The Bureau of Land Management is planning a truly boneheaded move, angering some conservationists over the affects to herd populations and migration routes. From Field & Stream.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently released a draft plan outlining potential solar energy development in the West. The proposal is an update of the BLM’s 2012 Western Solar Plan. It adds five new states—Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming—to a list of 11 western states already earmarked…… [read more]
ST. LOUIS — A judge on Thursday cited improper fundraising emails by Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner’s campaign in disqualifying Gardner and her office from a gun case against Mark McCloskey, who with his wife pointed firearms at protesters outside their Central West End home in June.
Circuit Judge Thomas Clark II’s order said two fundraising emails that Gardner’s reelection campaign sent in response to political attacks before and after she charged Mark and Patricia McCloskey with felony gun crimes in July raised the appearance that she “initiated a criminal prosecution for political purposes.”
“Like a needle pulling thread, she links the defendant and his conduct to her critics,” Clark wrote. “These emails are tailored to use the June 28 incident to solicit money by positioning her against defendant and her more vocal critics.”
The judge’s order deals a political blow to Gardner, whose office has waged numerous legal challenges to defend her practices and reform-minded agenda during her first term.
In a text message, Gardner’s spokeswoman Allison Hawk said the Circuit Attorney’s Office “will review the court order and determine our options.”
But this isn’t over.
Clark’s order, which applies only to Mark McCloskey’s case and not his wife’s, also bars the rest of Gardner’s office from prosecuting the case.
“This is a high-profile case, receiving extensive media coverage, eliminating any possibility that any assistant circuit attorney is unaware of Ms. Gardner’s incipient interest, initial involvement and advocacy on this matter,” Clark said.
State law directs the St. Louis Circuit Court’s presiding judge to appoint another prosecutor in the case, the order says. Patricia McCloskey’s case is assigned to Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer, who will replace Circuit Judge Rex Burlison as St. Louis’ presiding judge next year.
So the judge basically said she is unfit for prosecuting this case because it was politicized for her own benefit. What he should have said is that she is unfit to do anything other than put the lettuce and tomato on sandwiches at Burger King.
Future things may still be difficult for the McCloskeys.
Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Hinckley ordered crime lab staff members to field strip the handgun and found it had been assembled incorrectly. Specifically, the firing pin spring was put in front of the firing pin, which was backward, and made the gun incapable of firing, according to documents obtained by 5 On Your Side.
Firearms experts then put the gun back together in the correct order and test-fired it, finding that it worked, according to the documents.
This prosecutor’s office is a piece of work. That attorney – Chris Hinckley – should not only be kicked out of the BAR, but prosecuted for tampering with evidence.
In the mean time, I do not change my prediction that the McCloskeys will never see a day of prison time.
What they do need to do, however, is get some tactical training.
By now every one has seen the viral video pictures and discussion about Mr. Mark McCloskey and his wife outside having to defend home and hearth with firearms. What happened leading up to this is very important.
… [A]s soon as I said this is private property, those words enraged the crowd. Horde, absolute horde came through the now smashed down gates coming right at the house. My house, my east patio was 40 feet from Portland Place Drive. And these people were right up in my face, scared to death. And then, I stood out there. The only thing we said is this is private property. Go back. Private property. Leave now.
At that point, everybody got enraged. There were people wearing body armor. One person pulled out some loaded pistol magazine and clicked them together and said that you were next. We were threatened with our lives, threatened with a house being burned down, my office building being burned down, even our dog’s life being threatened. It was, it was about as bad as it can get. I mean, those you know, I really thought it was Storming the Bastille that we would be dead and the house would be burned and there was nothing we could do about it. It was a huge and frightening crowd. And they were they broken the gate were coming at us.
The man in the picture above is trespassing, and if he threatened Mr. McCloskey, he deserved to be shot until dead. One must take seriously verbal threats, especially if the one threatening has already trespassed on to private property.
This is called self defense, and it’s covered in the commandments of the Almighty. It’s not only a right, but a duty. Mr. McCloskey would have been neglecting the commandments of God had he abandoned his home and wife to the mob. One cannot assume that he can retreat fast enough to escape danger, and Mr. McCloskey is responsible under Biblical law not only for his own life, but the lives of those under his responsible charge, in this case, his wife.
There is a video embedded below, but before we get there, I do have a few tactical suggestions that future victims like Mr. McCloskey might want to consider. Nothing says back away and leave my family in peace like an AR-15. It gives the ability for rapid target acquisition, quick recovery of sight picture, and ability to produce heavier volume fire than if he had to chamber another round (e.g., as with a bolt action rifle).
Furthermore, a shotgun would have been limited in magazine capacity, even a tactical shotgun like an M4 Benelli. Readers can claim until they’re blue in the face that they just want their .308 or 30-06, but when it comes to CQB, there is nothing like the carbine. You can have your M1, there is nothing like an AR-15 in this circumstance. Everyone knows this is true, and it’s a good thing that Mr. McCloskey had that go-to weapon at his disposal.
I would suggest some training for him though. The particular stance, holding at the hip, is worthless and counterproductive, and could actually convince the assailant that you didn’t know what you were doing. He needs some practice at the range, holding at the low ready, and proper use of the sling. A tactical vest, along with at least Kevlar armor, able to hold additional magazines, would also have been handy in this circumstance.
If Mr. McCloskey intends to continue allowing his wife to carry a weapon, she needs some training in proper muzzle discipline and grip technique. There is deep fear in her eyes, and some training could have added confidence to her presentation. She also needs a legitimate weapon.
None of the things I’ve said above should be interpreted as mocking the gentleman and his wife. I think he acted bravely, even if I might have done things a bit differently.
You can expect to see video and pictures of this event shown, brought up, and discussed from now on until and through the election. This was a big deal, because it wasn’t someone who approached the violent mob intending to make trouble, it was a home owner defending his life. Similarly, the poor lady who was under threat by the mob in Fredericksburg, Virginia, is an event that should stick in the minds of readers for a very long time.
The self righteous circuit attorney, Kim Gardner, has her panties in a wad over this. It doesn’t matter since Mr. McCloskey was acting in self defense. Exactly why she would act the way she has concerning this might be confusing to someone who doesn’t understand the mob, but the important thing to grasp concerning Kim is that she is part of the mob. Glenn Reynolds says it best.
That’s why they don’t want you to own guns. And that’s why the Ken-and-Karen case has the left and its media enablers so upset. They want you cowering in your home, calling for police protection that their political action has made sure won’t come. Or worrying that that might happen so that you yield to their demands. If you’re out on the steps with guns in your hands, suddenly the script has flipped. Either they’re intimidated, which is bad for morale when you’re running a mob, or they escalate and become so violent that the “deniable” part of the intimidation is gone, because they can’t pretend even to themselves that this was a “parade” of “peaceful protesters,” and a more violent response to the mob becomes certain in the future. And while mobs can dish out violence, they usually don’t take it very well, lacking discipline and cohesion. That’s why the goal is to keep the violence ongoing, but at a low enough level that it seems easier to go along than fight. Open resistance interferes with that, and sets an example for others.
They want you to be disarmed before the violent mob. Kim Gardner wants that too. Resolve not ever to be disarmed, and resolve to be like Mr. McCloskey, at least in spirit.
