Tag: Guns

WHY IS HOLDER IN FERGUSON WHEN 36 BLACKS SHOT IN CHICAGO LAST WEEKEND?

There have been 1,600 shootings in Chicago this year. There have been 266 homicides. 80% of the victims were black. An equal percentage of the perpetrators were also black. Why does the death of one black man in Ferguson result in 40 FBI agents and the Attorney General swooping into that city, but dozens of blacks get gunned down every weekend in Chicago with absolutely no response from Obama or Holder? Every urban ghetto run by Democrats in this country has off the charts gun violence every day. Why doesn’t the Jesse and Al Show pull into these Democratic enclaves and demand someone be lynched? 

To see the stats on Rahm’s paradise, checkout this website:

http://heyjackass.com/

 

Via Doug Ross

CALLOUS DISREGARD: Obama’s Ferguson Remarks Ignore Yet Another Bloody Week in Chicago

By Investor’s Business Daily

Malignant Neglect: The president talks about Ferguson, Mo., but not about a Chicago weekend where three dozen people were shot, seven of them killed, including a 16-year-old black girl who wanted to be a doctor.

 

To his credit, President Obama was more judicious than usual talking about the shooting of Michael Brown outside St. Louis. He did not say the police acted stupidly. He actually made a rare attempt at acknowledging individual responsibility when he said that when young black men “commit a crime, they need to be prosecuted, because every community has an interest in public safety.” 

One of those communities is Chicago, about whose routine carnage the president has said little of substance, and where last weekend, as the fires of looted stores in Ferguson burned, seven people were shot dead and 29 were wounded. No need to put out the fires of perceived racial animosity or place special focus on the situation when it is young blacks routinely killing other young blacks.

If Sasha and Malia Obama, the president’s young daughters, had another sister, she might look like 16-year-old Shaquise Buckner. Chicago police say Shaquise, who was the same age as Malia, appeared to have been the unintended target of a gang-related drive-by shooting early Saturday morning.

Yet Attorney General Eric Holder went to Ferguson, not Chicago. Thirty-six people are shot in Chicago in a single weekend, seven of them fatally, yet the FBI sends 40 agents to Missouri to investigate the shooting death of one young black male.

In his remarks on Ferguson and the difficulties of young black men, Obama spoke of “communities that feel left behind; who, as a consequence of tragic histories, often find themselves isolated, often find themselves without hope, without economic prospects. You have young men of color who are more likely to end up in jail, or the criminal justice system, than they are to end up in a good job or college.”

One of those communities is Chicago.

Read more »

Ron Paul: “Mental Health Screening A Good Way To Decrease Liberty, Poor Way To Increase Security”

Submitted by Ron Paul via The Ron Paul Institute,

Last week Americans were shocked and saddened by another mass killing, this one near a college campus in California. We all feel deep sympathy for the families of the victims.

As usual, many people responded to this shooting by calling for new federal gun control laws, including the mental health screening of anyone attempting to purchase a firearm. There are a number of problems with this proposal. Federally-mandated mental health screenings would require storing mental health records in a government database. This obviously raises concerns about patient privacy and doctor-patient confidentiality, as well as the threat of identity theft. Anyone who doubts that these are legitimate concerns should consider the enormous privacy problems with the Obamacare website; some have even suggested that healthcare.gov be renamed indentifytheft.gov.

Giving government the power to bar some Americans from owning guns by labeling them as “mentally ill” could easily lead to serious abuses. Even authors of mental health manuals admit that mental health diagnoses are subjective and can be based on “social constructions.” Thus, anyone whose behavior deviates from some “norm” could find himself deprived of his second amendment, and possibly other, rights.

People could be even be labeled “mentally ill” because they are outspoken critics of the government. Currently, as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Vigilant Eagle” program, veterans who express dissatisfaction with government polices run the risk of being labeled mentally-unstable terrorist threats. There has also been at least one federally-funded violence prevention program that determined that holding certain political and social views indicates a propensity for violence. So there is precedent for labeling those with unpopular political beliefs as being “mentally ill.”

We have also seen how US presidents from both parties have used the IRS to target political opponents. Imagine the potential for abuse if those same politicians had access to the mental health records of their political opponents, or the power to label opponents mentally ill because those opponents were “dissatisfied” with the government?

People who say that the threat to liberty posed by mental health screenings is outweighed by the enhanced security they provide should consider that expanding background checks and mental health screening is unlikely to make us safer. Professor Richard Alan Friedman, director of the Psychopharmacology Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College, has written that it is imposable to predict whether an individual will act in a violent manner.

One effective way to limit mass shootings may be to repeal gun control laws that, by disarming the law-abiding, turn the innocent into victims. Like most recent shootings, this one took place in a location where the attacker could be confident his intended targets could not defend themselves. It is interesting that even though the attacker used hammers and knives on some of the victims, no one is calling for background checks on those wishing to purchase hammers.

Instead of focusing on passing more laws, our focus should be replacing the entitlement culture with a culture of self-responsibility and respect for the rights of others. Government can help this process by ending its routine violation of our rights and the use of violence as a means to achieve domestic and foreign policy goals. This is not to suggest that government policies are directly responsible for the shootings, but it is not unreasonable to suggest that growing up in a time of preemptive war may feed a deranged person’s delusion that violence is a proper way to deal with personal frustrations. Fixing the culture is much more difficult than passing new laws but is the only way to guarantee our liberty and our security.

Mental Illness and Mass Killings

As usual, no mention of the drugs peddled by mega-corporations to children and young adults contributing to the rash of mass murders. We wouldn’t want to upset that advertising revenue that keeps the mainstream media afloat.

 

Guest Post by Rick Jensen

If only gun bans or background checks could have kept Elliot Rodger from murdering six innocent people.

He passed three background checks for gun purchases despite having seen mental health counselors for years. This in a state where people are banned from having access to a gun if they are institutionalized, even briefly, or make specific threats while in counseling with a psychologist, psychiatrist or licensed therapeutic counselor.

