We are on the slippery slope to the loss of effective access to avail ourselves of our Second Amendment rights.

The guns used in this case were STOLEN from the gun shop in question, they were NOT illegally sold. And just how is it that a manufacturer is held liable when a distributer of their product is the victom of theft?

The manufacturer followed all the guidelines mandated by law, they should not be held responsible for the CRIMINAL use of their product. The gun shop owner was a victom of theft, so just what precept of law holds that he is responsible for actions of the criminals that used the stolen items illegaly?

The parties in question no doubt settled the case in this manner so as to not have to bankrupt themselves in their own defense, but in so doing opened up a whole new chain of events leading, in the end, to the cessation of the availability of legal firearms, as the costs of doing business will become too high to sustain it at a level afforable to the average citizen.

In my jaundiced view, this is yet another end run by the anti-gun lobby to deprive the average citizen of his right to bear arms by escalating the price of guns to that not sustainable by the average citizen. If guns are legal, but unaffordable, the net effect is the same as if they had been banned outright.

The people of this great country had better make themselves aware of what is happening, or they may soon wake up to find themselves subjects, rather than citizens.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 01:04 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 280 words, total size 2 kb.

I have some difficuty with this post. Scott Peterson was recommended for the death penalty by the same jury that convicted him.

I do believe that Mr. Peterson was guilty of the crime that he was charged with, but I also believe that the State did not present a case that was sound enough to get a conviction, much less the death penalty.

What is a law and order conservative to think when he believes a defendant is guilty, but the prosecutor fails to make a case beyond a reasonable doubt?

And there ARE many reasonable doubts in the way the circumstantial evidence was presented in this case. Adding the death penalty into the mix only compounds the dilema.

I can only hope in my mind that the jury was presented with facts not presented to the public at large that tipped the scales towards conviction and death sentence, despite the prosecutors inept public presentation.

I'm all for those guilty of heinious crimes getting a fitting end for their transgressions, but the death penalty should be used only when there isn't ANY doubt about the guilt of the defendant. That isn't true in this case.

I also wonder if Mr. Peterson could truly have a fair trial with all the pre-trial media exposure. The defendant's right to a fair trial was overshadowed by the public's "right to know"in this case, IMHO.

So, a man I believe to be guilty is convicted in a trial I believe to have been unfairly (to him) publicised and poorly prosecuted, should I be happy that a guilty man was convicted, or should I be worried that the justice system has been subverted by the court of public opinion, just on the off chance that he is innocent? After all, you or I may be the next one in the defendants chair, and I would hope that we would not be unfairly judged.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 12:30 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 330 words, total size 2 kb.

Many of the Moonbat Left are continually touting the EU as an economic model for the US to follow. They say that in the EU, things are SOOO much better for the poor, the social welfare programs in the EU ensure that the distribution of income is more equitable than in the US, where those that are rich are "cheaters" and "thieves", to the detriment of the poor.

Now there is a study out of Sweden, that great socialist bastion much touted by the Left as the model of where the US should go for the betterment of all. Called EU versus USA , the study was written by Dr Fredrik Bergström, President of the Swedish Research Institute of Trade, and Mr Robert Gidehag, until recently Chief Economist of the same institute and now President of the Swedish Taxpayer's Association.

The study shows that, with the exception of Luxembourg, the total per capita GDP (Gross domestic Product) and AGR (Annual Growth Rate) of any of the 15 EU countries is lower than all but the four poorest states in the US. Luxembourg was the only EU country to fall into the median rate as it is in the US.

The study also stated that if the GNP/AGR rates in the US were frozen at the 2000 year level, and the forcasts in growth proposed by the the EU ministers of Finance are accurate, it would be 2013, on average, before any EU country would match the US of four years ago.

Go to the site and download/read the report. It is long, but it is informative on just how the EU is faring economicaly compared to the US. And the US comes out FAR ahead.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 04:10 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 295 words, total size 2 kb.

Much has been made in the MSM about a question that a young dupe trooper asked Donald Rumsfeld about getting more uparmored Humvees into the thjeater of operations. Greyhawk has a good take on it from the perspective of one who is there and doing that.

