Flies Create Garbage the same as Guns Create Crime

“After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it.”
William Burroughs, 1992

With the movie theater shooting in Aurora, CO, I can see the battle lines being drawn.  The news is quick to point out that the shooter purchased his firearms and 100 round magazine legally and some items from the internet.  Yet the media is not talking about all the people who are injured and are killed each year by vehicles and many from ‘under the influence’ drivers. 

“The philosophy of gun control: Teenagers are roaring through town at 90MPH, where the speed limit is 25.
Your solution is to lower the speed limit to 20.”
Sam Cohen
(inventor of the neutron bomb)

Fact is more US citizens perish and get injured each year via vehicles than firearms;  many, many more die from heart attacks than vehicles or firearms.

The data from the 1990 Harvard Medical Practice Study suggest that 150,000 Americans die every year from doctors' negligence -- compared with 38,000 gun deaths annually. Why are doctors not declared a public health menace? Because they save more lives than they take. And so it is with guns. Every year, good Americans use guns about 2.5 million times to protect themselves and their families, which means 65 lives are protected by guns for every life lost to a gun.
Dr. Edgar Suter,
San Francisco Chronicle, 7/12/94, Opinion (p. A17)

“When I began my research on guns in 1976, like most academics, I was a believer in the 'antigun' thesis. ... It seemed then like self-evident common sense which hardly needed to be empirically tested. ... [But] the best currently available evidence, imperfect though it is (and must always be), indicates that general gun availability has no measurable net positive effect on rates of homicide, suicide, robbery, assault, rape, or burglary in the U.S. ... Further, when victims have guns, it is less likely aggressors will attack or injure them and less likely they will lose property in a robbery. ... The positive associations often found between aggregate levels of violence and gun ownership appear to be primarily due to violence increasing gun ownership, rather than the reverse.”
Gary Kleck,
Prof. Florida State Univ, Sch of Criminology from a speech given to the Nat'l Academy of Sciences, 1991, as reported by Don B. Kates, Jr. in "Shot Down", National Review, March 6, 1995, pages 49-54.

“Since police started keeping statistics, we now know that assault weapons are/were used in an underwhelming 0.026 of 1% of crimes in New Jersey. This means that my officers are more likely to confront an escaped tiger from the local zoo than to confront an assault rifle in the hands of a drug-crazed killer on the streets.”
Joseph Constance
(deputy chief of Trenton NJ police dept) in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Aug 1993


Our Constitution and Bill of Rights grants each US citizen the right and freedom of CHOICE and the opportunity to pursue happiness. 

"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars."
Anonymous

As a result I will fight staunchly against any law that says every citizen must own a firearm, as I will against any law that says we citizens cannot own a firearm!

“Both the oligarch and Tyrant mistrust the people,
and therefore deprive them of arms.”
Aristotle

I only ask for the freedom of choice.  You let me have mine, and I will let you have yours; and neither of us will force a decision on the other.

“You may not like guns, and choose not to own one. That is your right. You might not believe in God. That is your choice. However, if someone breaks into your home the first two things you’re going to do are:
1) Call someone with a gun. 2) Pray they get there in time.”
Anonymous

A firearm is nothing but a tool to the criminal and a criminal will always find the tools they need to commit their crime. If you want to address crime you must get the criminal!

Fact:  NO Law, NO Dictate, NO Mandate, NO Legislation, NO Treaty, NO Act, NO Directive, NO Order HAS PREVENTED A CRIME!  How so?  Think Prohibition, it was an attempt to reduce/eliminate alcohol abuse, yet it didn’t.  In fact there was more ‘crime’ and abuse during Prohibition than before or after it!

In a perfect world, you wouldn't need guns. This is not a perfect world.
Ben Johnson
Sheriff  Volusia County, Florida, assumed office January 2, 2001; Re-elected in 2004 and  2008

The citizens of the United States are not immune to tyranny from our own government and never have been.  Our early and current history shows this to be a long running battle to stay free and independent, with a government ‘Of the people, by the people, for the people’.  

