Friendly Australian bloke says his country has been there, done that, on gun control. And warns U.S. to stand clear!

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / December 18, 2012

I had heard about this post from some bloke in Australia, who served up a special version of gun control Aussie-style. Since I love the Aussies, my first impulse to chuckle at it -- until I became aware that the writer was deadly serious. There's a lot of great info here to dissuade our own American gun owners from being deluded into yielding their rights because of propaganda from sketchy gun control advocates. It's worth a read. 

                                                                
                                                                          
Hi Yanks,
I thought you all would like to see the real figures on gun control from Down Under. The plan has backfired.
 
It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.

The first year results are now in:
Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent,
Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent;
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!
In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!)
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since the criminals now are gua ranteed that their prey is unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home.
Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in 'successfully ridding Australian society of guns....' You won't see this on the American evening news or hear your governor or members of the State Assembly disseminating this information.

The Australian experience speaks for itself. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note Americans, before it's too late! Will you be one of the sheep to turn yours in?

NC Supreme Court: Justice Paul Newby can hear election districts case

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / December 18, 2012

 Justice Newby


WWAY 12/18/12

RALEIGH, NC (AP) -- The North Carolina Supreme Court says Justice Paul Newby can consider a lawsuit challenging the way election districts are drawn.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported the court has rejected a request from the state NAACP, Democrats and others that Newby withdraw from the case.

North Carolina NAACP president William Barber says the groups are disappointed with Monday's decision, but think they still have a strong case that the election districts were improperly drawn.

The groups say the state legislative and congressional district boundaries are illegal because they limit black voters' influence on the election process.

The groups had asked that Newby not participate because of political donations they say link people and groups that helped draw the new lines with independent campaign spending for Newby.
ith independent campaign spending for Newby.

S.C. Gov. Haley names Tim Scott to DeMint's Senate seat. Conservatives applaud choice.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / December 17, 2012

By Sean Lengell

-

The Washington Times

Monday, December 17, 2012

•  
• Rep. Tim Scott, South Carolina Republican (AP)

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Monday named Republican Rep. Tim Scott to replace the resigning Sen. Jim DeMint, saying his political “courage,” fiscally conservative acumen and pro-business approach will serve the state and nation well.

“He knows the value of a dollar. He understands what every family and small business goes through, and he has stayed consistent to that,” said Mrs. Haley, a Republican, during an early afternoon news event at the state Capitol to announce her decision.

“This man loves South Carolina, and he is very aware that every vote he does affects South Carolina and affects our country.”

Mr. Scott, who won a second term to the House last month and will be the only black Republican in the new Congress, was rumored to be Mrs. Haley’s top choice since Mr. DeMint announced earlier this month that he will resign from office in January to run the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Mrs. Haley, whose parents were Indian immigrants, brushed aside the notion that Mr. Scott’s race was a factor in her decision.

“It is very important to me, as a minority female, that Congressman Scott earned this seat,” she said. “He earned this seat for the person he is. He earned this seat for the results he has shown. He earned this seat for what I know he’s going to do in making South Carolina and making our country proud.”

Mr. Scott, who asked for a moment of silence for the victims of the Newtown, Conn., school shooting before he spoke at the Columbia news event, vowed to work toward advancing economic development in South Carolina.

“The future is incredibly bright for America,” he said. We have our challenges, we have things that we have to overcome, but, boy, does the future look great in South Carolina.”
Mr. DeMint applauded the governor’s pick, saying she “has made a great choice for South Carolina and the nation.”

“Tim Scott is a principled leader and will make an outstanding senator for the people of the South Carolina and an important voice for conservatives across the nation,” Mr. DeMint said in a statement.

“I’ve known Tim for years and am confident he will serve our state with honor and distinction.”
Fiscal and social conservative groups also praised Mrs. Haley’s decision.

“Her pick is truly a fantastic one for fiscal conservatives,” said Chris Chocola, president of the influential Club for Growth, which pushes for limited government spending. “Congressman Scott is a fighter for limited government and pro-growth policies in Washington, and we can’t wait to see him in the Senate.”

Others who reportedly were on the governor’s short list to replace Mr. DeMint were Rep. Trey Gowdy, former state Attorney General Henry McMaster, former first lady Jenny Sanford and Catherine Templeton, director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Mrs. Haley last week said she wouldn’t appoint a “placeholder” for Mr. DeMint’s seat, saying she wanted her pick to be someone who would consider seeking re-election to the seat in 2014.

