The next time you look at our flag, think about this....

From a speech made by Capt. John S. McCain, US, (Rep) who represents Arizona in the U.S. Senate:

As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home.

One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian. Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old.

At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967.

Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country, and our military, provide for people who want to work and want to succeed. As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle.

Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed it on the inside of his shirt. Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell, it was indeed the most important and meaningful event.

One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours.

Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could. The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room. As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag.

He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.

So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world.

You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country.

"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."

What to Say to a Person Who Has Never Hunted

by Randall L. Eaton, Ph.D

Who is the greatest conservationist in the history of the world?

The answer is: "The best known hunter in the history of the world" - Teddy Roosevelt.

What few people know is that he was the first man to write about women's rights, the subject of his senior thesis at Harvard. The paradox perplexes ecofeminists.

Does hunting teach violence? What do you think Jimmy Carter and Nelson Mandela would say? They both received the Nobel Peace prize - and both are avid hunters.

In a questionnaire survey I did of 2500 hunters, average age of 55, 97% male, I asked what events in their lives opened their hearts and engendered compassion in them. The prevailing choice by women was "becoming a parent", but for men it was, "taking the life of an animal". The polarities of human life consist of women bringing life into the world and men taking life to support life.

For hundreds of thousands of years boys had to kill an animal of sufficient size to prove they could provide and thus qualify for manhood and marriage. Hunting is still the most profound rite of passage from boyhood to manhood.

The same survey revealed that 82% of recreational hunters thank the animals they kill or the Creator. The words they chose to express how they feel about the animals they hunt were, "respect", "admiration" and "reverence". Not unlike Native American hunters.

Michael Gurian, author of the best-selling "The Wonder of Boys", says in my TV production, "Respect and Responsibility: The Truth About Kids Who Hunt", that,

"Hunting teaches compassion".

In the same production, Dr. Don Trent Jacobs, revolutionary educator and author of "Teaching Virtues Across the Curriculum", states,

"Hunting is the ideal way to teach young people universal virtues including patience, generosity, courage, fortitude and humility."

He defines humility as 'knowing you are part of something greater than yourself'. At one time Jacobs directed the largest wilderness center in the world for juvenile delinquents.

The most successful program ever conducted for juvenile delinquents was at the "School for Urban and Wilderness Studies" in Southern Idaho. For 13 years groups of boys went into the wilderness with nothing but a sleeping bag and a pocketknife. Their only food was what they could gather or catch and kill. According to follow-up surveys conducted one year after they left, 85% of the boys had not got into trouble duringthat year.

Dr. Wade Brackenbury, who led the boys, is convinced that it was taking the lives of small animals for food that had the greatest influence on the boys' transformation.

Dr. Helen Smith of Knoxville wrote "Scarred Hearts". She is a leading authority on violent kids (who kill). In an interview in "Respect and Responsibility", she said,

"Columbine never would have happened if those boys had been properly mentored in hunting and shooting."

In the same production, Dr. Jim Rose, adolescent neuropsychologist at the University of Wyoming says,

"Hunting teaches self-control and respect for life,"

and,

"Learning to use a firearm teaches responsibility."

Dr. Scott Cutting, a psychologist in South Carolina, successfully used shooting to heal young men of serious aggression.

A few years ago, the BATF and FBI conducted a study and could not find a single instance of a young person committing a felony with a legally owned firearm, which indicates that kids mentored in hunting and shooting use firearms for the right reasons.

Gurian, Jacobs, Smith and Rose all highly recommend and endorse hunting and shooting for youth.

Which of the following well known Americans were hunters?

Thomas Jefferson
John James Audubon
David Thoreau
Teddy Roosevelt
George Eastman
John Steinbeck
Aldo Leopold
Clark Gable
Ernest Hemmingway
Jimmy Stewart
Jimmy Carter

That's right, all of the above.

Did you know that hunters were the original environmental conservationists and they still lead in that field? Did you know that 700,000 members of "Ducks Unlimited" have successfully conserved over 12 million acres of wildlife habitat to the benefit of the entire living community of North America?

That the "Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation" has conserved over four million acres and reintroduced elk throughout its former range in the midwest and eastern U.S.? That there may be more wild turkeys and deer in the U.S. than at any time in history?

When the rest of the environmental community is waging rear-guard actions, the hunting community is on the offensive. The truth is that hunting is a model for sustainability. For those who participate directly in it the food chain becomes a love chain.

Hunters put their money where their hearts are.

SAF Honors Jeanne Assam with Eleanor Roosevelt Award

BELLEVUE, WA – For her remarkable display of heroism and courage under fire, the Second Amendment Foundation announced today that it will recognize Jeanne Assam, who confronted a gunman on Dec. 9 at the New Life Church shooting in Colorado Springs, with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award.

The Roosevelt award was created by SAF founder Alan Gottlieb, co-author of America Fights Back: Armed Self-Defense in a Violent Age. The award honors exceptional women who use firearms in self-defense and the defense of others. The award is named in memory of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who frequently carried a revolver for personal protection, even while she lived in the White House, and during the times that she campaigned in the South for civil rights.

“Jeanne Assam, an armed private citizen who volunteered to provide security at the New Life Church, was suddenly faced with a deadly emergency and without hesitation, disregarding her own safety, she rose to that challenge,” Gottlieb said. “By confronting a killer, Assam undoubtedly saved many lives.

“The news media, perhaps to try diminishing Ms. Assam’s bravery and the significance of her intervention, have revealed her dismissal as a Minneapolis police officer several years ago,” he added. “We concur with church Senior Pastor Brady Boyd, who observed that all of us have past experiences we may regret, and that she should not be ‘convicted or crucified for being a heroine.’ Today, the entire nation should be proud of Jeanne Assam, and grateful that her life’s path led from Minneapolis to Colorado Springs.

“Jeanne Assam did an incredibly brave thing under circumstances that could easily be described as above and beyond the call,” Gottlieb stated. “Every day in this country, armed private citizens defend themselves or others, frequently preventing or stopping crimes. Their actions go largely unrecognized and more frequently ignored by the press and public officials who would rather suppress the notion that Americans can fight back.

“We created the Eleanor Roosevelt Award to recognize the efforts of armed women who practice personal safety,” Gottlieb concluded. “In Jeanne Assam’s case, we are honoring a truly remarkable woman who placed herself in harm’s way for the safety of others. We are humbled by her good and noble deed.”

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps die d at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Fall Colors

Going out my driveway to the main road, the colors are very colorful this year!


How has the Fall colors been in your neck of the woods?

A Soldier's Prayer

I saw a soldier kneeling down, for this was the first quiet place he had found. He had traveled through jungles, rivers, and mud. His hands were scarred and toil-worn. He had fought for days from night 'til morn. He folded his hands and looked to the sky....

I saw his tears, as they welled in his eyes. He spoke to God, and this is what he said:

God bless my men, who now lie dead,
I know not what You have in mind,
but when You judge, please be kind...
when they come before You, they will be poorly dressed,
but will walk proudly, for they have done their best.
Their boots will be muddy and their clothes all torn...
but these clothes they have so proudly worn.
Their hearts will be still and cold inside,
for they have fought their best and did so with pride.
So please take care of them as they pass Your way...
the price of freedom they're already paid.

D.C. imam declares Muslim takeover-plan by 2050

I guess this islamic fascist has forgot how many guns are in the hands of American citizens and most everyone knows how to use them.

A Washington, D.C., imam states explicitly on the website for his organization that he is part of a movement working toward replacement of the U.S. government with "the Islamic State of North America" by 2050.

With branches in Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and Philadelphia, the group As-Sabiqun – or the Vanguard – is under the leadership of Abdul Alim Musa in the nation's capital.

Musa's declaration of his intention to help lead a takeover of America was highlighted by noted Islam observer Robert Spencer on his website Jihad Watch.

Spencer told WND that figures such as Musa should not be ignored, "Not because they have the power to succeed, but because they may commit acts of violence to achieve their purpose."

Musa's website declares: "Those who engage in this great effort require a high level of commitment and determination. We are sending out a call to the believers: Join with us in this great struggle to change the world!"

Musa launched the group in the early 1990s at the Al-Islam mosque in Philadelphia. His group says it is influenced by the writings and life work of Muslim thinkers and leaders such as Muslim Brotherhood founder Hasan al-Banna, Sayyid Qutb and Iranian revolutionary Ayatollah Khomenei.