In the beginning there was the ‘shot heard round the world’ on April 19, 1775 at a bridge between Lexington and Concord where the British were out to confiscate colonial citizens of their firearms. 

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood,

And fired the shot heard round the world.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The American lust for the freedom of choice has been with us from the beginning.  This freedom is at the root of all of our freedoms and rights.  Take this one freedom away and you have destroyed all the rest. 

Bottom Line:  This is not about politics, Dems or Reps UN treaties, or even Crime Control - this is about the Republic of the United States of America, its Constitution and Bill of Rights – It’s about the Freedom of Choice – Period!

Owning a firearm or not is my choice and my responsibility – not the governments.  So leave my 2nd Amendment alone and live your life by your choice so I can live my life by my choice.

FACT:  If you want to reduce crime, put and keep the criminals in prison!

To get more information on U.S. 'gun control' history and a list of current bills and UN treaties read on @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/100766842/Flies-Create-Garbage-the-Same-as-Guns-Create-Crime 

TNT

Now they’re tryin’ to take my guns away
And that would be just fine
If you take ‘em away from the criminals first
I’d gladly give you mine
Charlie Daniels Band, A Few More Rednecks

 Test your knowledge on where you can and can't carry concealed weapons in the United States and other facts about guns.

- Scott Armstrong, Christian Science Monitor Staff writer at http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0313/Gun-laws-How-much-do-you-know/Gun-paper

1. How many people in the US have permits to carry concealed handguns?

1 million
6 million
50 million
100 million

2. How many states have laws that require authorities to issue concealed weapons permits to anyone who meets the proper qualifications?

10
25
40  
42

3. What state recently passed a law allowing permit holders to carry concealed weapons into the State House?

Texas
New Hampshire
Nevada
Georgia

4. What state recently voted to allow people who take an extra gun safety class to carry concealed weapons on college campuses and in courthouses?

Mississippi
Vermont
Georgia
Montana

5. North Carolina recently passed a law that allows permit holders to carry concealed weapons in:

Public high schools
Restaurants
Town parks  
Municipal government buildings

6. A federal ban an assault weapons was:

Never passed
Passed in 1994, but expired in 2004  
Passed in 1994 and remains in effect today
Passed in 1998, but expired in 2008

7. What US Supreme Court ruling in 2010 buttressed the rights of gun owners?

McDonalds v. Wendy's
McDonalds v. Remington
McDonald v. Chicago  
George v. Thomas

8. What US president signed legislation allowing people to carry concealed guns in national parks for the first time?

Richard Nixon
George H.W. Bush
George W. Bush
Barack Obama  

9. The one state that prohibits private citizens from carrying handguns in public is:

Massachusetts
Illinois  
Colorada
California

10. One big ammunition manufacturer is selling a line of shotgun shells and rifle cartridges that play off a popular cultural reference. What is the line called?

Max Hedroom
Mad Max
Zombie Max  
Maximus

How much do you know about the Second Amendment?   After decades of inactivity, the US Supreme Court in 2008 began a major reexamination of the scope of the right to keep and bear arms, an issue that has long ignited passionate debate and prompted powerful political lobbying. How well do you understand this constitutional evolution? Take our quiz to test your knowledge.  http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2011/1104/Second-Amendment-Quiz/Topic-of-Second-Amendment

A Tyrant's Worst Nightmare: A Citizen with a Gun  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7O98q6wBvs


"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."
Samuel Adams

Facts of Life & Preparedness

We humans tend to get easily side-tracked from what we ‘plan’ to do.  There are many factors that contribute to this from mass marketing and advertising, to rationalizing, just plain old excuse making and ‘life’ in general.  Yet one factor that often affects how well we stick to any plan is the most basic and simple of them all – We forget about what a human body needs to survive. Or more simply we ignore the vary basics that a human body needs, the bottom line.  Even ‘experts’ like Maslow, have identified this simple fact of life.

