From: Bill Vance Subject: SRA - New Gun Poll At vote.com (fwd) Date: 02 Oct 2002 01:44:29 -0700 (PDT) ----------------------- begin forwarded message from Brad3000 --------------------- FYI - Vote against the insanity of suing a manufacturer for what a criminal does with some object and it doesn't need to stop with guns, it could end up being cars or forks in this sue-happy country of ours... Brad. (via www.gunsafe.org) "Let crime Victims sue gun makers?" http://www.vote.com/vote/50227862/index.phtml?cat=4075633 ----------------------- end forwarded message from Brad3000 --------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: ** ATTENTION ALL PASTORS & those that have one! (fwd) Date: 04 Oct 2002 00:08:07 -0700 (PDT) ----------------------- begin forwarded message from Manthony25@aol.com ----------------------- > FALWELL CONFIDENTIAL > > > DATE: October 3, 2002 > FROM: Jerry Falwell > > ATTENTION ALL PASTORS: You May Endorse Candidates and Your Church May > Distribute Voter Guides > > > > This Falwell Confidential is sent weekly, without charge, to more than > 200,000 pastors/church leaders and to thousands of other lay people and > religious/political conservatives nationwide. If you are a pastor, you will > no doubt soon be receiving your perennial "scare letter" from Barry Lynn, > executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and > State. He writes many evangelical pastors each election year, warning them > that they will lose their tax-exempt status if they comment on the upcoming > elections, distribute "Voter Guides" or, God forbid, endorse a candidate. > > > Barry Lynn was formerly associated with the American Civil Liberties Union. > He claims to be a "Reverend" but when I once asked him to tell me the name > of a local church where he actually served as pastor, I did not get a clear > answer. I have always suspected that the "Reverend" title is intended to > deceive the media and the public into thinking that Lynn is a good pastor > who is trying to save the churches from being damaged by illegal > involvement in politics. The fact is, Americans United and the American > Civil Liberties Union are dedicated to throwing God out of America's public > square and converting the U.S. from "one nation under God" into a secular > and Godless nation. > > > Liberal groups are using this week's defeat of Rep. Walter B. Jones' > "Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act" (H.R. 2357) as a means > to proclaim that pastors must painstakingly avoid political issues in their > pulpits. That bill, which needed a two-thirds vote for passage, was > defeated 239-178 (with 15 not voting). While the bill failed, 178 votes is > a great beginning toward the ultimate passage of this important religious > freedom bill. > > > The Jones bill was designed to annul a 48-year-old law that prohibits all > tax-exempt groups - including churches - from participating in political > activity under the threat of loss of tax-exempt status. However, it is > important to note that only one church in the history of our nation has > ever lost its tax-exempt status because of political wrongdoings. And in > that case - wherein a pastor irresponsibly purchased billboards and > newspaper ads telling people not to vote for Bill Clinton - the loss of > tax-exempt status lasted for only an hour before being returned. > > > To hear Barry Lynn tell it, pastors must now avoid political issues at all > costs when addressing their parishioners. He said, "This bill may have been > the Religious Right's dream, but it was a nightmare for anyone concerned > with the integrity of houses of worship and the political process." > Remember, this is a man who would stifle virtually every religious phrase > in the American public square. > > > The truth is, while Rep. Jones' bill would have afforded desirable > government protection of pastors who speak out on moral and political > issues without fear of Internal Revenue Service retribution, pastors > nonetheless retain an absolute right to speak out on political/social > issues in their churches. > > > Indeed, the left has influenced many - even many in the Congress - to > falsely believe that America's clerics must maintain unconditional silence > on issues such as abortion, homosexual rights, pornography and other ills > of our society. (Of course, liberal ministers and church leaders are often > afforded singular freedoms to speak out on these same issues.) In this age > of moral relativism, it remains imperative that pastors vocally instruct > their congregations on the key issues of our day. > > > I talked yesterday with Grover Norquist, a great conservative and president > of Americans For Tax Reform. Mr. Norquist was excited that he had finally > convinced the Internal Revenue Service to publish the specifics of what > pastors and churches may and may not legally do in election campaigns. I > urge all pastors and church leaders to visit the Web site of Americans for > Tax Reform (www.atr.org) to learn what is and is not appropriate in regard > to church and government involvement. Mr. Norquist and his team pressed the > IRS to define, in detail, to what extent tax-exempt religious organizations > may properly be involved in the political process. The answers are clearly > spelled out on their Web site under the headline, "Know Your Rights!" Every > pastor should read this important 25-page document to learn how to properly > address political/social issues. > > > Here are a few excerpts of what every pastor and church may legally do: > > > >> * Churches may distribute non-partisan voter guides describing >> candidates' stands on the issues. >> >> >> * Churches may engage in non-partisan voter registration drives; >> >> >> * Pastors may endorse candidates from the pulpit as long as they make it >> clear they are doing so as individuals - not as a church endorsement; >> >> >> * Churches may invite candidates to attend and speak at events as long as >> they make the offer available to all candidates for the same office. It is >> not required that all candidates attend, but rather that they all have the >> same opportunity to do so; >> >> >> * A local church may not endorse a candidate, only the pastor as an >> individual may do so; >> >> >> * Pastors may urge their congregations to write, E-mail or call their >> elected representatives to lobby for specific legislation; >> >> >> * Churches may engage in active lobbying as long as the amount is not >> "substantial" ("Substantial" has been defined by the courts as 5% of a >> person's/organization's time or resources.) >> >> >> > > I urge 200,000 evangelical pastors and church leaders to "render unto > Caesar" on November 5th by advising their 70 million parishioners to cast > "Christian" votes for the men and women who best represent their biblical > values. > > > '60 MINUTES' APPEARANCE > FYI: I will be on CBS's "60 Minutes" this Sunday night, October 6th, with > reporter Bob Simon, who interviewed me on the subject of "Why Evangelical > Christians Support the State of Israel." I am not sure how clear my message > will be after the CBS editors do their work, but I wanted to inform my > friends of this broadcast. In the interview, I reaffirmed my unswirving > support of the State of Israel during these troublesome times. ********************* Brought to you by. . . Mark Anthony Anzalone Special Friends Network ;) 850-562-5731 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks for your participation in the Special Friends Network! To change your status, please reply with the appropriate code word below in the subject box. CODES: Love = Keep the great stuff coming! Remove = Lose my address! Add = Put me on the General mailing list! No MLM = No more MLM specific stuff! (stay on Gen list) Lord = Add me to your exclusive Jesus list! ** Lord Only = Just Christian related material please! ** = This mailing ----------------------- end forwarded message from Manthony25@aol.com ----------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: Plus2~~ US CITIZENS HAVE A NEW BIG STICK TO USE (fwd) Date: 13 Oct 2002 01:45:10 -0700 (PDT) Now this sounds like something we could get real creative with. Too bad = we didn't have it before all those Enviro-Whacko generated forrest fires..... Bill ----------------------- begin forwarded message from THESOCIOLOGIST@aol.c= om ----------------------- UNITED STATES CITIZENS HAVE A NEW BIG STICK TO USE=20 by James Roger Brown=20 "The truth is out there. Now the Government will have to tell you what=20 it is." WHITTLING OUT AN UGLY SHILLELAGH Thanks to the skullduggery of a few short-sighted Washington=20 lobbyists and special interest groups, citizens now have a more powerful=20 weapon to fight lies, fraud, and corruption in the Federal Government=20 than the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). With the FOIA, citizens can=20 access information, but, short of filing suit under Qui Tam or RICO, can=20 do little to force an end to government employee or official misconduct=20 that relies upon false or inaccurate information. This new weapon will=20 allow Citizens to attack how lies are told and undermine the foundation=20 by which fraud is committed. Now, it may be possible to actually force Agencies to stop lying=20 without having the deep pockets needed to file suit against the Federal=20 Government. Although limited in application to Federal Agencies, the=20 newly implemented law may be even more potent when used against a State.