Hang On, I'll Be Right There!

I was listening to the scanner, following the response to a robbery involving a shooting.  Units were dispatched to the victim and the attacker's description was released.  Someone else calls in with a description of a vehicle driving quickly and erratically.  Units are dispatched to that location since the description of that vehicle matches the description of the vehicle involved in the robbery.  The police receive more information that the suspects in the vehicle have left and are running away.

Scramble the jets!  More units are dispatched to set up a perimeter.

In the meantime, another call comes in.

Dispatcher:  General broadcast for a violent domestic on 1234 Residential Street.

Units dispatched to the robbery call begin to check in.  A perimeter is set up and there is a lot of radio communication.

Four minutes go by.  Then,

Officer:  Radio, 232

Dispatch:  232, I need you to respond to a violent domestic disturbance on 1234 Residential Street.  Female called and said her boyfriend is hitting her.  Call taker could hear screaming in the background and then the line went dead.  No answer on call back.

Officer:  232, Copy.  Show me en route.

-o-o-o-o-o-

4 minutes, huh...?

1.  A robbery victim is shot.  By the time the police are called, the crime is over.  Now everyone is just reacting.
2.  A woman is a victim of a violent domestic attack.  She has managed to call police, but while she is struggling, for at least four minutes, none of the responders has even started to respond.

You know, I don't intend this as a rant against police officers, dispatchers, etc...  I am merely pointing out that we cannot simply and blindly rely on the police to protect us.  In this day and age, and in our society, their hands are full as it is.  We must always be vigilant and take responsibility for our own protection.  The police may be tied up with a higher priority call, or they may simply be trying to get there as fast as they can.  Either way, the first line of self defense begins with us.

Quote for the Week

But the person who scored well on an SAT will not necessarily be the best doctor or the best lawyer or the best businessman. These tests do not measure character, leadership, creativity, perseverance.

-William J. Wilson

I Rite Gud

Rebellion

I 'm so disappointed.  She's almost 6 now and I guess she feels like she can do whatever she wants.  I went home for lunch and I found her smoking a fat one under the table.  I didn't raise her this way.  And then, she's staring at me with those eyes...like she doesn't care what I think.  I don't know what to do... 

On Faith and Firearms

Blessed be the Lord, my strength, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. - Psalms 144


I can't really add anything to that.

H/T to Brigid, from whom I stole the title, as well.

Quote for the Week

When the politicians complain that TV turns the proceedings into a circus, it should be made clear that the circus was already there, and that TV has merely demonstrated that not all the performers are well trained.

Edward R. Murrow

Traffic Fun

I was on my way to run an errand during lunch.  As I approached the intersection, I saw that the light ahead was yellow.  I looked in my rear view mirror as I started to slow down.  I saw a small sports car bearing down on me at high speed.  I took a quick look around to see if there was anywhere to escape should the car not stop.  Thankfully, the car whipped into the turn lane to my right.

As it drove by, I looked over to get a quick glimpse of the driver.  The young man was either swatting at flies in his vehicle, or he was really upset that I refused to run a red light.  In any event, he glared at me and wildly gestured.  I grinned as he zoomed by, and waited for the light to change.

Our Indy 500 driver turned right at the light, drove about a block, and then turned left.  He drove past a parking lot and turned left again.  At this point I lost track of  him, but I figured he was trying to circle the block to avoid stopping at the same traffic light that stopped me.

Lunch hour traffic continued to pile up behind me, and I continued to wait.  Finally, the light turned green and I pulled through the intersection.  Up ahead, the next light turned green as well.

As I drove up to that intersection, I saw our friendly driver stopped to my right, his light having turned red so I could drive through.  I looked over in his direction and he recognized me.  His face turned into a wide-eyed scowl.  Trying to be a good neighbor, I give him my best Friday smile and a friendly wave as I drove by.

I don't think he appreciated that.  I think his head exploded.

Wiped Out

Weeks of late nights, early mornings, and busy days have me nodding off at my desk.

Must ... have ... caffeine ...

