"Muhammad"

Oh pleeeease....... To any and ALL Muslims -

Seriously, is THIS the example of Islam? To demand the death, or at least 40 lashes, a teacher, who's only "crime" was to allow children to name a teddy bear "Muhammad"? It THIS the example you want to world to see as one that anyone would choose to follow?

Isn't there ANYONE in the Muslim world who will be vocal and say that such action is wrong? Because as far as I am concerned, this action in Sudan, as well as in the name of Islam do terrorists kill non-combatants, Islam and the Muslim faith is far more destructive than any other religion movement could be.

If anyone should defame the name of God, or Jesus, I don't ask for their head. I don't ask they be whipped, or stoned, or put to death. I believe that, in the end, God....MY God Almighty.... will take care of that person. And if such a person does defame Thy name, it DOES NOT diminish my faith. Are Muslims so afraid of their faith and the strength of Muhammad that they must silence ANY opposition? Is their Muhammad so weak that He can't lead His good people into doing the "right thing"?

How about I name my pet rock, Muhammad? Or my dog? Would that cause you to have less faith in your Muhammad? Would Muhammad somehow be hurt by that? My God is mighty enough to withstand any of that! I'll take Christianity over Islam any day! My God says to love my neighbor, not kill them. Any killing that I do will have to be answered to when I meet God! He sure doesn't promise me 40 virgins for such acts!

Okay, I'm done. At least for now. I'm going to take my pet rock Muhammad and go now. Come on Muhammad.....let's go out for some sun...........

Dan

Blog-Sticker

(Instead of a Bumper Sticker, here is my Blog-Sticker)

"My 1st Amendment Right...
is protected by my 2nd Amendment Right!"
(As are all my other Rights!)

Creed

I love a good western, and was very pleased to have seen the re-make of 3:10 to Yuma. Good movie!

Recently, I was reading the Cowboys & Indians magazine (Oct. 2007), and saw a list of Cowboy Codes, Creeds, and Prayers from various movie cowboys of the past. Well, they missed the best one of all - "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. And I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same of them". Those words were spoken by John Wayne, playing John B. Books, to Ron Howard, playing Gillom Rogers, in the 1976 release, The Shootist.

"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. And I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people and I require the same of them"... That may be a little hard for some people, but I think if everyone took that to heart, we'd all treat each other better!

Rest In Peace Duke!

International Police Chiefs Advocate More Gun Control

International Association Police Chiefs Advocate More Gun Control -
see link for story, written by Randy Hall:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200709/NAT20070921a.html

So, let me understand it ... Because of the crime rate in some metropolitan areas, and the inability of those fighting crime and those charged with the prosecution and sentencing for such violations to get the bad guy, "we, the people" are to give up our Constitutional Rights granted by the 2nd Amendment, as well as our God given right and expectation to protect ourselves? NO FRIGGIN WAY!

The laws that are on the books, across ALL our land, are more than enough to battle such criminals. MORE THAN ENOUGH. What we are lacking is strong enforcement, primarily by those charged in the prosecutions and sentencing of those who violate our gun laws.

I am a former Police Officer. I don't claim to be an expert, but I will tell you that from my experience, "victims" were most always un-armed and unprepared for the predator who found them. I can also tell you that while I was always concerned about coming upon an armed person, I have always be in favor of the legally licensed permit holder and concealed carrier of a handgun. ALWAYS.

As a Police Officer, I can also tell you that I didn't hardly know any other Cop who did not travel, off duty, with a firearm. We ALL knew what was out there, and we ALL knew we were not going to be a "victim", if we could at all help it. Never mind the "responding to a felony in progress" while "off duty", because it was our duty. It was because WE were not going to become a "victim".

So...WHY do those Chiefs of Police think THEY are entitled to protect themselves, and the citizens, "the people", can not have that same right and ability?

