. By 2007 it was 51 percent and last year just 44 percent.
Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas said he could not understand why there was apparently no-one in the theater with a weapon who could take gunman James Holmes out before he could create more mayhem?
"It does make me wonder, with all those people in the theater, was there nobody that was carrying a gun that could have stopped this guy more quickly?" Gohmert asked.
That's a real good point!
And yes, tonight at the American Legion, we discussed that point - as well as the fact that that murderous bastard Holmes was wearing body armour.
Some said a man with a legally carried concealed weapon would not have stood a chance because Holmes was wearing body armour. I have know policeman who have taken a shot of two while wearing protective gear, and I can report that they did have to pick themselves off the ground because of the knock down power of some of those rounds.
But more than trying to kill the bad guy, shots in his direction may have distracted him long enough to make him think twice about his course of action. Besides, I really believe that any effort made to kill him before he could have killed others would have been worth the effort!
Then again, maybe that's why he picked Aurora? Maybe he knew how strict their gun laws are and that no one would be putting up a defense? Maybe he saw the citizens of Aurora as ripe targets simply because Aurora's own gun laws prevented citizens from carrying concealed weapons?
Fact is, Aurora, Colorado’s strict gun laws didn’t help anyone but the killer.
So the question becomes: How will stricter gun laws bring an end to criminals having guns - especially when the laws against murder have not been able to stop them from killing innocent people?
Support for gun control has fallen in recent years. Gallup says 78 percent wanted stricter gun laws in 1990, falling to 62 percent by 1995. By 2007 it was 51 percent and last year just 44 percent.
Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas said he could not understand why there was apparently no-one in the theater with a weapon who could take gunman James Holmes out before he could create more mayhem?
"It does make me wonder, with all those people in the theater, was there nobody that was carrying a gun that could have stopped this guy more quickly?" Gohmert asked.
That's a real good point!
And yes, tonight at the American Legion, we discussed that point - as well as the fact that that murderous bastard Holmes was wearing body armour.
Some said a man with a legally carried concealed weapon would not have stood a chance because Holmes was wearing body armour. I have know policeman who have taken a shot of two while wearing protective gear, and I can report that they did have to pick themselves off the ground because of the knock down power of some of those rounds.
But more than trying to kill the bad guy, shots in his direction may have distracted him long enough to make him think twice about his course of action. Besides, I really believe that any effort made to kill him before he could have killed others would have been worth the effort!
Then again, maybe that's why he picked Aurora? Maybe he knew how strict their gun laws are and that no one would be putting up a defense? Maybe he saw the citizens of Aurora as ripe targets simply because Aurora's own gun laws prevented citizens from carrying concealed weapons?
Fact is, Aurora, Colorado’s strict gun laws didn’t help anyone but the killer.
So the question becomes: How will stricter gun laws bring an end to criminals having guns - especially when the laws against murder have not been able to stop them from killing innocent people?
SECOND SHOT!
Guns Sales Jump In Colorado In Wake Of Movie Massacre
It is being reported today, July 24, 2012, that Colorado gun stores are seeing a huge jump in demand for firearms since last Friday's massacre at a midnight movie showing in Aurora.
Background checks for people wanting to buy guns in Colorado reportedly increased more than 41 percent after last week’s Aurora movie massacre.
The Denver Post reports that firearm instructors have also seen increased interest in training needed for a concealed-carry permit.
"It's been insane," Jake Meyers, an employee at Rocky Mountain Guns and Ammo in Parker told the newspaper Monday.
Between Friday and Sunday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation approved background checks for 2,887 people who wanted to purchase a firearm — a 43 percent increase over the previous Friday through Sunday and a 39 percent jump over those same days on the first weekend of July.
The biggest spike was on Friday, when there were 1,216 checks, a 43 percent increase over the average number for the previous two Fridays.
On Friday morning, just hours after alleged 24-year-old gunman James Holmes killed 12 and injured 58 others at the Century Aurora theater, up to 20 people were already waiting outside the store when Meyers arrived, he said.
He said the day was “probably the busiest Monday all year” and said basic firearms classes that he and the store’s owner conduct are booked for the next three weeks — a first for this year, the newspaper reports.
"A lot of it is people saying, 'I didn't think I needed a gun, but now I do,' " he told the newspaper. "When it happens in your backyard, people start reassessing - 'Hey, I go to the movies.'"