One of the points he makes is that no army anywhere has ever gone into battle with everything that they needed, or most certainly, wanted. One of the great strengths of American servicemembers has always been the ability to "make do" and to adapt their equipment with on the ground modifications to suit the needs of the particular theater where they were operating in.

That is not to say that that the government shouldn't ensure that they provide the best and the most equipment possible to the troops at the pointed end of forcefull diplomacy, but to acknowledge that it will never be a perfect system, and there will always be needs unmet, in any exercise of military power.

I sincerely believe that the shortcomings are being addressed, and hopefully overcome, in the shortest possible time.

Why did I call the trooper a dupe? Because he was cajoled into asking the question by an imbed reporter trying to set up a "gotcha" moment so he could write yet another story critical of the war. It was a valid question, but the ensuing coverage reveals the true reasoning behind it wasn't to try to protect the troops, but to try to embarrass the administration yet again.

It was a question from one who hasn't entered the zone yet, maybe the conditions in the zone are aren't what they are in the staging area. The fact that he stated that "they were scounging steel to add to their vehicles" shows that the men higher up are aware of some the problems and are trying to overcome them in a time honored way..Yankee ingenuity.

Soldiers will always bitch about the conditions they are fighting in, and the equipment they are fighting with. That is a military tradition. They usually come up with ingenious ways to upgrade their equipment on their own to meet their needs and be more in tune with their conditions. That is also a military tradition.

Some MSM sources try to make much of the fact that some troops were sent without adequate body armor. The same MSM that 15 years ago complained that military expenditures were far too high. In my time of service body armor was almost unheard of, other than the "Flackjacket" type issued to some troops in Viet Nam, and found to be highly wanting to the type of operations and environment being fought in.

The fact is that the technology has been vastly improved in the intervening years and come into much greater use, but this technology is expensive and choices must always be made in military appropiations. Sometimes those choices are wrong, and the grunt on the ground suffers for it. Thats life, get over it. There will always be shortcomings in war. We will get enough armored vehicles/body armor in the theater, and there will arise another shortage item. That is also life.

Civilians always assume that any piece of military gear can be used in any condition for any mission. That is far from the truth. The fact is that if you put enough armor on a Humvee to protect the soldiers within to the greatest extent possible, you'd no longer have a humvee, you'd have an APC. An APC can't do things that a humvee can. Military operations always carry great risk to the personnel involved, there is no way around that other than not engaging in the operations in the first place. Service members know the risks when they join, that is what truly makes them all heroes, knowing the risks and doing the job anyway.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 11:49 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 652 words, total size 4 kb.

The grand Dutch experiment is breaking down.

The Dutch have long been in the forefront of tolerance for cultural and racial diversity, and it had seemed for years that maybe they were pointing the way to have a liberal society that worked. But now the grim facts of life are breaking the great experiment apart.

As much as liberals wish it so, the fact is that unless a society as a whole has a set of common goals and social ethics, it can not survive in the long term. The fact that it is Islamic influances leading the breakdown is demonstrative of the situation of the world as a whole.

The Western world has one ethic, the (radical) Islamic world has a totally different ethic. These two ethics CAN NOT co-exist in a world that is economically interdependant, they are too different at their basic core. One espouses the independance and power of the individual, the other emphasises a tribal/clan/family religious identity as the most important. One encourages innovation and free thinking, the other enforces strict conformity within the religeous guidelines of the Muslim sect one belongs to. The various sects war among themselves unless there is an (perceived) anti-Muslim outside enemy that causes the sects to temporarily forget their differences to fight the common enemy.

Sound familiar? It should. German society was at war with itself and with the neighboring societies in the late 20's and early 30's, war in an economic and social sense...then Hitler gave them a common enemy to band together against, the Jews..the rest is history.

It has been said that Osama bin Laden has used Hitler as the model for his rise to power. A big difference is that this time there was a leader that was unwilling to allow that rise to continue without taking assertive action against it.

I weep for the land of my birth. The Dutch tried to lead the way into a new paradigm, without taking into consideration that human beings must change before that paradigm will work. They will suffer the pain for that mistake, and I fear that it will be a great pain indeed.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 12:32 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 362 words, total size 3 kb.

