By Nathan Barton

There are many threats to liberty, to freedom, today: and I shall write about some of them.  But NONE of these public threats; the state (government), Islam, war, dishonest business, or our snoopy and “well-meaning” neighbors, are the danger that we ourselves pose to our own freedom – refusal to take a stand, to accept personal responsibility, to defend ourselves, our families, and our communities. And just plain a refusal to understand what freedom really is.

“Freedom lies in being bold.” — Robert Frost

According to Somali “refugees” living in Seattle, “Freedom of Speech, NOT Freedom to Offend” as they demand that a teacher resign because she showed students the Mohammed cartoons that got all those Charlie Hedbo staffers killed.  Frankly, the pictures of these women all dressed up in “acceptable” Muslim clothing offend me: they make me sick.  As do the statements that, apparently, they are protesting like this to keep their teenagers from resorting to violence to show how upset they are that this teacher “dissed” their Prophet (peanut butter und honig).  One Somali woman said, ““I don’t want to disrespect anybody for the way they are…I don’t think it’s free speech to talk about somebody’s religion, somebody’s beloved prophet like that.”  Well, lady, listen to this:  Mohammed was a child-molesting, murdering, bandit-leading, torturing liar who created a totally false religion which is a scourge upon this planet and its people, and which has directly led (BY HIS SPECIFIC INTENTION) to the untimely deaths of hundreds of millions of people. His very writings and recorded words condemn him, and frankly, show disrespect for the prophets of billions of people: the very same disrespect for which Muslims KILL others and each other.  Lady, you and your co-religionists are a blight on Seattle, Washington State, the Fifty States and the entire world.

We’ve all heard of the Hatfields and McCoys, those two families involved in a feud extending for generations.  Many have also heard of the enmity between Arabs (descendants of Ishmael) and Hebrews (“Jews”) (descendants of Isaac).  Well, that same mental attitude exists today, and just got another spin of the wheel.  After the Caliphate “executed” a young Jordanian fighter pilot by burning him to death in a cage, the King of Jordan hanged two “Iraqi” militants in retaliation.  Oddly enough, no beheading, no crucifixion (Muslim or Roman), and apparently no cheering mobs. And of course, the Congress (of the US) is eager to speed up and make the cycles more bloody, as the FedGov Lawmakers vow to speed weapons to Jordan. The video has key lawmakers saying they will press legislation, if necessary, to speed weapons to Jordan. And “foreign aid” to this despotic monarchy of Muslims by Muslims has been increased from 600 million to over a billion.

Feuds and tit-for-tat killing isn’t limited to Canaan or Mesopotamia, of course. Chad forces say that they killed over 200 Boko Haram militants in a battle in Nigeria.  Which is, I note, NOT the country that Chad military are supposed to be serving, but maybe they figure that if they kill the Islamists somewhere else, they might not come to Chad.  (Now, haven’t I heard that argument someplace else?)

It seems that a drone maker plans software to block flights over Washington (DC, I presume, not the State or Washington-on-the-Brazos, Texas).  I suspect that work-arounds on the software may appear before they actually get it onto their drones.  But the idea is appealing.  How about the BIG drones (Predators and the like) which have the software modified so that they ONLY work on military reservations and, say, 12 miles off-shore, so that Americans cannot be attacked by our own weapons?  Of course, it might backfire, too: cities known for their stupidity which try to prohibit drones in their skies (as they have done nuclear weapons, chemical weapons, and of course, guns) might have some chance of enforcing their edicts.  Wow!

Thanks to Scott for this:  corporate sellers of herbal products may be getting gulled, or gulling consumers:  New York State tests claim that 80% of six standard herbal products were adulterated by anything from powered houseplants to powdered rice to aparagus! Of course, the problem could be with the NYS authorities, or the testing method.  Still, we’ve seen other common products adulterated in various ways: cinnamon bark and much else.

Ah, the changing business world and economy.  It seems that the Ford CEO worries that cars may get commoditized like mobile handsets.  Gee, wasn’t his predecessor, the sainted Henry himself, the one that started this trend?  New models every year, easy terms to buy a new car at least every three to five years? (We drive an 8-year-old pick-up and a 13-year-old van: neither bought new.) The software and style are more important than the make and model?  You mean like all those color and interior combos and if there are  racing stripes or whitewalls?  Does anyone reading this remember what whitewalls were?

Mama’s Note: Yes, I remember… and am so glad they are gone. I remember trying to keep the darn things clean. Hopeless. 🙂

Do you think that maybe public transport is sorta dangerous now and then?  In Taiwan, a plane cartwheeled into river after take-off, killing at least 19.  And stateside, there are Seven dead as commuter train hit a car near New York City. Yesterday 181 people got sick on a plane which turned around and returned to its origin: none hospitalized, but still…

NYPD Launches Plan to Deal with Protests – Arm Police with Long Rifles, Machines Guns and Extra Protective Gear. This is actually commentary addressing THIS ARTICLE in “The Gothamist.”  Although Bratton’s statements seem to state that the NYPD should have had machine guns to be able to properly deal with recent protests, apparently someone backed down a little bit:  “no role in protests.” It appears that the recordings (audio and video) made of the Thug-in-Chief, Bratton did not understand what he was really trying to say – or perhaps misinterpreted or mistranslated him.  Frankly, what is the difference between this thug and his minions in blue (and black) and the Muslims like those Somalis?  HE has the firepower, which they (apparently) do not.

Speaking of stupidity, it is important to remember that just because someone is (maybe) on our side regarding our liberties, does not mean that they are NOT STUPID.  A perfect example of insane stupidity was shown this week by the head nutcase at Open Carry Texas, with Facebook video threats. Exactly WHY or what he (or they) expect to gain from threatening to kill legislators, especially in Texas, is beyond me.

Mama’s Note: Nasty and stupid remarks, obviously, but it doesn’t rise to the level of a personal threat. The really sad part is that this person continues to believe that government has some kind of authority to “give” him back his “rights.” There is the whole problem in a nutshell, belief in government authority.

On the other hand, it’s amazing that many are quick to condemn all gun owners if one or a few make unusual moves or say stupid things. There’s no excuse for the “few bad apples” here, of course. What one cop does can’t possibly reflect on all of them, but that shoe doesn’t fit on the other foot, ever.

Contrast the guy in Texas with this. State lawmaker, a former Columbine student, (who) seeks to arm Colorado teachers. Patrick Neville was a student on the campus of Columbine High School on the spring day in 1999 when two students went on a premeditated rampage that claimed 13 innocent lives. Now he’s a Colorado state representative.  Yes, sixteen years, nearly.  And somehow, here is one student that the hoploclasts and hoplophobes missed.  Don’t know how far he’ll get, but some Colorado (public) school teachers and/or staff ARE armed and more need to be.  But the GREATEST need is for hundreds of thousands of parents to pull their children out of government-run, tax-funded schools completely.