Perspectives

Marine takes torch as Spokesman for Sanity

Cpl Joshua Boston, former Marine, stepped into the spotlight following his open letter challenging Senator Feinstein's gun grab legislation, and calling Britain's Piers Morgan to return to the island of Banned Guns.  Boston is representing sanity fairly well though Obama has decided not to deport the gun hating Morgan who is on a crusade to scrap the Bill of Rights.

UPDATE: Piers Morgan was fired in May of 2004 from his Editor position at Britain's Daily Mirror for publication of falsified pictures of Troops mistreating Iraqi prisoners.

Meanwhile, someone claiming to have also been a Marine, decides to throw his two cents into the pool:

"Boston’s attitude towards authority is frankly disgusting and his open letter is wrong in both its assumptions about why the gun-control debate has become heated, and the reasons why we should care about his opinions at all. It implies that because he served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine, that he can choose which laws to obey while at home." "Anonymous Marine," as reported at This Ain't Hell 

Let's put this in another context: Politicians and journalists attitude towards the Supreme Law of the Land is frankly disgusting and their open contempt for the Constitution they swore to uphold and protect is wrong in both the arrogance that they are above the law, and the reasons why we should allow them to sit in their chairs at all.  It implies that because they won a popularity contest in the career pathes of the least trusted people in our Nation that they can choose which instances they will obey the Supreme Law of the Land.

"This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding."  Article VI, US Constitution

In other words, the hierarchy of law is: The US Constitution (including Amendments), US Law made in accordance with the Constitution,  Treaties, and State Laws.  Any law that violates the provisions of the US Constitution is hence not a law, including treaties, including treaties with the UN.

"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Amendment II, US Constitution.

Activist judges included, any law that infringes on the Right of the People to keep and bear arms is hence illegal and NOT a law to begin with.  "Common Law" does not supercede the US Constitution, as the Judicial Branch is not given legislative authority, and are specifically bound by the US Constitution above and beyond their bounds of State and US Law, and common law legal proceedings which are also bound by the Law.

Hence, the only Constitutional or legal means by which that Right can be infringed is to amend the Constitution, changing the 2nd Amendment itself.  No Vice-President, President, Journalist, Judge, UN body, or even the unanimous votes of the entire Congress can legally infringe the Right of the People, unless the Constitution itself is amended.

The anonymous Marine, along with General McChrystal, need to review their oath, to the US Constitution, and the Constitution which they swore to protect.  It supercedes the whims of Congress, Presidents, Governors, Mayors, Politicians, and Pundits of the MSM, particularly those non-Citizens.

Piers Morgan, who is a journalist, a profession that is supposed to report the facts, not to advocate policy, is not an American, and has a passport for a place that has already banned firearms.  If he wants to live in a place with the soaring violent crimes of a gun-free country, he can move home.  If he wants to advocate for something, it should be for the arrest of his fellow journalist David Gregory to be arrested for breaking current gun laws in that gun-free mecca of violence and hot air, Washington DC.

Piers states (on CBS) that his brother is an officer in the British Army and has served in Afghanistan.  That does not mean he "understands," as he claims, what a Warrior sacrifices.  That means his brother does, not him.  Piers states that he doesn't want his child growing up in a country with assault weapons, which are almost "M4 machine guns," further demonstrating his ignorance of weapons.  (M4 carbines are NOT machine guns and the only way that AR-15's are "assault rifles" is by declaration of politicians and parroting of journalists.)  The automatic firing M4 is an assault rifle, as is an automatic version of the AK-47.  Civilian semi-automatic weapons are NOT.

However, given the updated information above, Piers is probably not very welcome in the Island Nation.  I doubt visits to his brother's house are welcomed either.  Given his lack of integrity, even by journalist standards, he fits right in at CNN, who must have known of the pictures published by Piers. The Piers Morgan resume ain't so shiny either.

Piers has a place to go, home.  It already meets his criteria.  As a subject of the British Empire, he doesn't have a dog in this debate.  We broke our chains of the monarchy 237 years ago, and restated Our Independence, and the Independent Rights of Our Citizens in 1812, when they attempted to enslave Our Sailors.  In both wars, we were outgunned and outmanned, by a Empirical force that was better trained and equipped, but let not the memory of Andrew Jackson and Tennesseans at New Orleans fade too quickly.  That battle was fought with the best firearms a civilian could buy, and more Volunteers than Jackson could pay, but a far smaller force than the Empire sent.

No where in the 2nd Amendment does it mention what a Citizen "needs" or "hunting purposes."  What it explicitly states is "shall not be infringed."

Related articles

Citizenship & Constitution: Your Freedoms and My "Right" to Restrict it

Will Obama Use An Executive Order To Enact Gun Control?

Extraordinairy Resilience

Former Marine Tears Down Piers Morgan's Anti-Second Amendment Arguments

Wisdom From Charlie Daniels

Wyoming to Preserve the Second Amendment?

Who Authorizes War? Constitutionally? UN or Congress?

The Bill of Rights, with Your Host, Piers Morgan!

Some Americans will be Disarmed

Despite the facts, some are arguing that long metal tubes embedded in plastic, ie. rifles, are evil.  Senator Feinstein is arguing that we should ban and confiscate the tools of self-defense, though she owns and carries firearms herself, and works behind the protection of armed security.

Several politicians have stepped up to the podium to bemoan the electoral muscle of the NRA, but the NRA cannot pull a lever or push a button for any candidate.  What it does do, is monitor the politicians and tell the voters how a particular candidate has voted on gun legislation.  The influence of the NRA is that the majority of voters are against unConstitutional gun restrictions, in most of America.