What happens to too many of us when we ask ourselves this basic question is we get all hung up on the touchy-feely side of things that mostly concern our mental and spiritual health or our ‘feel good’ mentality. 

Yes, these things are important and in my book, very important!  However the bottom line is that without our human body we are dead, pure and simple and if we are dead we cannot even begin to address these other factors, yet alone the more frivolous wants and desires.

•    Without oxygen rich air to breath we perish in about 4 minutes.
•    Without water to hydrate our bodies we expire in about 4 days.
•    Without nutritional food we die in about 4 weeks.
•    Without protection from the elements we can die between hours, to up to 4 weeks.

So any good preparedness plan will need to put the bulk of our time, energy and monies towards these four needs above addressing anything else.  The next bulk of time, energy and monies should be put to our psychological and spiritual needs.  Lastly, if at all, we go after our wants and desires.

Now many people will stick Medical and Dental needs immediately after our physical needs and then go on to the psychological and spiritual needs.  Whatever meets YOUR specific overall requirements on this subject should be your rule of thumb.  Nothing is set in stone here.

Funny, but this simple prioritizing rule is fantastic for just about all our other aspects of life, preparedness or not.  After all we are not some government that can just print the monies we need and grab laborers off the street to do the work, nor do we have some magic wand to create more than 24 hours in a day.  We only have ourselves, our families and maybe a few close neighbors and friends – and you can bet your last dollar that most of them will not act as a bank or laborer for us!

So how exactly does this apply to preparedness? 

Read on to find out!

Above all remember that life contains all kinds of tangible and un-tangible aspects, some are necessary, most are not and all require a thought process that identifies and prioritizes them.

TNT

"Emergency preparedness is a team sport.“
Eric Whitaker

July 4 - Independence Day

As we get ready to have our picnics, BBQ’s, parties and fireworks we should also take the time to reflect back to July 4, 1776.  We were not a country yet, we were just 13 British Colonies under the strict rule of King George III.

The American Colonists were a proud and independent lot, who had carved out towns, farms and businesses in this ‘new land’ with the freedom to worship as chose (or chose not to), without any interference from the Crown.

Meanwhile, the British Empire was looking to collect goods and funds from all of its colonies to finance its own goals, no matter what the cost to any of its subjects.

Here in the American Colonies, we choose to stand against this onslaught of self-serving rules, regulations, taxes, fines and fees … A few brave souls organized against the Crown and what was the largest and strongest military of the time.

These people had stiff competition, as some colonists did not wish to be independent of the Crown and were willing to slave away to keep all of the Crown’s so-called ‘perks’.  The American colonists knew that if they declared their independence that they would be charged with treason and put to death as traitors.

Yet they met and did so anyway and because of that we are here today as the Republic of the United States of American.  Comprised of independent, sovereign states with the freedom and liberties to worship, make money, speak, read and just plain live (pursuit of happiness) as we please without fear.

So on this July 4, instead of just stuffing our faces and sloshing drink, let’s thank these brave and persistent souls for our country, with its freedoms and liberties.  For without them, we would be nothing.

As you review the Declaration of Independence below, remember that the authors of our most sacred documents (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights) wrote these documents NOT for the lawyers, solicitors, politicians or educated few, but for the common people of the masses.

To read the Declaration of Independence and the American's Creed follow this link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/99038379/July-4-Independence-Day

Also see: Can You Pass the US Nationalization Test-History of US Citizanship & Nationalization http://www.scribd.com/doc/98913598/Can-You-Pass-the-US-Nationalization-Test-History-of-US-Citizanship-Nationalization

TNT

Preparedness - What's In It For Me?

Why Prepare?  That is a question right up there with ‘what is life and beauty’.   Yet disasters and emergencies, or crises as I prefer to call them, can occur at any time, in any place.  They can be large or small, long or short in duration, come with or without warning and have a minor to major impact on you, yours and or your community.