I really believe that any effort made to kill those trying to kill you, before he can kill you or others is worth the effort! It is better to die defending yourself, than die crying wishing you had a way to combat the threat.
THIRD SHOT!
Oil Industry Boom Creates Huge Number Of Jobs In The "Economic Miracle" State of North Dakota
All of those going to Colleges and Universities these days who are graduating with degrees that they can't use, may want to consider taking some Vocational / Technical Skills courses instead.
Technical advances in energy exploration and production have made it possible to get much more oil out of the ground. And yes, that's especially true in North Dakota.
North Dakota has outrun Alaska and leaped into the number two spot for oil production. The results of increased oil production is that it's feeding all sorts of demand in the state. Subsequently, North Dakota has the lowest unemployment in the nation.
"We're able to find workers which, otherwise, if we'd been on full employment, it would have been hard to get people to move to a rural area like this" says Tom Rolfstad, executive director of Williston Economic Development.
The work and business opportunities are wide-ranging and plentiful, but small towns are racing to keep up with demand for housing. For example, Williston put in 2,100 units last year and expects to add 3,500 next year.
The oil boom has turned into a jobs boom. And yes, that has made things a little crazy these days!
"For the most part, everybody's working. To a degree I could even say we have the working homeless, that we have so many workers and not enough housing, that that's our problem with homeless" says Rolfstad. The town has had to regulate where RVs are parked and crack down on sleeping in the parks.
It's not unheard of for people to live out of their cars. The Williston job services office actually has handout information on where to find showers.
While potential for high wages is a draw, Cindy Sanford, with Job Service North Dakota's office in Williston, says many employers are looking for skilled labor, applicants with actual experience and certifications.
Just because someone has a welding background does not mean he or she will qualify to weld on an oil company's pipe; the certifications can be very specific.
And it can be more than know-how. A job might require a high level of physical fitness because of the danger involved.
Just about all oil patch jobs require the minimum of a high school diploma or GED. Background checks, and yes, drug tests and clean driving records also figure big in one's prospects.
Job Service North Dakota has a guide, "North Dakota Oilfield Employment" which which contains drilling basics, occupations, how to apply for jobs and other tips.
The Job Service North Dakota team pointed out efforts are being made to help and recruit veterans.
There are waivers to allow those with a military driver's license to skip the road test for a Commercial Drivers License (CDL), therefore making it easier to land a trucking job. Some jobs involve working with explosives, which can be compatible with veterans backgrounds.
Maren Daley, executive director of Job Service North Dakota, says the state's economy is diversified. The oil boom has about one-third of the job openings in the state and it is "...acting sort of like the tip of a pyramid.
There's all of this oil activity and a lot of really good jobs closely tied to oil, but with that the influx of people to those oil areas, it has the impact of creating more jobs in other industries such as transportation, food service, hospitality."
Rolfstad echoes the fact there's a nationwide, even worldwide, ripple effect from the energy boom. "We drilled 2,100 wells last year ... and so we did 8,400 miles of pipe last year. Now if that didn't help Pittsburgh, I don't know what would."
He noted brand-new trucks are on the roads, power lines and construction mean more lumber has to be produced. The oil business means lots of tools on the job.
"I think what's good for us is good for the country and, uh, we have employees from all over. We have investors from all over the country, so we're part of the big symbiotic relationship across the country and we couldn't do it alone without the rest of our country working with us."
So, while all of this is going on in North Dakota, why is Obama so vehemently against the Keystone XL Pipeline which can create an estimated 100,000 new jobs for America?
It's because the Democrat political agenda is not in favor of drilling for oil here in the United States. I really believe Democrats would rather see you out of work, then to help the oil industry and make thousands of jobs!
FOURTH SHOT!
Proof That Jobs Equal More Tax Revenues!
North Dakota Oil Tax Revenue Breaks $100M Mark in March as Industry Booms
Quick, someone should notify Obama and the Democrats!
North Dakota's booming oil industry has yielded record tax revenue for the state, breaking the $100 million mark in March at a time when other states are struggling to stay afloat.
The state in just the last few years has become an oil-producing powerhouse and is looking to overtake California in total production.
Thanks to the activity, the North Dakota tax department reported that tax collections on oil production hit $101 Million in March, marking a 24% increase from the prior month.
