The media IS the Democraptic party!

Mark, I am not a military strategist. Last job on active duty was Battalion S-2/S-3, a long time ago. However, the President is the Commander in Chief. He must have a strong Team of Military and Civilian Advisors and be able to listen to them, and make the final decision. Think Washington, Lincoln, Truman and Reagan.

Back to the Beach, only a couple more days before returning to the snow.

Caleb, I am also not a military strategist... just a voter.

You seem to elevate Reagan as a great commander in chief. Why?

What attributes or results inform that opinion. Mind you.... this is not really military strategy as much as foreign policy!

I get flagged when you highlight words like...

must listen to the generals

usually that means... do what the current general in charge is spinning or you are not respecting the military.
I have a big problem with this.

Two points... we have lots of generals with a complete spectrum of views. (See GWB era... I need 300k.... versus... I need 100 k in troops) Cherry picking your general is FINE (see Lincoln) so long as you, as president, completely own the decision. (Did Bush own this FUBAR in Irag or Afgan?)

The buck stops with the president and you will be second guessed for eternity. You better grow a pair when you take hard choices that don't fit American folk lore. We venerate winning generals and neuter the loosers. We celebrate our colonization period where we could kick some a$$. (Remember. the trope we were fed as kids... America never loses a war... America never starts a war... but will damn well finish it) The president has to own the choice and so he damn better be ready. the modern world does not yield white flags and surrender ceremonies very often. (See Dayton but also see Korea)!

Trump causes a lot of upset when he opines that American soldiers don't win wars anymore. Really?... do you think the volunteer force and the generals he just appointed have f'd it up over the last 60 years since Truman?

given the number of generals now in charge and trumps record, speech and behavior... Its a good time to take a careful look at your assumptions!

Today's Spirit of America rallies draw massive support for the popular vote loser.

There would have been more but they were busy knocking grave stones over.

Why do they all look so depressed?

The guy on the left was promised donuts.

Needed a wide angle lens to fit them all in.

<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5sXSzEXMAAa-6b.jpg" alt="" />
<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5sXUjCXEAcAjCR.jpg" alt="" />

<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5sa5gmXMAEwNAk.jpg" alt="" />
Maybe call it the man-on-a-million-corners rally?

<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5sa8VHXEAAhjSd.jpg" alt="" />
Get your Trump University graduation picture right here!

<img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5r5N_wWYAAEUbB.jpg" alt="" />
Break time! I hope that fat guy didn't Hoover all the donuts.

Fake news. Right Schwantz?

Prison for 2 who threatened violence at black child’s party

Douglasville judge says Confederate flag case was a hate crime

To make their point about their right to fly the battle flag and what they thought of African-Americans, they threatened black motorists with epithets and a gun, heckled black customers at a Paulding County Wal-Mart with the same epithet, and repeated their actions at a convenience store. The store manager called 911.

Then they happened upon the outdoor birthday party for an 8-year-old African-American child at his grandmother’s house in Douglasville. The confrontation that ensued, and its aftermath, culminated Monday with lengthy prison sentences for Torres and Norton.

[...]
Assistant District Attorney David Emadi detailed how the group had gone on a drunken, two-county spree July 24 and July 25. Emadi said that by the time the group reached the birthday party, they pulled a black, tactical pump shotgun out of one of the trucks. The shotgun matched one found in Torres’ truck later, Emadi said.

Emadi said Torres and two others passed the gun around, holding it as they and the others taunted not only the adults but the children.

“‘We’re going to kill some (racial epithet)s today,’” Emadi said, quoting witnesses present during the standoff. “We’ll blow the head off the little bastards. We’ll kill all the little (racial epithet)s.”

Someone passed ammunition to Torres and he leveled the shotgun at the group and yelled, “I’ll kill all of you (racial epithet)s,” Emadi said.

What happens when gun manufacturers project lower revenues? Trot out Krazy Wayne of course.

The NRA’s new gun-sales pitch: America is a war zone and the “violent left” is coming for you

Perhaps LaPierre is really pissing in his pants, afraid of leftist protesters. But the gun-safety advocates I spoke with took a more cynical view, arguing that LaPierre’s be-afraid-buy-guns speech is better understood as a marketing move.

The number of Americans who own guns has been declining for years, creating a serious marketing problem for the gun industry. With fewer owners out there, the gun industry has to convince the people who do own then to buy more and ideally build up a massive and expensive stockpile of weaponry.

Will Chumlee buy more pieces? If he can unload his Beck gold coins...