Paul Howe, a 20 year Special Operations veteran and weapons instructor, explored the possibilities of how gun confiscation programs would be executed.  In essence, he concluded that a forcible attempt to take firearms from the People would result in violent resistance, and that those officials that attempted it would be run out of town.  In places like Texas, where Mr. Howe works, and in places like Tennessee, he is possibly correct.  In places like Chicago, California, and New York, things could very well be different.  In fact, much of the Northeast and the Left Coast have already voluntarily given up huge parts of their 2nd Amendment Right, voluntarily, without a fight.  These days, I don't underestimate the people's willingness to tolerate "small" abuses of tyranny, by the government they "know."

“Confiscation could be an option. Mandatory sale to the state could be an option. Permitting could be an option — keep your gun but permit it.”– Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y.

Others have opined that the gun control debate is just a distraction technique, to get people's attention off the fact that Obama just raised taxes on 100% of America's workers, and other negatives out of Washington.  At a minimum, FICA taxes went up by 2% on the first dollar (and most of the rest)you made this year, and 2% on your employer for paying you to work, as well as the ObamaCare taxes.  These tax increases won't pay for the new subsidies to DNC special interests, like "green energy."  In their arguments, the politicians know that the House will prevent gun grabs, and are happy that the economy and fiscal cliff are finally seeing reduced air time in the media.

Even General McChrystal decided now was the time to break his silence.  He opined that M4's belong on the battlefield, not in schools.  Who could argue with that?  I'll argue that airplanes belong in the air and airports, not on the roads and rivers, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be allowed to land one on your own cornfield, or keep one in your barn.  When I was on the battlefield, I preferred that I had better weapons than the enemy, and that the bystanders be unarmed, but that doesn't mean I shot someone just because they had an AK-47, or even took it away from them.  It just would have been easier to identify the actual enemy if non-combatants didn't have weapons, and that I could have shot all those that did, from a distance beyond the AK's effective range. 

Then again, General McChrystal was fired by the politician he voted for, and ordered that Our Troops unload their weapons inside our bases in Afghanistan.  Perhaps, he should have weighed in on why that politician ignored him and his recommendations on Afghanistan, instead of whether or not American Citizens should be stripped of their Rights.  Perhaps, he should protect the Constitution he swore to protect, rather than the party he voted to put in power.

The gun industry and sports stores got an economic boost from the "debate," as law abiding citizens stocked up on what they feared would be taxed out of the supply system, or banned outright.  Or as others have opined, Americans aren't stocking up before a ban, but preparing for a Civil War.

While the state legislature in Tennessee along with county and municipal officials discuss meaningful means to safeguard Our Children, politicians in other States are passing new laws that infringe the 2nd Amendment Rights of their subjects.  Some of the new measures do include armed officials at the schools, as well as controlled entry points into those schools, with locked doors and key cards to get inside.  Tennessee is considering the authorization of armed teachers, which has worked in Utah and Texas.  The discussion of School Security did not start after Newton, but it was given greater prominence as a result.

On the other hand, Govenor Cuomo is pushing for banning even more rifles in the State of New York.  The mayor of Burlington, VT has enacted new laws against rifles, though there appears to be no history of rifles being used in Burlington crimes.

And while the MSM returns to using the Aurora, CO massacre as an emotionally charged call for banning the means of self-defense, it ignores the more recent San Antonio theater shooting, in which a massacre was prevented by a woman with a gun.  They ignore the Aurora church shooting which preceded the theater shooting, where an Armed Citizen prevented another massacre.  They ignore thousands of such stories every year, because it doesn't fit their argument. 

Some are claiming that the NRA and gun-owners are out of touch, and short on facts, or unskilled in debate.  I contend that those that defend the Constitution, and Individual Liberty, are instead poor at executing their "marketing campaign."  History and facts are clearly behind Liberty and small government leading to prosperity, and national prominence. 

I would argue that the MSM's monopoly on information dissemination has hamstrung those that oppose their view.  While the internet provides the tools for information to be disseminated outside of the MSM monopoly, even those that report information on websites rely on the MSM for their sources of information.  This has created a circuitous cycle where the MSM still controls the debate, while individuals can falsely conclude that they are immune from its influence.  The MSM talks about Aurora, or Newton, or Karzai, and the bloggers and Facebookers cite them.  If you don't believe me, just look at the topics you discuss on Twitter and Facebook versus what the MSM is talking about.

While there are occasions that the internet buzz forces the MSM to address that which they attempt to ignore, like the Green Movement in Iran, or the Islamist takeover in Egypt, or Benghazi terrorist attack, it is both rare, and again slanted to their views.  While CNN has no qualms publishing classified information from the US, it bowed to the demands to keep its reporters out of the streets of Tehran.  And as they ignore the persistance of Islamist terrorists taking over the revolution in Syria, their female reporters are indicators as they cover their hair in the presence of Islamists.  The more their hair is covered, the more extreme the Islamist faction.

Some facts: 33,808 Americans were killed in automobile accidents in 2009.  4,872 of those killed were not even in a vehicle.  4,092 of those killed were simply walking along.  In contrast, 351 people were murdered with a rifle in 2009 (323 in 2011).  Personal objects (817 murders) such as hand and feet, blunt objects such as hammers (623), knives (1,836), and shotguns (423) were used in more murders than were rifles of ANY kind in 2009.

Hopefully, there will never be a call to ban hands and feet, though more people are killed with them.  It is impractical to attempt to ban hammers, though there are probably fewer of them.  And despite the fact that cars kill more people than firearms, by more than 100 times the rate, I haven't heard anyone call for a ban on automobiles, other than the environmental whackos, and that's for an entirely different reason.  Ten times as many pedestrians were killed by cars than were all Americans killed by rifles, and yet, there's no call to ban Sports Cars, or Limos, or even Pintos.

