Just stirring the pot....

It looks like ISIS has again attacked innocent civilians by driving a van into a crowd, this time in London, and then moving on to attack others nearby with knives, too.  This has happened previously in France and Germany as well, and experts say it's likely to happen again.

Because of the tight control of firearms in Europe, it's difficult for civilians to legally possess guns.  ISIS has for some time now urged their "soldiers" in Europe to get a vehicle and run  infidels over.  Cars and truck are readily available; guns are not.  Terror will happen, using whatever weapons are at hand.  

In the incident over the weekend the London police were reportedly on the scene promptly, and had shot and killed all 3 terrorists within 8 minutes.  I've heard one bystander tried to defend himself by throwing a table at one of the terrorists as he ran through the crowding stabbing people at random, but most of the victims were simply defenseless for 8...long...minutes.

What if a select number of civilians, after undergoing a serious background check, and after attending both classroom instruction and actual live-fire training, were allowed to be discretely armed?  What if one of those select few were on that London bridge, or in that pub?  What if they could have defended the helpless until the police arrived?  Would that have been a bad thing?

Some say introducing more guns into society won't make us safer.  It seems to me guns in the possession of well trained and well intentioned civilians certainty won't make us any less safe.  I'm one of those civilians legally licensed to carry a firearm, and I regularly do, even though statistics say the odds of me ever needing to use my gun to thwart an attack is infinitesimal.  I also have several fire extinguishers in my home, and the odds are about the same I'll ever use them, either, but in either circumstance I'm prepared. 

Do I make society any less safe by being armed?  If you were being attacked by someone with a knife, for example, would you tell me to get away from you as my gun was a menace to you and society?  Would you decline my offer to defend you?

Guns certainly aren't for everyone.  They must be kept out of the hands of criminals.  I believe in extremely thorough background checks for anyone willing to carry, and extensive training, too.  I don't believe in "open" carry (not concealed), or non-regulation of civilian carry.  Some shouldn't be allowed to carry as they haven't demonstrated the necessary level of good judgement, and that needs to be rigidly enforced.  

After over two decades of legal carry being allowed in my "Wild West" state of Texas, statistics have shown that legally armed civilians have been a strong net positive for society.  Even those in law enforcement who were originally opposed to the idea are now on board.

Just something for you to think about....

S

"Were your there, Grandpa, when The Donald became President?"

Presenting the next King President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.

Remember all those "And You Were There" books that put you in the place and time a historic event took place?  I think watching Donald Trump this election cycle dispose of 17 primary opponents and win the Republican nomination for President is going to be one of those book-worthy historic events.

The Republicans have one more night of smoke blowing for us to endure, and then it's on to Philadelphia to watch the Democrats trot out their Dog and Pony Show.  I have no idea what the polls say this morning, which will no doubt be different, perhaps even 180 degrees different, from what they'll say next week or next month, but I think it's over.  The Donald will be our next President.

Here's why I say that:  First, national events are working in Trump's favor.  His tough law-and-order stance will resonate more and more over the next few months.  The stark contrast between candidates Trump and Clinton will cause national tensions to remain high.  Another minority will lose his life under suspicious circumstances, and another few lawmen will sadly die, too.  Hillary Clinton's meek "why can't we all just get along" message will ring hollow compared to Donald Trump's "kick ass and take names" chest pounding.  Advantage Trump.

Second, terrorism around the world is gaining momentum.  I don't care if we militarily stomp ISIS into the dirt in Syria and Iraq, lone wolves or small cells of Islamic terrorists will continue to kill innocent people in Europe and, yes, perhaps even in America, too.  We're right now seeing the only sane (up until now) Muslim country in the Mid East be taken over by an Islamic strongman.  Turkey is going down the toilet before our very eyes.  How soon before the West will be told to take our NATO and move along?   Many Americans say they're tired of being "kicked around".  Donald Trump's tough talk will help soothe a lot of wounded American egos.  Advantage Trump.

And finally, we know the campaigns will get nasty, but think what each side has to complain about.  Hillary can talk about Ms Trump's plagiarism, Donald's multiple business bankruptcies, the perhaps fraudulent Trump University (which no one had even heard of until a couple of months ago), Trump steaks, his animated insult of a physically challenged NY reporter, his massive ego, his lack of government experience (which to many is as much an advantage as a disadvantage), his serial marriages, his policy flip flops over the years, "Two Corinthians", his demeaning words about Hispanics (whose votes Republicans rarely get anyway), and a few others.

