By Nathan Barton
Good morning, and welcome to December, 2014. We are in the midst of the holidays, and things are fun for many folks, dreary for others. Travel is more difficult, and apt to be delayed due to weather. Please, be careful and get to your destination safely!
As we continue to see the blight that is Ferguson (on ALL sides: government officials and cops, protesters and rioters and activists), there are other places where cops are in the news. One is actually from early in November, after a policeman shot and killed someone. A friend (Thanks, Margaret) sent me this interesting video of the Milwaukee Police Chief interviewed immediately after a public forum about the shooting.
I am very impressed by his demeanor and the things he said, all of which are true, and which are very likely to lead directly to him being fired. You cannot speak that kind of truth and not get pilloried for it: especially not in a city like Milwaukee with its liberalism. According to Wikipedia, in 2010 (last year available) only 40% of the residents were Black, so they have TWICE their population killed, wounded, AND killing. In 2013, Milwaukee was #10 on Forbes’ Ten Most Dangerous City list, because in 2012 there were 91 people killed and 508 shot and wounded. The 91 was one of the four lowest body counts in the last 12 years. Of course, we know that even the vast majority of the Black residents of the city are not directly involved with killings… but it is certainly food for thought.
If there were only MORE senior cops like he appears to be (assuming that his words are backed with actions, which of course, we don’t know). Too many cops, especially senior commanders, are sometimes nicely-polished thugs, turned bitter and cowardly by their training, peers, and experience, and corrupt and corrupting. Even the better ones are often parasites and ineffective (in part because of the culture in which they are forced to work inside their organizations AND the city or other administrations). I’ve known a fair number of young cops and seen many good men turned into evil monsters, while a few have actually realized what was happening and bailed out in time. Sadly, the system – government and the modern occupation army that is the police in 95% of the Fifty States, is too badly contaminated by statism and many other vices to allow good to prevail.
Meanwhile, we STILL have some nasty things going on in Missouri. A man’s car was attacked by four teens; when he got out to argue with him, they used the hammers on him. And killed him. Two of the teens have been caught, two more (1 black, 1 hispanic) are still at large. A “peaceful protest” was held in the dead man’s neighborhood – sure to be a comfort to his widow (they’d been married six months), and the thugs showed up – this time the ones in black uniforms and riot gear with “POLICE” stamped on them – and may or may not have arrested someone. (Just to keep in practice, no doubt.) Do I need to mention that the dead man was a white, non-Muslim Bosnian (and apparently not a border jumper)? This is apparently the second similar attack in the area. He was NOT, of course, armed and did not have the common sense to drive off or at least stay in his car and await help. One more victim of anti-gun fears? Probably.
The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) reports that as of December 31, 2014, Pennsylvania will have a new law that eliminates the confidentiality of children’s medical records in certain cases. This is, of course, both totally in violation of HIPAA and constitutionally-protected rights. HSLDA provides details and points out that once more, privacy is being whittled down, as it is with frequent buyer cards, credit cards, smart (and regular) cell phones, street and traffic cameras, and a lot of other technology misused by government AND business. To say nothing of the daily “no sparrow falls” surveillance by NSA and other agencies of our computers.
For that, at least, there may be at least a temporary fix, as discussed by Personal Liberty: software detection tools that identify and expose malware INCLUDING illegitimate state security apparat surveillance. Not perfect, sure, but like the on-going battle over e-mail encryption and the much older battle over radar detectors for speed traps, this fight will be happening for a long time.
I tirelessly encourage parents to get and keep their children OUT of the “public schools” – government-run and tax-funded schools, because of all the ills AND all the lacks (like a good education) as I run into more and more recent graduates of public schools and find how lacking they are. But examples of teachers and staff abusing students and ignoring parents seem to come across my desk daily. Consider this one, in which a school in a fairly religious area (Colorado Springs) has a conniption fit over a girl giving an invitation to a seminar to a friend, and both of them giving a flyer about the seminar to another friend (whose parents apparently triggered the snit fit). The reason is, of course, the subject: the seminar (off-campus, after school hours) is discussing creation. This is, of course, heresy as far as the school is concerned, and must be disciplined immediately, harshly, and without any consideration for such archaic (and “unscholarly” and anti-liberal) concepts as liberty.