Quote for the Week

Don’t tell me of your happiness if it daily depends on the uncertainties of the earth. Your home may be rich in comforts; your wife and children may be all you could desire; your income may be amply sufficient to meet all your wants. But oh, remember, if you have nothing more than this to look to, that you are standing on the edge of a cliff! Your joy may be deep and earnest, but it is fearfully short-lived. It has no root. It is not true happiness.


J.C. Ryle

Starbucks and St. Valentine's Day

Soooo, a whole bunch of anti-gun groups have gotten their knickers all knotted up because uncultured, backwards, and barbaric gun owners (like me) have been taking their guns into Starbucks.  Apparently, we gun toters will get incredibly angry and shoot up the place when our White Chocolate Mocha is too cold, or the Apple Purse scone is too hot.  These anti gun groups have asked that everyone boycott Starbucks on Valentine's Day.  They hope to force Starbucks to ban guns on their premises.

Well, shoot heck!  This represents two of my favorite things, guns and coffee!  I will do my part to make sure the boycott fails.  Also, since it's on Valentine's Day, and my wife, the World's Most Beautiful Woman, is addicted to Starbucks, I'll bring her with me.

You see, Starbucks can do with their private property whatever they want as long as they don't violate the law.  However, I'm glad they have chosen to allow me to carry my gun into their place of business.  So, I want to support them with my dollar (or twenty).  Therefore, on the 14th, I (along with other gun owners across the country) will be stopping by to spend some money there.  I would love it if their business went through the roof as a result of this "boycott."  Isn't America great!

Let's go get some caffeine!

Quote for the Week

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all.

-HL Mencken

Sorry

To the lady in front of me with the stalled car:

I know you needed help getting the car pushed out of the way.  Yes, I know it was very cold outside.

I apologize for not getting out of the car to help you yesterday morning.  Normally, I would have, because I have been there before.  That day, however, I couldn't.

It's not personal, really, at least not against you.  You see, if I would have helped you, I could have gone to prison.  For a long time.

Let me back up a little, because that's a bold statement.  Here's what I mean.

Your car was stalled on school property.  I know that's not a crime, but bear with me.

I carry a weapon daily.  I had a gun on me this morning.  It's in a holster, hanging on my belt.  So, as I was driving onto school property, I was doing so, while in possession of a firearm.  I have a permit to carry concealed, issued by my state.  Therefore, my carrying of a firearm was legal both under state and federal law.

However, in order for me to have the gun on me, the gun has to remain holstered, and I have to remain seated, in my car, at all times while on school property.  If I would have stepped out to help you, I would have been committing a felony.

Now, under the combination of state and federal law, I did have the option of leaving the gun in a locked container in the vehicle.  But in order for me to do that, the first step would have been to remove the gun from my holster, thereby committing a different felony--while trying to avoid committing the first felony.

Are you confused?  I hope not, because as we know, ignorance of the law is no excuse.

So, the end result was that I had to drive by and was unable to help you.  I hope someone else did.

It's interesting to note that this law has been around since 1990.  The purpose of the law is to protect our students from gun violence in schools.  Since the law passed, according to Wikipedia (I know--not the best source) there have been over 185 school shootings.  Maybe the criminals didn't know it was against the law.  Or maybe, since they didn't care about laws against murder, they didn't care about that law either.

One more thing, did you know that if there is a shooting on school property, I can get in trouble just for trying to help?  Presumably, in order to defend myself or my family, I will have to remove the gun from the holster and present it (a felony, remember?).  Then, if things head to the gravest extreme, if I have to shoot, I will commit another felony (discharging a firearm on school grounds).  And, no, there is no exception for self defense.  So, I hope to be alive, but I may have to spend many years in club fed thinking about it.  Oh, and since I would then be a felon, I would be unable to own or possess guns anymore.  How's that for laws keeping us safe?

Every day, the federal government creates new laws to give the lawless something else to ignore.  In doing so, they only affect those of us who were paying attention to the existing laws in the first place.  Sadly, Ms. Motorist, yesterday, you were the victim of unintended consequences.  I wasn't going to be.

Sorry.

Gun

Ok...so how many gun errors can we see in this movie photo...

I saw this question posted on a forum and had to steal the idea...