Now think what Donald Trump can say about Hillary Clinton.  It's hard to even count all the scandals, real or imagined, that she has been associated with over the past 30 years....her abortive HillaryCare back during Bill's presidency, File Gate, Travel Gate, Vince Foster, the legal order to give back stuff she left the White House with when Dubyah moved in, and all the trade deals she has supported, which can easily be argued cost American jobs.  And more recently, American lives lost at Benghazi, the recent Iran deal she began negotiating, her "damn emails", etc.  Plus, she's been a part of government for decades.  It will be easy to say she's not the answer, but actually a part of the problem.  And independently, the NRA will go after her with a vengeance.  Hillary's flaws will seem more substantive to more people than Donald's shortcomings. 

Game, set, match.  All Hail President Trump.*

S

* Don't run to your bookie and bet on Donald Trump based on my analysis.  I also thought he would have stumbled and fallen months ago.  What do I know?  *wink*

Here we go again....

The crowd at a Bastille Day celebration in Nice, France runs for their life as a truck ran down hundreds of people on the street.  Early reports are the driver was a French Muslim citizen of Tunisian heritage.

Once again we are focused, even overwhelmed, by talk of terrorism and how likely we are to see it here in America.  Short answer:  Yes, we'll see it here in America again, too.  Start buying up supplies, stocking bottled water, and building that safe room.  Pull the shades, hunker down.

Kidding.  All the "Breaking News" banners across our TV screens might push us in that direction, but the facts just don't support it.  Terrorism, unless you live in some hellhole like Iraq or Syria, doesn't register as a leading cause of death.  According to our Center For Disease Control, [in 2014] these are what we Americans should be watching out for:

Heart disease: 614,348

Cancer: 591,699
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 147,101
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 136,053
Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 133,103
Alzheimer's disease: 93,541
Diabetes: 76,488
Influenza and pneumonia: 55,227
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 48,146
Intentional self-harm (suicide): 42,773

Terrorism isn't even on their loooooong list.  It's probably somewhere down there with "being kicked in the head by a mule" as a cause of death.  Relax.  Relax, but don't just walk around with your head up your arse.  Learn situational awareness.  That's a $3 term for knowing what's going on around you.

Keep your eyes and ears open.  If you're a Muslim yourself, you're likely to come into contact with other Muslims.  If you pick up talk about some being sympathetic to ISIS-type attacks, report it.  

If you're African American and you hear some in your circle of friends/acquaintances expressing support for "getting even with the cops" or white people in general, report it.  If you're a white person and you hear some in your circle of friends/acquaintances showing support for white supremacist activities, report it.   If you're a Hindu....oh, never mind, they never hurt anyone.  No, all terrorists are NOT Muslim.  These qualify, too.

Any time you're out in public, at a theater, or a mall, concert, or sporting event, understand that you can NOT be protected all the time.  I love our cops, but they can't be everywhere.  By the time someone calls 911 and the cops arrive, it's usually all over.  YOU are ultimately responsible for protecting yourself and your family.  Know where your avenues of escape are.  If you learn to just matter-of-factly note these things, you will be able to react instinctively if it ever hits the fan.

Now to stir the pot....if you have a firearm and you are legally licensed to carry it, consider doing so.  Learn how to use it, when to use it, and when NOT to use it.  You can't just whip out your 15-round Glock and start blasting away in the general direction of an active shooter.  If you do, then YOU become an active shooter yourself.  And you know what happens to active shooters.  *Taps*

Relax, breath, think, and be prepared.  But most importantly, just LIVE.

S

 

And it's only going to get worse....

I've been giving the terrorist attack in California considerable thought, and to me it's becoming more and more clear how things will play out.  (Note....you can redeem this commentary along with $4US at any Starbucks and receive a delicious hot beverage  :)

It's said the US has been spared much of the unrest between Muslims and non-Muslims that they've seen in Europe because, unlike there, we've done a relatively good job of welcoming and assimilating Muslims into our society.  (FYI, 65% of the 2.35 million American Muslims are foreign born.)  They feel they have a vested interest in our country and our economy, and enjoy the same unlimited chance for success that everyone else has.  But I sense that is changing in a big way.