And yes, it's a 66% tax increase from last summer.
Much of the recent increase is due to rising crude prices, which have shot up amid concerns over unrest in the Middle East. But North Dakota's oil production is also accelerating rapidly, and state officials expect the windfall to hold steady.
"We've seen a steady, steady month-by-month increase," said Deputy Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger.
The 350,000 barrels a day produced in March was actually about 2,000 barrels a day lower than in February.
But Rauschenberger attributed the dip to the weather, and said that even if crude prices return to prior levels the state expects to take in $2 billion in oil-related tax revenue over the next two years. If prices stay high, he said that haul could reach $2.4 billion -- money that goes into the schools, back to the counties and to other areas.
Amid a debate on Capitol Hill over whether the U.S. needs to do more to encourage domestic oil production, North Dakota is charging ahead with expansion. The state industry was helped in no small part by efforts over the past several years to tap into a massive oil field known as the Bakken Shale deposit, where virtually all future expansion is happening.
Production is expected to grow "substantially," said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council.
With 5,300 wells across the state and thousands more expected to come online, Ness projected that the state could reach up to 700,000 barrels a day by 2015.
North Dakota is the fourth-largest oil producing state in the U.S. behind California, Alaska and Texas, and Ness said California is in their "target zone."
He noted that the revenue has made things easier for state budgeters.
According to the North Dakota tax office, the latest two-year budget included $1 Billion in savings, which is expected to go into trust funds in case of future shortfalls. Imagine that!
Savings are expected to go into trust funds in case of future shortfalls! What a concept!
Anyone out there think the federal government should do the same thing? They are too busy spending any reserves!
Rauschenberger acknowledged North Dakota has been "fortunate," considering the fact that many other states are dealing with sagging revenue and employment in the wake of the recession.
While the U.S. nationally is clocking in with a 9 percent unemployment rate, unemployment in North Dakota was 3.6 percent in March -- the lowest in the country.
The energy industry, along with the agriculture industry and other important North Dakota sectors, helps keep the jobless rate low, which in turn keeps people spending their incomes, which in turn feeds the state treasury along with taxes on oil production.
For calendar year 2010, more than 31% of North Dakota's state tax revenue came from oil taxes.
Imagine that!
FIFTH SHOT!
Republican Proposal Renews Hopes For Keystone XL Pipeline
It was reported yesterday, July 23rd, that a House of Representatives Republican introduced a bill Monday that would jump-start the Keystone XL Pipeline project if it were to be approved.
Yes, the move will likely renew the political debate. And yes, the liberals crazies in the environmentalist movement are already gearing up to kill the Keystone XL.
As I said before, I really believe Democrats would rather see you out of work - then to help the oil industry and make thousands of jobs for Americans!
The Keystone XL Pipeline proposal stands little chance of passing in the Democrat-controlled Senate and Obama is not likely to sign it before November elections. But, believe it or not, the Keystone XL Pipeline project has the backing of Unions. And yes. poll after poll shows overwhelming support Keystone XL Pipeline from Americans across the nation.
President Obama approved a southernmost U.S. leg of the project which leaves thousands of miles between it and the Canadian oil sources.
Obama's gesture was purely political, because it effectively halted progress on the proposed project.
Now Republican Rep. Lee Terry is seeking approval for permitting constructing for the Canada-to-Nebraska stretch, the section that remains under federal review. A review biased against the construction of the pipeline.
Because Obama has only approved the southern U.S. leg, Canada has hinted at finding new customers for their crude because the administration is blocking construction of the Nebraska leg.
The proposed pipeline project is roughly 2,000-miles-long and would create thousands upon thousands of U.S. jobs.
Crude oil from Canada and mineral-rich Western states would be pumped to refineries along the Gulf Coast of Texas when completed.
“All I am saying with my legislation is: Mr. President, please treat the northern portion of the pipeline in the same manner as you treated the southern portion,” said Representative Terry, (R-Neb.), on Capitol Hill. “You praised the construction for the southern route but keep changing the rules for the part that crosses the border."
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and other Republicans argue that building TransCanada Corporation’s pipeline would generate much-needed jobs, including thousands of union jobs, and help the country become less dependent on foreign oil.
It sounds like a win win win situation, but Obama and other Democrats are siding with environmental extremists by purposely delaying the project by asking for additional studies. Studies that Republicans say are already completed.