Second to the laws we have, should come the responsibility for ALL citizens to be prepared to defend themselves, and to come to the aid of those who are being preyed upon. There is not, and never will be, a Police Officer at every corner. The Police, God Bless their intent, will 99% of the time, be "responsive" to a 9-1-1 call. That means, there is already a "victim"! Every lawful American is their very own FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE. Are we to "defend" ourselves with....what? A ball bat? What about the 2-3 thugs with bats or knives? Again, what would those Chiefs of Police have you do at 1 am..wait for the police IF you were able to call? Easy for them to say...THEY have guns! They have back-up, with more guns. But you, in your home or car, do not have back-up. YOU do not have have that ability for a Dispatcher to call you and check on you. If you can't make the call in time...You're toast!

Take the training. Get quality advice for your personal and household situation. Get the best quality firearm your budget can handle. Get licensed. Practice. And have the whole family know the rules for keeping it safe, while accessible. YOU are your FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE!

To those voting members of the IACP.......DO NOT take MY rights away! Bag the bad-guy, not me! Would YOU give up yours?

Dan...aka Hunter

PS. Everyone may not be in a good situation to have a firearm in the home or car. Get a dog! A good dog, with good teeth, who loves your family. A firearm is not for everyone, and I'm not calling for everyone to be armed. But if you can, and wish to, then it IS your right!

9-11 Remembered

September 11th, 2001. Do you remember where you were six years ago today? I do. We all know the history. We all remember the scene, as displayed on our TV sets and in the papers. This entry isn't about that. This entry to just to express my heart-felt thanks to all those who were lost that day, who tried so hard to help their fellow man. Firefighters, Police Officers, Co-workers of the many offices in those buildings. Its also to all those who survived, doing all they could too. To the families of all those men and women, I remember. I will never forget. They showed their true American Spirit. God Bless. ~ Dan

Peace...Through Superior Firepower

Peace through superior firepower -

I always loved that slogan... but never bought the t-shirt. Anyway, just a little something I thought I'd jump onto.

The 2008 Corvette. What a car. I'd love to own one, but don't. Why? It's cost is too high for me.

I saw a beautiful home on 210 acres listed for sale not long ago. I didn't buy it. Why? The cost was far too high.

Funny thing about such things we wish to have, they often come at too high a price for what we can, or are willing to pay. Take waging war on America. Throughout our history, some have tried and paid a terrible price for it. Many might hate us enough to want to wage war, but don't. Why? They hate us enough, so why? What is it that stops them?

It strikes me that the slogan, "Peace...through superior firepower", suggests that to have peace, one would have enough firepower that anyone wanting to challenge that peace would pay a very high price for the attempt. The whole Cold War and the Arms Race was built on such a theory.

Even crime is the same way. Criminals, with perhaps the exception of crimes of passion or spontanious stupidity, at least go through some calculation of the "cost factor" to them before committing their crimes. If there is little chance of getting caught, and if the "cost" isn't deemed too high, then the criminal just may think it "pays". But if the perceived "cost" is too high, then the likelihood of the criminal to commit it is far reduced. "Crime doesn't pay", would come into play. I think the same can be said for, "War with America doesn't pay".

This all leads me to this point. (And thanks to Ted Nugent's stand on the 2nd Amendment for inspiring this entry to my Blog.) If every legally permissible citizen was to be armed, every would-be criminal would have a whole lot more to worry about, such as losing his/her life, in their pursuit of mis-justice on their fellow man. Therefore, the "Peace through superior firepower", by virtue of not having an unarmed and easy citizenry to prey upon, could provide for less crime and fewer victims. The "cost" could be death to anyone wanting to victimize people. That's a high price for jewelry, TVs, cash, or what ever. MOST crimes are not worth dying for.


This same thought process (of mine anyway) extends to the world and those who would want us dead. And, also goes for those who wish to stand by and let others cause our demise. If the threat isn't the ultimate price, then their calculation may likely be that it "could be" worth it to do us harm, or stand by and permit others to do so.