In recent years Muslims seem very proud of the attention they've been getting on the world stage.  In my area (D/FW) for example, our 43 Mosques are very well attended.  I see many more Muslim women wearing head scarves, and even burkas, on the street.  Muslim families are proudly giving their children names that leave no doubt their religion.  They seem to be wearing their religion "loud and proud".

Meanwhile, non-Muslim Americans have been becoming more and more aware of and even resistant to their Muslim neighbors after the rise of international terrorism, which seems to be overwhelmingly orchestrated by radical Islam.  And it's not just confined to places like Lebanon or Palestine or North Africa.  Now it's becoming almost common in the UK and France, Sweden and Denmark and Germany, too, to people who "look like us".  And our politicians have noticed, too, and are milking it for all they can....think Trump, Cruz, and friends.

Now we've had a full-blown radical Islamist attack in OUR country.  We've made the big league.  The suspicion of American Muslims is high, and frankly, it's not without cause.  While only a tiny minority are thought to be true violent jihadists, polls say there are a surprising number of jihadist "sympathizers" and "supporters".  Would they call the FBI and speak up if they knew of an impending terrorist attack, or would they sit back and watch it happen?  And since you can't just look and tell which are which, people seem to be walking wide of ALL Muslims.  (So much for assimilation!)

The natural reaction of Muslims is to "circle the wagons".  It's rapidly becoming an "us vs them" situation, and this is where Islamic radicalizers (if that's a word) will find increasingly receptive converts.  A bad situation is noticeably beginning to accelerate.  Look for more San Bernardino's.

Wanna see a feeding frenzy?  Go to a gun show today.  And they aren't being attended just by Bubbas, either.  There are lots of people there who look JUST like me.  *wink*  The more talk there is of "gun control", the faster guns fly off the shelves.  I can only imagine how many guns are being sold under the radar!  We've come to feel our government has let us down and can no longer protect us, and with every new "incident", that feeling will intensify.

Where/when/how will it "hit the fan"?  Beats me, but don 't be surprised when it does.  Interesting times we live in, for sure.

S

You (almost) read it here first

Yesterday I read in the news that Jihadi John, the public face (eyes?) of ISIS, the nut case who was their designated beheader, was killed in a US airstrike.  Good riddance!  

Then the news went on to say that our strikes have been responsible for a mid-to-upper level ISIS leader being killed every few days since the summer.  And how anti-ISIS forces in Syria / Iraq have inflicted on them recent battlefield setbacks, and how ISIS recruiting is beginning to fall short of replacing their losses.  Again, no tears from me.

But then a little light bulb went on in my brain that reminded me of the old saying, "Desperate people do desperate things".  The one thing a military cannot do is lose momentum.  Once momentum is lost, supporters stop jumping on their bandwagon.  It seemed logical to me that ISIS would need to do something soon, something game changing, to regain the momentum.

Since the only thing ISIS is good at is killing, I expected to see them commit a major atrocity somewhere.  My thoughts were they could attack the US, but really, there were targets softer and easier to get to elsewhere that could be attacked and help get ISIS back on the offensive.  Logically, that would be somewhere in Europe.

Before I could put my thoughts on the internet, it happened.  As we saw last evening, they chose Paris.  Over a hundred souls are dead, with another 300 injured, many critically.  French President Francois Holland has now said "This is war.  We are going to be ruthless!"  And I just heard a French commentator say "No boots on the ground there (Syria / Iraq) will mean more blood on the streets here."

This is going to be big.  Really BIG!  Where many countries, many different political persuasions, have been holding back, the pressure to get involved in a more substantial way may now be too much for them to resist.  For a western country to agree to contribute a mere handful of aircraft to the anti-ISIS cause will no longer be considered enough.  And after the Rooskies lost a passenger aircraft to ISIS, you know they are going to ramp up their kick-ass-and-take-name offensive.  Strange bedfellows, huh?

Now I'm wondering what is going to happen to / towards the millions of Muslims who live in western nations?  It's hard to not look at them with suspicion, but to do anything overtly discriminatory against them could backfire in a big way.  And it's already started.  I just heard a Republican presidential candidate say "Our president needs to do more to protect the American people instead of trying to protect the image of Muslims."  I get that, but still, it's a slippery slope we're walking.

