I have driven cars since I turned 16, roughly (*cough* *cough*) years ago and I’ve driven everything from subcompacts to 2-ton delivery vans. (Interesting note – as a temp worker with the US Postal Service years ago, I’ve even driven cars from the “wrong” side of the car!) I’ve had brake failures, blown tires, transmission failures, tie rod breakages, electrical failures, overheats, blown fuses, etc., etc, etc. And yes, I had a carburetor failure that stuck open the gas flow in an old postal vehicle that made it impossible to “let up off the gas.”
I have never had the gas, the brake, and the transmission fail at the same time. And that’s what would have to happen for a car to go runaway with you and you be unable to stop it for miles.
In the 1 case of gas pedal stickage (and it was actually the linkage in the carb that was sticking, truth be told) I stomped on the crappy brakes that those postal jeeps had and they stopped the little beast immediately. I then turned the engine off and put it in park. The grand total time of the event was 15 seconds. In fact, it was probably less since I’m sure it seemed longer than it was.
There have been people die from these events getting a lot of press time, of that I have no doubts, and those deaths are tragic. But every test performed by every agency that has allowed the results to be independently verified has shown that the braking system on virtually every car being sold today can more than easily out-muscle the engine in the car and can bring the vehicle to a stop under the driver’s control. That is assuming, of course, that the driver actually retains the presence of mind to do these things.
Or that the driver actually wants to do these things.
Witness the story of James Sikes of California who, he says, was the victim of a runaway 2008 Toyota Prius. The Prius managed to get up to 90 miles per hour over the course of the event, zipping down I-8 near San Diego, and would not stop with Sikes stomping on the brakes the whole time.
Only, apparently, he didn’t, according to investigators. The brake pads in the car would show it if a 90-mph stop were attempted over that period of time and they don’t. Ergo, he didn’t. In spite of the pleas of the 911-operators to shift the car into neutral so he could make a controlled stop on the side of the road, he didn’t. In spite of the pleas of those same operators to turn off the car, he didn’t. He didn’t shift the car into neutral because, he said, he was afraid it might flip the car over. (Ludicrous.) He also says he didn’t want to take his hands off the wheel. (You know, like he was already doing while he was talking on the phone to the operators.) Micheal Fumento at Forbes goes into far more detail on this and explores the actions of the press who ate up every nugget of this ridiculous spew.
The investigations thus far have shown that the victims of these “runaways” are all older drivers – 55 and up with the vast majority being over 60. Now, if this were really an issue with the cars and not the drivers, the ages of the drivers would be all over the map. They’re not. This isn’t a problem with the vehicle. It’s pilot error. And the press isn’t being very informative about that. The stories do not pass the smell test and I’m suspicious of the press’ lack of interest in getting at the truth.
March 14th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Crime & Punishment, Economy, Human Interest, Politics, Technology, The Media |
no comments
Loudoun’s own former Delegate and Senator Bill Mims has been appointed and affirmed as Virgina’s newest Justice of the state’s Supreme Court.
The House of Delegates and Senate today appointed Mims to replace Justice Barbara Keenan, who was appointed to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals by the U.S. Senate last week. Mims had been tapped as the leading candidate to take Keenan’s seat before the vote Wednesday.
Mims is only the second Virginian to serve in the General Assembly, as Attorney General and on the Supreme Court. Mims served as Attorney General until January, filling the seat when Bob McDonnell resigned the office to campaign full time for governor. He had served as deputy attorney general under McDonnell and represented Loudoun in the House of Delegates from 1992 to 1997 and the Senate from 1998 to 2005. He became the Deputy Attorney General in January 2006.
Bill Mims lived just 4 doors down from me right here in Sterling while he was our Senator to the General Assembly and a nicer guy you can’t find. He followed his good friend Bob McDonnell down to Richmond in 2006 after McDonnell was elected Attorney General and served as AG himself, as stated above, when McDonnell resigned to pursue the governorship. It’s such a pleasant surprise to see that he was appointed to Virginia’s high court and I’m 100% confident that he’ll do a fantastic job.
