Articles by Herschel Smith

News from the Northwest:

A baggage handler who worked at Portland International Airport admitted Wednesday in federal court to stealing six guns from checked bags over several weeks last year.

Deshawn Antonio Kelly, 27, pleaded guilty to five counts of possession of a stolen gun before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon. The fifth count covered taking two guns on one day.

Kelly acknowledged he stole the guns from five people who checked their bags at the Portland airport last August and September. All of them reported their handguns missing after getting their luggage back at their final destinations.

The guns were stolen on Aug. 19, Aug. 29, Sept. 9, Sept. 11 and Sept. 17: three 9mm pistols, two .40-caliber pistols and one .45-caliber pistol, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Horsley.

Had the case gone to trial, prosecutors would have presented the court with surveillance tapes and witness statements to support the charges.

Following reports of stolen guns from airport baggage, a Portland police detective placed replica guns in bags twice — on Sept. 11 and six days later — as bait to determine who was swiping them and narrowed it to Kelly, according to a probable cause affidavit initially filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

The second time, Kelly was seen taking a bait bag and a passenger’s bag with a gun and later putting them back. The police bag had damaged locks, the affidavit said, and looked as if someone tried to pry the locks off the gun case.

Investigators searched Kelly’s home and found five of the six guns reported missing, and Kelly admitted taking them, the affidavit said.

Kelly previously had been convicted of attempted possession of a rented or leased motor vehicle, a felony that barred him from having or handling guns.

I don’t lie to y’all.  It’s like I’ve said before.

“Let’s face it, folks.  Since we are dropping off the luggage and we are picking it up, the only necessity for the luggage to be locked up is what happens behind the wall.  The only good of locking up the gun is theft by airport employees.  We know it, the TSA knows it, and the airlines know it.  It’s the truth.  None of this has anything to do with security.  It’s all about airport theft by airline or airport employees.”

Prior: Baggage Handler Steals Firearms In Austin Airport

The Washington Post:

Senior White House officials are exploring ways to exempt commercial trade from President Trump’s threat to shut down the U.S. border with Mexico, three people briefed on the discussions said, amid warnings that blocking the flow of goods between the two countries would have severe consequences for the U.S. economy.

Hmm … what costs would that be?  Maybe these costs?

“The findings of this analysis show that the average cost of a deportation is much smaller than the net fiscal drain created by the average illegal immigrant. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported the average deportation cost as $10,854 in FY 2016. In FY 2012, ICE removed 71 percent more aliens with a similar budget, creating an average inflation-adjusted cost of $5,915. This compares to an average lifetime net fiscal drain (taxes paid minus services used) of $65,292 for each illegal immigrant, excluding their descendants. This net figure is based on fiscal estimates of immigrants by education level from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS). The total fiscal drain for the entire illegal population is estimated at $746.3 billion. Of course, simply because deportation is much less costly than allowing illegal immigrants to stay does not settle the policy questions surrounding illegal immigration as there are many factors to consider. Steven A. Camarota is the director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, 8/3/17   (Reported in www.CarryingCapacityNetwork.org)

How about this sobering figure as to LEGAL immigration?

29,000 LEGAL Immigrants per Week Cost Us U.S. Taxpayers $6.3 BILLION per Week, NET!

Unsustainable 1.5 Million Annual Legal-Immigrant Influx  Costs U.S. Taxpayers $330 Billion NET (i.e., after subtracting Taxes Immigrants Pay) per Year NET, i.e., $758 MILLION per Year for EACH Congressional District   (does not include State & Local Costs to Taxpayers)
See CCN’s Cost of Immigration Study

David Durham, director at CCN, said, “If the 1.5 to 1.6 Million Annual Legal Immigrant Inflow were cut to 150,000/Year (i.e., Zero-Net Annual Immigration = Emigration), Federal Deficit could be reduced by One-Half Trillion $ in a Decade!

And to be sure, screwing with health care subsidies means alienating the Latino population.

While the economy is usually the top voting issue among the electorate, when asked about the most important issue facing their community, 31% of Latinos viewed health care costs and access to care as the number one issue, according to Latino Decisions American Election Eve Poll findings. Moreover, Latinos feel strongly about securing Obamacare, with a large majority of 71% agreeing that the Affordable Care Act should be strengthened compared to only 15% of Latinos disagreeing with such efforts.