The writings of Al-Banna and Qutb figured prominently in al-Qaida's formation.

Musa's organization says its leadership "has delivered numerous speeches in the United States and abroad, contributing their analyses and efforts to solve contemporary problems in the Muslim world and in urban America."

Abdul Alim Musa

"The paramount goal of the movement is the establishment of Islam as a complete way of life in America," the group declares. "This ultimate goal is predicated on the belief – shared by many Muslims worldwide – that Islam is fully capable of producing a working and just social, political, economic order."

The groups says it does not "advocate participation in the American political process as an ideal method for advancing Islamic issues in the U.S.; instead, it believes in a strong and active outreach to the people of the U.S."

Spencer told WND he does not know of any direct influence Musa has on prominent Muslim leaders or on U.S. policymakers, but he says it's "unclear how much 'mainstream' Muslim leaders harbor similar hopes – because no one dares question them about it."

As WND reported, the founder of the leading Islamic lobby group CAIR, the Council on Islamic-American Relations, reportedly told a group of Muslims in California they are in America not to assimilate but to help assert Islam's rule over the country. CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper also has said, in a newspaper interview, he hopes to see an Islamic government over the U.S. some day, brought about not by violence but through "education."

In London last summer, as WND reported, Muslims gathered in front of the London Central Mosque to applaud fiery preachers prophesying the overthrow of the British government – a future vision that encompasses an Islamic takeover of the White House and the rule of the Quran over America.

Musa says he wants to avoid what he calls an "absolutist" outlook on "the advancement of Muslims."

His group's philosophy is to stress unity between the various streams of Islam "in the attainment of common goals."

Although As-Sabiqun is a Sunni movement, it has publicly voiced support for Shia movements and organizations such as the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran and the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, which waged war on Israel in the summer of 2006.

Musa, the group says, repeatedly has "stressed that the tendency by some Muslims to focus on the differences between Sunni and Shia Islam at this juncture in history is counterproductive to the goals of the Islamic movement as a whole."

The group says it encourages social-political advancement concurrent with a program of spiritual and moral development according to the Quran and Sunnah, compilations of stories from the life of Islam's prophet Muhammad.

The group says it has a six-point plan of action which is implemented at each location where a branch of the movement is established.

• Establishing a mosque "as a place to worship Allah in congregation and as a center of spiritual and moral training."
• "Calling the general society" to embrace Islam.
• Establishing a full-time school "that raises children with a strong Islamic identity so they can, as future Islamic leaders, effectively meet and deal with the challenges of growing up in the West."
• Establishing businesses to "make the movement financially stable and independent."
• Establishing "geographical integrity by encouraging Muslims of the community to live in close proximity" to the mosque.
• Establishing "social welfare institutions to respond to the need for spiritual and material assistance within the community as well as the general society."

In addition to daily classes, each mosque in the movement "also provides youth mentorship, marriage counseling, a prison outreach program, and employment assistance for ex-convicts."

As-Sabiqun says its branch in Los Angeles "was instrumental in creating a free health clinic in cooperation with other Islamic groups. The headquarters branch in D.C. has developed scout programs for young members of the community."

The group says the inspiration for its name comes from Quran, 9:100:

"The vanguard (as-Sabiqun) of Islam – the first of those who forsook their homes, and of those who gave them aid, and also those who follow them in all good deeds – well-pleased is Allah with them, as are they with Him: For them hath He prepared Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever: that is the supreme Felicity."

A Failure to Lead

We all knew this, but this reinforces what we know.

The Democratic Congress is more interested in acting out than in taking positive action.

BY KARL ROVE
Friday, November 9, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST

This week is the one-year anniversary of Democrats winning Congress. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid probably aren't in a celebrating mood. The goodwill they enjoyed after their victory is gone. Their bright campaign promises are unfulfilled. Democratic leadership is in disarray. And Congress's approval rating has fallen to its lowest point in history.

The problems the Democrats are now experiencing begin with the federal budget. Or rather, the lack of one. In 2006, Democrats criticized Congress for dragging its feet on the budget and pledged that they would do better. Instead, they did worse. The new fiscal year started Oct. 1--five weeks ago--but Democrats have yet to send the president a single annual appropriations bill. It's been at least 20 years since Congress has gone this late in passing any appropriation bills, an indication of the mess the Pelosi-Reid Congress is now in.

Even worse, the Democrats have made clear all their talk about "fiscal discipline" is just that--talk. They're proposing to spend $205 billion more than the president has proposed over the next five years. And the opening wedge of this binge is $22 billion more in spending proposed for the coming year. Only in Washington could someone in public life be so clueless to say, as Sen. Reid and Rep. Pelosi have, that $22 billion is a "relatively small" difference.

Let's also be clear about what it means to roll back the president's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, as the Democrats want to do. Every income-tax payer will pay more as all tax rates rise. Families will pay $500 more per child as they lose the child tax credit. Taxes on small businesses would go up by an average of about $4,000. Retirees will pay higher taxes on investment retirement income. And now we have the $1 trillion tax increase proposed as "tax reform" by the Democrats' chief tax writer last month.

Failing to pass a budget, proposing a huge spike in federal spending and offering the biggest tax increase in history are not the only hallmarks of this Democratic Congress.

Beholden to MoveOn.org and other left-wing groups, Democratic leaders have ignored the progress made in Iraq by the surge, diminished the efforts of our military, and wasted precious time with failed attempts to force an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. They continue to try to implement this course, which would lead to chaos in the region, the creation of a possible terror state with the third largest oil reserves in the world, and a major propaganda victory for Osama bin Laden as well as for Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.

After promising on the campaign trail to "support our troops," Democrats tried to cut off funding for our military while our soldiers and Marines are under fire from the enemy. For 19 Senate Democrats, this was simply a bridge too far, so they voted against their own leadership's proposal. Democrats also tried to stuff an emergency war-spending bill with billions of dollars of pork for individual members. Now the party's leaders are stalling an emergency supplemental bill with funding for body armor, bullets and mine-resistant vehicles.

After pledging a "Congress that strongly honors our responsibility to protect our people from terrorism," Democrats have refused to make permanent reforms of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that the Director of National Intelligence said were needed to close "critical gaps in our intelligence capability." Their presidential candidates fell all over each other in a recent debate to pledge an end to the Terrorist Surveillance Program. Then Senate Democratic leaders, thinking there was an opening for political advantage, slow-walked the confirmation of Judge Michael Mukasey to be the next attorney general. It's obvious that this is a man who knows the important role the Justice Department plays in the war on terror. Delaying his confirmation is only making it harder to prosecute the war.

Democrats promised "civility and bipartisanship." Instead, they stiff-armed their Republican colleagues, refused to include them in budget negotiations between the two houses, and have launched more than 400 investigations and made more than 675 requests for documents, interviews or testimony. They refused a bipartisan compromise on an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, instead wasting precious time sending the president a bill they knew he would veto. And they did this knowing that they wouldn't be able to override that veto. Why? Because their pollsters told them putting the children's health-care program at risk would score political points. Instead, it left them looking cynical.

The list of Congress's failures grows each month. No energy bill. No action on health care. No action on the mortgage crisis. No immigration reform. No progress on renewing No Child Left Behind. Precious little action on judges and not enough on reducing trade barriers. Congress has not done its work. And these failures will have consequences.

Democrats had a moment after the 2006 election, but now that moment has passed. They've squandered it. They have demonstrated both the inability and unwillingness to govern. Instead, after more than a decade in the congressional minority, they reflexively look for short-term partisan advantage and attempt to appease the party's most strident fringe. Now that Democrats have the reins of congressional power, their true colors are coming out and the public doesn't like what it sees.

The Democratic victory in 2006 was narrow. They won the House by 85,961 votes out of over 80 million cast and the Senate by a mere 3,562 out of over 62 million cast. A party that wins control by that narrow margin can quickly see its fortunes reversed when it fails to act responsibly, fails to fulfill its promises, and fails to lead.

Mr. Rove is a former adviser to President George W. Bush.

Hillary wants drivers licenses for illegals

If you will remember Bill Clinton signed into law in 1993 the Motor Voter bill that states that anyone with a drivers license should be given the right to vote. So is this a back door attempt at getting votes. The background is that the National Voter Registration Act, commonly known as "Motor Voter", required all states to offer voter registration to anyone getting a drivers license. They simply fill out a form and check a box stating that they are a citizen and then registered in most states to vote.