Congrats, Bill! I’m looking forward to hearing more about you over these next 12 years that you’ll be on the bench.
(Thanks, much, to The Loudoun Scoop for keeping we Loudouners informed!)
March 11th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Human Interest, Law, Politics, Virginia Politics |
one comment
In a case brought on a matter of a minor found in possession of a firearm during a routine traffic stop, the Supreme Court of the State of Washington has ruled, by a commanding margin, that the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States most certainly applies to the actions of state governments. From the decision in State c. Sieyes:
Pursuant to Duncan the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms from state interference through the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This right is necessary to an Anglo-American regime of ordered liberty and fundamental to the American scheme of justice.
While this is a state-level finding (a case before the Supreme Court of the United States is asking the SCOTUS to make a similar ruling at a national level, something supported by a majority of the states’ governments) it is significant for a couple of reasons. First, it is relying on many of the arguments that are being made to the Supreme Court and it views those arguments through the lens of analysis and conclusions made by SCOTUS in the past. It is certainly indicative of the logical assessment of the arguments being advanced there. Second, and probably even more compelling, the WA Supreme Court concluded there was no reason whatsoever that state courts were required to wait for a SCOTUS decision on the matter to make such a determination:
Although the Heller Court did not expressly consider incorporation of the right to bear arms, “that need not stop the rest of us.” Sanford Levinson, Comment, The Embarrassing Second Amendment, 99 Yale L.J. 637, 653-54 (1989). Lower courts need not wait for the Supreme Court to apply Duncan; the Constitution is the rule of all courts — both state and federal judiciaries wield power to strike down unconstitutional government acts. 7 U.S. Const. art. VI, cl. 2; Nelson Lund, Anticipating Second Amendment Incorporation: The Role of Inferior Courts, 59 Syracuse L. Rev. 185 (2008). We must ourselves determine whether the Second Amendment is incorporated.
Emphasis mine. There is certainly no rule that says that a State may not consider provisions of the US Constitution to be incorporated against its own actions unless SCOTUS says it is. It may not disregard such a finding by SCOTUS and consider a provision held incorporated as not being incorporated, of course. But there’s nothing that says it can’t hold itself to the federal-level standard if it finds such to be lawful and compelling. This is what WA did in this case. I applaud their actions and analysis and I look forward to seeing this play out in the Supreme Court case later this year.
February 19th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
2nd Amendment, Law, Politics |
no comments
Update: The House Militia, Police, and Public Safety subcommittee #1 is to meet tomorrow, 28 Jan 2010, to consider several of the following bills. Since there’s starting to be a lot of action on these matters, I wanted to refresh this post so everyone could be reminded of what legislation on firearms matters is pending.
The General Assembly has reconvened in Richmond and they do have a full agenda this year. (I’ll take a moment, with hometown pride, to call out a special welcome to the GA Delegate Thomas A. “Tag” Greason of the 32nd District. Damn that sounds good!) With the budget mess, transportation issues, and the upcoming census and redistricting the General Assembly will be busy every day they’re in session.
Today, however, I’d like to focus on the Bills being submitted that relate to firearms law and the free exercise of Virginians’ 2nd Amendment rights. My thanks to the folks at the NRA-ILA for doing the heavy lifting and gathering this data into 1 place. The following information is combined from 2 NRA-ILA alerts I received in e-mail:
House Bill 8, sponsored by Delegate Bill Carrico (R-5), and Senate Bill 3, sponsored by State Senator Ralph Smith (R-22), would allow concealed carry permit holders to renew their permits by mail.
House Bill 26, introduced by Delegate Thomas Wright, Jr. (R-61), would prohibit the Clerk of the Court from requiring an applicant for a concealed carry permit to provide any documentation or information not authorized by the law or prescribed by Virginia State Police.
House Bill 49, sponsored by Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), would repeal Virginia’s “one-gun-a-month” gun rationing law enacted by the Wilder Administration in 1993. This law has only restricted the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.