=20 It may be possible to prevent Federal Agencies accepting falsified=20 documents, reports, and statistics submitted by a State to obtain=20 Federal Funds. The only requirement is documentation that the=20 information provided to the funding Agency is falsified. Currently,=20 there is no fee or charge for challenging Federal information, which is=20 more cost effective for Citizens than the FOIA. Unless the situation is=20 extremely complicated, an attorney should not be necessary, just the=20 facts and a sharp mind. While the media and public were absorbed in Washington=92s =93Evil=20 Empire=94 spin crisis of the day, on October 1, 2002, Section 515 of the=20 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001=20 (Public Law 106=96554) quietly went into effect. Fortunately for Citizen= s=20 in this rare instance, Section 515 was attached to the Appropriations=20 Act and slipped through Congress with virtually no consideration of the=20 full consequences of establishing information quality standards. The=20 nefarious intent behind the legislation was to allow corporations to=20 challenge and delay the expense of implementing science-based rules and=20 regulations applied to food, medicine, and chemical corporations. If=20 anyone had realized the power this law will give ordinary Citizens, the=20 people who thought of it would probably have been shot. The purpose of Section 515 is summarized in the Federal Register=20 (Reference 2 below): =93Section 515 directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue= =20 government-wide guidelines that =91=91provide policy and procedural guida= nce=20 to Federal agencies for ensuring and maximizing the quality,=20 objectivity, utility, and integrity of information (including=20 statistical information) disseminated by Federal agencies.=92=92 By Octob= er=20 1, 2002, agencies must issue their own implementing guidelines that=20 include =91=91administrative mechanisms allowing affected persons to seek= =20 and obtain correction of information maintained and disseminated by the=20 agency=92=92 that does not comply with the OMB guidelines. These final=20 guidelines also reflect the changes OMB made to the guidelines issued=20 September 28, 2001, as a result of receiving additional comment on the=20 =91=91capable of being substantially reproduced=92=92 standard (paragraph= s=20 V.3.B, V.9, and V.10), which OMB previously issued on September 28,=20 2001, on an interim final basis.=94 (P. 8452, Federal Register, Vol. 67,=20 No. 36. Friday, February 22, 2002.)=20 OMB apparently has some brilliant people implementing this new law.=20 Important distinctions have been identified in the types of information=20 held by the Federal Government and the consequences for non-governmental=20 entities and persons relying upon Federal information. Someone even=20 realized that information published in peer reviewed journals may not=20 guarantee sufficient reliability to meet Federal information standards. =20 The only important element overlooked is the adoption of Sir Karl=20 Popper=92s standards of testability, falsifiability and refutability for=20 identifying valid science adopted by the United States Supreme Court in=20 Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The peer reviewed journal=20 issue was cited in the Federal Register: =93Journal Peer Review Always Sufficient? Some comments argued that=20 journal peer review should be adequate to demonstrate quality, even for=20 influential information that can be expected to have major effects on=20 public policy. OMB believes that this position overstates the=20 effectiveness of journal peer review as a quality-control mechanism. =93Although journal peer review is clearly valuable, there are cases= =20 where flawed science has been published in respected journals. For=20 example, the NIH Office of Research Integrity recently reported the=20 following case regarding environmental health research:=20 =91=93Based on the report of an investigation conducted by [XX]=20 University, dated July 16, 1999, and additional analysis conducted by=20 ORI in its oversight review, the US Public Health Service found that Dr.=20 [X] engaged in scientific misconduct. Dr. [X] committed scientific=20 misconduct by intentionally falsifying the research results published in=20 the journal SCIENCE and by providing falsified and fabricated materials=20 to investigating officials at [XX] University in response to a request=20 for original data to support the research results and conclusions report=20 in the SCIENCE paper. In addition, PHS finds that there is no original=20 data or other corroborating evidence to support the research results and=20 conclusions reported in the SCIENCE paper as a whole.=92 (66 FR 52137,=20 October 12, 2001).=94 (P. 8455, Federal Register, Vol. 67, No. 36. =20 Friday, February 22, 2002.) =20 INVOKING THE BIG HAIRY MONSTER Information classified as =93influential=94 is given special=20 consideration and priority. After considering public comment following=20 publication of the proposed regulations, the definition of =93influential= =94=20 was revised and narrowed as elaborated in the Federal Register: =93In this narrower definition, =93influential=94, when used in the phras= e=20 =93influential scientific, financial, or statistical information=94, is=20 amended to mean that =93the agency can reasonably determine that=20 dissemination of the information will have or does have a clear and=20 substantial impact on important public policies or important private=20 sector decisions.