146733 600 Mental Illness and Mass Killings cartoons

Rick Mckee / Augusta Chronicle

Sadly, supposed adults around the country publicly sought other people and objects to blame for this tragedy.

Predictably, politicians and liberal media pundits came out screaming about guns, somehow overlooking the fact that Elliot killed his first three victims with a knife and planned more carnage by using his car as a weapon.

A reactionary, emotional columnist at the New York Daily News went so far as to blame the NRA for Elliot’s murderous rampage.

An equally reactionary, emotional Ann Hornady at the Washington Post blamed Seth Rogan and Judd Apatow for the killings based on their sophomoric comedic movies.

Rep. Peter King (R) of New York fulminated over the failures of congress to pass a background check law while Elliot passed California’s background checks.

Liberal media all across the nation trumpeted banning guns, which has already been tried in Chicago and Washington D.C., where gun bans resulted in more gun violence.

Some people blame the police who interviewed Elliot at the request of his father because Elliot was able to charm the police. The police had no probable cause to search his apartment.

It also wasn’t their job to look at his videos, according to forensic psychologist Dr. Katherine Ramsland. They did their duty.

Dr. Ramsland is a university professor of forensic psychology who also teaches criminal justice. She holds a master’s in forensic psychology, a master’s in clinical psychology and a master’s in criminal justice. She had written 50 books and 1,000′s of articles.

Since we would all like to prevent tragedies like this from occurring, I asked Dr. Ramsland how it might be done.

She says not all anti-social behavior is potentially deadly. Killers like Rodger and Adam Lanza (Sandy Hook Elementary School) often have a multitude of mental afflictions. And while both have been reported to have Asperger’s syndrome, people who happen to have some level of Asperger’s are not violent. They may get as frustrated as anyone else who having trouble communicating, but it is not an indicator of any violent behavior.

When someone does make specific threats against specific people or targets, especially indicating specific times for the attacks, that is when friends, family or acquaintances should immediately seek professional help for that person before they cause harm.

Someone without the professional training should not try to counsel the person themselves.

Elliot’s parents followed that prescription at least twice.

Dr. Ramsland advice is sound and unsatisfying to those who seek simple solutions such as banning inanimate objects or institutionalizing everyone who exhibits behavior they find troubling.

Among the families suffering the wrenching, senseless loss of their loved ones’ lives are the parents of Elliot who have been wrestling with their son’s mental illness for years. They were the first to reach out to police through a mental health hotline back in April when they discovered his disturbing videos.

Elliot Rodger’s father, Peter, is correct in his tearful statement that more needs to be learned and publicized about mental illnesses.

We can ban cars and guns and knives all we like but the illness seeking its devastating outlet remains, finding other tools to achieve its deadly desire.

CLIP’S SATURDAY MORNING MONTAGE

My fellow monkeys – It’s a generally accepted fact that we like guns. We also enjoy seeing maroons fuck up. Here, for your entertainment I would like to present 9 minutes of maroons with guns and they’re doing exactly what you’d think they would do. Fucking up with guns!!!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmtOEI7sAAs

BAGHDAD SAFER THAN THESE DEMOCRAT RUN URBAN SHITHOLES

You’ve got to love these articles put out by the liberal MSM that provide some facts but ignore the facts that really matter. It seems Flint, Michigan edged out Detroit for the most dangerous city in America. Maybe they’ll throw a parade. The article provides crime rates, poverty rates and high school graduation rates. It didn’t address the causes or real factors that have made these urban shitholes so dangerous. I have done a little research to supplement the article. Black people make up approximately 13% of the U.S. population. Hispanics make up approximately 17% of the U.S. population. White people make up approximately 63% of the U.S. population. The country is split pretty evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Now let’s assess a few facts about the most dangerous cities in America.

  1. Flint – 61% Black/Hispanic – Democrat Mayor
  2. Detroit – 85% Black/Hispanic – Democrat Mayor
  3. Oakland – 53% Black/Hispanic – Democrat Mayor
  4. St. Louis – 53% Black/Hispanic – Democrat Mayor
  5. Memphis – 68% Black/Hispanic – Democrat Mayor
  6. Stockton – 51% Black/Hispanic (21% Native American) – Democrat Mayor
  7. Birmingham – 64% Black/Hispanic – Democrat Mayor
  8. New Haven – 63% Black/Hispanic – Democrat Mayor
  9. Baltimore – 67% Black/Hispanic – Democrat Mayor
  10. Cleveland – 63% Black/Hispanic – Democrat Mayor

I would venture to guess that the next ten most dangerous cities such as Philly, Chicago, New Orleans, Camden, Newark, etc. would show the identical racial and political makeup. I’m sure this is just a coincidence. It must be Whitey’s fault. Every one of these cities has been completely controlled by Democrat politicians for decades. Their policies have created a permanent underclass of lawless savages dependent upon entitlement handouts. The majority of the people living in these shitholes are uneducated, ignorant, lazy deadbeats. The majority of households are not occupied by a married father and mother. Obama received at least 80% of the vote in these urban shitholes in the last election. His policies and those of the Democratic Party are intent on duplicating the success they have achieved in these urban kill zones across the land.

I’m surely a racist for providing these additional FACTS. 

 Most Dangerous Cities in America

June 13, 2013 by Samuel Weigley, Alexander E. M. Hess and Michael B. Sauter

 

110924049

Source: Thinkstock

After falling for five consecutive years, the number of violent crimes across the United States rose by 1.2% in 2012. Based on data published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the increase was even greater in some of America’s largest cities. In 2012, for the third year in a row, Flint, Michigan had the highest violent crime rate in the country.

According to the FBI, violent crime includes murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. In some cases, the cities with the highest violent crime rate, including Flint and Oakland, had high rates in all four categories. However, most of the most violent cities tend to do very poorly only in a few categories. Based on the FBI Uniform Crime Report, these are the 10 most dangerous cities in America.