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton supports giving drivers’ licenses to illegal aliens, but she opposes right-to-carry statutes that provide concealed carry licenses for law-abiding American citizens and others who are here legally, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.

“Based on her comments during Tuesday night’s debate,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “Sen. Clinton must think people in this country illegally are entitled to greater rights than citizens and others who are here legally. Maybe it’s because she knows that illegal aliens would vote for her, while law-abiding American gun owners won’t.”

Gottlieb noted that Mrs. Clinton was the only presidential candidate, either Republican or Democrat, who ignored an invitation to appear at the recent Gun Rights Policy Conference in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, near Cincinnati. The annual conference is co-sponsored by CCRKBA and the Second Amendment Foundation.

“Every other candidate, both Republican and Democrat, either attended, called or sent their regrets that they could not attend,” Gottlieb said, “but Mrs. Clinton simply blew off the opportunity to speak to a representative cross-section of America’s 80 million gun-owning voters. Is it possible she doesn’t think she may need some of those 80 million votes, if she gets her party’s nomination?

“It is clear she wants special priveleges for illegal immigrants, yet she opposes allowing American citizens to carry firearms to protect themselves from illegal aliens and others who commit violent crimes,” he said.

“Since Hillary Clinton moved out of the White House early, so she could run for the Senate from New York as an obvious stepping stone toward her own run for the Oval Office,” Gottlieb stated, “she has supported every gun control measure to come along. She supports registration and licensing, she supports banning sport-utility rifles and magazine restrictions and she opposed legislation to prevent junk harassment lawsuits against the firearms industry.

“Hillary Clinton, like too many of her Democrat colleagues, has given mere lip service to gun owners with vague claims that she ‘supports’ the Second Amendment,” Gottlieb said. “It now appears that she is more interested in the welfare of people who don’t belong in this country, than in the civil rights of people who do belong here.”

Flag-folding recitations for vets banned because of religious content

Because that one (1) person was offended by the flag folding ceremony, the federal government bans it and offends millions of people. Our government has got so politically correct that I'm wondering how much longer it can operate as a government.

RIVERSIDE,California - Complaints about religious content have led to a ban on flag-folding recitations by Veterans Administration employees and volunteers at all 125 national cemeteries. It all started because of one complaint about the ceremony at Riverside National Cemetery in California.

During thousands of military burials, the volunteers have folded the American flag 13 times and recited the significance of every fold to survivors. For example, the 12th fold glorifies "God the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost."

The complaint revolved around the narration in the 11th fold, which celebrates Jewish war veterans and "glorifies the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."

The National Cemetery Administration decided to ban the entire recital at all national cemeteries. Details of the complaint weren't disclosed.

Administration spokesman Mike Nacincik said the new policy outlined in a Sept. 27 memorandum is aimed at creating uniform services throughout the military graveyard system. He said the 13-fold recital is not part of the U.S. Flag Code and is not government-approved.

Veterans and honor detail volunteers, including Bobby Castillo, 85, and Rees Lloyd, 59, are furious. "That the actions of one disgruntled, whining, narcissistic and intolerant individual is preventing veterans from getting the honors they deserve is truly an outrage," Lloyd said. "This is another attempt by secularist fanatics to cleanse any reference to God."

World War II Navy veteran Castillo said it's "a slap in the face to every veteran."

"When we got back from the war, we didn't ask for a whole lot," Castillo said. "We just want to give our veterans the respect they deserve. No one has ever complained to us about it. I just don't understand."

Lloyd and Castillo are part of a 16-member detail that has performed military honors at more than 1,400 services. They were preparing to read the flag-folding remarks at the Riverside cemetery when graveyard staff members stopped them.

Charlie Waters, parliamentarian for the American Legion of California, said he's advising memorial honor details to ignore the edict. "This is nuts," Waters told the Riverside Press-Enterprise by telephone from Fresno. "There are 26 million veterans in this country, and they're not going to take us all to prison."

Nacincik said that though the flag-folding narrative includes references to God that the government does not endorse, the main reason for the new rules is uniformity. "We are looking at consistency," Nacincik said. "We think that's important."

Rabbi Yitzhak Miller of Temple Beth El said he understands the ban. "It is a perfect example of government choosing to ignore religion in order to avoid offending some religions," Miller said. "To me, ignoring religion in general is just as problematic as endorsing any one religion."

An Ode to America

We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA. Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title "C"ntarea Americii, meaning "Ode To America ") in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei "The Daily Event" or "News of the Day"

~An Ode to America ~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs.

Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart.

Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers.

Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts.

Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about.

Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand.

After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing. On every occasion, they started singing:"God Bless America !"

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put into a collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy.

What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way?

Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money?

I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over, I reached but only one conclusion... Only freedom can work such miracles.

Cornel Nistorescu

Islamic School In VirginiaTeaches Hatred

We have enough problems already and sure don't need more right here on our own turf.

From Here:

McLEAN, Va. - A private Islamic school supported by the Saudi government should be shut down until the U.S. government can ensure the school is not fostering radical Islam, a federal panel recommends.

In a report released Thursday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom broadly criticized what it calls a lack of religious freedom in Saudi society and promotion of religious extremism at Saudi schools.

Particular criticism is leveled at the Islamic Saudi Academy, a private school serving nearly 1,000 students in grades K-12 at two campuses in northern Virginia's Fairfax County.

The commission's report says the academy hews closely to the curriculum used at Saudi schools, which they criticize for promoting hatred of and intolerance against Jews, Christians and Shiite Muslims.

"Significant concerns remain about whether what is being taught at the ISA promotes religious intolerance and may adversely affect the interests of the United States," the report states.

The commission, a creation of Congress, has no power to implement policy on its own. Instead, it makes recommendations to other agencies.

The commission does not offer specific criticism of the academy's teachings beyond its concerns that it too closely mimics a typical Saudi education.

The report recommends that the State Department prevail on the Saudi government to shut the school down until the school's textbooks can be reviewed and procedures are put in place to ensure the school's independence form the Saudi Embassy.

Messages left Wednesday with the State Department and the Saudi Embassy were not immediately returned.

Several advocacy groups in recent years have cited examples of inflammatory statements in religious textbooks in Saudi Arabia, including claims that a ninth-grade textbook reads that the hour of judgment will not come "until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them."

Saudi officials said they have worked in recent years to reform the textbooks and the curriculum, but critics say progress has been insufficient.

The school's director-general, Abdalla I. Al-Shabnan, said Wednesday that he had not seen the report. He said the academy has adjusted its curriculum in recent years and removed some of the inflammatory language that had been included in the Saudi text. The school's curriculum may now serve as a model for the Saudi government to use in continuing its reform of Saudi schools, he said.

"There is nothing in our curriculum against any religion," Al-Shabnan said.

He also said he is willing to show the school's curriculum and textbooks to anybody who wants to see them, and he expressed disappointment that the commission did not request materials directly from the school.

"We have an open policy," he said.

He also pointed out that many of the school's teachers are Christian and Jewish.

The commission based its findings in part on a the work of a delegation that traveled to Saudi Arabia this year. The commission asked embassy officials to review the textbooks used in Saudi schools generally and at the Islamic Saudi Academy specifically but did not receive a response.

Commission spokeswoman Judith Ingram said the commission did not request to speak to academy officials because that went beyond the commission's mandate.

The report also criticizes the school's administrative structure, saying it is little more than an offshoot of the Saudi Embassy, with the Saudi ambassador to the United States serving as chairman of the school's board of directors. The structure "raises serious concerns about whether it is in violation of a U.S. law restricting the activities of foreign embassies."

After the Sept. 11 attacks, critics questioned the nature of the religious education at the Saudi academy. The school again found itself in the spotlight in 2005, when a former class valedictorian, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, was charged with joining al-Qaida while attending college in Saudi Arabia and plotting to assassinate President Bush.

Abu Ali was convicted in federal court and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He is appealing his conviction.

Mexican military, U.S. police have border standoff in Texas

This news article was posted on WND and then disappeared. I managed to capture it before it was erased...... I found it doing a Google search in their cache files.....

'Bad guys in 3 vehicles set up mounted machine guns'

Mexican Army Humvee

Mexican soldiers and civilian smugglers engaged in an armed standoff with nearly 30 American law enforcement officials on the southern U.S. border, according to Texas police and the FBI.

At a spot more than 200 yards inside the U.S., Mexican Army troops set up several mounted machine guns when U.S. Border Patrol agents called for backup Monday, the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin of Ontario, Calif., reported.