Mr. Scott will be sworn in to the Senate when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3. Mrs. Haley said Monday she’s confident Mr. Scott easily will win election back to the Senate in two years.

Union Thugs Vs. Free Americans: AK Fielding.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / December 16, 2012

December 15, 2012 By AK Fielding 2 Comments

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“If there exists not a power to check them, what security has a man of life, liberty, or property?” George Washington.

Power struggle between pro-Union members and workers who want the “right to work” escalated to a new level this week in Michigan. Breitbart reported that Union supporters “shouted down members of Tea Party” in an effort to control the direction of the demonstrations near the Michigan State Capitol earlier in the week. Tragedy struck again when Union loyalists pulled down a tent on Tuesday and then brawled with a reporter who had dared to ask too many questions. The rioting in itself is disheartening; but the true underlying problem is the Union’s lethal control over people’s lives.

Ironically, the basis of any union is to support the plight of workers. Unfortunately, in the case of Michigan, the Union seems more interested in supporting their own pockets than the rights of the workers. How else do they explain their behavior in the wake of the recently passed laws?  Whatever happened to discussing problems rationally?  Instead, the Union has resorted to fistfights with civilians and bullying those who challenge their unfair practices.
Responses from the Democratic Party leaders is also quite telling of where these unions find their strength to suppress dissenters.  Unions are unquestionably a major supporter of the Democratic Party. Obama’s presence in Michigan on Monday supporting the Union is proof enough.  His silence after Tuesday’s brawl is yet another indicator of a leader who is more interested in keeping the nation divided instead of solving problems for all Americans.  Another thug, Democratic Representative Douglas Geiss, warned his colleagues earlier in the week “there will be blood; there will be repercussions” if the new anti-union laws were passed.  Were the Democrats using “code” language and sending subliminal messages to their supporters prior to the passing of the legislation?  Perhaps, if we become as neurotic as the Liberals, we could consider the thought seriously.
Incidentally, many supporters of the union come from the “pro-choice” group. Pro-choice supporters argue that women should have a choice to get an abortion, but they are unwilling to respect the workers’ right to choose whether they want a union membership.  Tragically, to these “choice” supporters, the value of a human life is of less significance than the freedom to choose a union membership.
Evidently, angry union supporters want someone to pay for daring to dismantle the history of the labor movement in America. As a result, senators, reporters, and common folks have all become recipients of union violence and threats. Loyalists have lamented over the disrespect towards the union’s history, but they seem to have forgotten our nation’s history that bears repeating: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”  Union thugs would do well to remember that we still live in a free society where every American has a right to choose “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as they deem fit, be it in the form of a collective union or as an individual.

'We've systematically removed God'

  Verne Strickland Blogmaster, December 15, 2012

Mike Huckabee: Newtown Shooting No Surprise, We've 'Systematically Removed God' From Schools

The Huffington Post  |  By Nick Wing & Paige Lavender Posted: 12/14/2012 6:31 pm EST  |  Updated: 12/15/2012 9:29 am EST

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Mike Huckabee, Video, Mike Huckabee School Shooting, School Shooting, Connecticut Shooting, Newtown, Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting, Politics News

 

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R) weighed in on the massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. on Friday, saying the crime was no surprise because we have "systematically removed God" from public schools.

"We ask why there is violence in our schools, but we have systematically removed God from our schools," Huckabee said on Fox News. "Should we be so surprised that schools would become a place of carnage?"
This line of reasoning isn't new for Huckabee.

Speaking about a mass shooting in Aurora, Colo. over the summer, the former GOP presidential candidate claimed that such violent episodes were a function of a nation suffering from the removal of religion from the public sphere.

"We don't have a crime problem, a gun problem or even a violence problem. What we have is a sin problem," Huckabee said on Fox News. "And since we've ordered God out of our schools, and communities, the military and public conversations, you know we really shouldn't act so surprised ... when all hell breaks loose."

Adam Lanza, 20, is the suspect in a school shooting that left 27 dead Friday, including 20 children. Lanza is reportedly the son of a teacher at the school where the shootings occurred.