IMHO, the big winners:  Political hawks (read: Republicans), the pro-gun movement in the US (yes, we tend to over react), and the western world's military / industrial complex.  

Doesn't the fact that we will likely soon be spending more of our human and national treasure fighting ISIS mean that they win, even if they lose?  

Maybe I should stop thinking.

S


 

And where they'll land, noooooobody knows....

Wait for the $64,000 Question at the end

The mass exodus of desperate refugees from the war torn regions of the Mid East (which is most of it) continues.  Men, women, and little children are running for their lives, carrying with them little more than the clothes on their back.  Over a million are expected to make it to Europe this year, but exactly where they will eventually call home is still up in the air.

Our Western sense of decency and compassion, at least mine, says we must help them.  We can't simply sit idly by when people are exhausted, hungry, homeless, and desperate.  To do nothing would be absolutely heartless.

But now we're told it's almost guaranteed that embedded within these migrants are terrorists.  The jihadists are certainly cruel and brutal, but they are NOT stupid.  I doubt many of the fearful refugees making the trek are carrying official paperwork, so it would be easy for a few hundred....thousand?....ISIS/Al Qaeda-types to sneak through, too, where they could link-up later with cells already in place in Europe or elsewhere.

Let's back up and review for a second.  What is the ultimate root-cause of all this mess?  IMO, it's Islam.  Have you seen a religion, in the modern era at least, that condones killing to this degree in the name of their Supreme Being?  That seems to be one bitter religion.  Shia vs Sunni....Wahhabi....Salafist....they're just out of control!  My understanding is they aren't fighting for economic gain, or territorial gain, but to conquer others in order to please Allah.

Sure, Christianity has had their dark periods, too....think The Crusades, and more recently in Northern Ireland and the Balkans and a few other places as well.  (I don't think you could include the Nazi era, Stalin's reign of terror, the Japanese atrocities in the Orient, or the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia, etc, as they were NOT about religion.)  But looking at the big picture of modern world history, the brutality of Islam seems to be in a religious class by itself.

Of course not ALL Muslims are terrorists, far from it.  But the crazies are gaining momentum, and the rest seem to be becoming more marginalized.   Now ordinary, middle class, educated, (mainly young and impressionable) Muslims are drinking the jihadist Kool Aid, too.  The European Union is right now trying to decide how many refugees each member country should take in, and the US is also weighing in on how many should be admitted here as well.

The $64,000 Question

Considering the horrendous death, destruction, and panic that could be inflicted on the general population today by a terrorist attack, is it time to revisit "profiling"?  I know it's wrong to profile kids just because they're wearing hoodies, or because a minority drives through an affluent white suburb after dark, but the consequences of missing a jihadist plot as it's being hatched are quite different.  It's a tough question, and definitely a slippery slope.  How do you balance the rights of the many vs the potential harm that could be caused by the few?

Let's apply this to a scenario closer to home:  You're taking your son to begin his freshman year at college.  Due to a dorm SNAFU he's been assigned to a new room at the last minute.  You get the key and go to room 234 and find his new roommate already there.  

As you enter he and several friends abruptly cease their rather animated conversation, and you notice a scene on a laptop of an explosion or maybe a hooded man holding a huge bloody knife, before it's snapped shut.  The friends leave without making eye contact, and after Mohammad introduces himself, leaves as well.  He has no room decorations, no pictures or posters on the bulletin board, and the textbooks on his shelf suggest he's a chemical or maybe electrical engineering major.

Do you give your son a good luck handshake, slip him a couple hundred dollars extra "fun money" and remind him to behave himself, then mosey back home?  Or do you consider that maybe a semester back at the local junior college might not be such a bad place for little Timmy after all?

What would you do?  

S

You can crawl out from under the bed now, Mr. President

World leaders from almost every major nation walked arm-in-arm in Paris on Sunday, leading over a million Frenchmen in a show of solidarity against terrorism.  Note I said "almost".  Can you figure out who's missing?

Yep, no Barack Obama.  Or VP Joe Biden.  Or SecState John Kerry, or any distinguished group of former presidents such as George W. Bush and/or Bill Clinton.  Somewhere in that photo is the US Ambassador to France (read: big Obama financial contributor)....that's who was there representing the United States of America.  I'm embarrassed.

