No word yet on who the Cardinals elected.
But the “who” will be interesting. We’ll know soon enough.
Author: Hondo
-
Should Due Process Really Be Optional for the Second Amendment?
Something IMO noteworthy happened the other day in Granola State, AKA the People’s Republic of Kalifornia. It’s actually been happening there for some time.
The police went to a person’s home and confiscated their firearms.
California requires registration of certain types of firearms. It thus also maintains a database of registered firearms – close to one million of them at present.
Periodically, they also cross-reference this database against those recently convicted of felonies, and against those involuntarily committed to mental institutions.
In theory, there’s no issue. The Constitution’s 10th Amendment clearly places barring felons from firearms possession or ownership within the scope of state authority; Federal law likewise says felons cannot lawfully possess firearms. Their original criminal trial provided the due process required under the 5th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution for that to be permissible.
And those who’ve been involuntarily committed “clearly” shouldn’t have access to firearms. Allowing that would be absurd – right?
And yet . . . .
Well, let’s tale a good look at that second part. Because I for one find certain facts regarding and implications raised by one recent case occurring in California disturbing as hell.
And since Jonn lets me post here, you’re gonna hear about my concerns – whether you want to or not. If you keep reading, that is. (smile)
-
A Cincinnati Voting Fraud Update
Jonn wrote about three weks ago about Melowese Richardson of Cincinnati. Seems she was a poll worker – and also admitted to voting multiple times during the last Presidential election. She voted twice as herself (once in person, once absentee), and several other times “on behalf of” other people.
Well, yesterday Melowese Richardson was charged with eight counts of illegal voting . If convicted, she’s looking at up to 12 years in prison.
She’s not the only one in trouble, though. Hamilton County authorities also indicted a nun and an elderly man for illegal voting – one count each. Each is accused of casting an absentee ballot on the behalf of an individual who had requested one but died before returning their ballots. They’re each facing up to 18 months behind bars.
Silly me. I thought the operative principle in a free and fair election was “one man, one vote”. And I thought the dead only voted in Precinct 13 in Alice, Texas (see Robert A. Caro’s Means of Ascent for context). (smile)
-
Another Four Return
DPMO has announced the identification of four more US personnel previously MIA in past conflicts.
SSG James McKain, 5th Air Force, 43rd Bomb Group, US Army, was lost on 7 May 1944, near Nadzab, Papua New Guinea. He was accounted for on 2 March 2013. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery during the Spring of 2013.
1LT Douglas H. Haag, K Company, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost during the Battle of Chochiwon (10-12 July 1950) in Western South Korea (the DPMO site erroneously lists the location as “near Chochiwon, North Korea”). He was accounted for on 28 February 2013. He will be buried in Louisville, KY, during the Spring of 2013.
MSG Ernest W. Grainger, K Company, 21st Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on 11 July 1950 during the Battle of Chochiwon (10-12 July 1950) in Western South Korea (the DPMO site erroneously lists the location as “near Chochiwon, North Korea”). He was accounted for on 28 February 2013. He will be buried in Conway, SC, during April 2013.
CPL Billy M. McIntyre, K Company, 3rd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 31st Regimental Combat Team, US Army, was lost on Dec. 7, 1950, near the Chosin Reservoir, North Korea. He was accounted for on 27 February 2013. He will be buried during the Summer of 2013, near Carter, Oklahoma.
You’re finally home, my elder brothers-in-arms. Rest now in peace.
. . .
Over 7,900 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War, and over 73,600 remain unaccounted for from World War II. If you are a relative of one of the individuals listed here (Korea) or listed here (World War II – critical need), please consider reading this link to see if you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample – and if you do qualify, please do so. By doing so, you may be able to help identify US remains that have been repatriated but not yet positively identified.
Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all in the service of this nation.
-
A Bad Day for Military Aviation
We lost eight brothers-in-arms yesterday in military aircraft crashes.
A helicopter crash near Kandahar, Afghanistan, claimed the lives of five US soldiers yesterday. Initial reports indicate no enemy activity in the area at the time of the crash.
A separate incident in Washington state yesterday was also deadly. An EA-6B attached to VAQ-129 and operating out of NAS Whidbey Island crashed in a rural area yesterday, killing 3 Navy personnel.
There were no reported survivors in either incident. Names of those killed have not yet been released.
Rest in peace, my brothers-in-arms. May God comfort their surviving family and friends.
-
USAF RPA Airstrike Statistics Vanish – Update
An update: CENTCOM has now acknowledged that it was responsible for the recent decision to remove USAF RPA Airstrike data from AFCENT websites. CENTCOM released a statement on Sunday, 10 March 2013, acknowledging that it had removed the data. The stated reason was because the data “was ‘disproportionately focused’ on the use of weapons by the remotely piloted aircraft”. Per CENTCOM, most missions are used for reconnaissance; RPA airstrikes are “only 3 percent of sorties”.
Well, that explanation makes perfect sense. Those quiet reconnaissance sorties cause just as many problems and raise just as many potentially troubling issues as do RPA airstrike sorties.
I guess that clears things up. Nothing to see here; move along.
-
Yet More Nonsense from ND:tBF
Looks like Jim Jong-Un, AKA ND:tBF here at TAH, doesn’t think he’s getting enough attention from the world’s adults. He’s throwing another temper tantrum.
Specifically, North Korea is making fresh noises about “ending the cease-fire” between the Koreas. They’re apparently pissed that the UN has imposed new sanctions as the result of their latest nuclear test. And the US and South Korea refused to cancel a scheduled exercise, too. Waaaaa!
Seriously: North Korean threats along these lines are nothing new – nor are infiltrations, overseas terrorist attacks, attacks at sea, or DMZ shooting incidents. Frankly, it’s pretty much a part of “Norks being Norks”. So while there might be a few incidents and things might get tense for a while, I really don’t think he’s serious about starting a new Korean War.
Still, this latest string of belligerent statements warrants keeping close watch on North Korea. ND:tBF is still quite young – and quite naive. He also grew up insulated from North Korean reality as a member of the inner-circle elite. So he may not exactly have a firm grip on the reality of the situation he’s in, or the ramifications of attempting to carry out these threats. Hopefully cooler heads in the North Korean leadership do and will clue him in pronto.
I’m guessing they will. Because I’m also guessing most of the North Korean leadership does not have a death wish.
-
Finally – A State Legislator With Some Common Sense
I’m sure you all remember the recent Baltimore “Pop-Tart Gun Crime“.
Well, it looks like at least one Maryland State Senator has some common sense – and is pissed enough to try and do something productive.
Sen. J. B. Jennings has introduced a bill that would describe “appropriate discipline that must be adhered to during counseling students of all grade levels in any Maryland school that uses public funds.” The bill reputedly includes a protocol for counseling and disciplining school administrators who violate these guidelines. And it further mandates that minor offenses such as the “Pot-Tart Gun Crime” not be entered into a child’s school records if it’s simply an instance of “kids being kids”.
Not sure what chance this has in the People’s Republic of Maryland legislature. But it seems a breath of fresh air nonetheless.
I’m normally not a fan of more laws. But when the lunatics are running the asylum and about to burn the place down, well, sometimes a new law just might be needed.