HuffPost reported earlier:
Authorities in Connecticut responded to a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Friday morning, the local NBC station reports. Police reported 27 deaths, including 20 children, six adults and the shooter, according to the Associated Press.
Following hours of uncertainty during which many media outlets reported the shooter's identity as Ryan Lanza, an official identified the suspected gunman as Adam Lanza, Ryan's 20 year old brother, according to the Associated Press. Ryan Lanza, 24, is being questioned by police in New

NH Co. School Board Member Tammy Covil: 'How Do We Protect Our Own Children From This?'

By Verne Strickland / December 15, 2012



TAMMY JOBIN COVIL
  
Connecticut school shooting claims nearly 30 lives,


The stunning and tragic events in Connecticut are rippling through school systems across the United States. What went wrong? How could it happen? How can similar catastrophies be averted?

We went to new New Hanover School Board member Tammy Covil with these questions, to view the puzzling events of Friday through a local perspective.

These are excerpts of my exclusive interview with Ms. Covil on Friday for USA DOT COM:

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

VS: What was your first reaction upon learning of this horrific mass murder of school children and others at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut?


COVIL:  My initial reaction was shock.  And when I first saw the report of the number of people killed, I wasn’t sure it was accurate. I was very surprised. As a parent I reacted as any parent would – it was just a heartbreaking situation and my heart goes out to those parents who lost their children, which I could not imagine in any shape or form. Could not imagine how they’re coping at this point. Of course my prayers go out to them. That was my initial reaction. The situation is still fluid, and I’ve been getting reports today on a regular basis, so I don’t think we will have all the information about this tragedy for days yet. 

VS: Do you see national implications in this? This is not the first mass shooting that has occurred in the United States. Is this a threat that all school districts everywhere need to learn about, and at least devise plans to cope with a similar situation in their own area?

COVIL: I think we need to be careful and not have a major reaction, because usually when something like this happens, the first cry you hear is from gun control advocates. Of course I’m not hinting that guns be allowed in the school system. But the person who is accused of doing this is obviously unstable and was determined to inflict as much damage as he could. It’s my understanding from media reports that his mother works at the school and so had access to the school. And it’s a certainty the security didn’t know of his plans, and so buzzed him in. 

VS: I know your mind must leap forward to consider how a school board can look to forestall a repeat of this horrific occurrence.

COVIL: Of course your first thought is how do we protect our children from situations like this, and take steps and measures to assure their safety, but we can’t fully ward off all threats, because there are truly evil people in this world who will commit crimes like this, so my concern would be more from a mental health standpoint. This individual obviously had serious health problems, so I am interested in discovering problems like this before they precipitate an issue like this.

VS: I appreciate your cautious attitude, and refusing to jump to conclusions before all the information and evidence is in. You know, there seem to be gun control advocates who feel that the danger is in the weapon, not in the person who wields it. Is that perhaps a somewhat simplistic solution for a complex problem?


COVIL: You’re exactly right. We can’t ever fully control the actions of others. Those who say we should strip the rights of citizens to own a firearm is going to extremes. Criminals do not follow the law. That’s pretty obvious. They’re going to employ whatever means they deem necessary to accomplish their aims. That does not necessarily mean the use of a gun. No guns would not equal no injury or violent death. For example, the terrorist on 9/11. They chose planes as weapons. Of course they were able to commandeer the planes and fly them into buildings. Once they were in the air they had complete control. There are people in this world who are going to attempt things like this, so I would rather see the innocent have the opportunity to defend themselves rather than strip them of their rights. That’s just not the way to go. It’s certainly not constitutional. 

VS: Some of the national news reporters who weighed in on this, and I agree with them, said the attacker arrived on the scene prepared to kill and inflict damage. He did not wonder if he could or should do this, but got right to his horrendous task. A person in that frame of mind is going to be very difficult to stop, wouldn’t you think?

COVIL: Oh, absolutely. But my concern is there had to be warning signs that something was amiss. Something was happening in this man’s life that had totally destabilized him. We saw it in the mass shooting at the movie theatre. The shooter there, as well as in this massacre in Connecticut, had already launched his attack when he arrived. He was determined to do damage and destruction. It was too late then to reason with him in any way. There had to be some signs obvious to someone that he was dangerous and out of control. I don’t know who would have been in position to discover this and take action – maybe someone at the school, or a friend of member of the family. I don’t know. But we need to be more vigilant. We need to know what we’re looking for. That would be an important deterrent.

VS: But, you know, we can turn every school campus into an armed encampment, with guards patrolling and carrying loaded guns. It’s just not reasonable or even possible, is it?