I have to come back to Ferguson, Missouri, again, to share disbelief: one of the many businesses burned out and looted this last week turns out to be the meeting place of a church, instead, using a “storefront” for its black-led, black-majority congregation. It seems that unlike the rest of the places looted and torched this week, the clergyman has determined that it was “white supremacists” who did the deed. Guess the cops were too busy to notice all the white robes and pennants.
This is certainly NOT an advertisement NOR a recommendation, but if you are looking for something to fly on holidays (especially “patriotic” ones) that is not your standard Gadsden yellow flag, visit Patriotic Flags’ On-Line Store for some great prices and some neat ideas, such as black Gadsden and Skull and Crossbones Gadsden – and a Whiskey Rebellion flag that really looks patriotic! You can also find some great foreign rebel flags on another page. Flags really can make a good statement about your beliefs and ideals without getting TOO much into people’s faces.
I will end my commentary today with something that brought up visions of Wylie Coyote and the Roadrunner, and maybe desperation: they can’t get drones so they are trying? Afghan police saw a “wild bird” (a big pigeon, perhaps) with an antenna, and shot at it. It exploded, but they found plenty of metal pieces around where it fell, including what looks like parts of a GPS and a small camera. So either they are having a really hard time getting suicide bombers these days or this was some sort of Islamist spy “drone”? I cannot get the vision of a bird with a little bomb backpack, flapping away until he got to the right spot… or maybe the bomb was to ensure that it didn’t become a stool pigeon. Hmmm. Maybe a pheasant? Or a peacock (or peahen?)
Mama’s Note: I guess a wild bird would make a fair “drone” for spying… if you were not too picky what was being spied on, of course. Far as I know, you can’t control where a bird flies. Well, until you shoot it down, of course. Seems someone in that area is getting a bit desperate – or just wants to mess with our minds.
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About TPOL Nathan
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.
The Price of Liberty 
Libertarian Commentary on the News, #14-49A: Fun and dreary weather! AND stool pigeons?
By Nathan Barton
Good morning, and welcome to December, 2014. We are in the midst of the holidays, and things are fun for many folks, dreary for others. Travel is more difficult, and apt to be delayed due to weather. Please, be careful and get to your destination safely!
As we continue to see the blight that is Ferguson (on ALL sides: government officials and cops, protesters and rioters and activists), there are other places where cops are in the news. One is actually from early in November, after a policeman shot and killed someone. A friend (Thanks, Margaret) sent me this interesting video of the Milwaukee Police Chief interviewed immediately after a public forum about the shooting.
I am very impressed by his demeanor and the things he said, all of which are true, and which are very likely to lead directly to him being fired. You cannot speak that kind of truth and not get pilloried for it: especially not in a city like Milwaukee with its liberalism. According to Wikipedia, in 2010 (last year available) only 40% of the residents were Black, so they have TWICE their population killed, wounded, AND killing. In 2013, Milwaukee was #10 on Forbes’ Ten Most Dangerous City list, because in 2012 there were 91 people killed and 508 shot and wounded. The 91 was one of the four lowest body counts in the last 12 years. Of course, we know that even the vast majority of the Black residents of the city are not directly involved with killings… but it is certainly food for thought.
If there were only MORE senior cops like he appears to be (assuming that his words are backed with actions, which of course, we don’t know). Too many cops, especially senior commanders, are sometimes nicely-polished thugs, turned bitter and cowardly by their training, peers, and experience, and corrupt and corrupting. Even the better ones are often parasites and ineffective (in part because of the culture in which they are forced to work inside their organizations AND the city or other administrations). I’ve known a fair number of young cops and seen many good men turned into evil monsters, while a few have actually realized what was happening and bailed out in time. Sadly, the system – government and the modern occupation army that is the police in 95% of the Fifty States, is too badly contaminated by statism and many other vices to allow good to prevail.