The paper said Mexican military Humvees were towing what appeared to be thousands of pounds of marijuana across the border into the U.S., according to Chief Deputy Mike Doyal of the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Department.

The incident took place on the Rio Grande near Neely's Crossing, about 50 miles east of El Paso.

"It's been so bred into everyone not to start an international incident with Mexico that it's been going on for years," Doyal told the Daily Bulletin. "When you're up against mounted machine guns, what can you do? Who wants to pull the trigger first? Certainly not us."

Confirming the afternoon encounter, FBI spokeswoman Andrea Simmons told the paper, "Bad guys in three vehicles ended up on the border. People with Humvees, who appeared to be with the Mexican Army, were involved with the three vehicles in getting them back across."

Deputies captured one vehicle and found 1,477 pounds of marijuana inside, according to Doyal, who added Mexican soldiers set fire to one of the Humvees stuck in the river.

Such incidents are common, Doyal told the Daily Bulletin. Last November, his deputies were called on to back up agents from the Fort Hancock border patrol station in Texas after confronting more than six fully armed men dressed in Mexican military uniforms.

Armed with machine guns, the men were trying to bring more than three tons of marijuana across the border in military vehicles.

Doyal insisted the federal government must do something about the incursions, pointing out the deputies and border agents are not equipped for combat.

But Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff today played down the reports of Mexican military incursions, suggesting many could have been mistakes or criminals dressed in military garb. Last week, Mexican officials denied their military made any incursions.

The Daily Bulletin reported, however, border agents interviewed over the past year believe the confrontations were with Mexican military personnel.

A story by the paper last year highlighted a Department of Homeland Security document reporting 216 incursions by Mexican soldiers during the previous 10 years.

Chertoff downplayed the reports at that time, as well, calling them "overblown."

But border agents contend otherwise.

"We're sitting ducks," said one who spoke to the Daily Bulletin on condition of anonymity. "The government has our hands tied."

As WND reported in February 2006, an American law enforcement officer and news crew in Hudspeth County, Texas, witnessed an armed incursion into the U.S. by men dressed in Mexican army attire, the second such incident in two weeks.

Mexican officials have said their military is forbidden from traveling within three miles of the border, though U.S. border residents repeatedly have spotted mobile patrols of Mexican military units traversing roads that run directly parallel to the international boundary. Mexico says the armed men crossing into the U.S. are paramilitary forces loyal to drug-smuggling cartels.

Republican Reps. Duncan Hunter and David Drier of California last week asked Chertoff, the House Judiciary Committee, the House Homeland Security Committee and the House International Relations Committee to investigate the incursions.

Israel Warns WWIII May Be Biblical War of Gog and Magog

Things are not looking good in the middle east or the rest of the world according to this article.

(IsraelNN.com) US President George W. Bush said a nuclear Iran would mean World War III. Israeli newscasts featured Gog & Magog maps of the likely alignment of nations in that potential conflict.

Channel 2 and Channel 10 TV showed the world map, sketching the basic alignment of the two opposing axes in a coming world war, in a manner evoking associations of the Gog and Magog prophecy for many viewers. The prophecy of Gog and Magog refers to a great world war centered on the Holy Land and Jerusalem and first appears in the book of Yechezkel (Ezekiel).

On one side were Israel, the United States, Britain, France and Germany. On the other were Iran, Russia, China, Syria and North Korea.

US President Bush said Wednesday during a press conference that Iran attaining nuclear weapons raises the risk of "World War III."

"If Iran had a nuclear weapon, it'd be a dangerous threat to world peace," Bush said. "So I told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested [in preventing a nuclear Iran]…I take the threat of Iran with a nuclear weapon very seriously.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iran Tuesday and slammed the US’s refusal to rule out the use of force against Iran’s nuclear project. "Not only should we reject the use of force, but also the mention of force as a possibility," he said.

Russia has blocked tougher UN sanctions in the UN Security Council, where it has veto power. The Russian president asserts that there is no evidence Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons rather than a peaceful nuclear power program.

The rest of the story here

Hillary Ensnared in Bloggergate

This woman will stop at nothing to get what she wants even if it means breaking the law....


http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/hillary_blogger/2007/10/18/41954.html?s=al&promo_code=3BA7-1">From Here
Hillary Ensnared in Bloggergate

Thursday, October 18, 2007 10:41 AM


Call it "Bloggergate" — the subversion of the blogosphere by Democrat money.


To be more precise, Bloggergate is the subsidizing of left-wing bloggers with illegal Democrat campaign contributions, laundered through ostensibly “non-partisan” non-profit groups.

At a convention of left-wing bloggers last summer, Hillary Clinton announced, “We are . . . putting together a network in the blogosphere.”

Her remarks became public only three weeks ago, on Oct. 2, when an anonymous person posted a shaky, hand-held videotape of her speech on YouTube. In it, Hillary bragged that she had helped create “institutions” which had produced a left-wing “network in the blogosphere” capable of “matching” the alleged “advantage of the other side.”

Hillary’s claim raises troubling questions. On a practical level, just how exactly does a U.S. senator go about exerting her power to stack the blogosphere in her favor?

One obvious method is to buy favorable coverage. Hillary's boast carries a strong implication that she has subsidized bloggers.

The first evidence of Bloggergate emerged in January 2005 when the two most prominent left-wing bloggers on the Internet — Jerome “The Blogfather” Armstrong of MyDD and DailyKos founder Markos Moulitsas Zuñiga — both admitted to getting cash from Howard Dean's presidential campaign.

The scandal heated up in October 2006, when Republican blogger Michael B. Brodkorb of Minnesota, assailed by piranha-like swarms of leftist bloggers, revealed that his tormentors were on the take; that is, that they had been getting generous cash "fellowships" from an outfit called the Center for Independent Media (CIM). At that time, CIM was working from an office in Washington, DC owned by the Democrat front group Media Matters for America, Brodkorb discovered.

Curiously, it turns out that the co-founders of CIM, David S. Bennahum and Alexandra Savino, are both Media Matters alumni. Mr. Bennahum helped found Media Matters, serving as one of its original senior fellows. Miss Savino worked for Media Matters as a blogosphere analyst.

Clinton Claims

Now Bloggergate has spun into overdrive with Hillary Clinton's revelation, from her own lips, that she helped "start" and "support" Media Matters.

After all these years, can it be that we have finally identified the source of the Bloggergate money stream? Can it be that leaders of the leftwing blogosphere suck their nourishment directly from the swollen teat of Senator Clinton's pendulous fundraising apparatus?

Hillary made her admission at the Aug. 4, 2006 YearlyKos Convention in Chicago. Here is what she said on the now-infamous YouTube video: “I would wish that we had this active and fighting a blogosphere about 15 years ago, because we have certainly suffered over the last years from a real imbalance in the political world in our country, but we are righting that balance — or lefting that balance — I’m not sure which, and certainly are better prepared and more focused on taking our arguments and making them effective and disseminating them widely and really putting together a network in the blogosphere.

"In a lot of the new progressive infrastructure, institutions that I helped to start and support like Media Matters and Center for American Progress, we’re beginning to match what I had said for years was the advantage of the other side.”

In plain English, Hillary is saying that she "helped start and support" certain institutions tasked with correcting an alleged "imbalance" between right-wing and left-wing media. These institutions form a part of what Hillary calls "a new progressive infrastructure." According to Hillary, the "infrastructure" she "helped" build has given rise to a left-wing "network in the blogosphere" capable of "matching" the "advantage of the other side."

In this regard, she names two institutions specifically; Media Matters for America and the Center for American Progress.

My co-author David Horowitz and I described the peculiar relationship between these two groups in our book "The Shadow Party: How George Soros, Hillary Clinton and Sixties Radicals Siezed Control of the Democratic Party."

We noted that the Center for American Progress was founded in July 2003 by billionaire Democratic donor George Soros, working closely with Morton Halperin, director of U.S. advocacy for Soros’ Open Society Institute. The two men appointed former Clinton White House Chief of Staff John Podesta to be president and CEO of the Center, and brought in Harold Ickes — chief fundraiser and former deputy chief of staff for the Clinton White House — to help organize it.

Noting the heavy involvement of Clintonites with the Center for American Progress, leftist writer Robert Dreyfuss remarked in the March 1, 2004 edition of The Nation: "In looking at Podesta's center there's no escaping the imprint of the Clintons. It's not completely wrong to see it as a shadow government, a kind of Clinton White-House-in-exile — or a White House staff in readiness for President Hillary Clinton.”