Click here to see the 10 most dangerous cities 

Crime in these cities is typically not limited to just violent crime. Three cities — Birmingham, St. Louis and Oakland — were among the 10 worst cities in the nation for both violent crime and property crime. In some of the most dangerous cities, specific types of property crime were especially common. Flint and Cleveland had among the highest burglary rates, while Oakland, Detroit and St. Louis had among the highest rates of vehicle theft.

The economies of many of the most dangerous cities have been in bad shape for years, in some cases long before the Great Recession. The populations of many of the most dangerous cities declined, leaving behind highly impoverished urban centers. The loss of economic diversity, explained John Roman, senior fellow at the Urban institute, only serves to exacerbate crime in cities like Detroit, Flint, Cleveland and St. Louis.

In fact, all the 10 most dangerous cities had poverty rates above the national rate of 15.9% in 2011. In half of these cities, more than 30% of the population lived in poverty. Detroit and Flint had poverty rates of more than 40%. “It is very clear that poverty in particular is associated with higher crime rates,” explained Roman.

However, the relationship between the two is less certain. It is “very difficult to say whether crime makes places poorer, or poverty causes more crime,” Roman noted.

In many of the nation’s most dangerous cities, unemployment is also extremely high. Seven of the 10 cities with the highest levels of violent crime had unemployment rates above 10% in 2012, much higher than the national unemployment rate of 8.1% that year. In two cities, Detroit and Stockton, the unemployment rate was more than 18% last year.

Low educational attainment also goes hand-in-hand with high crime rates. In all of the 10 most dangerous cities, the percentage of adults with a high school diploma was below the 86% national average. In five of these metro areas, the percentage of adults with a diploma was below 80%.

On its website, the FBI instructs readers to avoid comparing city violence because rankings tend to be simplistic and ignore factors that influence crime, as well as the different ways crimes are measured and reported. For this reason, Roman cautioned against directly comparing cities based on their individual crime rates. However, because the cities with the highest and lowest violent crime rates have remained consistent for many years, he believes comparing city ranks was useful.

Based on the FBI’s Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 U.S. cities with populations of 100,000 or more with the highest rates of violent crime per 100,000 residents. Using estimated populations and crime incidents from the FBI, which measures incidents of eight types of violent and nonviolent crime for 2012, 24/7 Wall St. calculated the incidence of the four types of violent crime per 100,000 persons for that year: murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. In addition to crime data, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed median income and poverty rates for these cities from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for 2011, the most recent available year. We also included average 2012 unemployment rates for these cities from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

10. Cleveland, Ohio
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,383.8
> Population: 393,781
> 2012 murders: 84
> Poverty rate: 34.3%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 77.0%

More than 825 robberies were reported in Cleveland for every 100,000 residents last year, the second highest robbery rate in the nation behind only Oakland. The total number of robberies in the city rose from 3,156 in 2011 to 3,252 in 2012. Cleveland also had the nation’s second highest burglary rate in 2012, with close to 2,500 burglaries per 100,000 residents. Unlike robbery, burglary does not involve force or coercion and is not considered a violent crime. Recently, the highly publicized discovery of three area women that had been missing for roughly a decade and held captive within the city led to extensive criticism of the Cleveland Police Department. Cleveland is one of the nation’s poorest large cities with a median household income of just $25,731 in 2011 — barely over half the national median.

Also Read: States with the Fastest Growing Economies

9. Baltimore, Md.
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,405.7
> Population: 625,474
> 2012 murders: 219
> Poverty rate: 25.1%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 80.5%

There were 219 murders in Baltimore in 2012, more than all but five other major cities both in absolute terms and per capita. In addition, the city’s robbery rate of 576.4 cases per 100,000 people was the ninth highest in the country. Despite remaining one of the most violent cities, city officials noted that crime rates have been declining. While the total number of murders increased, total gun crime fell by 6% compared to 2011, according to the Baltimore Police Department. In addition, the city’s property crime rate of 4,660.3 cases per 100,000 residents was lower than any of the top cities for violent crime.

8. New Haven, Conn.
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,439.2
> Population: 129,934
> 2012 murders: 17
> Poverty rate: 30.1%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 78.4%

There were 766 robberies in New Haven in 2011, or 589.1 cases per 100,000 residents, the eighth highest rate among all cities considered that year. In 2012, the number of robberies in the city jumped to 844. At 649.6 robberies per 100,000 residents, this was one of the highest rates recorded in 2012. But while both robberies and aggravated assaults rose last year, the number of murders declined from 34 in 2011 to just 17 in 2012. Gun violence remains a concern for the community. Recently, police began reaching out to known gang members on probation or parole to offer help to members looking to earn a high school diploma or otherwise improve their lives. As of 2011, just 78.4% of New Haven residents over 25 had a high school diploma, much lower than the 85.9% rate nationwide.

7. Birmingham, Ala.
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,517.8
> Population: 213,266
> 2012 murders: 67
> Poverty rate: 32.0%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 81.3%

Birmingham had among the 10 highest murder and aggravated assault rates at 31.4 cases per 100,000 people and 954.2 cases per 100,000 residents, respectively, in 2012. The city also had 6,934.1 property crimes per 100,000 people in 2012, higher than all but four other cities. This included 2,205.7 burglaries per 100,000, the sixth highest of all cities. City residents are in a far worse economic position than the nation as a whole. The median household income in Birmingham was just $28,646 in 2011, far lower than the $50,502 across the United States. Also, 32% of the population lived below the poverty line that year, compared with just under 16% nationwide.