Meanwhile, we STILL have some nasty things going on in Missouri. A man’s car was attacked by four teens; when he got out to argue with him, they used the hammers on him. And killed him. Two of the teens have been caught, two more (1 black, 1 hispanic) are still at large. A “peaceful protest” was held in the dead man’s neighborhood – sure to be a comfort to his widow (they’d been married six months), and the thugs showed up – this time the ones in black uniforms and riot gear with “POLICE” stamped on them – and may or may not have arrested someone. (Just to keep in practice, no doubt.) Do I need to mention that the dead man was a white, non-Muslim Bosnian (and apparently not a border jumper)? This is apparently the second similar attack in the area. He was NOT, of course, armed and did not have the common sense to drive off or at least stay in his car and await help. One more victim of anti-gun fears? Probably.
The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) reports that as of December 31, 2014, Pennsylvania will have a new law that eliminates the confidentiality of children’s medical records in certain cases. This is, of course, both totally in violation of HIPAA and constitutionally-protected rights. HSLDA provides details and points out that once more, privacy is being whittled down, as it is with frequent buyer cards, credit cards, smart (and regular) cell phones, street and traffic cameras, and a lot of other technology misused by government AND business. To say nothing of the daily “no sparrow falls” surveillance by NSA and other agencies of our computers.
For that, at least, there may be at least a temporary fix, as discussed by Personal Liberty: software detection tools that identify and expose malware INCLUDING illegitimate state security apparat surveillance. Not perfect, sure, but like the on-going battle over e-mail encryption and the much older battle over radar detectors for speed traps, this fight will be happening for a long time.
I tirelessly encourage parents to get and keep their children OUT of the “public schools” – government-run and tax-funded schools, because of all the ills AND all the lacks (like a good education) as I run into more and more recent graduates of public schools and find how lacking they are. But examples of teachers and staff abusing students and ignoring parents seem to come across my desk daily. Consider this one, in which a school in a fairly religious area (Colorado Springs) has a conniption fit over a girl giving an invitation to a seminar to a friend, and both of them giving a flyer about the seminar to another friend (whose parents apparently triggered the snit fit). The reason is, of course, the subject: the seminar (off-campus, after school hours) is discussing creation. This is, of course, heresy as far as the school is concerned, and must be disciplined immediately, harshly, and without any consideration for such archaic (and “unscholarly” and anti-liberal) concepts as liberty.
I have to come back to Ferguson, Missouri, again, to share disbelief: one of the many businesses burned out and looted this last week turns out to be the meeting place of a church, instead, using a “storefront” for its black-led, black-majority congregation. It seems that unlike the rest of the places looted and torched this week, the clergyman has determined that it was “white supremacists” who did the deed. Guess the cops were too busy to notice all the white robes and pennants.
This is certainly NOT an advertisement NOR a recommendation, but if you are looking for something to fly on holidays (especially “patriotic” ones) that is not your standard Gadsden yellow flag, visit Patriotic Flags’ On-Line Store for some great prices and some neat ideas, such as black Gadsden and Skull and Crossbones Gadsden – and a Whiskey Rebellion flag that really looks patriotic! You can also find some great foreign rebel flags on another page. Flags really can make a good statement about your beliefs and ideals without getting TOO much into people’s faces.
I will end my commentary today with something that brought up visions of Wylie Coyote and the Roadrunner, and maybe desperation: they can’t get drones so they are trying? Afghan police saw a “wild bird” (a big pigeon, perhaps) with an antenna, and shot at it. It exploded, but they found plenty of metal pieces around where it fell, including what looks like parts of a GPS and a small camera. So either they are having a really hard time getting suicide bombers these days or this was some sort of Islamist spy “drone”? I cannot get the vision of a bird with a little bomb backpack, flapping away until he got to the right spot… or maybe the bomb was to ensure that it didn’t become a stool pigeon. Hmmm. Maybe a pheasant? Or a peacock (or peahen?)
Mama’s Note: I guess a wild bird would make a fair “drone” for spying… if you were not too picky what was being spied on, of course. Far as I know, you can’t control where a bird flies. Well, until you shoot it down, of course. Seems someone in that area is getting a bit desperate – or just wants to mess with our minds.
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About TPOL Nathan
Follower of Christ Jesus (a christian), Pahasapan (resident of the Black Hills), Westerner, Lover of Liberty, Free-Market Anarchist, Engineer, Army Officer, Husband, Father, Historian, Writer, Evangelist. Successor to Lady Susan (Mama Liberty) at TPOL.