Eerily foreshadowing her later comments on YouTube, Hillary told The Nation's Dreyfuss, "We've had the challenge of filling a void on our side of the ledger for a long time, while the other side created an infrastructure that has come to dominate political discourse. The Center is a welcome effort to fill that void."

In 2004, the Center for American Progress launched a new organization called Media Matters for America, headed by David Brock, a former conservative journalist who had turned to the left. The stated mission of Media Matters was to serve as a “watchdog” for conservative bias in media. The New York Times reported on May 3, 2004: "Mr. Brock's project was developed with help from the newly formed Center for American Progress . . . Podesta has loaned office space in the past to Mr. Brock and introduced him to potential donors.

“Mr. Brock . . . has also spoken with Senator Clinton, Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota and former vice president Al Gore about his project . . .”

Push to Ban Rush

No sooner had Media Matters opened for business, than Brock began pressuring Congress to ban Rush Limbaugh from American Forces Radio and Television Service — an effort which continues to this day.

Much like a yeast colony, in which each bud of yeast sprouts new buds, which in turn sprout buds of their own, the Center for American Progress spawned Media Matters, which has now begun spawning offshoots of its own. One of these offshoots is the Center for Independent Media (CIM). Launched in April 2006, it initially worked from an office owned by Media Matters at 1625 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington DC.

Through a system of media “fellowships," CIM recruits, trains, directs and finances a veritable army of leftwing bloggers, all subsidized by the U.S. taxpayer, thanks to the Center's 501(c)(3) tax-free status.

According to the Center’s “New Journalist” fellowship application, CIM offers bloggers a three-month, renewable fellowship which includes such perks as “a stipend of $4,500 to be paid over three months,” “editorial mentorship from experts in the field of blogging and/or journalism,” access to expensive databases such as LexisNexis, as well as free legal advice, training, and technical support.

Because CIM fellowships expire after three months, CIM "fellows" are always on the hot seat. If CIM is satisfied with the blogger's performance, it will renew his fellowship. Otherwise, it will not. Plainly, CIM bloggers have much to gain if they toe the party line — and much to lose if they fail to satisfy their benefactors.

CIM does not publish a full list of its bloggers. We can only speculate on their number. However, the CIM Web site does provide a "select" list of some of its more prominent "fellows."

Federal law prohibits national political candidates such as Hillary Clinton from using 501(c)3 tax-free, non-profit organizations such as the Center for American Progress, Media Matters for America and the Center for Independent Media as vehicles for campaign propaganda.

In this, as in so many other matters, Sen. Clinton has conducted herself as if she is above the law. And perhaps she is.

It remains to be seen whether the IRS and the Federal Election Commission will blow the whistle on Hillary’s army of paid bloggers. Who knows? They just might. But I'm not holding my breath.

KDFW Suspends Reporter after Controversial Ambush

This is an example of the media taking it too far. People have a right for their own self protection but this nut needs to be banned from the media from now on.

KDFW Suspends Rebecca Aguilar After Controversial "Ambush"

Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 03:30:29 PM

A few days after receiving a major award, KDFW-Channel 4's Rebecca Aguilar has been suspended from the Fox affiliate.

Monday night, KDFW-Channel 4 ran a piece about 70-year-old James Walton, owner of Able Walton Machine & Welding in West Dallas, who, early Sunday morning, shot and killed and man trying to break into his business. What made Walton's story so extraordinary was that it was the second time he'd killed an intruder in three weeks. As it happens, Walton also lives at his place of business.

But today you will not find the Fox4 story on the station's Web site; there's a page for it, but no accompanying video. (Update: It's available here.) That's because Rebecca Aguilar's piece elicited a torrent of outrage, both on local blogs (chiefly FrontBurner but also elsewhere) and from viewers who began deluging the station with angry calls Monday night and much of the day yesterday. As Trey Garrison pointed out on D's blog:

This is her idea of journalism? Ambushing a 70-year-old man who has been through life-and-death twice in three weeks? "Are you a trigger happy kind of person? Is that what what you wanted to do? Shoot to kill?" Good Lord, I hate the people in this field.

Well, Trey need not worry about Aguilar, at least for a while: Unfair Park has confirmed that Aguilar -- who was just named one of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' Broadcast Journalists of the Year -- has been indefinitely suspended, based on concerns about how Aguilar treated Walton. She could not be reached for comment, but Unfair Park did leave Aguilar a message on her cell phone. (When we tried her number in the newsroom, another woman answered and said, "Rebecca isn't available today.") We also left a message for Maria Barrs, the station's news director. --Robert Wilonsky

Cherokee Legend

There's a message in this Cherokee Legend and I wanted to share it with you.


Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest,blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience,because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him.

Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!

Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night,protecting his son from harm.

We too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it,our Heavenly Father is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.

If you liked this story, pass it on. If not, you took off your blindfold before dawn...

This one speaks for itself

Excitement in my neck of the woods!

We went to the funeral home Wednesday night for a friend of ours that died Monday of a massive heart attack. On the way back home just as we crossed over an Interstate bridge, there was a roadblock set up and we were checked before passing through. There was about 12 to 15 sheriff deputies cars at that roadblock. The local TV station was just setting up their live broadcast van there also. The deputy that checked us told us that a prisoner had managed to escape from a U.S. Marshall on the Interstate and said that he was a bad dude. We drove on about a half mile until we got to the U.S. highway and there was another roadblock there, about 15 to 20 sheriff car, state troopers, federal marshall's and some local police. We were checked there again and had to open the trunk to make sure we didn't have any uninvited riders back there. We then headed north on that highway to the side road we take to go home and another roadblock was set up there also, about 10 to 12 sheriff cars, state troopers and local police. We had to be checked again and had to open the trunk there also to make sure no one was back there.

It was a very exciting night and I made sure that I listened to my dogs when they barked that night.

Anyway, the next morning I heard on the radio news that he had been caught about 1 am Thursday morning. It seems that he had escaped from prison back in September and had stolen two different cars around the area. A U.S. Marshall had spotted him driving north on the Interstate about 4:30PM Wednesday and tried to stop him and the escapee wrecked trying to get away. So, all is well now and the escapee is back in prison finishing out his life term. They sure need to make sure he doesn't get out again.

Veteran Rescues Flag

A Mexican business owner in Reno, NV who says he is supposedly an American citizen flew the Mexican flag over Old Glory at his business. That is, until a veteran came to his business and cut both flags off the flagpole, in front of the Mexican, and kept old glory, an act he said was rescuing the American flag. The irony is that the vet rescued the flag with an engraved K-bar knife. The Mexican showed that he had at least a grain of common sense when he only stood and watched without a word as the vet took down the flags, left the Mexican rag on the ground, spoke to the news cameras explaining his action and identifying himself, and walked away.

Gun owner receives apology from police chief

This is how it goes when the police gets over zealous don't know the law and over reacts. Maybe the new training they will recieve will help them when they approach a lawful concealed carry citizen next time.

Trevor Putnam knew the gun laws. The officer who stopped him didn’t.

“When I told him that I hadn’t done anything, he said he’d find a reason to put me in jail,” said Putnam, 24, who works with guns every day as vice president of Coal Creek Armory in West Knoxville.

“It’s not that I have a problem with police officers. I deal with police officers nationwide from Arizona to Maine every day. But I lost my confidence in a legal right that I knew I had.”

Knoxville police officers will get a refresher course on the state’s gun permit laws after an officer who didn’t know the law stopped, frisked and threatened to arrest Putnam for legally carrying a gun inside a Wal-Mart this summer.

Officer Glenn Todd Greene’s actions June 21 at the store on Walbrook Drive in West Knoxville earned him a written reprimand and remedial training for rudeness and not knowing the law, Internal Affairs records show. He’s worked for the Knoxville Police Department for about seven years.

Putnam got a written apology from Police Chief Sterling P. Owen IV.

“The officer was wrong I want to personally apologize to you for any embarrassment or inconvenience you may have suffered as a result of this incident,” the chief wrote.

“The Knoxville Police Department takes pride in the training offered to its officers, and the training provided far exceeds state requirements. Unfortunately, officers aren’t perfect, and sometimes mistakes are made. As you can see from the remedial measures taken, we want to learn from our mistakes so they won’t be repeated in the future.”