=94 The intent of the new phrase =93clear and substantia= l=94=20 is to reduce the need for speculation on the part of agencies. We added=20 the present tense=97=93or does have=94=97to this narrower definition beca= use on=20 occasion, an information dissemination may occur simultaneously with a=20 particular policy change. In response to a public comment, we added an=20 explicit reference to =93financial=94 information as consistent with our=20 original intent.=94 (P. 8455, Federal Register, Vol. 67, No. 36. Friday= ,=20 February 22, 2002.)=20 Invoking =93influential scientific, financial, or statistical=20 information=94 status in an argument challenging Federal information will= =20 raise the stakes for the outcome. Since Federal Agencies are just=20 beginning to actually process challenges to information, what=20 =93influential=94 status will mean for establishing priority and in decis= ion=20 making is yet to be determined. =93Influential=94 status is, however, th= e=20 biggest fundamental issue that can be raised in a challenge under this=20 new law. As with all new tools, how effectively it is used depends upon how=20 well and quickly it is mastered. Allowing American Citizens to=20 challenge the =93quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of=20 information=94 used by the Federal Government will enable us to destroy=20 the very foundation by which fraud, corruption, and exploitation is=20 foisted upon every one of us. Those about the business of using the=20 Government to commit evil deeds must be able to lie successfully in=20 order to succeed. Few Federal employees are even aware this information=20 challenging procedure even exists. If Citizens learn how to use this=20 process faster than Federal employees, we will have the edge in=20 maximizing the benefit to us. To facilitate getting ahead on the learning curve, the Reference=20 list below will take readers to the critical OMB information necessary=20 to begin understanding the logic and Guidelines governing the process. =20 Each Federal Agency must be contacted to obtain the procedures=20 established by that Agency for filing a challenge and to determine how=20 the person designated to process information challenges may be=20 contacted. With an understanding of the logical foundation and OMB=20 Guidelines, it might be possible to identify when Federal Agencies are=20 improperly implementing the OMB Guidelines. This new law may also provide a basis for challenging the=20 admissibility of information from Federal Agencies introduced as=20 evidence in judicial proceedings. =20 One euphemism for this law is the =93Data Quality Act.=94 In order = to=20 file a successful challenge, you must have your facts together and=20 documented. Good hunting. [NOTE: The author has initiated a challenge to the entire Federal=20 database of child abuse statistics distributed by the National=20 Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information under contract to=20 The Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health=20 and Human Services.] REFERENCES 1. Federal Register: Office of Management and Budget: Guidelines for=20 Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity=20 of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies. Federal Register /=20 Vol. 66, No. 189 / Friday, September 28, 2001 / Notices www.ers.usda.gov/features/informationquality/66fr49718.pdf 2. Federal Register: Part IX: Office of Management and Budget:=20 Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity,=20 Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies;=20 Notice; Republication. Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 36 / Friday,=20 February 22, 2002 / Notices. =20 www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/reproducible2.pdf 3. Graham, John D, Ph.D. OMB'S ROLE IN OVERSEEING INFORMATION QUALITY.=20 Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and=20 Budget, March 21, 2002. =20 www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg/info-quality_march21.pdf=20 4. Graham, John D, Ph.D. MEMORANDUM FOR PRESIDENT=92S MANAGEMENT COUNCIL= =20 (with attachment): Agency Draft Information Quality Guidelines. Office=20 of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget,=20 June 10, 2002. www.ftc.gov/os/comments/sec515comments/omb020610.pdf 5. (a)Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Full text of decision: http://laws.findlaw.com/us/509/579.html Citable article on the importance of the Daubert Decision which used=20 some of the same reasoning that appears in the OMB publication in the=20 Federal Register. (b)Orofino, Suzanne. =93Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc.:= =20 The Battle Over Admissibility Standards for Scientific Evidence in=20 Court.