That’s about the percentage opposition (70%) to second amendment rights found in the Latino community, so there’s that to consider as well.

Then of course there is the drug gang violence to consider.  But we could go on all day about this, yes?

But be of good cheer.  I’m sure the “cost” Trump is trying to avoid won’t be incurred, and Monsanto and Archer-Daniels-Midland will get their low paid workers somehow.  That means the boards of directors will have their ocean-front and mountain retirement homes.

Via Uncle, this.

Most local and area law enforcement agencies aren’t seeing a flood of bump stocks, attachments that allow shooters to continuously fire semi-automatic weapons, being turned in as a result of a federal ban that went into effect a week ago.

Only one agency reached by The State Journal-Register had reported a bump stock being turned over.

As of March 26, owners had 90 days to surrender the devices to local law enforcement agencies or to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or to destroy them on their own.

On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a one-sentence order upholding the ban.

In October 2017, a gunman used a bump stock to rain gunfire down from a Las Vegas hotel room, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds of others at a country music festival.

The novelty of the device — and some say its inaccuracy — have made it a bit of rarity among gun owners.

“I don’t think it’s a popular item,” said Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell, adding that none have been turned into his office.

“It’s a possibility (some could still be turned in). I don’t know how many were purchased in Sangamon County, and we don’t track the sales.

“You’re going to have a few holdouts. There were gun owners who were adamant that this was part of their Second Amendment right to keep it.”

“What I’ve found out about bump stocks is that they’re unique,” Morgan County Sheriff Mike Carmody said.

Carmody’s office also hasn’t handled any since the ban, though he expects the issue to come up in conversation with gun advocates.

Carmody also said he was unsure if owners would strictly adhere to the ban, but “I guarantee that anyone who has a bump stock knows the law.”

Menard County Sheriff Mark Oller said the only bump stock turned into his office was done so weeks before the ban took effect.

“Someone was going through a person’s estate (when it was found),” Oller said. “It had never been used. It was still in the package.

“It’s not surprising that only one was turned in because I don’t think there are many out there.”

Yea, you keep telling yourself that.  Nationally, some 550,000 of them.  But here’s the real question, Sheriff.  If America is going to make felons out of innocent and peaceable men, what’s the purpose in stopping with bump stocks?  Why not SBRs, suppressors and fully automatic weapons?

From a reader, news from Virginia.

Though one of the men in the group was ineligible to buy a gun — and had been previously convicted of making a false statement on a firearm consent form — he made the purchase without a hitch.

Police took the video footage from the gun store in the course of investigating a homicide, according to search warrants filed in Danville Circuit Court.

Days after seeing the video, police found the man riding in a Buick with a Glock 45 tucked under his seat — a round in the chamber — and a magazine on him. Court records show police arrested and charged him with possessing a gun as a non-violent felon, carrying a concealed weapon and felonious possession of ammunition.

Though federal and state laws prohibited him from possessing ammo, there were no background checks required to buy it, as there are when purchasing a gun at a store.

In fact there is no background-check infrastructure in the state to stop a felon from purchasing ammo, Virginia State Police public relations manager Corinne Geller said.

The state police handles background checks for firearms purchases, referring applications to the Virginia Firearms Transaction Center in Richmond. The center combs through four state databases and one national database maintained by the FBI to check a buyer’s criminal history, mental health history, protective orders and other disqualifying factors when they go to buy a gun.

But of course.  Instead of reversing the unconstitutional gun sales background checks, since they don’t stop crime, just expand it to ammunition as well.  When a process fails, double-down on it, the progressive way.

They are eventually going to implement a new AWB, and they will eventually come after ammunition too.  Without ammunition, a gun is a paperweight.  Get it now while you can.  Otherwise, red flag laws may sweep you into their net.

By the way, I fear that the good folks of Virginia are going to fall victim to the progressives in Northern Virginia, just as North Carolina has to Mecklenburg and Wake Counties.