And let's look at England, as "gun murders" there are often used as proof that dis-arming the People leads to lower crime rates.  The reality is that it does change the weapons used, but that England has a far greater violent crime rate, per capita, than does America.  We could look at Mexico, but there are far more similiarities between the English and Americans than there are between Mexicans and Americans.  Still, the gun murder rate in Mexico is far greater than in either, and they've banned guns for far longer.  More than 12,000 were murdered over drugs alone in our less populous Southern Neighbor in 2011.

In England and Wales, 615 murders occurred in the 2009-10 timeframe, along with 588 attempted murders.  Of the 54,509 sexual crimes, 13,991 women and 1,174 men were raped, making Detroit's 427 rapes look like a safe haven. There were 1,868 kidnappings.  England and Wales had 55,240,000 people at the end of that period, or roughly 1/6th the US population.  There were 871,712 violent crimes in that period, which includes part of 2009 and part of 2010.   There were 32,491 charges of illegal weapon possession, along with 9,962 conspiracies to commit murder, in 2007/08.  19% of violent crimes involved a weapon, including 7,995 involving firearms and 33,771 involving a knife.

Only 45% of violent crimes were reported to the Police in England.  Of those not reporting, 52% said they believed the Police could not or would not do anything about it (or it was "too trivial"), while 36% said they dealt with it themselves.  Another 3% said they didn't report it because it was "a common occurrence."  There were an estimated 2.2 Million violent crimes committed in England & Wales in 2010/2011.

England and Wales have a violent crime rate of 1,574 per 100,000 in 2009/10 and far worse than even America's most violent cities, such as Chicago's 1,050 per 100,000 or Washington DC's 1,326/100,000.  And far worse than the US National rate of 405 per 100,000.  What do Chicago, DC, and England have in common?  Anti-gun laws.  In contrast, Chicago is far more urban than England, and England is less urban than America as a whole.

Many argue that we "must do something."  The "something" so many argue for ignores the facts, and plays on emotion.  The "something" almost always calls for greater government interference in the lives of individual Citizens.  It may feel like we have "done something" by holding a protest or signing a petition, and sometimes those are the best ways for Individual Citizens to "do something," but the most important "something" we can do is educate ourselves, and point Our Friends and Family to the base information, so that they can as well.  It may be emotionally satisfying to "do something" but before we do, we should look at the facts, and make the decision based on logic and reason, not just jerk our knee in reaction.

In this particular case, the fact is that about 1 in One Million Americans are killed by a rifle, so banning rifles, much less a particular type of rifle would have negligible or no effect on anything.  The problem is not the means by which a life is taken, but the person who takes the life.  As the trend in China demonstrates, evil, or psychotic individuals if you prefer, will use the weapons on hand to commit violence.  In their case, is mass stabbings at schools, since that is the weapon to which they have access, and all guns are banned.

And if the government banned cars, more people would be killed in horse accidents.

 

DATA sources:
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1106.xls
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218135832/http://uk.sitestat.com/homeoffice/rds/s?rds.hosb1210pdf&ns_type=pdf&ns_url=[http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1210.pdf
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/user-guide-crime-statistics/userguide-crimestats-tabs?view=Binary
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/crime/item/14071-the-san-antonio-theater-shooting-the-media-ignored

 

Related articles

McChrystal Fired, Obama Translated

Let's Repeal the Second Amendment

FBI: More People Killed with Hammers, Clubs Each Year than Rifles

Citizenship & Constitution: Your Freedoms and My "Right" to Restrict it

The Warrior Spirit in Defense of Liberty

A recipe for activism against efforts at gun control

The Warrior Spirit in Defense of Liberty

Sheepdogs don't take the world for granted.  They know that not only does evil exist, but that the wolf will attack on his terms, and that he, the Sheepdog, may not be as prepared, mentally and physically, as he would like to be.  The Sheepdog knows the battle may come, that he does not win.

“Lord, make me fast and accurate. Let my aim be true and my hand faster than those who would seek to destroy me. Grant me victory over my foes and those that wish to do harm to me and mine. Let not my last thought be “If only I had my gun”; and Lord if today is truly the day that You call me home, let me die in a pile of brass”  Rhino Den

The Sheepdog knows that only with constant vigilance, and preparation, will he be ready for the day the Wolf comes, and that only in that moment will his abilities and actions be proven.  All of the bold statements before that mean nothing.  All of the bragging thereafter will seem hollow.  It is that moment in time that matters.

[No advertising partnership exists between WOTN and Ranger Up, nor has RU authorized use of its photos to WOTN.  Ranger Up is a Veteran Owned business, with a great blog, and Warrior themed T-Shirts.  Sheepdogs everywhere find a kindred spirit in the words expressed there.]

The same vigilance is necessary in verbal and political defense of Our Constitution and Liberties, as are necessary in the physical defense of Our Nation and People.  Just as the Wolf may use the same weapons to kill Our Citizens, as the Sheepdog uses to defend the Sheep from the Wolf, so too can the political wolf use words to strip Our Citizens of Our Rights, as the political Sheepdog use to defend them.  So too, can a tyrant use elements of Security to oppress the People, as a Statesman uses those elements to defend them from harm.

Unlike most of the world, in America, it requires the tacit approval of the People, to oppress them.  The power of words becomes more important.  The power of persuasion becomes paramount.  But, it may not forever be so.

The ruling class, with the cheerleading of their Main Stream Media, continues to call, to persuade, to use the power of speech, to call on The People to support the suppression of Rights of the People.  They continue to call for ever increasing "security measures" to reduce the personal security of the Citizen, while decreasing the Rights of the Citizen from those "security measures."

The Sheepdog alone cannot defend against these incursions on Freedom.  And some Sheepdogs may even find themselves a tool of the Oppressor.  Our Sheepdogs in blue must guard against the incremental incursion into the Rights of the Protected.  They should more strongly condemn those Wolves that slip into their midst than the Wolves they hunt in the wilds, but they must swear allegiance to the law, not the ruler.  And should the ruler order them to act against the law, against the Constitution, they must disobey those orders, for the Sheepdog serves the People, not the ruler.  The Sheepdog follows the Law, the Constitution, not the whims of the ruler.