=94 (J. Undergrad. Sci. 3: 109-111. Summer 1996) http://hcs.harvard.edu/~jus/0302/orofino.pdf =A9 Copyright October 12, 2002, by James Roger Brown. All rights=20 reserved. ----------------------- end forwarded message from THESOCIOLOGIST@aol.com= ----------------------- -- --- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-= 19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+------------------= --- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath n= o weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand =3D Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy= a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Chr= ist ----------------+----------+--------------------------+------------------= --- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! --- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: Swinton Quote on the media - good one (fwd) Date: 16 Oct 2002 05:58:35 -0700 (PDT) ----------------------- begin forwarded message from AH ----------------------- ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 4:35 PM "One night, probably in 1880, John Swinton, then the preeminent New York journalist, was the guest of honour at a banquet given him by the leaders of his craft. Someone who knew neither the press nor Swinton offered a toast to the independent press. Swinton outraged his colleagues by replying: "There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone. "The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press? We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes." (Source: Labor's Untold Story, by Richard O. Boyer and Herbert M. Morais, published by United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America, NY, 1955/1979.) ----------------------- end forwarded message from AH ----------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: SRA - New Gun Polls: WSJ & WUSATV9.. (fwd) Date: 16 Oct 2002 12:41:37 -0700 (PDT) ----------------------- begin forwarded message from Brad3000 --------------------- FYI - Pass this around. Fairly well hidden poll about more gun laws in response to shooting spree in DC area. (thx bob/ben) 9NEWS POLL http://www.wusatv9.com/# If you cant see it lower right you will see this below: 9 News Interactive Web Poll: If you are having trouble viewing the poll click here. Your Opinion If you are changing your routine due to security reasons, tell us what you are doing differently. question@wusatv9.com Your Comments ----------------------- WSJ POLL http://discussions.wsj.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=wsjvoices&msg=2591 It is about gun control in light of the sniper. Go git 'em... The PILOT is the last & final line of defense. Wake up & smell reality - ARM them or wait for a news report of the next "WTC" disaster! -------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- end forwarded message from Brad3000 --------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: A washingtonpost.com article (fwd) Date: 17 Oct 2002 08:23:31 -0700 (PDT) -------------------- begin forwarded message from Mike Riddle -------------------- ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== You have been sent this message as a courtesy of the Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com Remailed from the Washington Post web site. To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/articles/A14581-2002Oct11.html The Scope of Shared Tragedy By Stephen Hunter There is only one question, really. Who is he? Once we answer that one, the police can arrest him or, if necessary, kill him. But we don't know. We know so much else. We know the grief he's caused, the holes he's shot in 10 families and in our society. We know the fear that he brings as his dark claim to our attention. We know he is that most loathsome thing, a man who has himself confused with God and has taken on God's entitlements. We know his particularly profane blend of intimacy and distance: He can study us through his optics, look at the light in our eyes, the shape of our lips, the uncertainty of our hairlines, the eagerness in our young bodies. Then he safely presses a trigger from a long way out and takes all that away. We know those things but they are not about him, they are about us. Still, we do know certain things about him so far, as inferred from his actions as filtered from the information the police have passed on. This much can be said: At some level, we know what he knows. This is because he has established a performance baseline, and like any phenomenon, it is available and subject to analysis. Thus certain facts: He has shot 11 times and hit 10 people. Of those eight have died. In most of the cases, bullet fragments have been linked to the same firearm, a weapon that fires some form of .22-caliber centerfire cartridge. One cartridge casing has been recovered from a shooting site, but no one can know with certainty yet whether it's true evidence or a plant meant to mislead. Two of the victims were shot in the head though the torso is his more typical target. The police haven't been explicit about ranges, but the shooting in the District may have been at a range of about 80 yards and