The trouble started when Putnam and his girlfriend, Samantha Williams, stopped at the store to buy groceries around 10 p.m. Putnam, who holds a gun permit, carried his Colt handgun inside with him, holstered on his right hip.

“It’s like a seat belt or a fire extinguisher,” he said. “It goes everywhere with me. It was warm that night, so I left my jacket in the car.”

State law allows gun permit holders to carry their guns openly or concealed. Putnam said he usually tucks his shirt over the gun but forgot to that night.

As they walked out, Greene, who’d gone to the store to investigate a shoplifting call, told Putnam to stop. Greene asked for Putnam’s identification, grabbed his arm when he reached for his wallet and then asked why he carried a gun in public, records show.

Putnam ended up against a concrete wall being frisked as Greene took his gun.

“It’s called a concealed carry permit. State law says you carry it concealed, not in plain view (with the) hammer back,” Greene said. “I’ve been doing this for 12 years. I can put you in jail for something. It’s called inducing a panic.”

Greene ultimately let Putnam go after talking with another officer but told him to pull his shirt over the gun. He told Internal Affairs investigators he thought Tennessee and Ohio, where he previously served as a police officer, prohibited open carrying. Neither state does.

“There’s an issue there where there could be panic,” he said in a recorded statement. “I’m thinking the law is a concealed law. I’m not going to deal with a guy that has a loaded gun until I secure a weapon.”

Greene said he asked other officers about the law and that they didn’t know, either.

Investigators reviewed video from Greene’s in-car camera and found him in violation of KPD policy. They sustained part of Putnam’s complaint but ruled Greene hadn’t used excessive force in putting him against the wall.

Putnam questions that decision.

“On the one hand, I’m glad they didn’t ignore it,” he said. “On the other, I don’t feel it was a wholly appropriate response to everything the officer threatened to do.”

The department trains all recruits on the state’s gun permit laws, said KPD Lt. Jeff Stiles, who oversees training for the department. All officers will get another dose of training during the next annual session, he said.

“We don’t get that many questions about it over here,” Stiles said. “But we cover that aspect. We go straight to the experts to teach the law. We don’t guess, and we don’t speculate.”

Silence in Syria, Panic in Iran--good read

Well,

This could be interesting!

One of India's top ranking generals assigned to liaise with the Iranian military recently returned to New Delhi from several days in Tehran - in a state of completeamement.

"Everyone in the government and military can only talk of one thing," he reports. "No matter who I talked to, all they could do was ask me, over and over again, 'Do you think the Americans will attack us?' 'When will the Americans attack us?' 'Will the Americans attack us in a joint operation with the Israelis?' How massive will the attack be?' on and on, endlessly. The Iranians are in a state of total panic."

And that was before September 6. Since then, it's panic-squared in Tehran. The mullahs are freaking out in fear. Why? Because of the silence in Syria.

On September 6, Israeli Air Force F-15 and F-16s conducted a devastating attack on targets deep inside Syria near the city of Dayr az-Zawr. Israel's military censors have muzzled the Israeli media, enforcing an extraordinary silence about the identity of the targets. Massive speculation in the world press has followed, such as Brett Stephens' Osirak II? in yesterday's (9/18) Wall St. Journal.

Stephens and most everyone else have missed the real story. It is not Israel's silence that "speaks volumes" as he claims, but Syria's. Why would the Syrian government be so tight-lipped about an act of war perpetrated on their soil?

The first half of the answer lies in this story that appeared in the Israeli media last month (8/13): Syria's Antiaircraft System Most Advanced In World. Syria has gone on a profligate buying spree, spending vast sums on Russian systems, "considered the cutting edge in aircraft interception technology."

Syria now "possesses the most crowded antiaircraft system in the world," with "more than 200 antiaircraft batteries of different types," some of which are so new that they have been installed in Syria "before being introduced into Russian operation service."

While you're digesting that, take a look at the map of Syria:

Notice how far away Dayr az-Zawr is from Israel. An F15/16 attack there is not a tiptoe across the border, but a deep, deep penetration of Syrian airspace. And guess what happened with the Russian super-hyper-sophisticated cutting edge antiaircraft missile batteries when that penetration took place on September 6th.

Nothing.

El blanko. Silence. The systems didn't even light up, gave no indication whatever of any detection of enemy aircraft invading Syrian airspace, zip, zero, nada. The Israelis (with a little techie assistance from us) blinded the Russkie antiaircraft systems so completely the Syrians didn't even know they were blinded.

Now you see why the Syrians have been scared speechless. They thought they were protected - at enormous expense - only to discover they are defenseless. As in naked.

Thus the Great Iranian Freak-Out - for this means Iran is just as nakedly defenseless as Syria. I can tell you that there are a lot of folks in the Kirya (IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv) and the Pentagon right now who are really enjoying the mullahs' predicament. Let's face it: scaring the terror masters in Tehran out of their wits is fun.

It's so much fun, in fact, that an attack destroying Iran's nuclear facilities and the Revolutionary Guard command/control centers has been delayed, so that France (under new management) can get in on the fun too.

On Sunday (9/16), Sarkozy's foreign minister Bernard Kouchner announced that "France should prepare for the possibility of war over Iran's nuclear program."

All of this has caused Tehran to respond with maniacal threats. On Monday (9/17), a government website proclaimed that "600 Shihab-3 missiles" will be fired at targets in Israel in response to an attack upon Iran by the US/Israel. This was followed by Iranian deputy air force chief Gen. Mohammad Alavi announcing today (9/19) that "we will attack their (Israeli) territory with our fighter bombers as a response to any attack."

A sure sign of panic is to make a threat that everyone knows is a bluff. So our, and Tel Aviv's response to Iranian bluster is a thank-you-for-sharing yawn and a laugh. Few things rattle the mullahs' cages more than a yawn and a laugh.

Yet no matter how much fun this sport with the mullahs is, it is also deadly serious. The pressure build-up on Iran is getting enormous. Something is going to blow and soon. The hope is that the blow-up will be internal, that the regime will implode from within.

But make no mistake: an all-out full regime take-out air assault upon Iran is coming if that hope doesn't materialize within the next
60 to 90 days. The Sept. 6 attack on Syria was the shot across Iran's bow.

So - what was attacked near Dayr az-Zawr? It's possible it was North Korean "nuclear material" recently shipped to Syria, i.e., stuff to make radioactively "dirty" warheads, but nothing to make a real nuke with as the Norks don't have real nukes (see Why North Korea's Nuke Test Is Such Good News, October 2006).

Another possibility is it was to take out a stockpile of long-range Zilzal surface-to-surface missiles recently shipped from Iran for an attack on Israel.

A third is it was a hit on the stockpile of Saddam's chemical/bio weapons snuck out of Iraq and into Syria for safekeeping before the US invasion of April 2003.

But the identity of the target is not the story - for the primary point of the attack was not to destroy that target. It was to shut down Syria's Russian air defense system during the attack. Doing so made the attack an incredible success.

Syria is shamed and silent. Iran is freaking out in panic. Defenseless enemies are fun.

Poor Man's Sniper Rifle

I found this bit of information on another site. If you want to put together your own hunting rifle or sniper rifle at a reduced price, this is the way to go. I have an old military rifle (Schmidt-Rubin K-31) myself and it's what I call a real shooter. Everybody might not want one like mine as ammo is a little scare, but I managed to get myself some military ammo and also some reloadable softpoint boxer primed hunting ammo for mine. And then I bought a set of dies and other components so that I could reload the brass several times.

My Schmidt-Rubin K-31

Everyone reading this should be aware of the huge variety of inexpensive surplus firearms that are available today.

Some of these weapons have a lot potential as "sniper" weapons once they have been accurized and fitted with sufficient optic sights. I want to cover a few of the more promising candidates for conversion to this use.

These are just a few of your choices:

1) Moisin Nagant 7.62X54 5-shot, bolt, bbl 20"to 30", wt 8.5 lbs to 11.3 lbs

2) K98 Mauser 7.92X57 5-shot, bolt, bbl 18" to 28", wt 8 lbs to 9.5 lbs ALSO Yugo VZ-24, Turk M93, 03, 38.....many variations.

3) M96, M38 Swedish Mauser 6.5X55 5-shot, bolt, bbl 23" to 29", wt 9 lbs

4) SMLE .303 British 10-shot, bolt, bbl 25", wt 9 lbs

5)1917 Enfield 30.06 cal

And so as not to exclude the obvious non-military option;

6) Practically any bolt action, slide action, semi-auto or single shot deer rifle 243 cal and above.