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

I know these tests aren't really indicative of anything, But I have often pictured myself in this poster, with the wind blowing free in my hair as I tear down the highway on my bike. I do prefer cruisers to choppers though! LOL

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 11:57 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 64 words, total size 1 kb.

Jesus always taught with parables. Here is a little parable about a fork.

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So, as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what Scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

"There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the
Pastor's reply.

"This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be
buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked
"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor.
The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this
story..and from that time on, I have always tried to pass along its
message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending Socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, "Keep your fork." It was my favorite part, because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, "What's with the fork?"

Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork . The best is yet to
come." The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the
young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death; but he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral, people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand.
Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?"
And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he
had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them
about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people
how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they
probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was
right.

So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so
gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel,
indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to "Keep your fork." Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share, being friends with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility. And, remember to keep your fork!

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 09:52 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 638 words, total size 4 kb.

Blackfive has a last request made by one of the brave men that paid the ultimate price in Iraq. He wanted Toby Keiths "American Soldier" played at his funeral. This man is a patriot even in his death!

Davids family and friends want to go one better, and want to try to have as many radio stations playing the song on the air at one time in memorium to him, in as many parts of the couintry as possible. In this way they feel they can honor David in the way it was most like him.

If you don't listen to country music, there is a link in his post to where you can find the station(s) in your area.

This man gave his all in OUR defense, the LEAST we can do is spend just a few minutes of our time to try to honor him in a way he would have found delightfull.

He is being laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetary at 10 Am EST on the 15th of December.
David's family and friends are asking radio stations to play Toby Keith's "American Soldier" on the 15th at 1pm EST with a dedication to Specialist David Mahlenbrock.

Let's make this happen!

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 01:08 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 213 words, total size 1 kb.

LCpl Kyle Renehan USMC died this this morning of complications from his injuries sustained in a mortar attack in Fallujah on November 29, 2004

I offer my most heartfelt condolences to his family and hope that they can take comfort in the fact that Kyle was a man that that saw and performed his duty to his country in the finest traditions of the Marines. May his name be forever remembered in the Corps as one of their own who gave the last full measure in the service of his country.

Condolences may be extended to the family through LC & IB BethW at Yeah,right,whatever.
The family has asked, in lieu of donations or flowers, that a donation be made to a military charity of your choice.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 11:44 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 131 words, total size 1 kb.

Yep, It's just a ploy to keep you coming back and raising my hit count!

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 10:57 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 19 words, total size 1 kb.

Citizen (LT) Smash has a great open letter to Pedro Paredes, giving him a knock with the cluebat™ on what his future will be if he continues on his present course of action. Definately a MUST READ!

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 09:52 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 47 words, total size 1 kb.

Mamamontezz has once again turned her talents to produce another song parody guarenteed to give you a chuckle. Here it is:

(sung to the tune of Oh Holy Night)

Oh, Canada,
our liberals keep whining.
Take them, please,
Let us send them your way.
Loud have they moaned,
The volume's not declining.
Let them come,
It would sure make our day.
Sweet land of snow,
Give homes to Moonbat voices.
You did before.
Ple-ase do it once again.

Paul Martin, Please?
We'll give you lots of choices.
Take Michael Moore,
Sean Penn, Carmen Diaz,
Garafolo!
Oh, please. Oh Canada!

(inst)

Sweet land of snow,
Give homes to Moonbat voices.
You did before.
Ple-ase do it once again.

Paul Martin, Please?
We'll give you lots of choices.
Take Michael Moore,
Sean Penn, Carmen Diaz,
Garafolo!
Oh, please. Oh Canada!

******************************************************************

Beauty, Brains, A GREAT sense of humor, and a voice like an Angel, how could I NOT help but love her?

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 04:03 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
Post contains 174 words, total size 2 kb.

When I read the first few paragraphs of this article, I was thinking, "here we go again with another Moonbat conspiracy theory on how Bush "stole" the election"; after all, it is in the SF Chronicle, hardly a bastion of rational thought from a conservative point of view.

In reading furthur, however, I found that the author had a salient point. The perceptions held by any large segment in the general population are just as important as the facts in any given election.