House Bill 52, authored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), would allow a court to waive a $25 dollar fine upon presentation of the permit to the court, if a person fails to display his concealed carry permit when requested by a law-enforcement officer.
House Bill 72, also introduced by Delegate Carrico, would amend the state penalties for possessing a firearm on school grounds. HB72 would reduce the penalty to a Class 1 misdemeanor from a Class 6 felony for those who inadvertently carry on school grounds.
House Bill 79, sponsored by Delegate R. Lee Ware, Jr. (R-65), prohibits the Clerk of Court from publicly disclosing concealed carry permit application information unless the permittee has provided written consent for the release of the application or information. The information will still be available to law-enforcement acting in performance of their duties.
House Bill 106, also sponsored by Delegate Cole, would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry in restaurants that serve alcohol, provided they do not consume, and would allow permit holders to carry during a religious meeting with the permission of the leader of the meeting.
House Bill 108, also introduced by Delegate Cole, would prohibit agents of localities or localities themselves from participating in “gun buy-backs” unless the governing body of such a locality authorizes such a program. The locality would then have the option of selling the firearms by auction to a federally licensed dealer (FFL) or disposing of the firearm in any other appropriate manner.
House Bill 109, also authored by Delegate Cole, would repeal the statute which allows the governing body of any county to require the sellers of pistols and revolvers to furnish the Clerk of the Circuit Court with the name and address of the purchaser, date of purchase and the number, make, and caliber of the gun.
House Bill 152, sponsored by Delegate John O’Bannon (R-73), would allow an electronic security employee who possesses a CCW permit to carry while on the job so long as he does not represent that he is carrying in the course of employment.
House Bill 171, introduced by Delegate Brenda Pogge (R-96), would prohibit property owners, employers, or a business entity from establishing or enforcing any policy prohibiting a person who may lawfully possess a firearm from storing a firearm in a locked motor vehicle in a publicly accessible parking lot.
House Bill 236, sponsored by Delegate Bill Janis (R-56), would remove the prohibition imposed by localities on hunting within a half-mile of subdivisions.
House Bill 251, introduced by Delegates Donald Merricks (R-16) and D.W. Marshall (R-14), would provide immunity from civil prosecution if a citizen uses force, including deadly force, to defend themselves and their loved ones if attacked in their home.
House Bill 475, authored by Delegate Charles Carrico (R-5), would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry their firearms concealed in school parking lots and into areas of the school, provided the school is not being used for official educational use or extracurricular activities.
House Bill 489, sponsored by Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), would organize the current concealed carry statute into a more readable format, thereby making it easier and clearer for the average citizen to understand their rights.
House Bill 505, sponsored by Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-15), would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense in restaurants that serve alcohol, provided that they do not consume alcohol.
House Bill 520, introduced by Delegate Joseph Morrissey (D-74), would require anyone who exhibits, sells or offers to sell three or more firearms per year at a gun show to register as a Virginia firearms dealer. The intent of this bill is twofold: to outlaw the private transfer and sales of firearms at Virginia gun shows and to open the door to a future ban of any private transfer or sale of firearms within the Commonwealth.
House Bill 637, authored by Delegate Ward Armstrong (D-10), would exempt a boarding team member or boarding team officer in the United States Coast Guard from the concealed handgun permit issuance fee, provided they have completed 15 years of service or reached the age of 55.
House Bill 870, sponsored by Delegate Benjamin Cline (R-24), would repeal the language that allows localities to fingerprint applicants for a concealed handgun permit.
House Bill 879, sponsored by Delegates Mamye BaCote (D-95), Robin Abbott (D-93), Jennifer McClellan (D-71) and Jeion Ward (D-92) along with State Senator Mamie Locke (D-2), would allow localities to pass ordinances banning the possession of firearms and ammunition in libraries they own or operate.
House Bill 885, sponsored by Delegate Cliff Athey (R-18), would allow any person who may lawfully posses a firearm and is carrying a handgun while in a personal, private vehicle or vessel to keep the firearm secured in a container or compartment in the vehicle or vessel.