You've heard the old saying, "Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way"?  Have we become so weak-kneed that we don't want to offend anyone?  Are we leading from the rear? 

I've heard/read in much of the media that our once close working relationship with the anti-terrorism forces in Europe and elsewhere has cooled considerably.  Why?  Why wouldn't we want to nip this societal cancer in the bud?  Internally our law enforcement seems to be doing a good job, but there's a big, wide world out there beyond our borders where terrorists are recruiting and training. 

I think the French just bitch-slapped us.  They voted with their presence at that march that they have the cojones to stand up to evil.  Not negotiate with it, not knuckle under to it, but step on its throat.

Vive la France!  Lead on.

S

Muslims

I know this is probably gonna cause plenty of stones to be thrown my way, but here goes:  I don't trust Muslims.*

I don't know how much more evidence we need before we admit there is a serious schism within the Islamic faith.  The PC position is that the overwhelming majority of Muslims "are just like us".  They go to school, go to work, raise their families, and harm no one.  Fair enough.  I wish them well.

But increasingly, as evidenced by repeated international surveys, Muslims have no allegiance to any particular country, and by inference, those countries values.  How many times have you heard of the movement within predominately Muslim areas to supplant the established law of the land with Sharia law?  It's all about values.

Granted, I'm sure it's a tiny minority of Muslims who actively plot/take up arms against our society, but all too often after an atrocity such as the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris we hear ordinary Muslims on the street say "I can't condemn killing in the name of Allah."  Really?  *red flag*

I don't advocate discrimination against Muslims here in America....that would be against our sacred national values.  Of course they can eat at any restaurant, shop at any store, go to any public school, worship at the place of their choice, etc.  But for my part, I'm going to keep an eye on those around me.  'Course, I'll keep a close eye on white people wearing sheets or members of the Westboro Baptist Church, too.

I'll still smile at them, hold a door open for them, help their kids where I can, help them if they're in danger, and extend food to them from our food bank if they've fallen on hard times.  By my values they're still God's children.  But I'm going to keep an eye on them.  I think there has been enough violence committed by extreme Muslims against peaceful innocents (and the frequency seems to be increasing) that my wariness is justified.

Agree....disagree....I don't care.  I try to keep myself in Condition Yellow, "aware of what's going on around me at all times."  Call it vigilance if that sounds less threatening.  Have a nice day.

S

* I'm speaking of the average "man on the street" encounters.  For those people known to me....neighbors, co-workers, childhood friends, etc, regardless of labels, my wariness meter relaxes considerably.

No 15 minutes of fame for them

So evil had its day yesterday, killing people who were at the Boston Marathon just to cheer on their friends/loved ones participating in this innocent, wholesome event.

As is the custom of our media, news reports ever since the attack have re-created the tragedy.  "Did you feel the explosion?"  "Did you see people with missing limbs?"  "How did it make you feel?"  Video from every angle....people screaming....blood and chaos everywhere.

And somewhere there is a terrorist sitting at home watching TV, just laughing his ass off, gloating.

I'm all for a news blackout.  Don't give the bastard(s) the satisfaction of seeing their handiwork.  They won't know what's going on until their door is kicked in and a dozen special forces/SWAT types slam them face-first onto the floor.  

Black hood placed over their heads, shackled feet and hands, thrown in the back of a truck and later a cold, completely dark cell.  Not a word spoken to them.  How long can you hold someone until they must be allowed to lawyer up?  Five minutes before that deadline you give them legal counsel.

Their real name will never be released to the public.  Their trial will not be open to the media.  Their face will never be seen.  They will never be immortalized.  They, and their "cause", will just be forgotten.

Here's an idea:  My understanding is there are many websites that teach people how to make bombs like the ones that blew up in Boston yesterday.  Anyone can download the instructions, buy the ingredients over-the-counter, and build a weapon of mass destruction.

Why don't we unleash our nerd-army of computer hackers to get into these bomb-making websites and play with the ingredients list?  Put in something that will either, 1, blow up the bomb-makers themselves right on the spot; or 2, render the bomb inert whenever detonation is attempted. 

 Ever practice "good cop/bad cop"?  Guess which role I always got?  I choose #____?

S