As we navigate these troubled waters, Our Sheepdogs need the protection of the Sheep, of the People, from the ruling class in Washington, from the corrupt class in Chicago, from those that would de-fang them, from those that would disarm the Sheepdog. 

Those that would suppress Liberty, and oppress The People, have lulled the Sheep with specious speech.  Those that would be rulers and those that sing their praises, now try to tell us that if only we disarm the Sheepdog, the Wolf will end his attacks.  Despite the reality that Chicago, where they have de-fanged the People, violent crime is 3x greater than in Tampa, where the People are encouraged to provide the first line of defense against the Wolf, they tell us that we should take the means of defense from the law-abiding Citizen, knowing the criminal will retain his ill-begotten weapons.

Those that would suppress Liberty tell us that some speech must be outlawed, and label it as "hate speech."  They tell us we should limit our words to only that which is politically correct.  They tell us that any dissent from the politician in chief is "racist."  They tell us that Our Troops should have no voice.

Those that bid the People to allow them to rule their lives for them, have convinced the voter to ignore their deeds and blindly endorse the Party in all it does.  They have succeeded in diverting the Peoples' attention from their actions in Washington to the antics of mis-behavers in Hollywood.  They've convinced parents to trust the schools to teach their kids their morals instead of the Bill of Rights.  They've bought the compliance and obediance with trinkets to the masses, while ignoring their duties. 

Their sirens sing their songs, and condemn their opponents as "do-nothing" as they ignore their duties to control the purses-trings of the People's Treasury, rather than restrict the People's Liberties with new legislation.  And it seems that no matter how loudly the Sheepdogs bark, the Sheep will not awaken to the Wolves in their midst.

The Sheepdogs are barking, and it behooves the Sheep to awaken from their slumber.

Related articles

On Sheep, Wolves & Sheepdogs, LTC David Grossman

What to do about those "Crazed Combat Vets?"

Disturbing Detention: Former Marine held for Facebook Rants

Confessions of a Gun Carrying Patriot

When is Violence the Answer?

Policing for Profit: Highway Robbery on a 'suspicion'

In the practice of special counter-drug patrols, cars and semi-trucks are pulled over on excuses of small infractions. The targets have out of state license plates. They are then "asked" if they will allow a search of their vehicle. (Just say NO!) The police are looking for cash. The cash is then seized on the suspicion that it is drug profits. The driver is pushed to deny ownership to make the legal proceedings simpler. The cash is then kept by the law enforcement agencies involved in seizing it. If the Citizen wants his money back, the prosecutor's office requires them to fight for it, with lawyers, sometimes for years, at considerable cost.

While it was Tennessee's journalists that uncovered it here, these shakedowns are not just happening here.  News Channel 5, WSMV, Nashville has been investigating the illegal seizures of property for two years, since the Institute for Justice came out with their report.  What they found was an abuse of power, greed, and corruption.  It is clear from the words of those in power, those stealing from The People, that it is a breach of the Constitution.  The people of Tennessee are outraged over it, even though the police are targeting guests of our great state. 

The Institute of Justice points out that this practice is happening elsewhere.  It includes Michigan, Texas, and Georgia in its reports as being worse than Tennessee, and more than half the Nation gets graded at least as bad.  It found that in 2008, more than $1 Billion had been seized from individual Citizens and was being held by the Department of Justice's Assets Forfeiture Fund.  Download Inst for Justice - Policing for Profit

NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather

I encourage you to watch the video series.  The defense of the practice by prosecutors and police officers should enrage you.  When a police officer says "he didn't prove it wasn't drug money," it demonstrates a practice of "guilty until proven innocent."

"It is illegal to have proceeds." [of criminal activity], District Attorney General Kim Helper.  The "fact that no one ever claimed the money proves it was illegal."

"The doctrine of in rem  forfeiture arose from Medieval ideas, rooted in the ancient law of “deodand.” Kings, for instance, could seize an instrument that caused the death of another in order to finance the deceased’s funeral mass. The idea arose from a superstitious belief that objects acted independently to cause death."  Policing for Profit, Institute of Justice

 

NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather

There is nothing illegal about using and/or having cash.  I understand that in today's world few people use cash, but short of gold and silver, paper currency is still the closest thing to real money.

Constitutionally, it is the burden of the prosecutor and police to prove guilt in a crime, not the accused to prove innocence.  This fundamental premise must be upheld in law, in legislation, and in practice.

Constitutionally, you and your property cannot be searched without proof of cause.  It cannot be seized without Warrant.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures shall NOT be violated.." 4th Amendment, Bill of Rights, US Constitution

".. nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." 5th Amendment, Bill of Rights, US Constitution

If you are pulled over and asked to forfeit your Rights, i.e., "Can we look in your vehicle?"  Just say NO!  It may be the practice, but it is un-Constitutional, for the government to presume you are guilty because you retain your rights.

What should happen now?  The Governor and Legislature of Tennessee should act to remove the excuse for unlawful search and seizure.  The Judges should clamp down on the practice and protect the Constitution they swore to uphold.  And beginning with the DAG Kim Helper, and including every official uncovered in Channel 5's investigation, demonstrating the corrupt and un-Constitutional "justification" for these roadside shakedowns should be fired, and stripped of any chance of ever being in a position of authority again.  Ms. Helper should be disbarred.

And Citizens of other States should press for their governments to do the same.  I'm all for seizing the finances of criminal organizations, but that money is not guilty of anything.  The owner of the money must be proven to have gained it through criminal activity, before it can be seized.