Army Times:

The Army has selected the sub compact weapon it will arm its security soldiers with and it wasn’t one of the big companies that have grabbed other recent weapons contracts.

Brugger and Thomet, USA won the competition over Sig Sauer and four other companies that had been vying for the job. Their APC9K was the winner, according to an update on fbo.gov, a government business website.

The small submachine gun is chambered in 9mm and variants of the weapon are in use with police units such as Special Weapons and Tactics, or SWAT teams.

I don’t shoot 9mm, I shoot .45ACP.  But if I did shoot 9mm it isn’t clear to me why you wouldn’t choose the Sig MPX.  I’m sure they had their reasons, but those reasons may not translate to civilian ownership (e.g., cost).  Also, for civilian ownership of that weapon above you’d have to drop the forend grip and the stock, or register it as an SBR.

News on Pete Buttiegieg:

Buttigieg, an Afghanistan war veteran and lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve, could become America’s first openly gay president. If it wasn’t apparent from how much money he’s raised so far, he’s gained an incredible amount of momentum since launching his presidential exploratory committee on January 23, 2019. When it comes to key issues like gun control, Buttigieg has made it clear over the years where he stands: He supports universal background checks, and knows that mental health contributes to America’s gun violence epidemic.

[ … ]

“Joined bipartisan Mayors Against Illegal Guns to do something about need for common sense gun safety. #NowIsTheTime.”

“I’m with the majority of Americans (& gun owners) who agree with @POTUS that we need universal background checks to help #StopGunViolence.”

[ … ]

Buttigieg is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan group within the Everytown network that’s comprised over 1,000 mayors advocating for gun safety. Think: Advancing policies and practices that reduce firearm suicides; and minimizing shootings by the police. After Parkland, he supported the young people within his community demanding that our country ends gun violence.

[ … ]

We had an assault weapons ban in this country in the 90s. I would like to see more research on the effect it had. I do think we need to draw a line. Look, compatible with the Second Amendment, there are some restrictions. Somewhere between a slingshot and a nuclear weapon, we’ve decided that the American people would draw a line. Whether, for example, an AR-15 is on this side or that side of the line, I’m skeptical that it belongs in our neighborhoods in peacetime, but let’s at least have a healthy national debate about what’s best for keeping our families, our homes, and our schools safe.

Yea, as if there isn’t a healthy national debate already on this very subject.  Any time a progressive wants to have a “healthy national debate,” she is lying.  One already exists, and they know it.  What they want is draconian gun controls.  They want to occupy the throne of God, who alone grants rights and issues duties.

This candidate is the progressive’s wet dream.  Don’t count him out by a long stretch.  It’s messy-hair Bernie, creepy-Joe, or confused Beto, versus a guy who is gay, a veteran who can trot out pictures of himself in uniform, and believes in gun control.  He hasn’t been in politics long enough to have heavy baggage, so money is pouring into his campaign.

I say again.  Don’t count him out.

Word:

Once again folks, I’d like to point out that ‘Donate’ button in my sidebar.

I’ve always said that this blog is a labor of love, but I’ll be the first to admit that it’s also a colossal pain in the ass. I spend way more time online than I care to admit, and not just doing the posting and comment moderating.

Actually, that’s the easy part. It’s digging up material that really kicks my ass.

Yea.  I hear that.  I don’t post nearly as much as he does, but I do like to post on esoteric things, thematic issues here at TCJ (gun rights, philosophy, theology, politics, firearms mechanics, open carry, etc.), and don’t like to post what other people have done.  Why would I do that – there would be no reason to post at all.

It’s not really the posting itself, or the moderation of comments, that takes the massive amount of time.  It’s finding items of thematic interest so that the blog has a purpose, or crafting your own prose and essays.

That’s so hard, and really time consuming.  If you’re so inclined, hit his tip jar.

As for me, I’ve got some things to communicate in the coming days, and some prayer requests to make.

Thank you for your patronage.

Remember our little scuffle with Lucian K. Truscott IV?

Apparently he got his pink panties in a wad over others [I presume he isn’t referring to me in his followup] fisking his piece.  So he now comes with Youuuuu might be a gun nut if …. (I know, some editor at Salon should have told him to stop doing drugs and rewrite the title).