“The Keystone XL pipeline is an element of the picture that we're focused on to address our energy problems,” said Rep. Gregg Harper, (R-Miss.)
After Obama approved a section of pipeline at the southernmost end of the project, the company submitted another application to avoid Nebraska’s environmentally sensitive Sandhills region.
Then, last month, Mr. Obama’s State Department called for a supplemental study, which likely means a decision will not be reached before the November elections.
This all stinks of liberal politics while Americans are out of work.
SIXTH SHOT!
Hawaii Man Defends Himself Against Raging Bull
In Waimanalo, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, a local man was forced to defend himself against a raging bull.
On July 17th, a man was injured in Waimanalo after a bull came running through his yard. The bull was being chased by pig-hunting dogs. It was a situation that could have been avoided if the dogs hadn't trespassed.
John Rodrigues was in the house when all of a sudden, "I seen the bull coming and I thought holy crap. It came hopping over through here and came running straight through here, hopped over the bench, smashed it all up and went to the other side smashed all the plants up."
Then the bull ran around the house to where John's uncle Robert was.
"I yelled 'Rob watch out for the bull' and he ran but then he tripped and fell," said Manny Fernandez, victim's neighbor.
"He tried chasing the bull out, the bull charged him and whacked him. His head is gashed really bad," said John Rodrigues, victim's nephew.
Officials say 52 year old Robert Rodrigues was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
"I'm thankful he's still alive," said John Rodrigues.
The dogs were returned to the hunter, but I think the hunter should be in jail!
"Those of you who are pig-hunters, you just need to be aware of your dogs. We all work together, they need to be aware of where their dogs are at and not be around livestock," said Bud Gibson.
The Hawaiian Humane Society is investigating the case.
Meanwhile the owner of a pack of hunting dogs that witnesses say drove the bull into a frenzy is under investigation.
The victim says he's lucky to be alive, though a valuable and never before violent bull had to be put down.
Bulls from the town and country stables have gone wandering out of pasture before, even down to Rob Rodrigues's house down the way.
"The fence will break, they come down here, they come down, I see them coming down I close the gate, keep them off the highway. They come over here, drink water, and then after that you scare 'em one time they take off just like rhinos they go back up the street," he added. "They aren't out to harm nobody."
But Tuesday was a different story as a nearly one ton bull was chased off pasture and into Rodrigues's yard by a pack of hunting dogs that were tearing at its body.
"His legs was all bleeding, his testicles was bleeding, his ‘okole part was bleeding, his nose was all chomped up. He was in pain and he was in fear,” he said.
And soon that fear escalated into a frenzy.
"I yelled and the dogs stopped and just so happened I was in the line of fire,” he said.
The line of fire of a raging bull.
"I fell right here and he started scraping me all over, that's all his horn marks, and he had me down over here and slammed me against that, that's the first one. And after that I tried to get up and I couldn't get up and I seen that opening so I tried to crawl in there and that's where he finished me off right there,” said Rodrigues.
The bull ended up in a back corner of the yard.
"He went in there like he was going to leave, but he turned around and it was like he was going to defend himself right there,” he said.
The bull, a 3 year old weighing 1750 pounds, had a horrible fate.
Besides being attacked by dogs, cut and bloody, the bull had to be put down.
"Unfortunately we had to put the bull down to make sure nothing else happened," said Bud Gibson, the owner of Town and Country Ranch - the owner of the bull.
"Because of the nature of the bulls that we raise, they're bucking bulls and even though we handle 'em and they're gentle and they come around when we call 'em, this bull got separated because there was a pig-hunter in our pasture. And the dogs got in our pasture which they shouldn't have been and got on this bull," said Bud Gibson, the bull's owner.
"The guy was illegal hunting. The bull had marks all bitten around him, ear all messed up. It was pretty bad," said John Rodrigues.
"That's all the bull's blood. The bull's and on the wall from the dogs on him. And he came from behind. You can see all the ti leaves all bus up back there, where the dogs were chasing 'em."
The bull's owner made a tough call and one shot put the bull down.
"My biggest concern is for Robbie, and of course we lost a good bull,” said Bud Gibson of Town & Country Stables.
"Those bulls average around $20,000 a piece, and the good ones can bring up to 40-50,000. That bull had his future ahead of him and so there's no telling what he could have been worth,” said Gibson.