Disasters disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Each disaster has lasting effects, to people, to property, to the area it occurred and economically too.  There is always that awkward moment of shock after tragedy strikes.  Everyone's thoughts are racing, wondering, “What is going on?” “What happened?” “What is wrong?” Then the bystander effect or denial phase kicks in, where people just kinda stand there and say “I can’t believe this!” yet do nothing and it's in these crucial moments that action must be taken.

Just think, after only seconds of a person being unable to breathe, irreversible brain damage begins, gradually progressing and unless someone acts a life could end.  It doesn't take a Doctor to step up to the plate; anyone can help if they know what to do.  The same is true with any crisis that can occur to you or in your area.

Apply this to a disaster that occurs in your community: Local government and disaster-relief organizations will try to help you, but they may not be able to reach you immediately, or they may need to focus their efforts elsewhere.  Federal responders may shoot for 3 days to be on site and helping, but recent crises show the average to be closer to 5-6 days. So ultimately you need to be ready to take care of you and yours, without any assistance from these entities.

It's not really all doom and gloom if you shift your perspective to "needs planning and preparedness”, rather than “crisis planning and preparedness".   While all crisis events can't be totally avoided (tragic, catastrophic or small and controlled or not), you can have peace of mind knowing that you did your best to avoid loss of life and property and to reduce your trials and tribulations for you and yours.

It’s your gamble - You can choose not to have a disaster plan in place. If nothing occurs, then all is well!  However, in the event that something does happen or even worse, a disaster directly affects your family, then the consequences could be unthinkable. Bottom line:  It is YOUR CHOICE alone.

Being prepared does not have to cost you an arm and a leg.  It does not have to be a major lifestyle change.  However it will require some honesty, thought, time, effort and hard core planning; on top of  some sacrifices, like only going to the movies every other month instead of every month.

As with just about anything we humans endeavor to do, we seem to hit a point where we ultimately ask; “What’s in it for me?”  Ok so what are the advantages of being prepared vs being oblivious and or dependent on outside entities? 

To find out what the benefits are and how to get started read on @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/98312370/Preparedness-Whats-in-It-for-Me

TNT

“If it is to be, it is up to me.”
William H. Johnsen  
Depression-era realist/impressionist painter

Grid-tied Alternative Energy & Shysterism

So you have invested thousands in some kind of alternative energy source and have been reaping the very small to nothing electric bill; but now the grid is down and you are still suffering the power outage blues.  Well dah!  That is because for some reason, (known only to the powers that be) the rules and regulations regarding independent grid-tied electricity generation think only of the line maintenance people and not about the everyday consumer/citizen.

Which means that when the grid goes down - so does your alternative energy!  In fact due to Federal Safety Regulations all private energy generation, tied to the grid, MUST have a device that shuts down electrical flow when the grid goes down.  This is rightly to protect any grid line workers from being inadvertently electrocuted.  I have no problem with that. 
  
My problem is with all these utilities and corporations wanting their Mega Bucks, Mega Profits, Mega Quickly, so that they rarely, if ever, tell us that we need at least one other device added to the system in order to have power during a grid outage.  To top it off these shysters then charge us a 700-1000% profit price to get it!!!!  In fact most states do not require the utilities or corporations to tell you about this.  Oh if you ask outright they will, however if you don’t ask, they won’t tell you.

The device that these companies use to shut down any power going to your home and grid is the Service Entrance Disconnect, which is a device that interrupts excessive current and allows for manually or automatically disconnecting your home or business from the electric utility. It is generally a circuit breaker that is either part of your utility meter base, or is part of your main panel. It could also be called your "main breaker". It is required by Article 230 of the National Electrical Code to be as close as possible to the utility meter. This ‘breaker’ is usually combined with the much needed inverter, that converts between electricity types. 

Most Inverters are designed to convert DC electricity generated by alternative sources (solar, wind, micro hydro, micro geothermal) into AC electricity which is what a home needs.
 