I don’t care what they say. That’s not a civilian weapon. That’s a weapon designed for use by the military to kill human beings. The thing costs $1,249.95. It is, of course, sold on the open market to any civilian who walks in with the scratch to buy one. The people who buy weapons like this are, strictly speaking, gun nuts.

[ … ]

But less than one percent of our population is in the military. The rest of us are civilians, and these things are being marketed and sold to civilians. They use of the term “tactical” to yank at the heartstrings of arm-chair warriors, to make them feel like they’re buying something big and powerful. “Tactical” is a purely macho word. It’s used to appeal to gun nuts. Sadly, it seems to be working.

I am a gun owner. My guns are locked away in a storage locker right now. I own a 12 gauge Remington pump-action shotgun, a .32 revolver, a .38 revolver, a .22 bolt action rifle I inherited from my grandmother, and a .177 bolt action rifle my brother gave me. I’ve never owned a semiautomatic weapon. Not even one. The last one I shot was an M-14 in the Army in 1965.

I come from a military family. You would think a family of Army officers would have owned a lot of guns. You’d be wrong. My father owned the 12 gauge pump-action shotgun I inherited from him and the .45 caliber Army-issue Colt pistol he inherited from his father. My grandfather, a four-star general, owned two guns: the .45 pistol he gave to my father in 1951 when he left for the war in Korea, and the German Luger taken from Field Marshal Albert Kesslering, commander of Nazi forces against whom grandpa had campaigned the Fifth Army in Italy.

That’s it.

The whole commentary is so emotional, disjointed and hysterical that it’s really difficult to boil it down to a few quotes, but I’ve tried.  Here you get the gist of this.

A man who has never seen combat is trying to tell you that if you want semi-automatic weapons, you’re nothing but an “arm-chair warrior,” a tacticool LARPer who wants to hurt people.

A man who received an other than honorable discharge from the U.S. military is trying to trot out his creds having shot an M-14.

A man who was caught making $600 worth of long distance telephone calls on a stolen credit card is posturing the military history of his honorable family to tell you you’re some kind of nut.

A man who never intended to deploy to Vietnam nonetheless parasitically sucked off of the good will of the American taxpayer for his education, and then got out because they threatened to send him to war.

Here at this web site we debate and discuss the theological and philosophical roots of the American system, the God-given duty of self defense, and the necessity of the amelioration of tyranny to preserve human life, among many other things.  We try to dive into the deeper issues of mankind, ethics, epistemology, truth, and justice.

So in summary, thanks Salon.  If this is the best you can do, we’ll continue our scholarship unabated.  You can keep your shrieking cowards.  But do please try to do a better job of editing poor Lucian next time.  He rambles so much it sounds sophomoric.

Philly.com:

If you Google the name Jabir Kennedy, you will read about a fugitive wanted for gunning down four men, one fatally, during Christmas week 2017 in the Elmwood section of Southwest Philadelphia. You will read that the “armed and dangerous” fugitive turned himself in a week later and was charged with first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Well, that’s partly because Google sucks, and partly because this is all the information the DA’s office and cops  wanted you to know.

So when the case reached its conclusion this month, there were no headlines for what turned out to be a rarity in the criminal justice system: an admitted gunman in a quadruple shooting acquitted by a jury of all charges.

Let that wash over you again.  “Assistant District Attorney Sheida Ghadiri argued during the trial that the gun Kennedy fired belonged to him, that he knew how to use it given that he shot four of the five men he fought with, and the number of bullets he fired — eight to 10 — was too many to be self-defense.”

Yes, she wanted you to die.  Self defense isn’t a right recognized by the state, at least not any more.  And God help you if you ever put yourself on the line and defend someone you don’t know who is in distress.  You see, the only agents recognized by the state for dispensing violence are those commissioned by the state to do so.  To the communist, the state is the beginning, middle and end of all things.

I have absolutely no confidence in the so-called justice system, neither judges no juries.  Fortunately, they go this one right.  They tried to convince the jury it was more complicated than that (read the rest of the article if you wish), but in the end it’s simple.  Man is made in God’s image and thus has a solemn duty before the Almighty to defend his life.