Fear is powerful. Fear of dying is the most powerful, and that's why the terrorists use it. We don't. But we should. WHOA...you say. Okay, bare with me.....Here's where all this is leading to - As a powerful and wealthy nation, we need to use both hands in our world and foreign policies.


In one hand ... we offer help (money, manpower, what ever help we can provide) to those who want it and will stand beside us while offering it.


In the other hand ... FIREPOWER! With NO limit set on what ever it takes to get a job done. You screw with us, or very close ally, then we should take all measure to inflict as much damage and pain as we can, and in the shortest time possible. We should instill as much destruction and fear as our "power" can deliver. And, this means to all those who stand by and let our enemies attack us from their neighborhoods and cities.


Who said, "Walk softely and carry a big stick"? (Teddy Roosevelt?) Well, that should be us today. Not to "rule" any other country, but if someone causes us harm ... ALL means of destruction should befall them.


We ARE the mightiest nation on earth. We need to act like it when it comes to such matters. War is hell. War is ugly. War kills people. If we enter into a war upon a nation of people, we need to make it as ugly as possible, and get it over with as soon as possible. Anyone wanting to do us harm, needs to know, with absolute sureity, that it will cost them dearly. So dearly, that survival is NOT likely. So dearly, that those around them would rather die trying to stop their neighbor from committing such an act against us, than face what hurt would come by standing quiet.


This goes for our current actions in Iraq. If a neighborhood is the scene of an aggressor's attacks on us, they need to know that their neighborhood will cease to exist. They need to know that life, as they have known it, will no longer be. THAT, in MY view, would cause those people who sit by and let terrorists use their neighborhoods, to rise up and at least point out those terrorists and let us take the fight only to them. Otherwise, those people doing NOTHING, will pay dearly.


Like him, or not, President Bush was right to say, "You're either for us, or against us" in this war on terror. Standing by, doing nothing, is just what the terrorists want.)


Harsh? YES. That's war. We bombed whole cities, just to get at the German military machine. Now, we are trying to kill our enemies ... surgically. A nice idea. Very civilized. But WRONG! THIS is war and we are being hampered by the fear the terrorists instill in people, so much more so than we are. People fear THEM more than us. That needs to change.


Okay, permit me this annogy - When I was a youngster... (Yeah, I'm a bit older than most on here I bet) ... If I got in trouble at school with a teacher, I feared what would happen to me when I got home MORE than what ever happened to me at school. My parents LOVED me, yet I KNEW that if I did wrong, I was in deep poop when I got home. I knew that if I broke the rules at school, I broke THEIR rules of my conduct in their house by doing so at school. I KNEW...with absolute certainty, that I was in trouble. Consequently, I was in far less trouble than I would've been in, just having that in the back of my head. I may have thought about doing something...but just KNOWING what would happen kept me from doing it.


Our societial and foreign policies need to project that same awareness of conseqences. We're not there.


And polititicans beware - YOU need to be ONE LOUD VOICE in the world, saying this - SCREW WITH US, AND YOU PAY...HEAVILY!


Peace...Through Superior Firepower!

2nd Amendment, as expressed by Ted Nugent

This video interview with Texas Monthly and Ted Nugent is well worth watching. Like him or not, the message is dead-on!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_QjEL0uUgo

My view exactly Ted!
Dan

Never Forget Our Soldiers

Sadly, every day brings a story of more of our Troops in Iraq getting killed. While I support our over-all cause for being there, I wish so much we didn't have to be. Even as an old Vet of the Vietnam days, and an ex-Cop, my heart pains for the families of those killed in action.

Life goes on. For those families, and even for those men and women "in the field", it may seem oh so unfair. Unfair that "life", with our jobs, ball games, shopping malls, and cook-outs, should go without a hiccup. Unfair that for the vast majority of us, there's no price we're paying, no hardships of day and night "alert" for what may come. Unfair that we are home with OUR families, free of most worry. Unfair that we AREN'T paying a price in FREEDOM's name.