COVIL: No, and something like that would give you a false sense of security. For instance, the news media said this particular school had security measures in place. If you came to the school and were visiting the school, you were buzzed in. But he knew how to manipulate that system. He knew how go get inside the building. And so, you still have to have procedures in place in the event that the basic safeguards fail. Preparedness is key. 

VS: His mother, as you and I know, was employed at the school, and she was killed at her home. She surely knew how to use a key or a card to disarm the security system. It seems probable that’s how he may have gotten in. 

COVIL: Quite possibly. But this young man had so much going wrong in his life. I mourn for his mother. I can’t imagine raising children, then having them turn around and do such frightful things. We don’t know what was going on in her mind and her world leading up to this event. I just pray for her soul. 

VS: I know that you are an advocate of home schooling for many reasons. But I wondered if this development might cause some parents to take a closer look at this approach in order to offer a safer learning environment for their children?

COVIL: It’s possible. I can tell you as a mother who has home-schooling experience that it’s not an easy task. But this approach does not allow you to insulate yourself from the outside world. At some time you have to let yourself step outside of those four walls, and meet the world at large. We’ve had shootings in so many different situations – shopping malls, movie theaters, and so forth. We can’t just hole up in our home and completely protect ourselves. But it’s definitely something that needs to be addressed, but I don’t necessarily feel this calamity, no matter how deplorable, is going to spur a mass exodus from the school system. 

VS: Do you feel that this latest tragedy might cause the New Hanover County School System to get this on the agenda for discussion to determine how we locally are in jeopardy, and how we can prevent such a thing from happening here?

COVIL: I’m sure. Anytime something like this happens and attracts wide coverage in the national media, it causes you to review your own policies and your own vulnerability or preparedness, so you can evaluate how the children in your own schools are protected and safe. I think they are reviewing the policies as we speak. Everyone must know what the procedures are, knows what to do when confronted with something like this, even though you can’t always anticipate what may happen. You prepare for the worst case scenario and hopefully it won’t happen. 

VS: This all must hit pretty close to home for you and your husband. as you have youngsters moving through the New Hanover County school system. Tell me about them.

COVIL: The twins are in the sixth grade at Trask, then we a freshman who is fifteen, and a senior at Laney. Yes, that is incentive enough to take all of these threats very seriously. And we do.

TAMMY COVIL ON NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS OF CHOICE:

I believe that every student deserves a quality education close to home.  In order for parents to remain involved in their child's education, a school must be family-friendly and easily accessible.  Education, however, is not a "one-size-fits-all" proposition.  Therefore, if a school fails to meet a child's academic needs, parents should have access to a more suitable option.  Allowing parents these kinds of choices leads to more competition among schools.  And, when schools are forced to compete for student enrollment, the overall result is greater performance, thus breeding academic excellence. 

Michigan now considering anti-Sharia bill -- CAIR files suit in Oklahoma.

Verne Strickland Blogmaster / December 12, 2012

MICHIGAN SUDDENLY CATCHES FIRE WITH CONSERVATIVE ACTIVISM. FIRST THE LAW BANNING CLOSED SHOP UNIONS. NOW TAKING AIM AT SHARIA LAW. 

Posted by Ed Brown on Dec 12, 2012 in NorthEast U.S., Religion, State 

Lawmakers in Michigan are considering a bill that would ban Sharia law in that states courts, but the measure is being opposed fervently by The Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR), a Muslim activist group, and in some states that have already approved anti-Sharia legislation, such as Oklahoma, CAIR has actually filed suit in an attempt to reverse the anti-Sharia law. 

In November, Oklahoma voters approved a referendum that prevents that state’s courts from considering “international or Shariah law” in their decisions.

In Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder is being pressured by CAIR to veto the legislation completely but on Tuesday there were no signs that the governor would appease the minority group, as the Michigan House of Representatives began talks considering the anti-Sharia measure.

While the proposed Michigan policy doesn’t mention “Islam” at all, it would prohibit the inclusion of any “foreign laws” that could undermine “constitutional rights.”

The legislation in many states is being drafted by a template used by the American Public Policy Alliance, a nonpartisan advocacy group. APPA describes itself as “dedicated to government transparency, government accountability and the constitutionality of U.S. and state laws and policies.”

There are currently 20 states considering similar measures and so far three states — Louisiana, Oklahoma and Tennessee — have passed anti-Sharia laws.