6. Stockton, Calif.
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,548.0
> Population: 299,105
> 2012 murders: 71
> Poverty rate: 25.8%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 75.1%

The number of violent crimes reported in Stockton rose from 4,155 in 2011 to 4,630 in 2012. This was partly due to the increase in the number of robberies, from 1,323 in 2011 to 1,556 last year, and the increase in the number of aggravated assaults, from 2,684 in 2011 to 2,913 in 2012. As a result of this uptick in crime, Stockton had some of the highest incidences of murder, robbery and aggravated assault in the nation. Stockton also holds the dubious distinction of being the largest city in U.S. history, by population, to enter bankruptcy. In the city proper, the unemployment rate was 18.3% in 2012, more than 10 percentage points above the national rate last year.

5. Memphis, Tenn.
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,750.0
> Population: 657,436
> 2012 murders: 133
> Poverty rate: 27.2%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 83.4%

Memphis had the third highest rate of aggravated assault in 2012, with 1,151.9 cases per 100,000 residents. This was up from the 1,032.3 cases per 100,000 in 2011. The city’s murder rate of 20.2 per 100,000 people and robbery rate of 514.4 per 100,000 people were also up from 2011. The high levels of crime has people in the Memphis area feeling uneasy. According to a recent Gallup survey, roughly 43% of Memphis area residents reported feeling unsafe walking at night, the highest percentage of all the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country and significantly higher than the 28% across the United States.

Also Read: States with the Most Government Benefits

4. St. Louis, Mo.
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,776.5
> Population: 318,667
> 2012 murders: 113
> Poverty rate: 27.0%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 83.9%

There were 1,120.6 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people in St. Louis in 2012, higher than all but three other cities. Moreover, the murder rate of 35.5 cases per 100,000 was the fifth highest of all cities. Although St. Louis’s violent crime was still among the highest in the country, it has improved. There were 80 less violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2012 compared to 2011 — the best improvement of any city on this list, with the drop mostly attributable to 106 less robberies per 100,000 people in 2012 compared to the previous year. Law enforcement officials attributed some of the drop to an increased police presence in high-crime neighborhoods.

3. Oakland, Calif.
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 1,993.1
> Population: 399,487
> 2012 murders: 126
> Poverty rate: 21.0%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 79.9%

There were 1,085.9 robberies per 100,000 residents in Oakland in 2012, higher than any other city. This was also significantly higher than the 851.2 robberies per 100,000 just a year earlier. The rates of murder and aggravated assaults also increased in 2012 compared to 2011. Violent crime was not the only issue in Oakland, either — there were 6,594 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2012, more than all but eight other cities, and up from 5,287.9 in 2011. Crime in the city has increased ever since the city’s police department went through a round of layoffs in 2010 due to $30.5 million deficit.

2. Detroit, Mich.
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 2,122.6
> Population: 707,096
> 2012 murders: 386
> Poverty rate: 40.9%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 77.4%

Detroit’s murder rate of 54.2 per 100,000 residents was the second highest in the country last year. The homicide rate in Detroit, which included 386 criminal murders and an additional 25 justifiable homicides, reached the highest level in nearly 40 years. In addition, the city’s aggravated assault rate of 1,320.8 cases per 100,000 people was also the second highest in the United States, although this was an improvement from the 1,333.6 cases per 100,000 residents in 2011. Detroit has struggled economically in recent years. The city’s 2012 unemployment rate was a whopping 18.6%, much higher than the 8.1% across the nation last year. The median household income of $25,193 was less than half the national median for 2011.

Also Read: The Best Cities for High Tech Jobs

1. Flint, Mich.
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 2,729.5
> Population: 101,632
> 2012 murders: 63
> Poverty rate: 40.6%
> Pct. of adults with high school degree: 82.9%

With a staggering 2,729.5 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, no city had a higher violent crime rate than Flint. The city of just 101,632 people had 63 total murders and 1,930 aggravated assaults, both the highest relative to the city’s population. Flint also had nationwide highs in burglary rates and arson per 100,000 people. The sheriff of Genesee County, where Flint is located, proposed a plan to create a violent crime mobile response unit that would cost $3 million. However, Governor Rick Snyder rejected the plan because he believed resources would be better “integrated into the ongoing efforts to make Flint safer.” Like Detroit, Flint has suffered economically in recent years. The median household income was just $23,380 in 2011, the second-lowest of all 555 cities measured by the U.S. Census Bureau.

TEENS MURDERING AT WILL IN DEMOCRATIC RUN URBAN SHITHOLES – POLICE ARREST 14 YEAR OLD FOR WEARING PRO-GUN TEE SHIRT

Teenage hoodlums and gangstas run rampant in Democratic run shitholes all over America gunning each other down with the 2nd responders arriving in time to put up the yellow tape and draw the chalk outlines on the ground. These urban shitholes have the toughest gun laws. They also have vast swaths of their population on welfare and the worst schools in the country. The majority of the 500 murders in Chicago and 300 murders in Philly go unsolved. No arrests. No nothing.

But the 2nd responders are protecting us from 14 year olds wearing pro-gun t-shirts. This country is so fucked up.

Teen Arrested at Middle School for Wearing a Pro-Gun T-Shirt

 This story perfectly demonstrates what a totally sad society we have become.  We can’t arrest a single banker or political crook, but heaven forbid a 14 year old wears a shirt that expresses support for the Second Amendment.  Arrest that infidel immediately!  We discover that:

A West Virginia teen arrested and accused of nearly inciting a riot after a confrontation with a teacher over his National Rifle Association t-shirt has inspired dozens of students across his county to wear similar apparel in solidarity.

Jared Marcum, 14, had a confrontation Thursday with a Logan Middle School teacher over his NRA t-shirt, which bears the organization’s logo, along with an image of a hunting rifle and the phrase, “Protect your right.”

Marcum’s lawyer, Ben White, said that when the teen was told to remove the shirt or turn it inside out, he attempted to engage the teacher in a debate.

“Jared respects firearms and has training to use them, and believes in the Second Amendment,” White told ABCNews.com. “He believes it’s being threatened by current legislation. He wore [the shirt] as an expression of political speech and the need to protect the Second Amendment.”