In standard military trim these weapons are capable of acceptable battlefield accuracy (approx 3-4 inch 5-shot groups at 100 yards, rested) if you do your part, the barrel is good-very good, and quality ammo is used. Again, this is battle accuracy. You must remember something very important, these weapons were built, in most cases, 50+ years ago and have seen considerable wear. Pick the nicest one you can afford and go slowly during the accurizing process.

WEAPON SELECTION

Plainly speaking, certain of these choices will be easier and less expensive to accurize and equip with optical sights. By far the easiest would be to just get a normal 308, 30.06, 270 deer rifle that is already drilled and tapped for the purpose. Cost for a plain Jane deer rifle with glass can be as low as $250 in the late winter and spring when the deer hunting chores are past. Seems such perfectly capable guns lose some allure to the hunter attracted to foolish things like "Magnum" and the desire for something new. Of course we will be spending less than that but at the cost of doing several modification ourselves if we start with a standard military arm. There is also the lack of the military weapon stigma, after all it is just a warm fuzzy "deer rifle" and no one wants to ban those, right?

The next easiest would be one of the Mausers. They will require professional drilling and tapping in order to install scope bases and rings. You can attempt it yourself but without an expensive drilling jig the results may ruin the weapon. Usual cost is $30-$50 for this service. Several Mausers have "turned-down" bolt handles already, preference should go towards them. Otherwise you will also have to cut and reweld or heat-and-bend one with a straight handle to keep it from hitting the scope body during feeding. If you plan to heat-and-bend be sure to use a proper heat sink to keep the bolt body and locking lugs from losing temper. That could make for a very unsafe condition where the now weakened lugs shear off and you catch a bolt in the face.

There are nice after market adjustable triggers and safeties available for many of the Mauser variants. Also replacement match barrels if you want to derive more accuracy at a later date. You can start out with an 8mm Mauser and switch the bbl to 308 or another caliber as long as the bolt face of the new cartridge is similar, which lots of them are. Typical Mauser calibers, 7.92x57 and 7x57 are available in new loadings as "hunting ammunition and in quantity as old surplus loadings.

If the Mauser seems complicated to modify for optic sight use, the rest of your choices will need even more work to be converted.

A bit about ergonomics goes into selection also. The optics on a converted Mauser will have a line of sight closer to the bores axis (closer the better) which gives a better cheek weld. This aids your consistency of position during firing, consistency equals accuracy! High mounted scopes are more difficult to use.

ACCURIZING STEPS

1. CLEAN THE WEAPON

Completely strip and clean every piece of your weapon. Make sure you get every bit of the crud out of the action, bolt, magazine, and trigger. Make sure there is no crud in the bbl channel under the bbl, check the firing pin spring in the bolt, check trigger and safety for cleanliness. You will need small wire brushes or old tooth brushes, lots of q-tips (applying solvent to tight areas, reaching crud deep in an action) CLP is a fair cleaner. Gun Scrubber or some other spray solvent will be required. Remove every bit of grease crud and dirt down to bare, dry metal and wood. Remove every piece you can from the weapon and check under it for hidden crud or corrosion. Butt plates, barrel bands, sling swivels and under sights, check everywhere, clean everywhere. All of this cleaning and disassembly will familiarize you with your chosen weapon. If you are unsure how to disassemble, buy an instruction manual if it doesn't come with one, or call your team leader for help.

2. CLEAN THE BARREL

The amount of copper that you will take out of some of these old guns is amazing. I have personally had to repeat the cleaning process for 17 days on a Moisin-Nagant before the patches came out clean. I use "Shooter's Choice Copper Solvent" on all my rifles. It makes the patches come out blue-green if there is copper in the barrel.

Most of the time I use cotton patches (gun shows) to soak the bore. Some times I use paper towel or cut up old T-shirts strips. It is important that you match the cleaning equipment with the solvent. Do not use copper solvent with a bronze brush, it will destroy it. Use Standard solvent with a bronze brush. For Copper Solvent use a nylon brush. Never use stainless steel brushes. Always apply solvent to brushes or patches with a squeeze bottle or dropper, never put a potentially dirty brush into your fresh solvent. Use a single piece steel cleaning rod that is correct for your caliber.

The segmented aluminum rods are not proper to use on a weapon we intend to derive maximum accuracy from. The soft nature of this type aluminum is capable of picking up damaging grit and it could possibly abrade the bore of your weapon, don't buy them, don't use them if you already have them. Use only steel rods on rifles and be sure to wipe them clean a couple times per cycle (During second part of step 3 and during step 4)

Step 1. Make sure the weapon is unloaded. Remove the bolt from the action if possible, lock it to the rear if not easily removable (some deer rifles).

Step 2. Place the rifle in a solid rest with the muzzle pointing slightly down.

Step 3. FROM THE BREECH Run a proper size bore brush soaked with solvent up and down the bore 10 times. Scrub it. Do this twice to ensure complete coverage. Make sure the bore looks "wet".

Step 4. Wait 15 minutes for solvent to loosen fouling and copper.

Step 5. FROM THE BREECH Run at least five tight fitting patches down the bore. Scrub them back and forth several times each. Stop when patches are dry or clean.

You have just completed one "cleaning cycle". Some old surplus weapons will need as few as 4 cycles to be clean. Repeat steps 3 through 5 OR leave the barrel overnight (wet). I will usually hang mine (very securely) from the ceiling in my basement with a paper towel on the floor to catch the drops of goo from the barrel.

REPEAT THIS PROCESS UNTIL ALL PATCHES COME OUT CLEAN. All barrels have a point where they will be free from fouling, even ones that seem to stay dirty for 15, 20 or more cycles. Keep at it.

Also, make sure to clean your brushes after each application or you will just be putting crud back into the barrel. Use Gun Scrubber to clean them between cycles.

3. FREE FLOAT THE BARREL

Every time you fire a bullet, the barrel of your weapon vibrates at a certain frequency, just like a tuning fork. Many things can change the vibration pattern of your weapon: thickness of barrel, length of barrel, heat of the barrel, speed of the bullet, and pressure from contacting the stock. Contact with the stock is the easiest of these to fix.

This is where a little skill in basic woodworking comes in handy. You will need to decide if you are going to modify the stock at this point. The best thing to do with all of the rifles in this list is to shorten and reshape the forward portions of the stocks. You will probably have to discard the forward hand guards on the weapon, but these are not necessary on a sniper rifle. Shortening the stock will also get rid of some dead weight.

Now, inside the barrel channel we will need to remove any of the high spots that come into contact with the barrel past the first three or four inches of its length. With some sandpaper, files, gouges, scrapers, or whatever you have or can borrow, we will proceed.

Step 1. Take your thoroughly cleaned barrel and place it back in the shortened stock, reassemble as normal, and tighten all bolts as normal.

Step 2. Test for high spots. I use a piece of manila file folder. Wrap it around the barrel and pull it back toward the receiver. If it hangs up anywhere, you have a high spot that needs attention. Mark its position with a piece of tape on the outside of the stock and continue. If you can't slide anymore, just try to shove the paper between the barrel and the stock anywhere along its length. If it won't go, mark that spot for sanding.

Step 3. After you have marked all the spots you can find, disassemble the weapon again and sand down the high spots. The best way is to use an inletting scraper from a gunsmith supply, but we're doing this the low-dough way. Sandpaper and a proper size dowel or broom handle will do a fine job.

Get some dowel stock that is approximately 1/8 inch larger than the diameter of the barrel four inches in front of the receiver. Cut one piece of dowel three inches long for isolated high spots, and another nine inches long for blending areas. Wrap the sandpaper around the dowel and slowly move back and forth. After sanding all the spots you marked, brush out the dust and wipe the entire stock clean.

Step 4. Reassemble the weapon as before and retest for any high spots. Re-mark and re-sand any until you can easily pass the paper all the way from one end of the stock to approx. four inches in front of the receiver. Try to do a neat and even job so that the gun will look nice when finished. Be careful that you remove material evenly from both sides of the fore end, also don't scratch the top rails of the fore end.

You might want to install a recoil pad at this time. Just cut the old stock off about a half inch, sand the cut surface until smooth, screw in recoil pad and use flat block of wood to sand edges flush with stock. We are not really worrying about the stocks finish at this point but be sure to sand along the grain, not against. Purely cosmetic concern but it makes the next step easier.