Senate Bill 79, authored by State Senator William Roscoe Reynolds (D-20), would repeal the language that allows localities to require concealed handgun permit applicants to produce fingerprints before issuance of a permit.
Senate Bill 268, sponsored by State Senator Mary Margaret Whipple (D-31), would gut Virginia’s firearm preemption law by allowing localities to ban the carrying of firearms by law-abiding citizens in buildings owned or leased by local government. This bill would only create a confusing patchwork of local laws throughout the state.
That’s a lot of bills! As you can see, there are bills both in favor of supporting the free exercise of those rights and those trying to restrict such exercise. There are also bills that duplicate and overlap in their language. Over the course of the next several days, I will have things to say about specific bills listed here but I wanted to get them all out on the table for everyone to see the work that needs doing in this area. As I write about specific bills I’ll link back to this page. Those linkages will appear in the comments listed on this post so check there every so often if you want to see the related posts as they come up.
The first item I’d like to address is HB106 and HB505. Both bills have been offered to clear up the situation regarding valid holders of a concealed handgun permit (CHP) being unable to continue that carriage into a restaurant. In both of the past 2 years, measures have been passed in the GA that would remove that restriction and allow persons holding a valid CHP to carry concealed past the threshold of a restaurant or other establishment with a liquor license. As I’ve mentioned in the past, it is completely legal to carry openly into a restaurant. The laws in the past 2 years were intended to clear up the inconsistency of considering someone legal to carry concealed on the street outside the restaurant but not once they pass the door. In both cases where the law was passed, soon-to-be-former Gov. Tim Kaine vetoed the bill. While the veto override carried majorities in both cases, they narrowly failed to get the 2/3rds required to override. After last year’s attempt, I and other supporters of the measure put our efforts into electing a Governor who would put our rights in the priority position they should hold and would sign the bill if presented to him. We know how that effort panned out and Bob McDonnell will be inaugurated as Governor tomorrow.
Both HB106 and HB505 seek to provide the same end result: that a person holding a valid CHP be allowed to carry concealed into restaurants. The difference between the 2 bills is primarily in their approach. HB505 makes pretty massive changed to Section J3 of Code of Virginia 18.2-308 with the goal of literally reversing the meaning of the section. A cleaner, more direct approach is in HB106 which simply removes that section all together. HB106 also specifically permits CHP holders to legally carry concealed at a “religious meeting” so long as the leader of that meeting permits it. (Current law is vague on that matter.)
I look very much forward to the GA repeating its passage of this law this year for the same reasons that it saw fit and proper to do so in the past 2 years. Given the Assembly’s stance on the matter, as demonstrated in 2008 and 2009, this is business that could be completed quickly allowing the GA to move on to more complex matters that will require more time. They should deal with this matter swiftly and move forward with the rest of their agenda.
More on these matters will follow in the days to come.
January 27th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
2nd Amendment, Law, Politics, Virginia Politics |
one comment
The General Assembly has reconvened in Richmond and they do have a full agenda this year. (I’ll take a moment, with hometown pride, to call out a special welcome to the GA Delegate Thomas A. “Tag” Greason of the 32nd District. Damn that sounds good!) With the budget mess, transportation issues, and the upcoming census and redistricting the General Assembly will be busy every day they’re in session.
Today, however, I’d like to focus on the Bills being submitted that relate to firearms law and the free exercise of Virginians’ 2nd Amendment rights. My thanks to the folks at the NRA-ILA for doing the heavy lifting and gathering this data into 1 place. The following information is combined from 2 NRA-ILA alerts I received in e-mail:
House Bill 8, sponsored by Delegate Bill Carrico (R-5), and Senate Bill 3, sponsored by State Senator Ralph Smith (R-22), would allow concealed carry permit holders to renew their permits by mail.
House Bill 26, introduced by Delegate Thomas Wright, Jr. (R-61), would prohibit the Clerk of the Court from requiring an applicant for a concealed carry permit to provide any documentation or information not authorized by the law or prescribed by Virginia State Police.