the shooting in Bowie was at 150 yards. What does this tell us about him? How good is he? Is he a master marksman skilled in the use of arms, a wary opponent, a figure out of pop fiction, dozens of novels, hundreds of movies? Could he be a terrorist, intent on bringing to America much of the daily fear that grips certain parts of the Third World? Is he at least a trained man, possibly a hunter or some kind of gun crackpot? Or is he from the more squalid American reality: an embittered loser with nothing happening anywhere in his life, who can't find a girlfriend or hold a job, who, in his immaturity, has let the power of the firearm inflame his imagination and turn him into a monster? Is he even a he? Could he be a she? We don't know. Let us, therefore, start with the smallest things about him. He knows more, for one thing, than you could learn in the movies. In the movies, shooters routinely perform feats of marksmanship that are completely impossible in reality. They throw heavy rifles to their shoulders and snap off long-distance shots and people drop. They shoot from the hip, they hold the gun sideways, they shoot while somersaulting or flying through the air. That doesn't happen in the real world. So he's not a punk jerk who's couch-potatoed his life away in front of the VCR while cultivating zits, rejection and grievances. He knows a little something. He's not shooting from the hip or holding the gun sideways. He's not cracking out rounds and watching them hit and splash up dirt and debris. He has rudimentary marksmanship abilities. He knows, first off, the importance of the stability of the shooting platform. He's clearly shooting off a rest, such as a bipod or a sandbag, or at the very least is supported by a wall, a tree branch, a car window frame. He's shooting to hit. He also knows several of the sub-disciplines that go into the act of shooting a firearm. He's controlling his breath, though a couple of his nonlethal shots might be attributed to bad breath control; they seem typical of that syndrome. Then, too, he is almost certainly using a telescopic or electronic sight of some fashion, which means he has familiarity with the technical process of zeroing a rifle, that is, adjusting its sighting system to match his point of impact at a particular range. (It could also mean he bought a used but 'scoped, zeroed rifle, letting someone else do the labor; if so, at least he knew enough to do that.) He has elementary shooter's discipline in that he never shoots more than once. If he's using what is so popularly called an assault weapon, he hasn't been seduced by movie imagery or the gun's militaristic architecture into bursts of shots, one of the seductions of that particular style of rifle. He's not a spray shooter, a crowd gunner, in love with the bap-bap-bap of the semiautomatic rifle. He likes the one-shot, one-kill code of the professional soldier or law enforcement agent. Still, none of these skills compute to the heavily trained operative or a terrorist. They are Shooting 101 techniques, easily learnable in an afternoon by anyone, man, woman or teenager, with routine coordination. They are accessible on the Internet or in any issue of a gun magazine. So far, in my judgment at least, he has not shown any extraordinary shooting skill. He apparently missed his first shot, and two of his victims have survived, one of whom has already been released from the hospital. So he can make a mistake. By aiming at the torso, he is giving himself a relatively large target through a scope even at his most extreme range. He also chooses targets who are fairly still -- people filling their gas tanks being a speciality of his -- which means he hasn't needed the coordination and the computation of leads needed for moving targets. Furthermore, what little evidence there is indicates he is shooting within what is called "maximum point-blank range." That is the zone in which the bullet will strike reasonably close to the point of aim so that no advanced techniques -- such as holding over the target to compensate for the bullet's drop, or figuring the adjustment to the scope sight before shooting -- are necessary. The drop of a .223-style bullet in most loadings at 150 yards is less than two inches; he can aim and shoot in relative ballistic confidence. He has not shot at any range in which wind is a particular factor, so, even though the bullets are light, again he's not demonstrating advanced shooter's skills. He's not at a range far enough, either, for distance estimation or measuring skills to come into play. He doesn't need any of the inexpensive laser range finders that have become common today. How much does he know about guns? Is he a "gun person," who reads the shooter's magazines and goes to gun shows and orders sniper manuals from the reprint houses? No credible evidence exists to prove this. For one thing, he's chosen quite a prosaic, low-cost system. It so happens we are in a period of remarkable advances in long-distance