Related articles

Government, the Thief

Citizenship & Constitution: Your Freedoms and My "Right" to Restrict it

What Were the Founding Fathers Thinking!?!?

Tennessee: Appellate Court Upholds License Plate Roadblocks

Supreme Court doubtful on warrantless police detention

Government, the Thief

Disturbing Detention: Former Marine held for Facebook Rants

Tennessee Department of Safety to begin Christmas Holiday Enforcement December 21st

The Petraeus connection & personal email security

While it is disappointing that the most respected man in Washington has admitted to marital infidelity, that isn't a crime, at least not given that it occurred after he retired before the affair.  Nor is it really difficult to understand it occurring.  A younger, not unattractive woman was hanging on his every word, and literally writing a book about his life, and "genius."  Every one of those medals, that reach the epaulette of his uniform, he wore in the military are just as earned today, as they were a year ago.  He still turned the Iraq War around, and accepted a demotion to run the War in Afghanistan, for a President that had disrespected him.  He is still an honorable man, even if he fell to human temptation.

But as the MSM and FBI continue into the mudpit of the affair, some common threads are becoming apparent.  And those common threads are perhaps bigger than the original story, which took an honorable man out of the leadership of Our Nation's government.  The common links are a Tampa socialite, Jill (Khawam-خاعم) Kelley, the FBI, and private emails.

"As they looked further, the FBI agents came across a private Gmail account that used an alias name. On further investigation, the account turned out to be Petraeus's." RICHARD LARDNER, AP

In the latest developments, the FBI conducted a middle of the night search of Paula Broadwell's house, General Allen is now being investigated, and the FBI agent that started the investigation on Jill Kelley's behalf has also been implicated.  At the center of the web, remains Jill Kelley.

Mrs. Kelley appears to have great influence and access.  She has enough influence to get the FBI to investigate what seems to have been anonymous emails from someone that simply knew too much about her private life.  She's a civilian that has access to the top brass at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, those at Central Command that runs Military Operations in the Middle East, and to FBI agents.  She is of Lebanese descent.

In contrast to initial reports, the email account used by Ms. Broadwell wasn't the General's/CIA Director's official account.  It was instead a private email account, and anonymous, which means that the FBI conducted an in-depth search into private email, and IP addresses, and the personal computers attached to them, on behalf of a Tampa socialite.  And they didn't just look at emails that were sent privately, but also the draft email folder, of emails that were never sent.

Apparently, the FBI struggled to find a justification for the investigation into an anonymous email account that sent unsavory emails to Mrs. Kelley, and the stricken FBI agent fired off letters to a Congressman to get the fire lit again.  According to current reports, Mrs. Kelley did not know who Ms. Broadwell was.

So far, in all of this, no actual crimes or security threats have been confirmed.  Marital infidelity is an issue of morality, and an issue for the parties involved: General and Mrs. Petraeus, and his biographer, Paula Broadwell.  Sending email, or even using a draft folder in an anonymous, private email account to cover immoral, but not illegal activity is not a crime.  Sending unsavory email is not a crime.  Even the FBI agent's sending of an email with a topless picture of himself is not a crime, even though it was to a married woman.

The more troublesome details of the investigation are that so many FBI resources were diverted from investigating child-pornography (Cybercrimes Unit of FBI), and hunting terrorists, to satisfy the displeasure of a Tampa socialite and an FBI agent enamored with her, the amount of influence she appears to have attained, and perhaps more than anything the degree to which the FBI is willing to invade private communications in such a case.

"With subpoenas and warrants, the FBI and other investigating agencies routinely gain access to electronic inboxes and information about email accounts offered by Google, Yahoo and other Internet providers." RICHARD LARDNER, AP

And if the government is willing to go to such depths for a civilian socialite who was unhappy with the emails she received, what would they do for their political bosses?  And evidently, if you want the FBI to have to get a warrant to look at your email, you need to delete the stuff that is 6 months old, though there is nothing in cyberspace that is truly deleted.

At present, at least two leaders troublesome to the Administration have gotten caught up in this: General Allen and General Petraeus.

Related articles

The Petreaus connection & personal email security

Rating US Universities for Military Veterans

Paul Szoldra, of the satirical military news site, The Duffel Blog (highly recommended), has started a petition for the US News & World Report to include an index of the Best Rated Universities for Military Veterans.  He also maintains the site: College Veteran.com, which is serious and attempts to provide information to Veterans striking out on the same path he has taken: Higher Education.

There is certainly a need for such a study and a ranking.  As Paul notes, there are many less than savory organizations out there that are just after the money that comes with enrollment in College by Military Veterans.  There are "non-profits" and for-profit businesses that get paid by the US government to provide information to Veterans.  And frankly the needs of the Veterans are not always their primary concern.

The "Post-9/11 GI Bill" complicates that matter, because unlike the "New Montgomery GI Bill," there is a highly complicated formula for how much is paid, and how to get paid, not to mention, who can be given the benefits and when, if the Soldier decides not to use them himself.  Additionally, some Veterans have already paid into and earned the Montgomery GI Bill, and have to decide whether to use that fund first, or to convert to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and forever fore go the other college money.

This is an issue that is far too big for one person to tackle alone, and too important to be entrusted to those with a financial or political agenda.  While I would be more comfortable with a Veterans initiated polling system, the size of such an endeavor would be enormous.  Hence, the recommendation that Paul makes is the best solution that is currently feasible.  Still, if there is a person that could put together a system that would elicit a College Veteran based system, Paul does seem to be that guy.

If you have experience, with a particular College or University, and are a Veteran, please feel free to tell us about it in comments below.  In particular, please elaborate on what went well or bad in relation to Veteran Relations, including processing of GI Bill benefits and other financial aid, as well as other Veteran Related interactions with the Staff, Faculty, and fellow Students.  Please use a valid email address, as I may ask some follow-up questions.  Your email address will not be published (assuming you don't post it inside the body of your comment or in the name block) and won't be shared without YOUR permission.  And I won't add you to any lists or repeatedly email you.

