Could Pro-Gun Groups, Individuals Become 'Targets' With Far-Left White House, Congress In Power?

Tam has an unnerving prediction:

"I'm going to go out on a limb with a prediction:

"IF we get eight years of a Democrat in the White House AND the Dems retain control of congress for the next four to six years THEN we will see at least one of the fringier gun/freedom groups get investigated for terrorism, membership and donor rolls seized, assets frozen, members put on the no-fly list, the whole Patriot (ha!) Act shebang.

"It'll be KABA or the Michigan Militia or everyone who's ever posted at the Claire Files, or the records of everyone who has chipped in to help Oleg buy a lens to take those seditious pictures, maybe even as big a target as the JPFO."

Hmmm . . . I want to hope that no one would do something so obvious. I do think that these anti self defense politicians would go after groups to take a look at their tax records. If you recall, the Million Moms got in huge trouble for playing fast and loose with federal tax laws. That's why they were "rolled" into the Brady Campaign.

Angelina Jolie: 2A Activist?

Well, if not an activist, perhaps a supporter. And if not a supporter of the amendment or gun rights, or even politicians who support gun rights, she definitely WANTS those rights to exist.

"If anybody comes into my home and tries to hurt my kids, I've no problem shooting them." That's Angelina Jolie, revealing her up-with-the-Second-Amendment maternal instincts to Britain's Mail on Sunday."

And to think I never really liked her! Perhaps she's worth a second look . . .

Of course, the politicians she tends to support would think her opinion on protecting her kids is "icky," IMHO.

Your Cell Phone As A Tracking Device

No, not you using it to track something or someone, but the government or others having the ability to track you by way of your phone.

The technology has been around awhile, and it would be illegal in the U.S. But a new report out, showing that people don't stray too far from "home," utilized a method of study that has privacy experts up in arms. And rightfully so, I think.

"Researchers secretly tracked the locations of 100,000 people outside the United States through their cell phone use and concluded that most people rarely stray more than a few miles from home. The first-of-its-kind study by Northeastern University raises privacy and ethical questions for its monitoring methods, which would be illegal in the United States.

Yes it would. But does anyone care? Even now that some cell companies are trying to convince users to allow such tracking? Or even authorizing cell companies to flip a switch and track their kids' locations when dad or mom gives them a new phone?

"The scientists would not disclose where the study was done, only describing the location as an industrialized nation.

"Researchers used cell phone towers to track individuals' locations whenever they made or received phone calls and text messages over six months. In a second set of records, researchers took another 206 cell phones that had tracking devices in them and got records for their locations every two hours over a week's time period. The study was based on cell phone records from a private company, whose name also was not disclosed.

"Study co-author Cesar Hidalgo, a physics researcher at Northeastern, said he and his colleagues didn't know the individual phone numbers because they were disguised into "ugly" 26-digit-and-letter codes. That type of nonconsensual tracking would be illegal in the United States, according to Rob Kenny, a spokesman for the Federal Communications Commission. Consensual tracking, however, is legal and even marketed as a special feature by some U.S. cell phone providers.

"The study, published Thursday in the journal Nature, opens up the field of human-tracking for science and calls attention to what experts said is an emerging issue of locational privacy."

Hmmmmm . . .

Ego Summit

Hillary and Barack have met. Perhaps they crossed swords . . . perhaps they kissed and made up.

Nevertheless, the media is breathless in anticipation!!!!!

Latest speculation: Just as influential members of Congress have been leaning on Sen. Clinton during the past 72 hours to give it up, they now are turning their attention to Sen. Obama -- pressuring (or forcing?) him to put his arch-rival on his ticket as VP.

Of course, some are wondering whether Hillary is the answer to Barack's "appalachian problem."

The Battle Of the "Heroes For Change" continues . . . . stay tuned!

Whistles Aren't Enough

This girl's got it goin' on!

Lucy has a philosophy I can truly get behind:

"I on the other hand prefer a different kind of escort . . . a Smith and Wesson .38 (trumps the scary whistle every time.) Seems logical to me!"

If only the police followed common sense suggestions like these rather than the tired "walk in pairs," "use campus security," and "carry a cell phone."

Nicely written!

Does Anyone Remember The Movie 'Escape From New York?"

Updated: Friday, June 6, 2008, 8:35 am -- Word this morning is that a U.S. attorney back in May questioned the District of Columbia's proposal to to set up sealed "safety zones." And as recently as two weeks ago, federal officials were warning that the plan is unconstitutional. Duh!

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Updated: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 11:09 pm -- Not the first time I've heard this, but it bears repeating. If so many anti-war folks say "since they can't get their act together, we should just pull out of Iraq . . .," then shouldn't we be pulling out of DC since all people there want to do is kill each other? Let's just pull the plug and move the capital to, oh I don't know . . . St. Louis, or even Columbus. At least in places closer to the heartland, people are a bit more normal.

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I think this is life imitating art.

From the Examiner:

"D.C. police will seal off entire neighborhoods, set up checkpoints and kick out strangers under a new program that D.C. officials hope will help them rescue the city from its out-of-control violence.

"Under an executive order expected to be announced today, police Chief Cathy L. Lanier will have the authority to designate “Neighborhood Safety Zones.” At least six officers will man cordons around those zones and demand identification from people coming in and out of them. Anyone who doesn’t live there, work there or have “legitimate reason” to be there will be sent away or face arrest, documents obtained by The Examiner show.

"Lanier has been struggling to reverse D.C.’s spiraling crime rate but has been forced by public outcry to scale back several initiatives including her “All Hands on Deck” weekends and plans for warrantless, door-to-door searches for drugs and guns."

Another reason why the Heller decision from the U.S. Supreme Court cannot come soon enough. That this out-of-control bureaucracy is going to run things like Stalin, Kruschev and Breshnev in 2008, admitting that they cannot control crime, and STILL defending their out-of-touch ban on law-abiding taxpayers keeping personal sidearms for personal protection . . . it defies explanation.

Can You Think Of Tickets More Polarizing?

More and more people are talking about a McCain-Leiberman presidential ticket. Nothing will piss off republicans more than such a tactic, designed to go after democrat voters.

And while Ohio's Ted Strickland's name is being bandied about as a potential VP for Sen. Barack Obama, it has dropped a bit. Now the big name possibility that is galvanizing everyone is that of anti-gun, anti self defense NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Hillary Clinton is keeping her name in the running as a strong VP choice, even though the White House would not be big enough for two such large egos, and Michelle Obama would immediately lose power if Hillary entered the picture.

While some democrats cannot stand her, and want someone "new" that really reflects "change" (as the Obama ticket so often opines), Hillary on the ticket may energize other democrats. The same will stimulate GOP donations from people who cannot stand her or her husband, Bill Clinton, the anti-gun democrat president who armed America.

But then if McCain adds Leiberman to his ticket, that will probably keep republicans away from the polls in droves.

This is going to be fun (as a policy/elections wonk) to watch, and nerve-wracking at the same time!

Ohio Gov. Strickland To Sign Castle Doctrine/CCW Fix Bill On June 10

Tentative word is that Gov. Ted Strickland will sign Senate Bill 184 into law on Tuesday, June 10, sometime after 1 pm. According to pretty much everyone's calendar, that puts the new law going into effect on September 8, 2008.

A lot of hard work. A positive outcome for Ohio families and statutory improvements designed for their safety.