shooting, not merely with those laser range finders, but also with a whole batch of ultra magnum cartridges of very recent vintage, that make shots at heretofore undreamed-of distances possible for the common man as opposed to the skilled professional or heavily committed amateur shooter. He doesn't appear to be using any cutting- edge technology. His choice of weapon reveals something as well. It's notable that he hasn't selected a firearm or a cartridge that's linked to sniping as it's practiced professionally. The police have described the recovered fragments as being from a ".223 bullet," a particular vagueness that suggests they know a lot more than they're letting on or a lot less. In any event, the .223 family of cartridges -- it could also include a target round like the .222, a varmint round like the .22-250 or a specialized pistol round like the .221 Fireball -- aren't part of authentic sniper practice or the more informal "sniper culture" that surrounds this most disturbing but necessary of jobs. Most government and police snipers use a .308 Winchester rifle because it is far more lethal (its muzzle-energy, which measures force in pounds by mathematical formula, is around 2,300 pounds, while the .223's is around 1,200; in most states the .223 -- or any .22 centerfire -- is illegal for deer hunting because it wounds without killing too frequently.) The .223, as a combat round, has proved disappointing; one merely has to read "Black Hawk Down" or the specialized gun press to sample the discontent with its performance in Mogadishu or Afghanistan. But again: He's not a dummy. That caliber has some extremely useful features for him. Since he's not a soldier in a firefight shooting someone who is shooting at him or a police marksman ending a hostage situation, he's not concerned with immediate killing power, as they would be. He can wound grievously, even fatally; it doesn't matter to him when, or even if, death arrives. He creates the same miasma of terror, regardless. The .223 -- or any of the .22 centerfires -- has three further attributes for him that make it far more useful than a more immediately lethal round. First, it has very light recoil. The larger rifles demand a great deal of practice as shooters inure themselves to the blow of the kick. Second is the ubiquity of the ammunition as well as its low cost. It is an extremely flexible, useful cartridge: It may be used for varmint hunting in bolt-action rifles, where it is capable of accuracy out to 300 or so yards (I own a varmint rifle that is capable of this kind of work) on creatures weighing 10 pounds or less like groundhogs and prairie dogs. It may be used in pest control, as in the Ruger Mini-14, a perfect and beloved ranch and farm rifle. It may be used competitively, for match shooting in specially tricked up M-16 style rifles with heavier bullets. And finally (and inevitably) it is cheap fodder for military enthusiasts who want to shoot it bap-bap-bap in semiautomatic variants of assault rifles in matches or informal plinking or target sessions. (I also own one). That ubiquity certainly makes the tracking of any particular rifle much harder. But its third attribute makes it especially attractive to this monster: Because the recoil is so low, he can watch his bullet strike his target. That is the terrible part: he's planned it so he can watch the dying. Stephen Hunter, who is a Post movie critic, is the author of several novels on sniper activities, has taken two tactical shooting courses with professional sniper instructors and has hunted widely. ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== -------------------- end forwarded message from Mike Riddle -------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: 5000 MAryland rifles gathered up by the BATF? (fwd) Date: 17 Oct 2002 12:38:12 -0700 (PDT) I have not confirmed this, myself, but if you find it to be true, add your own confirmations. I know Mike has been around for a while now, but he neglcted to site his confirms. Posted FYI. Bill -------------------- begin forwarded message from Mike Riddle -------------------- ==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== >Received: from DrZox@aol.com this tale has been confirmed by several MD RKBA sources: Up date 10-16-2002 Have you been visited by the BATF yet? This is very important for as wide a distribution as possible. The Story; Tuesday morning while finishing my coffee and listing to the news I receive a call from someone claiming to be a BATF agent who would like to "TALK" to me. Who then starts asking me about weapons I may own. When I told him I had no idea who he was and was not about to engage in a conversation about such things over the phone, he gets abusive and treating, we end the conversation there. There minutes later I get a call from a gun shop owner I know telling me to please talk to the nice BATF man. So I call him back for more info. (I will not mention Agents names here since I am now talking to my Attorney). But