Marcum was eventually arrested and taken away by police after refusing to remove the shirt.  White said that when police told the teen they were going to arrest him, he stuck his hands out and said, “Fine.”

 

White said that charges being filed against Marcum are pending the prosecutor’s office’s review of the evidence. But he insisted that it was the teacher who caused the issue by confronting the teen, and that video gathered from the school will prove it.

“I believe the teacher was acting beyond the scope of his employment,” he said. “What the video shows is that students did step up on the benches to the tables in the lunchroom when they were escorting Jared out of building. Kids jumped up, clapping. Teachers said to get off and be quiet, and they did.”

Logan County students wore NRA t-shirts today in solidarity with Marcum, White said, adding that Marcum is an honor roll student eyeing a career in the military. Zigmond did not mention any disciplinary action during school today.

Meanwhile, this is what the dangerous shirt looked like.  A real threat to public safety for sure.

NRAshirt

Nothing says freedom like cuffing a fourteen year old for wearing a t-shirt that you don’t approve of.  USA! USA! 

Full article here.

In Liberty, Mike

LONG HOT SUMMER IN THE CITY

I love how the powers that be in our Democratic run urban areas are blaming the warm Spring for the 50% increase in murders in their cities. Classic liberal response. It couldn’t be the policies they’ve inflicted on their residents for the last 40 years. How’s that War on Poverty working out in Chicago, Detroit and Philly? If you were thinking about moving to Chicago, think again.

If they are blaming the surge in murders on temperatures rising to 60 degrees in March, imagine what will happen when temperatures hit 100 degrees in August. It’s going to be a long hot summer in the cities.

 

Fractured gangs blamed for Chicago homicide surge

CHICAGO — There are many theories about what has caused a recent spike in Chicago’s homicide rate, including a splintering of established drug gangs, the warm winter and high unemployment in some neighborhoods that seem a world away from the city’s beaches, lush parks and skyscrapers.

The numbers clearly show there is a problem, with eight killed and at least 35 wounded in a spasm of gunfire last weekend.

The violence is nowhere near its historical peak of the early 1990s, when Chicago recorded roughly 900 homicides per year. But from Jan. 1 through late May there were 203 homicides, an increase of more than 50 percent over the 134 during the same period in 2011.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has made combatting gangs a priority and has stood with Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy to unveil a plan of attack. Among the new police tactics is the deployment of dozens of specialized undercover officers to units on Chicago’s West and South sides and then saturating those neighborhood streets with uniformed officers.

In addition, Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday signed into law the Illinois Street Gang RICO Act, which aims to dismantle gangs by boosting penalties for crimes performed as part of a criminal enterprise.

In Englewood, a roughly 20-by-20-block South Side neighborhood, homicides jumped from 40 in 2010 to 60 last year, which is more than half of the total 2011 homicides for cities such as Cleveland, Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., Oakland, Calif., and Kansas City, Mo.

Though police are loath to attribute this winter’s unusually warm weather as a possible factor, because it smacks of excuse-making, there were far more people on the streets in January, February and March — including gang members — than during those months in 2011.

Just as important have been dramatic changes within the gangs themselves.

“In the past the gangs were very organized from the top down,” said Sgt. Matthew Little of the Chicago Police Department’s gang enforcement unit. As more gang leaders are arrested, convicted and sent to prison, the gangs they left behind have become “very splintered,” he said.

Young men on the city’s streets agree.

“There is no one to control this, so it has become haywire,” said Devon Tims, who identified himself as one of the Chicago Vice Lords, making him one of the city’s estimated 70,000 gang members.

In interviews, McCarthy said the “fracturing” of larger gangs into smaller ones has doubled the number of factions and conflicts. “These kids have guns and they end up using them,” he said.

McCarthy said the gangs are far more territorial and rigid than those that operated when he was a ranking commander in the New York City Police Department and the chief in Newark, N.J. And that means trouble when a gang member simply crosses the street into rival territory.

“If we see a car with three of (one gang’s) guys three blocks over there (on another gang’s turf), they are probably going to shoot someone,” said Leo Schmitz, a gang enforcement commander who was redeployed in January to command Englewood’s police district.

The demolition of the city’s infamous public housing complexes in recent years also played a role. While the high rises long were considered a massive failure that warehoused the city’s poorest families and became magnets for gangs, tearing them down caused a new set of problems by scattering gang members to other parts of the city.

Some of them eventually settled in the thousands of houses that were abandoned during the nation’s recent financial crisis. There the battle for supremacy started anew.

Residents and activists from the most violent neighborhoods have seen similar campaigns to combat gang violence over the years and were both hopeful and skeptical about the latest one.

Jean Carter-Hill, an activist from Englewood, said she thinks the increase in officers patrolling the streets is helping clean up the area but that the city needs to do more, such as helping youths with conflict resolution.

“Every time there is a conflict, these young people get a gun,” she said. “And everyone seems to know where a gun is.”

BAD WEEK FOR FREEDOM

“We have two American flags always: one for the rich and one for the poor. When the rich fly it means that things are under control; when the poor fly it means danger, revolution, anarchy.”– Henry Miller

  




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With each passing week it seems this country spirals further into the depths of a frightening dystopian fantasy reminiscent of Huxley and Orwell’s dark world of isolation, fear and government brutality portrayed in their masterpieces Brave New World and 1984. I keep speculating whether it’s me that’s crazy and not the things I’m witnessing on a daily basis. The President signs the National Defense Authorization Act, passed by an overwhelming majority of Congress, which allows the government to imprison American citizens indefinitely without charge. And there is barely a squeak from the docile masses as they are soothed by Obama promising to never use that part of the law. I bet you $10,000 a President will invoke that portion of the NDAA in the very near future.