Note: If you have a grid-tied alternative energy system, most utility companies will either give the homeowner a check or a credit on their next electric bill. This discrepancy is the result of different power selling policies employed by various electric companies and various state regulations.  Depending on the electric company that your house is connected to, you can either get a check or a credit.  In either case, the company is obligated to take your excess energy.

On top of this many, if not most, utilities and companies will then charge the homeowner, at installation of the system, for the two-way meter that is needed to determine this credit or monies for the excess electricity that is 'given' to the grid.

Note:  Science has yet to correct the loss of electricity that occurs during AC/DC conversion.  I don’t know what the particular loss figure is, however, the total loss from conversion of AC/DC and transmission (transporting the electricity across the grid) is apx 30%.

So what is this much needed self-reliant device?  The Transfer Switch.

Transfer switches control which power source you are connected to and eliminate the possibility of back-feeding normal power supply.   Now get this:  generator systems that are used for back-up (stand-by) or emergency power require transfer switches.  

If the governments, utilities and alternative energy corporations were honest with their consumer/citizens, these would also be required for ANY grid-tied energy system too; or at least openly offered without shenanigans. 

Transfer Switches are available in a range of amperages and options to meet your particular application, whether you have a 30 amp residential service or a 4,000 amp commercial service such as office building.

There are two types of Transfer Switches:

The Automatic Transfer Switch is the’ brain’ of a generator or alternative energy system – it does the transfer automatically when it detects a loss of power from the grid.  So basically it determines whether you are connected to normal grid-tied power, your alternative power source and or generator power system. 

A Manual Transfer Switch needs us humans to manually flip the switch when the grid goes down and again when power is restored.  Some states have laws against manual transfer switches when coupled with grid-tied alternative electricity systems.

When installing a transfer switch that will supply power to your entire home, the transfer switch needs to be installed between the "Service Entrance Disconnect" and the main distribution panel. If your home utilizes a  main breaker that's part of the main distribution panel, then you'll need to have a "Service Entrance Disconnect" installed, either separately, or as part of a "SERVICE ENTRANCE RATED" transfer switch.

Considering all the obtuse rules and regulations regarding grid-tied alternative energy systems, the easiest cheapest solution is to buy a "Service Entrance Rated" automatic transfer switch.

The National Electrical Code requires that all manual and automatic transfer switches be UL-1008 listed by Underwriters Laboratories and carry the UL-1008 label. This is in annex A of the 2002 National Electrical Code.  If a transfer switch meets this tough safety standard and has been certified by Underwriters Laboratories, it will carry the UL-1008 label. This label will clearly say one of the following:

•    UL LISTED AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH FOR EMERGENCY SYSTEMS
•    UL LISTED AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH FOR USE IN OPTIONAL STANDBY SYSTEMS
•    UL LISTED TRANSFER AND BYPASS-ISOLATION SWITCH
•    UL LISTED NON-AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH

If you want to run your entire house in case of a power outage and you have a large enough alternative energy system or generator, you need a transfer switch that is the same rating as your main breaker panel. For a home this will normally be either 100 or more likely 200 amps. The transfer switch would be installed between your main breaker (normally at the meter) and your main electrical panel. Some homes have a 400 amp service utilizing two distribution panels, in which case you'll need two 200 amp or one 400 amp Automatic Transfer Switch.
 
If you want to run only certain loads during a power outage you can install a sub panel off of your main panel and use a 100 amp transfer switch. This is a great idea if you don't have an alternative energy system or generator big enough to run everything. Some Transfer Switches even offer a “series 185” automatic transfer switch, with a built in load center, that saves space and makes installation easy.

FACT:  If you want to use your alternative generated electricity during a grid outage: even if the sun is not shinning, the water is not moving, the wind is not blowing or the steam is not building up to generate electricity, ie: even if these alternative generation sources are not 24/7; then you will need to store excess energy in something – most commonly some sort of battery grid. 