“So, I start to think to myself: Oh, I think this guy is trying to let people know I’m a Jew. And I think to myself, ‘Doesn’t my face do that?’” recalled Stewart at the benefit. “Honestly! Where have you seen this face other than a poster for Yentl? In what world are people like, ‘Stewart? That’s a Scottish name! But there’s something about that fella that looks a little schmear-y.’ It would be funny if it wasn’t so toxically fuckin’ crude and horrible.”

Revisiting Donald Trump’s Anti-Semitic Attacks Against Jon Stewart

Steven Goldstein, the executive director of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, said it best: “Trump quacks, walks, and talks like an anti-Semite. That makes him an anti-Semite.”

You Can’t Spell America Without ME: The Really Tremendous Inside Story of My Fantastic First Year as President Donald J. Trump

Alec Baldwin and Kurt Andersen are writing a Trump book together. Sad.

Coming in November.

Just wondering how many people are killed in the US by guns kept in homes. Do they keep these kinds of figures for say the last 12 months?

Posted Feb. 28.

As of “press time,” 20 people had accidentally shot themselves during the week beginning February 5. That’s a little on the high end, but not very far out of keeping with routine. The week’s list also included six minors accidentally shot (and three shootings by kids under age six, not including those who accidentally shot themselves), five accidental gun fatalities, five people who accidentally fired guns they were cleaning, and five people who accidentally fired guns while they were out and about with the rest of us, shopping, dining, staying at hotels, etc. And, as usual, there were multiple incidents of members of the military and law enforcement officers involved in GunFAIL incidents of various kinds, hunting accidents, and “home invasion shootings,” where friendly gun enthusiasts (accidentally) include their neighbors in their activities, sending discharged bullets into their homes and properties without waiting for an invitation.

Speaking of accidentally firing into a neighboring property, and of accidentally firing your guns while you’re out shopping with the rest of us, Florida has got us covered on both counts. On February 10, in Seminole, a 19-year-old girl was shot in the back while getting a pedicure at Dara’s Nail Salon and Day Spa. I may have the wrong picture in my head, but it seems like getting shot in the back during a pedicure isn’t all that easy. And as it happens, this one had to be pulled off by accidentally firing a .45 through the wall of the gun shop next door. Be aware of who your neighbors are, I guess! Though the owners of the nail salon here could certainly be forgiven for believing the NRA’s propaganda, telling them that the gun shop next door was the safest neighbor anyone could have. If they’re not GunFAIL readers, that is.

The next day, on the opposite coast, a friendly Responsible Gun OwnerTM and concealed carry permit holder accidentally dropped his little friend in the Dunkin’ Donuts in Coconut Creek. The floor of the donut shop, which is not licensed to carry firearms irresponsibly fired the weapon, striking a 55-year-old woman, more likely there for donut holes than bullet holes. But what’s a patriotic citizen to do? The concealed carry permit holder was merely exercising his right to keep drop and bear accidentally discharge arms. And at least he did what his concealed carry permit required him to do in such a situation. That is, carry his gun out of the establishment, and conceal himself elsewhere, before the police arrived.

Alternative Facts
At his Jan. 10 Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Sessions was asked by Sen. Al Franken, a Minnesota Democrat, what he would do if he learned of any evidence that anyone affiliated with the Trump campaign communicated with the Russian government in the course of the 2016 campaign.

“I’m not aware of any of those activities,” he responded. He added: “I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.”

Facts
Then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) spoke twice last year with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Justice Department officials said, encounters he did not disclose when asked about possible contacts between members of President Trump’s campaign and representatives of Moscow during Sessions’s confirmation hearing to become attorney general.

One of the meetings was a private conversation between Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that took place in September in the senator’s office, at the height of what U.S. intelligence officials say was a Russian cyber campaign to upend the U.S. presidential race.

The previously undisclosed discussions could fuel new congressional calls for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Russia’s alleged role in the 2016 presidential election. As attorney general, Sessions oversees the Justice Department and the FBI, which have been leading investigations into Russian meddling and any links to Trump’s associates. He has so far resisted calls to recuse himself.

Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose

Well bless his heart.

I wonder how many people will die if they decide to rescind the right to own fire arms here.

Karl, Good question.
Can you point out some that were saved?

Many.. for instance

https://bearingarms.com/category/guns-saving-lives/

I like this one

http://www.breitbart.com/big-journa... ng-to-debate-having-a-gun-saved-my-life/

I'm sure they do. But they don't always list the reason for the death. I'd venture most are either suicide or accident.

But the overall number of firearm injuries/deaths pale in comparison to auto deaths (occupant, pedestrian, motorcycle or bicycle) and injuries.