Jon Corzine, a card carrying member of the ruling elite .01%, remains free to roam one of his five palatial estates after stealing $1.6 billion from the accounts of farmers, widows, and thousands of other “clients” of MF Global. In his spare time he raises money for Obama’s re-election campaign. The Federal government, Federal courts and Wall Street banking cabal have circled the wagons and declared the money just vaporized, even though it sits in Jamie Dimon’s vaults at J.P. Morgan. No one is being prosecuted for this deliberate thievery. The psychopathic Wall Street criminals have been getting away with murder for so long they act invulnerable to societal mores and scoff at our laws, rules and regulations. Those are for the 99%. When you control the politicians, regulators, courts, and mainstream media, it’s easy to get away with murder. The jackals and hyenas are laughing in their NYC penthouse suites as they continue to collect $20 million bonuses for a job well done.

 

After this past week I’m apoplectic with rage and fury as the rule of law has been discarded and the Constitution trampled upon by a wealthy connected oligarchy bent upon using their absolute power to further enrich themselves. The Wall Street banks that committed the largest financial crime in history, including: fraud in the inducement, forgery, fabricating documents, bribing rating agencies to rate toxic mortgages as AAA, selling fraudulent derivatives to customers, shorting the derivatives they sold to their customers, throwing millions of Americans out of their homes, charging inflated and bogus fees during the foreclosure process, and conducting a colossal cover-up, were slapped on the wrist and made to pay a miniscule $5 billion to the millions of victims of their crimes. Not one banker has been prosecuted. Not one person has gone to jail. Justice in this country is a putrid joke. There has been no outrage from the general public. The propaganda spewed by the corporate media instructs the masses to rejoice at this fair and just verdict. The truth is that 95% of the population didn’t know or didn’t care about the 50 state foreclosure-gate settlement. They were engrossed by the huge controversy over M.I.A. flipping the bird during the Super Bowl halftime show and whether Madonna was upset about the incident.

“Free” Healthcare

While this travesty of justice was playing out, we were treated to a glimpse into the future of healthcare in America administered by politicians and bureaucrats based upon vote count expediency. The government drones at DHHS mandated from on high that every woman in America would receive “free” contraceptives from their employers. Obama had made this decision and instructed his minions to implement his visionary dictate. The outrage and anger from religious groups and employers was instantaneous. Obama saw the 2012 election slipping away and reversed course within a day. He is quite the man of principle. His “solution” was to force insurance companies to provide “free” contraception to any employee of a religious employer that didn’t provide that coverage in their insurance plan. When I hear these sociopathic politicians use the word “free” when describing healthcare or any of their thousands of bankrupt government programs, I have an overpowering impulse to smash something. Insurance companies will not provide “free” contraceptives to women. Insurance premiums will rise for everyone.

Remember Obama’s assertion about his government takeover of healthcare:

“As a consequence of the Affordable Care Act, premiums are going to be lower than they would be otherwise; health care costs overall are going to be lower than they would be otherwise.”

The next government program that reduces costs, provides better service, and is more efficient than the private market will be the first government program to do so. Examples of government ineptitude, corruption and waste include: Social Security, Medicare, Welfare, the Energy Dept., the Education Dept., and the Dept. of War. Jonathan Gruber, MIT economist and chief architect of Obamacare and Romneycare, recently admitted the truth about Obamacare:

“After the application of tax subsidies, 59% of the individual market will experience an average premium increase of 31%. My findings reflect the high cost of folding state high risk pools into the [federal government’s] exchange — without using the money the state was already spending to subsidize those high risk pools.”

Based on what Obamacare has done for the American people before its full implementation in 2014, you’ll be begging for a death panel to put you out of your misery. The following “free” healthcare services were required to be covered by insurance companies in 2010:

  • Cover preventive care without co-pays or deductibles.
  • Allow adult children to stay on parents’ policies until age 26.
  • Increase annual coverage limits.
  • Cover children without regard for preexisting conditions.

Obama’s promise that families would save $2,500 per year in the future might come up a tad short, as insurance premiums skyrocketed by 9% in 2011. Not only have premiums soared, but many companies have increased co-pays from $10 to $25 for doctor visits.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

Only a deceitful government busybody do-gooder would actually argue that forcing insurance companies to cover millions more Americans and cover pre-existing conditions would result in lower costs for the average family. I wonder what will happen in 2014 when 30 million more Americans are guaranteed “free” healthcare under Obamacare. The saddest part of this oncoming train wreck is that millions of willfully ignorant people actually believed the blatant lies and false storyline fed to them by sociopathic politicians who desire to control every aspect of their lives. These people believe they know what is best for you. They believe they are smarter than you. They do not care what means are required to achieve their ends of absolute domination over your life. Personal freedom, individual liberty and a critical thinking populace are the antithesis to the desires of the governing elite.

Home Sweet Home

The central planners within government and inhabiting the Federal Reserve are never in doubt that their theories, programs, solutions, mandates and schemes will achieve their desired outcome. The trouble for the American people is the desired result is not designed or planned to actually benefit them. The psychopaths drawn to politics, regulatory agencies, and government bureaucracies have no remorse or qualms about lying, utilizing propaganda, and instilling fear to achieve the ends that endorse their self serving agenda. Every dime of government spending is seized from the people by force or created out of thin air by an all knowing self-proclaimed Great Depression expert named Ben Bernanke. This Ivy League professor who has spent his entire life in academia and government thinks he knows which levers to pull to revive an economy that he destroyed. His wisdom is borne out in his prescient assessment of the U.S. housing market as it was imploding:

“We’ve never had a decline in house prices on a nationwide basis. So, what I think what is more likely is that house prices will slow, maybe stabilize, might slow consumption spending a bit. I don’t think it’s gonna drive the economy too far from its full employment path, though.” – July 2005

“House prices have risen by nearly 25 percent over the past two years. Although speculative activity has increased in some areas, at a national level these price increases largely reflect strong economic fundamentals.” – October 2005