As for Rodrigues he's left with 16 staples to the back of his head, 6 to the front, 4 in his mouth, a separated bone in his shoulder and a hip and back stomped into agony but he says he bears no grudges.
"I have no bad vibes against nobody, the hunter has a reason, the bull had a reason,” said Rodrigues. "All the hunters should have control of their dogs, call them off or whatever.”
"This area in the back is conservation, those dogs shouldn't have been back there, he shouldn't have been back there hunting,” said Gibson. "Most of the time the dogs don't have the problem, you've got the human problem."
The Hawaiian Humane Society says it's investigating possible violations of the dangerous dog law. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is investigating a possible illegal hunting violation.
The DLNR says the nearest area authorized for public hunting if licensed would be on the other side of the Koolau Range in the Kuliouou Forest Reserve.
To me, at the minimum, that hunter should be made to have to pay for that bull!
For the video on this, Loose Bull Killed After Injuring Waimanalo Man
LAST SHOT!
Biological Dad Has No Heart!
This is one of those stories you read and wish you had a lot of money to make a child's dream come true - and dish a nice big helping of crow to her father!
Because of the rules, Make–A-Wish let's a part-time dad block his daughter from having her dream vacation.
This was published July 19th, so yes this is real recent.
Whitney Hughs has been collecting money so her daughter McKenna May could possibly one day - visit Disney World.
May's been denied her Make-a-Wish trip because her biological father doesn't believe the organization's money should be wasted on what he calls "cured kids". That's according to the Sentinel-Tribune.
Make-A-Wish rules require that two parents sign off on a sponsored trip. Because of that rule, it is possible for an Ohio father to block his 4-year-old daughter from taking a "wished" Disney World vacation.
"What she's been through sucks," William May, the father of cancer-survivor McKenna May, told Fox News. "But I think any money that the organization hands out to children, should go to dying kids. Not cured ones."
The Sentinel-Tribune in Bowling Green reports that McKenna May was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010 and endured 15 spinal taps, skin burns, multiple chemotherapy treatments, and steroid injections. In reality, she will not be ruled "cancer free" until five years after her last treatment.
Susan McConnell, the CEO of Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana told The Sentinel-Tribune that the young girl was determined by doctors to be qualified for the trip.
"She's been through a lot," McConnell told the paper. "What I really feel bad about is she is stuck in the middle."
Make-A-Wish, which grants a new “wish” every 38 minutes, has the two-parent signature rule in place to make sure it doesn’t get involved in any kind of custody battle or family issue - that's according to Mark Hiegel who is the national communications director for the organization.
"We leave the medical evaluations to the doctors and legal issues with the courts," he said, noting that he never heard of a case where permission was denied by a parent because a child was too healthy. "Families have so many different structures; we need to have enforceable guidelines."
Heagel said, in certain instances, Make-A-Wish allows a judge to intervene and force a parent's signature.
A judge reportedly told the girl’s mom that he would consider an order for the parental signature, but the mom pulled her request for the trip due to fears the order wouldn’t be effective, The Sentinel-Tribune reported.
"That's regrettable," Hiegel said. "I bet she would have got that approved."
The girl's father said he had a brief relationship with her mother. Now married to another woman, he said her mom was going to use the trip, in part, to go house-hunting in Florida to make his bi-weekly visitations more difficult.
Her dad, however, said doctors gave the girl a 99 percent chance of survival and she’s "got tons of time" to go to Disney World.
"I'm not saying she hasn't been through a lot," he said. "But maybe she should get a swing set or something."
Whitney Hughs, the girl’s mother, said the girl's father is being spiteful because he didn’t like the arraignment for the trip. And she said he was barely there when his daughter was undergoing treatment.
"It's just really tough that she has to be put through all this," Hughs told Fox News. "I remember her telling me how she can’t wait to see Mickey Mouse and Cinderella while she had needles in her chest. She even packed her small suitcase."
McKenna's mother and grandmother say they're collecting donations at local businesses in hopes of getting her to Disney World on their own.
"I just told her we were still going to Disney," Hughs said. "Someday."
This is one of those times when I wish I had a lot of money, because if I did - I'd send the little girl and her mom to Disney World in spite of what dear old dad has to say! The jerk!
Story by Tom Correa