Yes, for me at least, I felt that way in 1969 and '70. When I got home, I felt almost offended that everyone was going about their lives with seemingly no regard for what price others were paying. Well, here I am today, sitting here at this computer, watching the morning news, drinking my flavored coffee with my wife, and doing so in an air conditioned house to north Texas.

THANK YOU. Thank you to the thousands out there, all over the world, for standing watch and doing the dirty work for all of us. That seems so little in return, I know, but it's all I have today. That, and this remembrance
of you and the price YOU pay every day for what my family has.

For you, my Soldiers and your families, as empty as these words might be to you compared to what you do each day, THIS family remembers you every day. Not a news clip about you, or your fallen brethren, goes by without our notice. You are in our thoughts and prayers everyday, as are your families.

I am humbled by your service and duty.
God Bless,

Modern day Minutemen?

As a prelude to my comments, please check out the following -

http://www.answers.com/topic/minutemen
Minutemen, in the American Revolution, colonial militiamen or armed citizens who agreed to turn out for service at a minute's notice. The term minutemen is used especially for the men who were enrolled (1774) for such service by the Massachusetts provincial congress. These were “the embattled farmers” who fought against the British at Lexington and Concord.

and ............

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minutemen_(militia)#Equipment.2C_training.2C_and_tactics
The rifled musket used by most minutemen was also well suited to this role. The rifling (grooves inside the barrel) gave it a much greater range than the smoothbore musket, although it took much longer to load. Because of the lower rate of fire, rifles were not used by regular infantry but were preferred for hunting. When performing as skirmishers, the minutemen could fire and fall back behind cover or other troops before the British could get into range. The increased range and accuracy of the rifle, along with a lifetime of hunting to develop marksmanship, earned minutemen sharpshooters a deadly reputation.

So what? Well, let me make a few points here

1. During those times leading up to and including the years of the Revolutionary War, the new America had a standing army and militia. They were trained in war and weapons. They were uniformed and armed in the weaponry of that day. Our enemies of that time were also well armed, with mostly the same weapons, i.e. muskets and pistols of the black powder and ball variety.

2. The Minutemen of that day were primarily non-military "citizens" who armed themselves, had no uniforms, little (if any) formal training, and would be ready in a "minute" should a threat arise. They worked their land and businesses, but would drop what they were doing and respond to meet any threat... armed and ready!

To me, the Minutemen philosophy should never have been lost in the American concept of a citizen's patriotic duty to our country, our neighborhoods, and our personal (and family) protection. As citizens, it is MY belief that we have a duty and responsibility to "be ready" to defend ourselves at any time.

This also means that we are to be armed, and see to our own practice in preparation for any confrontation with our enemies, foreign or domestic.

And what about those "arms"? In the day of the Minutemen, many were armed with less military style weapons, such as small caliber hunting (or squirrel) rifles, on up to rifles that would match or exceed those of their enemies.

I have met a few "shooters", some were Trap and Skeet shooters, or muzzle loader shooters, who didn't believe any "sportsman" needed an AR-15, AK-style semiautomatic, of other so-called "assault rifle". They weren't "sporting" and had no place in the legitimate shooting culture of true "sportsmen".

Hogwash!

Let me remind some of this - Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, states, "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."

Where in the heck does it mention "sporting" or "hunting"? "...necessary to the security of a free state....", NOT free hunting privledges! They were talking about a free people being able and ready to defend themselves!

If we, as a free people, find ourselves being threatened by our enemies, on our home soil, do we think they will be armed with shotguns and muzzle loaders? Will they have .22's for squirrels? Will they show themselves when we call out, "Pull"?

The bad guys, be they local punks bent on night-time intrusion and rape, or a terrorist coming to a neighborhood near you to kill the masses, ... waiting for the Police or military to take care of you would likely be a deadly mistake.

For one thing, during a national emergency, even a natural disaster type, the emergency services may likely be too busy for a call for help by one person or family. If there should be an all-out assault on a community, you can bet the Police will be plenty busy, and too out-gunned, to come to the aid of individuals.