At the very least your comments may assist a fellow Veteran in making an educational decision, though I do recommend that all persons reading the comments to continue their due diligence and not rely on those comments alone.

An Effective MSM Campaign: Treyvon Martin

What makes the Martin-Zimmermann case so different from other crimes?  An effective media campaign does.  When one looks at the facts, it is difficult to conclude that the misinformation of the MSM was not purposeful.  It was 3 weeks after the incident that the MSM jumped on the case, so they did have time to examine the facts.

[Pictured: Tyrone Woodfork who raped and murdered the wife of a WWII Veteran and beat the Veteran himself in Tulsa, OK.]

The MSM presented the Nation (and continues to do so) a picture of a 12 year old, instead of the more recent and available pictures of the 17 year old, who had embraced the gangsta look.  They told us he had no criminal record, despite the fact he had been suspended from school 3x in just the last few months, including on illicit drug charges and for attacking a bus driver.  But the most telling and obvious example of how they mis-portrayed the facts is the 911 call, which they edited to sound as if Zimmerman were reporting a "suspicious black man" as opposed to answering the dispatcher's questions as to the physical description of the person he had believed suspicious enough to call police about.

Crime & Politics

A segment of society is up in arms over the death of a teenager in Florida.  A militant group has put a $10,000 bounty on the head of a man who is not charged with a crime, "dead or alive."  Journalists are asking why the case has not already resulted in legislation sponsored to overturn the rights of American Citizens to not run from criminals.  People are marching in protest, over this particular death and politicians are claiming this case is the reason why Citizens should not be allowed to embrace their 2nd Amendment Rights.  Cries of "Racism" emanate from partisan quarters.

What makes this death different?  Well, for one, the picture of the deceased is 5 years old.  It was carefully selected to portray Treyvon Martin as an innocent boy.  A 12 year old football player looks far more innocent than a 17 year old flipping off the camera. 

Is this case worse than the case of a Marine shot to death in front of his daughters, by an Orange County Deputy?  Where was the outrage of a America then?  It didn't fit the political agenda of the media, nor politicians.  Is Zimmerman innocent in this case?  I don't know, but I do know that the case is not what is portrayed in most of the MSM.  One witness has described an attack on Zimmerman, followed by a gunshot, after which she describes the attacker as being the one left lying in the grass.

If one believes the storyline told by the outraged, Treyvon Martin was simply walking down the street with a bag of skittles and a cell phone when he was murdered.  In such a case, the "Stand Your Ground" law would not apply.  But if the facts were that the Neighbor Watch member had asked the "suspicious acting" victim what his business in the neighborhood was and then attempted to return to his vehicle when attacked, it might apply.  The police annotated grass stains and injuries on Zimmerman.

What To Do About All Those "Crazed Combat Veterans?"

In the first quarter of 2012, the media has publicized an Iraq Veteran killing a Park Ranger in Washington, an Orange County Deputy killing a Marine, an Army Private being stabbed to death by Meth Heads in Washington, and a Staff Sergeant that allegedly killed 16 Afghans in their sleep, along with so many other stories of Violent Veterans.  The media is quick to tell us that these are Combat Veterans, but often fail to tell us when the person was tossed out of the military, like in that first case listed, or correct the story when they weren't in Combat at all, or weren't in the military as they had claimed.

In 2008, the NYTimes was on the same hunt, to prove that "Crazed" Combat Veterans were slaughtering American Civilians.  They wrote about 121 cases in which someone died.  The problem was that in many of those the Veteran was found to be innocent or to have acted in self-defense, while in others the trial had not occurred, and in many it was not murder at all.  In those latter cases, it was often a car accident, that helped to boost their body count.  When it was all said and done, the numbers demonstrated it was safer to be near a Combat Veteran than to be in the safest big city in America.

But "one is too many."

One case of domestic violence, one murder, or one suicide is "too many."  Yeah, that sounds good, but short of locking every American up in solitary confinement, there is NO program that can end all violence in this Nation, any subsection of it, or in any other country.

The question is whether or not the media attention presents a true picture.  It sells papers and tunes in viewers when the headline reads "Crazed Combat Veteran Kills Civilians," and they are selling papers.  The problem is that by pimping that headline while ignoring headlines about illegal aliens, druggies, and gangbangers killing cops and civilians, the media is creating, purposely, the perception that Our Veterans are violently, deranged lunatics, to be feared by Our Citizens.  The evidence does not support that.

"Incident in New Baghdad" & What Really Happened

On 12 July 2007, an Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment embarked on a mission to clear Al-Amin District of New Baghdad of Anti-Iraqi Forces, aka Mehdi Militia, aka Jayish al-Mahdi in order to provide freedom of maneuver to Coalition Forces.  By 10:20 AM, Baghdad time, they had taken significant amounts of SAF (small arms fire) and RPG (rocket propelled grenade) fire, sporadically.  Two AH-64D's were in the area and responded.  What would happen next would inspire a movie, that would be nominated for an Oscar, but not win one.

"Now the war is over and in a lot of ways we're still fighting it. It is my accretion that despite what many leaders of this very government said publicly or otherwise, we won. We won through the blood sweat and tears of the troops on the ground, that refused to give up."  Doc Bailey

To understand the situation, one must realize the Mehdi Militia was led by Moqtada al-Sadr, a relative of Bani al-Sadr, who had mentored the Ayatollah Khomeni.  Moqtada's father had been assassinated, allowing the firebrand mulllah to take the reins of power his father had once held.  Moqtada was at the time, for all intents and purposes, the dictator of a Million Man slum in North Baghdad controlled 100% by his Mehdi Militia. 