And the reasons for most auto deaths are similar (accident/distracted driving).

In my opinion there are a large proportion of vehicle owners (and firearm owners) who really aren't responsible enough to be in charge of one... but that's the reality of our society.

oh, crap... you just opened another

Drill

thread... The NRA is happy to post in each of their magazine issues, many police narratives of self-defense related shootings (where the defender was in the right). I believe at least one or two pages of each issue is dedicated to recent events of self-defense.

I use those little narratives to determine where i DO NOT want to live (like certain parts of Atlanta, ALL of Detroit, and wherever Karl lives <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" /> , for example)

I would also posit that for every responsible firearm enthusiast, there might be 2

gun nuts

who see ownership as some form of empowerment. It's these twerps that cause most of the bad reputation.

Just like the USA driver license test being a complete joke, many conceal-carry training courses are wholly inadequate.

One of the top medical journals; I forget if it was NEJM or the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, had article on this a while back

#1 - Anger... on spouse shooting the other in a fit of rage... at least that is how the lawyers spin it.

I think suicide and accidents were #6 & #10.

I prefer my Schutzhund trained Belgian Maloniose and baseball bat...

I have no desire to own a gun... That said.. with 911 response times being more that 10 minutes.... and with a larger number of psychopaths and sociopaths running around... I have no qualms with those that do..

Ever see what a well trained K-9 can do in five minutes?

Obama Administration Rushed to Preserve Intelligence of Russian Election Hacking

American allies, including the British and the Dutch, had provided information describing meetings in European cities between Russian officials — and others close to Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin — and associates of President-elect Trump, according to three former American officials who requested anonymity in discussing classified intelligence.

Separately, American intelligence agencies had intercepted communications of Russian officials, some of them within the Kremlin, discussing contacts with Trump associates.

Mine just licks his (former) balls, but I haven't exactly kept up with the continuing training for him.

I respect those who don't own firearms and those RESPONSIBLE folks that do. Like a hammer (on steroids), it is a tool that can be used and mis-used.

I've got nothing someone would want to kill for, and I don't present myself as a target (dark alleys, cash hanging out, soliciting hookers or meth) so I suspect my need to defend using lethal force is low.

But those flying scot sailors can be an unruly bunch so I should probably pack heat at the next regatta. You got to be on meth to think those things are fun (or fast). <img src="<>/cry.gif" alt="cry" title="cry" height="15" width="15" />

But back to your statistic regarding domestic violence. Interesting to know, although I would wonder how many domestic violence injuries are caused by firearms vs. anything else (vehicles, objects, etc.)

I'd also have to wonder why a background check didn't pick any prior domestic abuse history (unless they were all first-timers).

Not that I'm defending the gun lobby or the gun-ban lobby...

any facts behind this.... or just news reports on the TV that you naturally filter as pschopath attack.

Case in point... Have there been any acts of domestic terrorism in the last two weeks?

well.... if you shoot and kill one of two Indian engineers.... you could call that an increase in pschopaths and sociopaths that warrant conceal carry .... domestic anti muslim terrorism.... hate crimes against people of color.... or right wing terrorism.

Pick your filter.

This would be a normal issue in social research... what is abnormal are the laws which prevent data collection that score gun use, no matter how they are used.

Alright!!! A little sailing discussion. That's reason to celebrate!

My question was poorly written.

How many people are going to die in the act of being disarmed? The internet guesstimate is 3% will stand up and fight. I don't know how accurate that is. You can put me in

cold dead hands

category, but my reasons to go on are pretty thin

Are you saying the perpetrators of crimes against persons don't exhibit these predictors in their behavior...

If so can you cite that?

The discussion here is people protecting themselves in their home form those that violate those boundaries...

What is the NRA and their lapdogs in congress afraid of? The CDC was ready to do the research but couldn't get funded.

.... and flying scot sailors

I work retail, at the checkout counter when they open their wallet, the concealed carry permit is in front of their driver's license.

My worry is that one of these days there will be a situation where one a**hole with a gun will stand his ground and then all of the others will start shooting without a clue what they are doing.

Here locally I'm more afraid of law enforcement. This week a county deputy put 8 into a drunk, crazy man wielding a knife. Before that just 4 blocks from my house a city officer shot & killed a citizen (she was in our store the day before)in a shoot/no shoot demo in the fire station.

Those that have guns are looking for ways to use them.

If you are a hammer then the whole world is a nail.