The Moonbat Left has tried to say that Bush and Deibold "stole" a number of votes in some Florida, and California counties, since it is obvious that these were really Democratic Counties by the number of registered voters. The theory doesn't hold water because it doesn't take into account a number of factors, ie Independants, new voters, crossover voters, etc.

As someone once said: "there are lies, damned lies, and then there are statistics". If the proper information is "massaged" or salient facts ignored, statistics can be made to back up any loony theory you might care to espouse.

The main point however, is that for the people to trust in their leaders, they HAVE to have confidence that the electorial process is fair and accurate.

With some of the new electronic systems, it is all too easy for any glib Moonbat to make outrageous statements that are taken up by ignorant Moonbats as proof that any given election was "rigged" or "stolen", and these theories can't be effectively squashed due to a lack of a solid paper trail.

When any given theory is possible (even though highly unlikely), and you can't point to hard, irrefutable evidence; it allows the theory to take roots and grow, undermining confidence and spreading disension in the electorate.

I believe that any given system used should have some way of producing a hard copy of any given vote that is independent of the electronic tabulations, so that if there is any controversy, it can be CONCLUSIVELY proven just how that vote really went.

I for one, am sick and tired of Moonbat Left wing Democratic (redundancy alert!)
conspiracy theories that, for the most part, can't be proven, and lack of tangible evidence is taken to mean that it proves the theory.

Given the Left's proclivity toward these theories, we must ensure that the electoral process is conducted in such a manner as to provide solid evidence to refute any such claims in a manner understood by even a product of the Public SchoolIndocrination system.

A paper ballot somewhere in the process is probably the best way. It may be cumbersome and slow, but just remember that the integrity of the process must be as absolute as possible, or a breakdown of the process is inevitable sooner or later.

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 03:39 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 483 words, total size 4 kb.

From the AP news:Annan Opens First-Ever Seminar on Islamophobia With Plea Not to Judge Muslims by Acts of Extremists

By Edith M. Lederer Associated Press Writer
Published: Dec 8, 2004

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the first U.N. seminar on confronting Islamophobia with a plea not to judge Muslims by the acts of extremists who target and kill civilians.

Ok, Kofi, since you cay so, I'll just judge them by the astonishing lack of protest in the Muslam world against those that are perptrating these heinous acts.

The daylong forum on Tuesday came six months after a U.N. seminar devoted to confronting anti-Semitism, also a first for the world body. Both were part a series entitled "Unlearning Intolerance," sponsored by the U.N. Department of Public Information.

Thats what the UN does, talk about everything under the sun, too bad they don't DO anything to really solve any of these problems. They held a seminar on anti-Semitism? So I guess the Palestinian Mis-placed Arabs--Israeli conflict is over?

"The few give a bad name to the many, and this is unfair," he told Islamic scholars, writers and religious leaders as well as representatives of other religions.

It may be unfair, true, but it sure seems that those who SHOULD be speaking out against this in the Muslim world AREN'T, in fact most of the "biggies" seem to be, at the least, tacitly encouraging them with their various fahtwas.

Annan urged people to condemn terrorist and violent acts carried out in the name of Islam but which "no cause can justify."

I won't hold my breath for any in the Muslim Street to do this.

"Muslims themselves, especially, should speak out, as so many did following the September 11 attacks on the United States, and show a commitment to isolate those who preach or practice violence, and to make it clear that these are unacceptable distortions of Islam," he said.

Um... Kofi? Just WHO in the Muslim world did speak out against terrorism on 9/12? I must have been sleeping and missed it. And most of the stories I hear about coming out of the Muslim world is some new Imam issuing a Fahtwa that seems to be more encouraging to terrorist activities than condemning them.

Annan said "it is essential that solutions come from within Islam itself" and suggested and suggested that the Islamic scholarly principle of "ijtihad," a process of critical inquiry, could foster free debate into what is good and bad in Muslim cultures as well as others.

Yes jihad is supposed to be self-battle against sin within, but it has been distorted from the beginning to be battle with those perceived as "infidels". And free debate? It's NOT a part of Muslim culture, at least not in matters of religion, thats why Sunni fights Shia fights Kurd, and the Wahabi sect fights everyone. SHOULD "Islam" suceed in defeating the West, the various sects will take to fighting amongst themselves untill there is only one sect left, like you said, Islam isn't monolithic

He stressed that Islam "should not be judged by the acts of extremists who deliberately target and kill civilians."