Media Matters: Front Page News

On the front pages of the international msm this past week:

Airman 1st Class Matthew R. Seidler, 24, of Westminster, Md.
Tech. Sgt. Matthew S. Schwartz, 34, of Traverse City, Mich.
Senior Airman Bryan R. Bell, 23, of Erie, Pa
Staff Sgt. Jonathan M. Metzger, 32, of Indianapolis, Ind.
Spc. Robert J. Tauteris Jr., 44, of Hamlet, Ind.
Christopher A. Patterson, 20, of Aurora, Ill.
Spc. Brian J. Leonhardt, 21, of Merrillville, Ind.
Pfc. Dustin P. Napier, 20, of London, Ky
Pfc. Michael W. Pyron, 30, of Hopewell, Va
Pfc. Neil I. Turner, 21, of Tacoma, Wash

You might be excused if you missed the msm headlines on these Fallen American Heroes this past week.

Maybe you saw these stories on the front pages of the international msm:

TF Spartan Paratroopers Rescue Afghan Child
UK and Afghan Troops help open critical new school

I'm sure you saw these on the front pages:

Ghazni District Transfers Security
Afghan boy with severe cleft palate has reason to smile - courtesy of Coalition Forces

How about combat news from our Troops?

ANA, Marines clear out last insurgency from southern Helmand
New ANA elite snipers graduate course
Operation Tageer Shamal: Afghans, Marines take control west of Helmand River


Did you miss this story of our British Troops 'just doing their job,' making a difference for the people of Afghanistan?

YORKS soldiers on patrol in Helmand

I am *sure* you all saw this video as the top story of the broadcast media last week. It is an interview with a Security Chief in Marjah, on how things have changed since the Taleban has been thrown out - defeated.

Video: Marjah after the Taleban - Security Chief Tells of Progress


No, you saw none of these on the international front pages, BUT I found them and posted these (and others) on War On Terror News.

What we all saw on the msm front page news, and as top story on the broadcast media, was a story about four Marines who filmed themselves doing something very stupid. Whether or not you agree with the act they did is not at issue for me, but the fact they recorded it? Yes, THAT was stupid, and I have to wonder how they ever thought such a film would not become 'news,' given the 24/7 insatiable appetite of our msm, who seem to salivate at every opportunity to show OUR Military in a bad light.

Last Minute Legislation & Kicking the Can Down the Road

Have you noticed how many times in the last few yearsthe politicians of Washington waited to the last minute to vote on key legislation barely averting a government shutdown?  The tactic of take it or leave it brinkmanship is not new, but I don't recall it being used so often as it has been in recent years.  The 2011 budget, which should have been passed by Sep 30, 2010, was kicked down the road by weeks at a time for all of 2011.  The Debt Ceiling was lifted at the very last minute.  In each of these cases, the vote offered no time for negotiations.  The choice was to support all the earmarks, ie. pork, or be responsible for shutting down the government.

The 2012 Budget, which should have been passed no later than Sep 30, 2011 is currently being held up because the House is pushing for a full year extension of a Social Security Tax cut, as the POTUS said he wanted, until the House said they would push for it, and the Senate didn't.  Now, the Senate has decided they won't even work on a compromise until the House approves what they've voted down.  The bully tactics of the Senate Millionaires club are pretty bold, based primarily in a belief that voters will blame the majority party of the House, rather than the majority party of the Senate.

The most basic, most routine responsibility of Congress is to develop and approve the Annual Budget of the Federal Government.  This isn't some surprise to the members of Congress.  They know they have to do it every year.  They know it is due by 30 September every year.  There is no reason that this shouldn't be worked out well ahead of the deadline.  And there is no legitimate reason for the Budget to include money for researching why Monkeys fling dung or preservation of the history of video games.

Arrogant Insolence Runs Rampant

In a very big way, it was a Memorial Day ride that brought War On Terror News to be.  It was my first Memorial Day in the United States following several years of service in distant lands, some more dangerous than others, but in each case, at the behest of the American People, through the orders of their elected Representatives. 

I had been back for a few months and it was a low point for support of American Troops, and the policies and missions the Troops had been sent to enforce.  I found that there were simply too  many people misinformed and ignorant of the facts, to restrict my experiences and knowledge to only those I knew, or met.

That Memorial Day, I traveled from place to place by myself, meeting new people, looking for solace.  I didn't want to be alone, nor did I want to be surrounded by those who couldn't be bothered to remember why they weren't at work.  I didn't want to be thanked and I didn't want to argue.  I just wanted to be around those that understood.  That day, I finally found that place, at a VFW Post, but the stops along the way were less than gratifying. 

Since that day, I've seen improvement in American support for her Warriors & Protectors, but the Maxine comic scratched the scab.  I'd like to think that War On Terror News is a part of that improvement, but the reality is that many Veterans have contributed to filling the hole the MSM creates.  And let me enter into evidence the words of one Civilian, who does understand, who uses her platform to give voice to those that have given the most Our Citizens can offer.

Is a Soldier's Death More Important Than Others?

Each year, in the United States, approximately 40,000 people are killed on American roads.  Over the last few years, approximately 40,000 people have been killed in Drug Cartel crimes in Mexico.  Recent Tornado's killed approximately 140 in the American South.  The final count on deaths from Tsunamis in Japan and previously Thailand will never be known for certain, but thousands and more than a 100,000 are conservative estimates.  Thousands of Afghan civilians and Thousands of Iraqi civilians are killed by terrorists every year.