<****

Scientists are back in a position they’ve been in many times before, in which they might have to voice their political views, both to ensure their own survival and as an ethical necessity. “The level of activity I’ve seen in the past few months has been incredible,” Teich said. “I haven’t ever seen scientists get this worked up before.” Kuznick said that the level of organization is reminiscent of the 1930’s—or beyond. US scientists are planning marches, running for office, speaking publicly at meetings, and reaching out to the general public. They’re trying to make their way back into the political world they’ve inhabited before.

“The idea of the disinterested, removed scientist is dead everywhere except in pop culture,” said Egan. “The public still thinks that’s what a scientist is...but closing yourself off in the lab is no longer an option.” Kelly Ramirez, like scientists across the country, recognized that right away on the morning of November 9th, and in the wake of the election, she and many other scientists like her knew exactly what they were going to do: organize, resist, and advocate for science.

No that is not my point or the question.
This debate is about the reasons for making a choice to weaponize the home. The purpose of the argument is justifying the action as reasonable, getting a pass on the judgment, or persuading others of the reasonableness.

Lots of fuzzy thinking here... usually we use the term reason in the context of cause and effect... reasons are facts that support the mechanism. when really.... what you have is the expression of a value ( I value guns) ... which doesn't need a reason.

Someone, claimed that there were

Larger NUMBERS of nuts

So this introduces a debate about the level of risk AND more importantly.. the idea that the

risk

is actually increasing....

Critical thinking would cause you to consider that the level of deviants is constant or even declining and just being reported more because it sells eyeballs on tv news. Or... a pretty blondes was the victem and we sympathize. Alternatively are you, the observer, just filtering the noise 'of the news and

it seems like

the risk of a home invasion is increasing. (another pretty blonde was a victim)
Can someone point to some measurements that yield valid data .... the frequency and number of nutter home invasions is increasing???

A single event in the country a year could be enough of reason for you to take an action. Hell... No actions are needed to express a value.... You can make it up.

I value guns

Full stop..

However, the intent was to persuade others to ratify some one's decision as being based on much more then a single reason. It was stated as a FACT that the level of deviance had INCREASED and because circumstances had changed... there were MANY bad events and the decision made to weaponize was VERY reasonable. I don't see the data for this.... and so I argue that changing behavior would be Un reasonable.

Somebody else raised the issue of the downside. Ie death caused by emotional exchanges within the family, suicide, accidents etc. This is the other side of the

reasonable argument

. They are inviting a person who does opt for an un real reason to own a weapon to also consider the downside risk and share their assessment of the downside risks as they balance against the upside risks ...

Of course, you never have to look at the risk reward balance either. its a free country... you can weaponize your home for NO reason. not a problem. (Now weaponizing the public space... hmm).

A persuasive case to weaponize your home would be founded in facts about the actual risk in your world, actual facts about the change in risk and consideration for the facts of the down side risk that comes with it.

What is actually going on is the attempt to make the case simply by agreement.. EVERYONE has a gun... so its

reasonable

to have a gun in the home. this is simply not a cause and effect relationship. The term reasonable shouldn't be used. This is just agreement based on a shared value. So... facts like the decline in numbers of homes with guns undermines the pro home owner gun argument

by agreement

. Fewer people then the past have guns in the homes... ergo... Less agreement on gun values and less of a faux

reason

No worries... the second amendment gives you the right as a matter of the constitution.... so... even if the number of gun families continues to decline... no changes to you for so long as we have no constitutional amendments passed.
(now ..... if the popularity of gun ownership declined enough... a constitutional amendment would take away your right.... so driving up fear to reverse the everybody has one agreement argument is what it is... a strategy... not a reason.)

I have family members who weaponize for no reason beyond false perception of risks/reward. (they mistate the facts) I only visit the ones with gun safes and good track records of maintaining their firearm skills (helps that they are ex military). I had one family member with a flying scott... Yeah... maybe we should solve that problem once and for all

Stop being lazy and go do some of your own research... you will be surprised at the statistics specifically of the robberies that occur while someone is in the house that brews into a murder, or the rapes... There is a very popular Weta sailor out here, that I believe has posted here a few times, whose stepson's murderer was just convicted after 20 years. He surprised the burglar when he came home and was stabbed to death. And this was not some PG County Ghetto Hood either.

Would having a gun changed the outcome of that encounter... that we don't know, but this happens a lot more that what you elude to with your statement above.

Again, I am not advocating guns... I have a dog's bark that does a better job of keeping them away... Again, for those the chose this I have no problems with you... but two things... my child will not come to your house to play with your child... and if you pull it you better use it because it may be used on you.

I guess your tune will change if it hits close to home for you.

Let move on to something more pleasant like Damon getting this site up and running an how we can support his with this.

When you're losing the argument, change the subject. Right Schwantz?