“Housing markets are cooling a bit. Our expectation is that the decline in activity or the slowing in activity will be moderate, that house prices will probably continue to rise.” – February 2006

“All that said, given the fundamental factors in place that should support the demand for housing, we believe the effect of the troubles in the subprime sector on the broader housing market will likely be limited, and we do not expect significant spillovers from the subprime market to the rest of the economy or to the financial system.  The vast majority of mortgages, including even subprime mortgages, continue to perform well.  Past gains in house prices have left most homeowners with significant amounts of home equity, and growth in jobs and incomes should help keep the financial obligations of most households manageable.” – May 2007

It should be clear to everyone that Ben is a goddamn genius. You can see why the mainstream corporate media hangs on his every utterance. He has accepted no responsibility for his part in producing an epic housing collapse and the subsequent recession that continues to this day. His lack of conscience comes in handy as he has destroyed the finances of millions of senior citizens dependent upon interest income to make ends meet. Having no guiding principles or ethics allows him to declare with a straight face that inflation is well contained as gas prices approach $4.00 per gallon, food prices surge 10%, and his inflationary policies contribute to revolutions around the globe.

Last week this sage spoke to the Home Builders Association and left no doubt that he has no interest in what is best for the American people. His economic remedies are the exact opposite of what is needed to cure the disease of a debt ravaged society. Dr. Bernake’s prescription is more debt fueled spending by consumers to refill the coffers on Wall Street. This is not surprising considering he is nothing but a puppet of Dimon, Pandit, Blankfein and the rest of the Wall Street cabal. His speech revealed his allegiances:

“One of the effects of declines in housing wealth is to reduce the ability and willingness of households to spend. It appears that recent declines in housing wealth may be reducing consumer spending between $200 billion and $375 billion per year. That reduction corresponds to lower living standards for many Americans. And, importantly, lower sales of goods and services also reduce the incentives of firms to invest and hire, thereby slowing the recovery. Low or negative equity creates additional problems for households. It reduces financial flexibility: Homeowners who are underwater on their mortgages cannot tap home equity to pay for emergency health expenses or their children’s college educations.”

Whenever I read Bernanke’s words, I’m reminded of George Orwell’s quote about intelligent people:

“There are some ideas so wrong that only a very intelligent person could believe in them.”

This is a man who believes he knows better than the market. He’s an economics professor that doesn’t believe in the law of supply and demand as taught in Econ 101. He thinks he can control home prices. He thinks he knows the ideal interest rate. He thinks he knows just how much money printing will revive the economy. He believes a healthy economy is driven by artificially propping up home prices, encouraging people to spend money they don’t have, recommending that homeowners borrow against their homes ($3 trillion borrowed and pissed away from 2003 through 2008), and forcing banks to make loans to subprime borrowers – again. His solution to the millions of bank owned homes is to use the taxpayer owned Fannie and Freddie to initiate bulk discount sales of these homes to his friends in the .01% so they can turn around and rent them to their former owners. I wish someone could explain to me how this helps the 99%. It is another backdoor bailout of Wall Street on the straining backs of the American taxpayer.

Obama’s housing solutions in 2009-2010 included multiple home buyer tax credits, loan modification programs, and a myriad of other Keynesian claptrap spending schemes. Bernanke supported all of those measures. They spent $30 billion of your tax dollars in an effort to artificially prop up home prices. Home prices have fallen 10% since they threw your money down the rat hole where all government programs reside, and they continue to fall. These central government planners don’t like to publicize the fact they continue to operate Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHA as a way to shift losses from Wall Street to Main Street. Fannie and Freddie have lost $160 billion of your tax dollars since 2008, but amazingly the losses don’t show up in the Federal budget because reality has no place in politics or governmental accounting. The FHA just announced they will require a taxpayer bailout for the first time in their 78 year existence, as they lose $5 billion of your money per year on behalf of the Wall Street banking cartel. The toxic mortgages that don’t reside on the books of Fannie, Freddie and the FHA are sitting on Ben’s balance sheet. They reside, hidden from public view, in the “Other Assets” section of the chart below. His tripling of the Federal Reserve balance sheet was done for one reason only – to save the Wall Street bankers, their shareholders, and their bondholders. His actions have in no way benefitted the American people or the American economy.

It is mind boggling the degree to which central planners like Bernanke, Geithner, Obama and Congress will inflict their vision of how the economy and world in general should operate upon the trusting masses. The American people want to believe their leaders are doing what is best for them. They like dwelling in a land of delusion, security and luxury, where government guarantees to protect them from: terrorists; Iranian invasion; saving for retirement; looking out for their own health; educating themselves; and accepting the consequences of living above their means. Their ability to distinguish between truth and propaganda has been thoroughly degraded by years of government proscribed education. We have chosen to become a knowingly ignorant nation of true believers. There is no time for critical thinking while we anticipate our next tweet about the death of drug addicted pop singer. We have been taught to love our servitude.

“…most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution.”– Aldous Huxley – Brave New World

The fallacy of government protecting you, taking care of you and providing you “free” benefits is so ingrained in the American psyche that it is virtually impossible to voluntarily reverse the trend. The truth that Americans refuse to acknowledge is that nothing is free in this life. We are not entitled to own a home, a free education, free healthcare, or a comfy privileged existence. Everything government provides is taken by force from someone else. Everything government does has a cost. Americans have traded freedom and liberty for the appearance of safety and security.The cost is constant war, getting groped by TSA perverts, surveillance by government agencies, threat of imprisonment without charges and a $1 trillion price tag per year. The cost of “free” healthcare is mind numbingly ludicrous rules and regulations for doctors and patients, massive fraud, outrageously expensive procedures and medications, and a $100 trillion unfunded liability left for future generations. The ultimate cost of an overbearing, all controlling government will be economic collapse and revolution.

Who Decides?

“Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.” – Joseph Stalin

The concluding act during this bad week for freedom occurred on Saturday in the great state of Maine. When it became clear that Ron Paul was going to win the Maine caucuses, the GOP establishment, that has already anointed Mitt Romney the Republican nominee, decided the people of Maine would be told who won. Using the excuse of an impending snowstorm (less than 1 inch), the powers that be cancelled the caucuses in Washington County where a large contingent of youthful Ron Paul supporters dominated. The Girl Scouts didn’t cancel their event in the same county that day. The men who cancelled the caucus are strong Romney supporters. This was a blatant Stalinist act of voter disenfranchisement. The GOP leaders declared those votes would not count in the totals. Despite this despicable act of rigging an election, Ron Paul doubled his vote percentage from 2008. His message of freedom, liberty, non-interventionism, sound money and self-reliance is reverberating across the land among young people who have not been programmed by the governing elite and the corporate mass media. The establishment will do everything in their power, including vote fraud, to prevent Ron Paul’s anti-establishment message from being heard.

A small delegation of authoritative, rich men continues to pull the strings in this country. The examples I’ve sited in the last week prove we are moving ever more rapidly towards what Friedrich Hayek described as a‘dictatorship of the proletariat’. The actions of the governing class point to no other conclusion as described by Simon Black:

  • Hundreds of thousands of mortgage contracts abrogated by the Federal government;
  • Suspension of gun rights by several local governments;
  • The continued criminalization of protest and free assembly;
  • Increased surveillance and police state tactics;
  • Authorization of military force and detention against the citizens;
  • Seizing and/or voiding pension systems into which workers have paid lifelong contributions;
  • Rejection of long-standing senior debt positions in favor of labor unions;
  • Executive and police agencies ruling by regulation and policy, not by legislative process;

When you pose the possibility of a dictatorship in America, the defender of freedom and democracy, old timers scoff and laugh off the possibility. We are the bright shining light on the mountaintop – that preemptively invades other countries; murders suspected foes with predator drones; imprisons and tortures foreigners in secret prisons; and plans to have 30,000 spy drones patrolling the skies over U.S. cities within the next few years. The government now has the authority to imprison U.S. citizens without cause for as long as they see fit. The government plans to lock down and control the internet. How could we possibly descend toward dictatorial rule? The conditions are perfect for sociopaths dwelling in government bureaucracies to make their move, as elucidated by Doug Casey:

“You may be thinking that what happened in places like Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, Mao’s China, Pol Pot’s Cambodia and scores of other countries in recent history could not, for some reason, happen in the US. Actually, there’s no reason it won’t at this point. All the institutions that made America exceptional – including a belief in capitalism, individualism, self-reliance and the restraints of the Constitution – are now only historical artifacts.On the other hand, the distribution of sociopaths is completely uniform across both space and time. Per capita, there were no more evil people in Stalin’s Russia, Hitler’s Germany, Mao’s China, Amin’s Uganda, Ceausescu’s Romania or Pol Pot’s Cambodia than there are today in the US. All you need is favorable conditions for them to bloom, much as mushrooms do after a rainstorm.”- Casey Report

Call me a raging optimist, but I see positive signs that an irate tireless minority of Americans are coming to their senses and preparing for a showdown with the ruling oligarchy. The tremendous support for Ron Paul’s message among those under the age of 30 is inspiring. His devoted followers have incredible enthusiasm and will be a force to be reckoned with. The upcoming election will be won or lost based upon whether Ron Paul decides to run as a 3rd Party candidate, spreading his inspirational message. The Occupy Movement is also being driven by people under the age of 30. Their courage and audacity in standing up to brutal establishment military tactics and focusing the attention of the world on the greed, avarice and corruption rampant throughout our economic and political system has given me hope that the good guys can win. Every day the Millenial generation gains strength as the power of the older generations slowly wanes.

The internet has proven to be the best weapon in the fight against the governing elite. It offers people the freedom to ignore government sponsored propaganda being blasted by the corporate media. Critical thinkers can connect with other critical thinkers, while seeking the truth and spreading ideas. You can examine websites like Zero Hedge, Jesse’s Café Americain, Of Two Minds, and Mish to comprehend what is really happening in your world. The tumult and outrage exhibited by millions when the despotic Congressional jackals attempted to pass SOPA and PIPA was inspirational. The people’s voice was heard loud and clear. The politicians ruling over our lives have no guiding principles or moral code. They peddle their votes to the highest bidder. They conduct polls to determine what their constituents want to hear and then shockingly tailor a message that voters find to be exactly what they think. These sociopaths only respond to one thing – being exposed as liars and thieves. When they are confronted by an irate citizenry they scatter like roaches in a West Philly row house kitchen when you turn the light on. Yes votes on SOPA turned to No votes quicker than the Federal government can spend a billion of your tax dollars (10 hours). Obama showed how principled his positions are by backtracking on his “free” contraception mandate in less than 24 hours. If we speak loud enough they will listen, or else.

The “or else” is reflected in the chart below showing gun purchases over the last ten years. Millions of good law abiding Americans are armed. The accelerating trend is a hopeful sign that we will not allow a small contingent of corrupt politicians backed by shadowy rich men (22 men have contributed 67% of all the Super Pac money in the GOP primaries), hiding from public view, to treat this country as their personal playground.

It was a bad week for freedom loving people, but I believe there are enough patriots left in this country to change our course. We are being buried under a blizzard of lies on a daily basis. We have a choice. We can support the existing corrupt crony capitalist establishment (Obama & Romney) or we can declare war on lies, deceit and misinformation by rallying behind the only person who would truly attempt to reverse decades of corruption, sleaze, incompetence, bloat, debt accumulation, and a warped version of free market capitalism – Ron Paul. He is the only public figure willing to level with the American people and tell them the truth. Will we let the concept of truth fade out of the world? The choice is ours.

“In our age there is no such thing as ‘keeping out of politics.’ All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia. The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history.” –   George Orwell

  

“Truth is treason in an empire of lies.” – Ron Paul