Yet, the MSM doesn't publish the daily body counts in the Mexican Drug War, those of Iraqi based terrorists, Palestinian based terrorists, Afghanistan based terrorists, Pakistan based terrorists, civilian suicides, or those killed on American roadways, not even those killed by drug-crazed or drunken drivers.  They do give the daily body count of any American Servicemember remotely connected to Afghanistan (and used to do so on those remotely connected to Iraq).  Conversely, they'll use hours of broadcast time to tell the life stories of journalists that are killed in a combat zone, even if due to their own decisions to be in places of known extreme risk, as if the journalist were a saint.

War On Terror News does not report Fallen Soldiers as mere numbers, but by name.  Conversely, we also don't report on numbers or names of civilians killed by cars, or suicide.  This bears the question: Is a Soldier's Death  more important than a Civilian's?

No, it is not more important, but the way a man or woman lives is different.  No one can or should rejoice that someone has died.  No one is immune from bereavement when a loved one dies.  If a loved one is killed in a car accident, a tsunami, old age, or  war, it leaves a hole in the lives of all that truly knew them.  The families of the fallen are not immune from that, and neither is the grandson of a 90 year old woman.  But it is easier for our minds to justify the loss of someone to old age than for a mother to adjust to the loss of a child.

Worldwide Citizen Growling at Government Growing

From Wisconsin to Washington to Tunis, Cairo, Tripoli, Damascus, Athens, and London, there is a growing discontent of citizens with their own governments.  The commonality is that large groups of individuals are organizing protests against the government, but the demands of change are far from universal.   And there is no standard of peaceable assembly or violent overthrow, nor have governments reacted in the same manner to discontent of their populations.

While I would hold that the underlying worldwide economic downturn is a primary factor in convincing people to speak out, this factor has not received attention as an international factor, but rather as a side issue on the local stages.  The spark in Tunisia was a non-permitted fruit cart seized by a low-level government official.  It convinced the owner to set himself on fire, and the people to turn out in large numbers to demand the resignation of a President who probably never heard of the fruit cart owner or the official that seized the cart, until the former permanently disfigured himself, over a hundred dollars worth of goods.

Attacking Generals Becomes Big Business

When Michael Yon attacked Generals Menard and McChrystal, his readership soared.  When Michael Hastings of Rolling Stone magazine published disparaging remarks by General McChrystal's staff, their hits peaked at 943,000 the day after, 600% of their norm.  Their American readership soared from 100k to 753k that day. There's no telling how many copies of that issue were sold.  The General was fired within hours for daring to note that the POTUS had hardly given him the time of day.  Hastings got a Polk Award from for taking down the General. Their online revenue likely hit 6x the norm as well.

So, it's little surprise, that Hastings and Rolling Stone have decided to try to replicate those numbers.  This time, they're going after LTG Caldwell IV, and relying on hearsay and "he said, she said," with a zeal reminiscent of the Inquisition.  He's aligned himself with an officer with a bone to pick: LTC Holmes (a married man) was investigated for inappropriate relations with a subordinate and evidently took issue with orders given him by the General, his boss.  Hastings decided to get the hackles of Senators up, by implying they had been played.

Who Watches the Watchers (Journalists)?

The world of journalism has long portrayed itself "the 4th Estate," the "4th Branch" of Government, and the light that sends corrupt cockroaches of government scurrying for cracks into which to hide.  I have long held that it was once a noble profession, and still maintain that it has an important role, but I haven't had faith in the integrity of the media in many years.  I've stood beside the cameras recording the news, while contrasting the reports to the reality, simply too many times to trust the reports.

"Journalism is the one solitary respectable profession which honors theft (when committed in the pecuniary interest of a journal,) & admires the thief....However, these same journals combat despicable crimes quite valiantly--when committed in other quarters."  Mark Twain in a Letter to W. D. Howells, October 30, 1880

And Twain was not the first to bemoan the ethics of journalism.  A century earlier, some of the Founding Fathers, themselves complained of the conjectures of the news media of their day.  Perhaps then, longing for the good old days, when journalism was honorable is as much an illusion, as hopes that it will return to its ethics.

Still, there is no doubt that a "free press" is crucial to Freedoms we enjoy.  A friend of mine, who works at the edge of the public-private sector, has run into the importance more than once.  Where there is little in the way of journalistic scrutiny, corruption runs rampant.  His work often brings the spotlight of journalism behind it, as it brings jobs to an area and the press follows that development. 

But where are the limits to the "free press?"  Are they beyond the reach of the law?  Do they have a responsibility to withhold information that can cost lives?  Why do they believe themselves beyond reproach?  Do American journalists have an obligation to report the American side of the story?  Or do they have an obligation to "objectively" report the world or opposition view?  Who watches the watchers?

Reporters Needed; Veterans Should Apply

The Media is hiring reporters to cover military issues.  Who better than a Veteran to report what they know.  See the link above for further description of below jobs

 

 

 Title   Videographer – Alexandria, Va.
 Title     Defense Reporter – Washington, D.C.   Categories     Full-time, Newspaper/wire   Company     The Washington Times   Salary         Location     Washington, D.C. 

    Title     Defense Business Reporter   Categories     Full-time, Newspaper/wire   Company     Gannett Government Media   Salary        Location     Springfield, Va.   

  Title     Military Medicine Reporter   Categories     Full-time, Newspaper/wire   Company     Gannett Government Media   Salary       Location     Springfield, Va.   

 Title     Military affairs reporter – Colorado   Categories     Full-time, Newspaper/wire   Company     Colorado Springs Military Newspaper Group   Location     Colorado Springs, Colo.    
 Title     Military Times Database Reporter   Categories     Full-time, Newspaper/wire   Company     Gannett Government Media   Salary      Location     Springfield, Va.   

  Title     Research Fellow   Categories     Academia   Company     Medill School of Journalism’s National Security Journalism Initiative      Location     Evanston, Ill.   

NOTE: Gannet Corp owns USA Today, the Army Times, Military Times, associated "Service" newspapers, and several regional papers.