House Bill 49, sponsored by Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), would repeal Virginia’s “one-gun-a-month” gun rationing law enacted by the Wilder Administration in 1993. This law has only restricted the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.
House Bill 52, authored by Delegate Mark Cole (R-88), would allow a court to waive a $25 dollar fine upon presentation of the permit to the court, if a person fails to display his concealed carry permit when requested by a law-enforcement officer.
House Bill 72, also introduced by Delegate Carrico, would amend the state penalties for possessing a firearm on school grounds. HB72 would reduce the penalty to a Class 1 misdemeanor from a Class 6 felony for those who inadvertently carry on school grounds.
House Bill 79, sponsored by Delegate R. Lee Ware, Jr. (R-65), prohibits the Clerk of Court from publicly disclosing concealed carry permit application information unless the permittee has provided written consent for the release of the application or information. The information will still be available to law-enforcement acting in performance of their duties.
House Bill 106, also sponsored by Delegate Cole, would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry in restaurants that serve alcohol, provided they do not consume, and would allow permit holders to carry during a religious meeting with the permission of the leader of the meeting.
House Bill 108, also introduced by Delegate Cole, would prohibit agents of localities or localities themselves from participating in “gun buy-backs” unless the governing body of such a locality authorizes such a program. The locality would then have the option of selling the firearms by auction to a federally licensed dealer (FFL) or disposing of the firearm in any other appropriate manner.
House Bill 109, also authored by Delegate Cole, would repeal the statute which allows the governing body of any county to require the sellers of pistols and revolvers to furnish the Clerk of the Circuit Court with the name and address of the purchaser, date of purchase and the number, make, and caliber of the gun.
House Bill 152, sponsored by Delegate John O’Bannon (R-73), would allow an electronic security employee who possesses a CCW permit to carry while on the job so long as he does not represent that he is carrying in the course of employment.
House Bill 171, introduced by Delegate Brenda Pogge (R-96), would prohibit property owners, employers, or a business entity from establishing or enforcing any policy prohibiting a person who may lawfully possess a firearm from storing a firearm in a locked motor vehicle in a publicly accessible parking lot.
House Bill 236, sponsored by Delegate Bill Janis (R-56), would remove the prohibition imposed by localities on hunting within a half-mile of subdivisions.
House Bill 251, introduced by Delegates Donald Merricks (R-16) and D.W. Marshall (R-14), would provide immunity from civil prosecution if a citizen uses force, including deadly force, to defend themselves and their loved ones if attacked in their home.
House Bill 475, authored by Delegate Charles Carrico (R-5), would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry their firearms concealed in school parking lots and into areas of the school, provided the school is not being used for official educational use or extracurricular activities.
House Bill 489, sponsored by Delegate L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-31), would organize the current concealed carry statute into a more readable format, thereby making it easier and clearer for the average citizen to understand their rights.
House Bill 505, sponsored by Delegate Todd Gilbert (R-15), would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense in restaurants that serve alcohol, provided that they do not consume alcohol.
House Bill 520, introduced by Delegate Joseph Morrissey (D-74), would require anyone who exhibits, sells or offers to sell three or more firearms per year at a gun show to register as a Virginia firearms dealer. The intent of this bill is twofold: to outlaw the private transfer and sales of firearms at Virginia gun shows and to open the door to a future ban of any private transfer or sale of firearms within the Commonwealth.
House Bill 637, authored by Delegate Ward Armstrong (D-10), would exempt a boarding team member or boarding team officer in the United States Coast Guard from the concealed handgun permit issuance fee, provided they have completed 15 years of service or reached the age of 55.
House Bill 870, sponsored by Delegate Benjamin Cline (R-24), would repeal the language that allows localities to fingerprint applicants for a concealed handgun permit.
House Bill 879, sponsored by Delegates Mamye BaCote (D-95), Robin Abbott (D-93), Jennifer McClellan (D-71) and Jeion Ward (D-92) along with State Senator Mamie Locke (D-2), would allow localities to pass ordinances banning the possession of firearms and ammunition in libraries they own or operate.