4. APPLY CAMOUFLAGE FINISH

You can use any finish you like to complete your stock, but I would suggest, since it is supposed to be a sniper weapon, that a camouflage paint job would be the best idea.

You will need, first, some satin polyurethane to seal and protect the stock from moisture and weather. Be sure to completely cover the inside of the barrel channel, under the recoil pad, and all other areas of the stock with at least two coats. Sand lightly to roughen the surface so the paint will stick better then go ahead and camouflage it. Use olive drab, brown, black, and maybe a little tan for contrast. Use leaves or sticks to spray patterns on the stock. Spray in light coats so the paint doesn't run. Less is more.

You can also chose to do the action and barrel and the scope. Be sure to tape over any numbers you will need to see later on the optic. Also tape over the muzzle to keep paint out.

5. TRIGGER PULL

This area is not as hard as many people think. Most military rifles come with a two-stage trigger pull. It is not difficult to master this type of trigger, but most people want to lessen the pull weight a little. The Mauser and Enfield triggers can be completely replaced with modern target triggers. This is the easiest and safest way to do it although at about $50 cost for the new unit. Please know that the reason these after market triggers exist and sell so well is that there is only so much you can do with a typical old surplus rifles trigger. If you feel you understand the operation of the mechanism enough to proceed with these modifications be EXTREMELY CAREFUL. By polishing these areas you may at best shave a pound or so off the pull weight, at worst you can ruin the fire control components or render the weapon unsafe.

Your best option besides trigger unit replacement is a simple polishing job where the trigger or sear engages the bolt. Cycle the action several times with the stock removed. Look for the area to polish

If you have a Dremel tool you can use a polishing wheel on the metal-to-metal contact areas.

Use your instruction manual to remove the trigger and/or sear from the rifle CAREFULLY. Put the piece in a vice so you can work on the necessary area. Use only enough pressure to make the engagement area shiny. Use slow, steady passes. Re-coat felt wheel with polishing compound frequently. Go slowly. Be careful near edges so you don't round them off. Haste makes waste.

Repeat the careful polishing process on the bolt's engagement areas. Remember, you are just trying to smooth these surfaces so they will slide easier. Be sure to clean the polishing compound off of all surfaces before reassembly.

6. SCOPES, MOUNTS AND RINGS

Don't get too much scope for your PMSR. Consider the size of the targets you will most likely be engaging. Probably more "deer-sized" than not. Also know that our Military snipers rarely use any optic over 10 power. 3.5-10 is usually ideal, as is 3-9 or 4-12. Don t need adjustable objectives either, somehow they always end up set to the wrong range when you need to rapidly engage a target in the field, avoid them.

Buy the absolute best optic you can afford. I have had personal bad experiences with cheap optics. Simmons, Leapers, BEC and the Cheaper Tasco and Bushnell optics should be avoided. Bushnell and Tasco above $150 are usually fine quality. That is about the lowest price you will actually be buying a scope and not a headache. Took me 6-7 cheap scopes failing to figure that out. Those $50 scopes add up to quite a pile of money after a while.

Scope mounts for the Mausers are inexpensive, as low as $10 for a Weaver type rail. Only real cost will be for drilling and tapping the receiver. For the SMLE you will either need a B-Square clamp-on mount (SMLE) or a rear-sight-base type, usually about $40 from www.Natchezss.com

Scope mounts for the Moisin-Nagant are available in two styles weapon. The first is the military style that mounts to the receiver side. It comes with the soviet 3.5X scope. You must have a round receiver to use this mount, gunsmith installation is required. The other style is the B-SQUARE type. It replaces the rear leaf sight and can be used on either type of receiver. The only problem with the B-SQUARE type is that you must use a long eye relief type scope.

Mounts for the SMLE are available from several sources including B-SQUARE. You can use normal scopes with these mounts.

Mounts for the Mausers will probably have to be drilled and tapped by a gunsmith. These are more expensive, but are a lot more sturdy. They can be used with normal scopes.

There is a B-Square mount for the 1917 Enfield but the best way is to have the rear sight base and its protective ears milled off and a Mauser-type rail installed. Not cheap but the result is a very sturdy 30.06 weapon with a bolt handle that is already bent. Very nice when done up right.

7. SLING SWIVEL AND BIPOD

All of these rifles came with some manner of sling attachment, but we just chopped off the front part of this system. Quick-detachable sling swivels are superior to most of these anyway, so I'll tell you how to install them.

The installation of swivels is very simple. Put the stock in a well-padded vise. Mark spots approx. Two inches in from both ends of the rifle stock. Measure to make sure your spot is centered. Line up your drill (usually 1/8 inch) perpendicular to the surface of the stock. Carefully proceed.

I use little kits made by "Uncle Mike's" available at Meijer's or K-Mart everywhere.

Bipods are just as easy. This is one area where it doesn't hurt to get the best. I use a Harris "S" 9-13 with notched legs. It is tough, quiet, sturdy and very easy to attach/detach.

8. MUZZLE CROWN

Inspect the rifling at the muzzle. If there are any nicks or dings, you will need to recrown the muzzle. If there are large dings or chips missing, you will need a drill press. In this case, just pick a larger-than-bore-size drill that is very sharp, line it up with the center of the bore, and cut in until you get past the nicks. This is called counterboring and is effective if you do it right

If the damage is small nicks, use this method: Put a medium size, round headed brass screw in a power drill, coat head with polishing compound, hold square to muzzle crown, use light pressure, recoat often, until nicks are gone. GO SLOWLY.

Well, if you try these ideas out and it doesn't shoot like a laser, don't get mad. There are a couple of other tricks to try. Use the best ammo you can buy. Shoot very slowly. Keep the barrel cool. Clean the rifle often. Use a solid bench rest. PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE.

9. SHOOTING ACCESSORIES

Things like gun cases, carry slings, ammo cases, benchrest sand bags and bipods can vary greatly in price and effectiveness. Your PMSR will need a simple carry strap for normal shoulder carry. Leather or nylon web does not matter as long as it stays adjusted where you want it during use. I prefer padded soft gun cases for all my rifles, your preference may be different. Keep your accuracy loads protected in some sort of ammo case that you carry, don t attach it to the weapon, especially the butt stock. This can get you real trouble when you have a clear shot but must shoot from the "other" shoulder. I have had this happen many times and as a result always set my rifles up for ambidextrous use. Half the deer I have killed have been shot from the "wrong side". Keep the ammo on your person and keep it protected. When sighting your weapon you will need some sandbags to support the rifle and make sure you fire from a consistent position. Cheap way is obvious, a cloth bag with sand in it and the ends sewn shut, one for the fore end and one for the butt to rest on. Expensive way is leather bags fitted to your rifle. The leather bags are nice but unnecessary.

Bipods are used far more on police sniper weapon than on military ones. Just the nature of their use, really. Police are usually involved in some long standoff from an stable position like some roof top or over a cruisers hood, bipods work good there. Military don't use them because they are often belly crawling through grass and other snagging stuff. They just use a small loop of webbing attached at the front swivel mount to drag the rifle along as they crawl. You will have to determine through a good amount of time using your PMSR what you will need. The only bipod I use is a Harris brand with the swivel/level option and I almost never put it on my dedicated rig. There are many brands/types of bipods, select carefully.

10. AMMUNITION and BALLISTICS

All this work on the rifle and so little about the ammo we will be using, that is till now. If you chose a round like 308 or 30.06 you will probably be able to find target or match loads for your gun. Not the case if you are using 8mm, 7mm, 6.5x55. Match loads are way more expensive than typical surplus loads but you do get what you pay for to a degree. Some companies like Hansens and S&B make match loadings for 7.62x54R at about normal hunting ammo prices.

Reloading is an option that some of you will choose. If everything else about your gun is in at least very good condition you should be able to improve your accuracy by handloading. Reloading is very rewarding and even fun, feels good to make your own and know everything about a loading.

Learn the Ballistics of your weapon by heart. There are several types of ballistics shareware available on the internet. You can develop a small drop chart and tape it to your rifle for all the ranges you will engage targets at. Knowing that your loads are quality (cause you made them) and exactly what it does after firing (cause you studied its ballistics) does wonders for your success ratings.

In closing on this reworded, slightly modified and longer version of this topic I would like to thank you for reading and for your interest. You might be able to do it for less, with weirder calibers and cheaper scopes but if you do, the next article is your responsibility to write!