Then LET THE "PEACEFUL MUSLIMS" speak out against these fanatics, lest they be judged, at the least, tacit collaberators.

"We should not underestimate the resentment and sense of injustice felt by members of one of the world's great religions, cultures and civilizations," he said.

Injustice brought on by their own actions, by their own people; resentments largly fostered by and between the various sects of Islam.

"And we must make the re-establishment of trust among people of different faiths and cultures our highest priority," Annan added, saying that failure to do this threatens world peace and development.

Seyyed Hussein Nasr, professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, said Islamophobia was a question not only of fear but also of hatred - often by people who know little about the religion.

Yeah when Omar Ahmed, the Chairman of the Board of C.A.I.R., a supposed "moderate" group, who's stated function is to "foster understanding" says:

"Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant, " he said. "The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth," he said.

He was further quoted:

"Muslims are not to separate or assimilate to American society, but instead to deliver Islam's message. Muslim institutions, schools and economic power should be strengthened in America."

If THIS is a "moderate" then I do believe we have it right to not trust them.

In the keynote address, Nasr spoke of the role of fanaticism in conflicts and said there would there would be no Islamophobia without "mistakes" made by Muslims.

Right Mr Nasr...the mistakes being those who state Islams goal of world domination in clear language?

Nasr said most people view Islam as an intolerant, monolithic religion bent on ruling the Western world when in reality, there are various schools of Islamic thought, the religion is not anti-Western and the Islamic dynasties over the centuries accepted both Jews and Christians fleeing persecution.

<Islam has as many varients as Christianity, it's true. The difference is, the sects of Christianty as a general rule, DON'T have bloody conflicts betwen themselves as the Islamic sects do (Ireland being an exception). Islam does show intolerance to every other religeon, just read the Koran. Most of those Christians and Jews were fleeing from another sect of Islam, and were tolerated as second class citizens as long as they paid their "unbeliever" taxes...of course, if you weren't Christian or Jewish, you weren't allowed that option either, you either converted or were executed. Do these people not read ANY History?

Fighting Islamophobia, Nasr argued, requires swift action from those in the West who understand that hatred breeds more hatred. Muslims must also take the lead in speaking out against extremism - steps that should be complemented by educational reforms and more effective use of the media.

Ahmed Kamal Aboulmagd, a law professor at Cairo University and vice president of the Egyptian Council for Human Rights, called for "an undistorted mirror" for Muslims and non-Muslims to examine themselves and others.

He said many Muslims for the first time were feeling part of a larger world and abandoning isolationism. Many Muslims also recognized their negligence in not highlighting Islam's commitment to democracy and respect for human rights, he said.

DEMOCRACY?!? Respect for HUMAN RIGHTS?!? HE said that with a straight face?!? What Islamic Country is a democracy? (Maybe Turkey) Talk about "human rights", even in Turkey, and if the rulers feel it even hints at impugning them, you end up incommunicado in a small cell at the least.

Scott Appleby, director of the Joan B. Kroc Institute at the University of Notre Dame, said that in the United States and much of Europe, terrorism had created anxiety about the vulnerability of Western societies, drawn unwanted attention to Muslims, and elicited intolerance and hatred among some Americans. This is what terrorists wanted, he said.

In the United States, Appleby said, patriotism should require a willingness to recognize differences and honest self-criticism, not condescension towards people cast as "the other."

Yes it was the goal of the terrorists to foster hatred and mistrust, Mr. Appleby, and they suceeded admirably. The stone silent Majority of the Muslim world only heightened that effect.

Let's see...Muslims kill 3,000 of our citizens..."Moderate" Muslims openly state that the goal of Islam is to replace our Constitution, and put the Koran as the highest law of the land (Sharia)

IF we criticize Islam, we are "Intolerant Bigots", but if Muslims criticise us, they are "Purveyors of another Truth"

NO Mr. Appleby, patriotism should be to recognize a clear and present danger and to defend our own way of life against those that would destroy it.
AP-ES-12-08-04 0737EST

Posted by: Delftsman3 at 03:41 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 1326 words, total size 9 kb.