House Bill 885, sponsored by Delegate Cliff Athey (R-18), would allow any person who may lawfully posses a firearm and is carrying a handgun while in a personal, private vehicle or vessel to keep the firearm secured in a container or compartment in the vehicle or vessel.
Senate Bill 79, authored by State Senator William Roscoe Reynolds (D-20), would repeal the language that allows localities to require concealed handgun permit applicants to produce fingerprints before issuance of a permit.
Senate Bill 268, sponsored by State Senator Mary Margaret Whipple (D-31), would gut Virginia’s firearm preemption law by allowing localities to ban the carrying of firearms by law-abiding citizens in buildings owned or leased by local government. This bill would only create a confusing patchwork of local laws throughout the state.
That’s a lot of bills! As you can see, there are bills both in favor of supporting the free exercise of those rights and those trying to restrict such exercise. There are also bills that duplicate and overlap in their language. Over the course of the next several days, I will have things to say about specific bills listed here but I wanted to get them all out on the table for everyone to see the work that needs doing in this area. As I write about specific bills I’ll link back to this page. Those linkages will appear in the comments listed on this post so check there every so often if you want to see the related posts as they come up.
The first item I’d like to address is HB106 and HB505. Both bills have been offered to clear up the situation regarding valid holders of a concealed handgun permit (CHP) being unable to continue that carriage into a restaurant. In both of the past 2 years, measures have been passed in the GA that would remove that restriction and allow persons holding a valid CHP to carry concealed past the threshold of a restaurant or other establishment with a liquor license. As I’ve mentioned in the past, it is completely legal to carry openly into a restaurant. The laws in the past 2 years were intended to clear up the inconsistency of considering someone legal to carry concealed on the street outside the restaurant but not once they pass the door. In both cases where the law was passed, soon-to-be-former Gov. Tim Kaine vetoed the bill. While the veto override carried majorities in both cases, they narrowly failed to get the 2/3rds required to override. After last year’s attempt, I and other supporters of the measure put our efforts into electing a Governor who would put our rights in the priority position they should hold and would sign the bill if presented to him. We know how that effort panned out and Bob McDonnell will be inaugurated as Governor tomorrow.
Both HB106 and HB505 seek to provide the same end result: that a person holding a valid CHP be allowed to carry concealed into restaurants. The difference between the 2 bills is primarily in their approach. HB505 makes pretty massive changed to Section J3 of Code of Virginia 18.2-308 with the goal of literally reversing the meaning of the section. A cleaner, more direct approach is in HB106 which simply removes that section all together. HB106 also specifically permits CHP holders to legally carry concealed at a “religious meeting” so long as the leader of that meeting permits it. (Current law is vague on that matter.)
I look very much forward to the GA repeating its passage of this law this year for the same reasons that it saw fit and proper to do so in the past 2 years. Given the Assembly’s stance on the matter, as demonstrated in 2008 and 2009, this is business that could be completed quickly allowing the GA to move on to more complex matters that will require more time. They should deal with this matter swiftly and move forward with the rest of their agenda.
More on these matters will follow in the days to come.
January 15th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
2nd Amendment, Law, Politics, Virginia Politics |
no comments
Noted over on Instapundit, one of their readers sent in this proposed amendment to the Constitution.
Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives, and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States .
I’m in. Of course, most people appear to assume that it’s already the case. It’s not and that’s not right.
Note, too, that this amendment has all the hallmarks of the original 10 – succinct, plain language (for our day), and in keeping that the Constitution is intended to be a check on government action, not a supposed “grant” of rights to citizens. It would be nice for Congress to note, too, that it didn’t take 2000 pages to describe.
January 3rd, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Law, Politics |
no comments
Good news:
Homicides in Washington hit a 43-year low in 2009.
Police say the nation’s capital recorded 143 slayings in 2009, the fewest since 1966. Police had hoped to achieve the lowest total since 1964, when there were 132, but there were three slayings on New Year’s Eve.
The homicide total represents a 23 percent drop from 2008.