Any alternative energy system or generator, inverter and or transfer switch needs to be installed by a licensed electrician and the installation needs to be in compliance with all local and national codes. This is not a do it yourself job. Please hire a licensed electrician that will do the job right.
    
Bottom line: Depending on state laws, you may or may NOT have been told that having this alternative energy tied to the grid needs a transfer switch or it will NOT be there for you if the grid goes down and most states DO NOT require the salespeople to tell you this information either.  So be sure to ask about transfer switches and electrical storage options.  Just keep in mind that these companies are out to not only make a profit, but make a huge mega profit off YOU, so please do your research and shop around before you spend thousands.

So research thoroughly before you buy and be sure that if you are going to be utilizing a grid-tied system during a power outage that you have a transfer switch to do so.








For more detailed information on inverters, transfer switches and choices of alternative energy systems read on @ http://www.scribd.com/doc/97613891/Grid-Tied-Alternative-Energy-and-Shysterism
 
TNT

Today is the Tomorrow that you worried about Yesterday

Gun Show Folly

I have been setting up a “Dare to Prepare” table at the gun shows in my town for about the last 6 years.  This past week I had my usual “Dare to Prepare” table at a local gun show and I gotta tell ya I was appalled at what I heard while there.  

Now understand that I sell nothing, I merely give out information and answer questions. For this show I had a military academy on one side, the ATF on the other side and FFL dealers behind me and all around.  People would come by my table and say things that just threw me for a loop!!!   Of all the towns, in all the states I have lived in, I am sorry to say that this one takes the prize as being the most apathetic and uninformed – the most unprepared ;-{

"People only see what they are prepared to see."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Here are some examples of what I heard all weekend ...

“This is confusing, you have every possibility here and you’re not telling me what I should be most concerned with.”

“I live in blah-blah (suburban town to the major metro area where this show was) and all people have to do is come to my house, cause I have a garden and septic system and well water, etc.”

“I’m going to shelter in place and have a case of MRE’s and freeze dried food, and my spouse has the guns and ammo part taken care of. I don’t need to worry about go-bags or anything else.”

“We have a grocery store on every corner and a farmers market just 2 miles away.  I’ll be able to see the ‘writing on the wall’ in enough time so I don’t need to stock up on food stores.”

“Nothing happens in this town so there is no need to prepare for anything.”

“I always cook with fresh food, so food stores would be a waste for me.”

“Preparedness takes too much time, effort and money.  Besides that’s what FEMA, the fire department and Red Cross are for.”

“Preparedness is just a government scam to have us running scared; there is no need for this town or state to prepare.”

“You can’t prepare for everything”

To see how I replied to these statements go to http://www.scribd.com/doc/96430071/Gun-Show-Folly

However my little ending speech was a simple:  “I am not interested in turning you to my way of thinking.  That is your choice.  However, I have to wonder why you bothered to stop and engage me in conversation.  Was it because you want to be swayed or because you want to sway me?”

With that, some of the people who stopped to rebuff my ‘Dare to Prepare’ table subject, huffed and took off to the next table, some said ‘good question’, smiled then went on and others stayed and talked some more. 

Bottom line - I hope I got every last one of them to exercise their brains a bit ;-}

“If it is to be, it is up to me.”
William H. Johnsen  
Depression-era realist/impressionist painter

TNT

Doomsday Clock 1947-2012 & A Brief History of Doomsday from LiveScience.com

Just in case you want a look at the "Minutes to Midnight" Doomsday Clock from 1947 - 2012 and then a very brief history of Doomsday (provided by LiveScience.com), just follow the link below ;-}

http://www.scribd.com/doc/95482928/Doomsday-Clock-1947-2012-A-Brief-History-of-Doomsday-from-LiveScience-com

FYI: If you print this from the provided link, it needs to be on legal sized paper.

"Today is the Tomorrow that you worried about Yesterday"

TNT