In that case, just what WILL those bad-guys be carrying? In my current profession, we refer to the need for force to be met with equal force, plus one. If our threat comes with an AK-47, what would you prefer to have? I'm betting on at least an AR-15, and with more ammo than the bad guy? And you better have the know-how to use it effectively!

To those "sportsmen" and other anti-gun citizens, you need to be thinking about the real world threats and make decisions for you and your family that will offer at least some measure of safety. But for me, DO NOT decide for me that I don't have any reason to own what ever gun I can legally purchase today! And if I show up at the local public range with an AR-15, or the like, and you don't like it ... TUFF SHIT! I'm practicing to save my family' lives!

In fact, it is MY view that America needs to require every household (legal to do so), be armed and self-trained for their weapons, so they do not burden an understaffed and over-worked law enforcement community when the shit really hits the fan! Law Enforcement will have plenty to do, and they will NOT have time for individual calls for help, or at least not without some critical delays. By the way... the bad-guys won't wait on'em!

Be armed. Be ready.
Dan

Our Flag

The Pledge of Allegiance and the Flag, and what it means to me -

What do those things mean to you? What do they mean to those who come here, legally or not? I don't know those answers, but I can tell you what they mean to me.

Our Pledge of Allegiance is an interesting oath -

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

I see this oath, not one to take precedence over God, or a pledge to obey any "god", but as an oath to keep an allegiance to America over all other nations. "America" and the "Flag" represents ALL citizens of this great nation. It has never meant to me to be loyal to any one political party, President, or other entity. America -What a wonderful and beautiful word - is a word that, to me, stands for freedom. As too does the "Flag of The United State of America".

As for the "under God" part... I've never felt that meant I must believe in "God", or that I must be a Christian follower, but is a simple acknowledgment that America was founded on the Christian beliefs of conduct toward our fellow man. There are many, many quotes from texts and letter of our Founding Fathers that prove this out. It is a FACT that one of the guiding forces behind their drive toward a new nation of freedom, was that Christian belief. And, at no time in modern history has any man, woman, or child, been denied justice and/or freedom, because he or she wasn't a Christian or believed in God, or was a follower of any other religion.

I pass my thoughts on- and forgive me for being so bold to do so and think you might value them - so that anyone, citizen, or wannabe citizen, might consider them. IF you choose to live here (excluding legal visitors), if you want to live here as a free citizen of The United States of America, then I suggest that you take an allegiance to America above ALL other countries. Otherwise, what ever country anyone wishes to hold some allegiance to, go there and live.

This IS America. The citizens of The United States of America have historically invited people from all over the world to come here and share in our freedoms and opportunities. But hear this, IF anyone's true allegiance is to ANY other country, don't come, and if you are here, don't stay. Forget politics. Forget foreign policy when it comes to my point here. Make those changes from within, as active and participating citizens. But to hold ANY allegiance to any other country, is UN-American, and such a person doesn't belong here.

As for flying the Flag - Untold hundreds of thousands of men and women fought, and died, for this country and the flag they fought under. Please, what ever your protest, don't burn our Flag or fly her upside down. Those who served before, those serving now, and those who will serve tomorrow to fight for our freedoms, deserve to have the Flag of their country treated in a respectful way. Burn all the likenesses of elephants and donkeys you want, but not our Flag. Yes, a citizen would be free to do so. But having a "right" to do it, doesn't make it "right" thing to do. It isn't.

This is America, the United States of America. While I won't say, "Like it or leave it", I will say, "Pledge allegiance to the United States of America above all other nations, or leave it." There are things that may need changing. There may be things you don't agree with or don't like. I'm fine with that, so long as you help make it better. But if anyone holds ANY allegiance to another country over America, LEAVE NOW. If you want to be a free American citizen, then come on in and help us be better, and take the Pledge of Allegiance to The United States of America.

America. I hate the politics, but I love my country. Land of the free. Home of the brave.