Metropolitan Police also closed 75 percent of murder cases, the second year in a row closed cases topped 70 percent.
That’s a long way from being the “murder capital” of the country and that’s an achievement everyone can applaud.
January 1st, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Crime & Punishment, Human Interest |
no comments
Advocates of gun control talk of the concept of crime increasing as more people have guns as if it’s a graven-in-stone axiom. Evidence has been presented in many localities that suggest otherwise and now the FBI’s nationwide crime report for the 1st half of 2009 shows definitively that this concept is untrue. From the NRA-ILA:
Last week, the FBI issued its preliminary 2009 crime report, showing that the number of murders in the first half of 2009 decreased 10 percent compared to the first half of 2008. If the trend holds for the remainder of 2009, it will be the single greatest one-year decrease in the number of murders since at least 1960, the earliest year for which national data are available through the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Also, the per capita murder rate for 2009 will be 51 percent lower than the all-time high recorded in 1991, and it will be the lowest rate since 1963—a 46-year low. Final figures for 2009 will be released by the FBI next year.
There can be reasoned debate about the natures of the causes and effects listed in the report but the numbers are clear on this: gun ownership went way up in the 1st half of 2009 and crime went way down. “More guns means more crime” is a fallacy, period.
I contend that more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens means criminals face a much higher risk-to-reward ratio when deciding to commit crimes against their neighbors and it is that change in the calculus that’s driving criminal behavior downward. That’s an educated guess and it accounts for the effects but there’s no denying that increased guns do not equate to increased crime. I look forward to seeing the report for the remainder of 2009 when it comes out.
December 31st, 2009
Posted by
ricjames |
2nd Amendment, Crime & Punishment, Politics |
2 comments
What many of us already knew about ACORN is coming to brighter light and wider knowledge thanks to the efforts of people like Andrew Breitbart, filmmakers Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe, and, now, Derrick Roach. The latest report breaking at Breitbart’s BigGovernment.com is regarding a massive document dump committed by ACORN San Diego where they threw massive stacks of their operating documents into a public dumpster just days before CA Attorney General Jerry Brown was scheduled to visit.
Shockingly, we now learn that the ACORN office in National City (San Diego County) engaged in a massive document dump on the evening of October 9th, containing thousands upon thousands of sensitive documents, just days prior to the Attorney General’s visit.
BigGovernment.com has learned that not only did this document dump occur, but the documents in question were irresponsibly and brazenly dumped in a public dumpster, without considering laws and regulations as to how sensitive information should be treated.
I am a local licensed private investigator. I took it upon myself to keep an eye on what the local ACORN office was up to, in light of the release of the undercover videos. I retrieved these documents from the public dumpster.
Documents shared with BigGovernment.com include information exposing not only the inner workings of ACORN in California, but also personal, sensitive information belonging to employees, members and clients of ACORN. ACORN and its few remaining defenders insist that the “good” ACORN provides outweighs the transgressions exposed in the recent undercover video sting. But, ACORN’s massive dumping of these documents and the cavalier manner in which it betrayed the trust of its supporters betrays that talking point. (Unlike ACORN, we have redacted sensitive and personal information.)
The report goes on to raise the issue 1) of ACORN’s literally illegal handling of these documents, given that they include legally protected information such as Social Security numbers, immigration information, etc., and 2) that the documents show that ACORN’s publicly-stated mission of helping the poor is merely a ruse.
BigGovernment.com is calling on CA Attorney General Brown and US Attorney General Eric Holder to open up a real investigation into ACORN and its activities. Failing that, it is their intention to show the information to the American people themselves.
This is precisely the kind of story that major news media outlets used to cover. They used to consider it to be their calling, their duty. Now, given how in the tank they are to the Democratic party and to the Obama administration in particular, you can’t get them to cover it even when it’s handed to them, gift-wrapped. Fine. Citizen jouralism, it is.
I’m looking forward to hearing more from BigGovernment.com on this issue and their other investigations.
November 23rd, 2009
Posted by
ricjames |
Crime & Punishment, Human Interest, Law, Politics |
one comment
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