after a long run around I finally got a local PG Detective to confirm who I was talking to and I called his district and confirmed who he was. So I call the BATF agent back and asked him AM I A TARGET OF THIS OR ANYOTHER INVESTIGATION, he says I haven't met you yet. I tell him after I talk to my Attorney and get his views I will talk to you if he says ok, more abuse, they are going to come and get me. Why me well it seems one of those form 4477's that's out there has my name on it and They BATF just wants to "TALK" and by the way WE WANT TO SEE YOUR RIFLE AND BORROW IT FOR A WHILE. I have talked to two Attorneys and a good friend at NRA, IF YOU GIVE TOUR RIFLE TO STATE OR BATF YOU ARE NOT Likely TO SEE IT AGAIN. I have been told by my Attorney who spoke to the BATF Agent Trying to TALK to me that he has no idea when I would get my rifle back if I Voluntarily gives it to the state or BATF for Testing. HEADS UP DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS YOU WISH TO KISS YOUR INVESTMENT IN YOUR RIFLE OR RIFLES GOOD BYE and try collecting for KKK if she wins the coming election. JUST SAY NO; But you had better talk to an Attorney First. OF the two Attorneys I talked to today, the second one told me his phone was ringing off the hook with the same story and that he had heard that the state had already voluntarily received over 5000 rifles at this time. Voluntarily means they show up at your house and you let them in and show them your rifle and they keep it, and threaten or bully you into saying ok I volunteer. I am not a lawyer that's why I called one, but of the people I talked to today the consensus is a voluntary hand over to the state in no way obligated the state to compensate you for the full value of your firearm or as the saying goes so sue me, if you want you weapon or compensation and if you do get your weapon back in what kind of shape will it be in. A $1000.00 plus in value rifle can disappear or turn to junk in the states hands before you get it back, that's if you get it back. This is back door confiscation using this murderous rampage as the excuse. This is happening below the radar the word needs to get out now and fast!!! Please spread this information as far as you can, for you too may get a knock on your door. ===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== -------------------- end forwarded message from Mike Riddle -------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Richard Kruse Sun Oklahoma SSE Subject: Re: 5000 MAryland rifles gathered up by the BATF? (fwd) Date: 17 Oct 2002 14:41:44 -0500 (CDT) Sounds similar to an account posted at The Firing Line. Follow the link below, and read the post by "chain" about half way down the page beginning with "The whole story". http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=1bd8802aac1cbeb97e717a97d37 05b9d&threadid=134951&perpage=25&pagenumber=1 For what it's worth. Rick Kruse KC5UVS > >I have not confirmed this, myself, but if you find it to be true, add your own >confirmations. I know Mike has been around for a while now, but he neglcted to >site his confirms. Posted FYI. > >Bill > >-------------------- begin forwarded message from Mike Riddle -------------------- > >Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 13:18:37 -0500 >From: "Mike Riddle" >Subject: 5000 MAryland rifles gathered up by the BATF? > >==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE================== > >>Received: from DrZox@aol.com > >this tale has been confirmed by several MD RKBA sources: > > > >Up date 10-16-2002 >Have you been visited by the BATF yet? This is very >important for as wide a distribution as possible. > >The Story; Tuesday > >morning while finishing my coffee and listing to the news I receive a >call from someone claiming to be a BATF agent who would like to "TALK" >to me. Who then starts asking me about weapons I may own. When I told >him I had no idea who he was and was not about to engage in a >conversation about such things over the phone, he gets abusive and >treating, we end the conversation there. There minutes later I get a >call from a gun shop owner I know telling me to please talk to the nice >BATF man. So I call him back for more info. (I will not mention Agents >names here since I am now talking to my Attorney). But after a long run >around I finally got a local PG Detective to confirm who I was talking >to and I called his district and confirmed who he was. So I call the >BATF agent back and asked him AM I A TARGET OF THIS OR ANYOTHER >INVESTIGATION, he says I haven't met you yet. I tell him after I talk to >my Attorney and get his views I will talk to you if he says ok, more >abuse, they are going to come and get me. Why me well it seems one of >those form 4477's that's out there has my name on it and They BATF just >wants to "TALK" and by the way WE WANT TO SEE YOUR RIFLE AND BORROW IT >FOR A WHILE. I have talked to two Attorneys and a good friend at NRA, IF >YOU GIVE TOUR RIFLE TO STATE OR BATF YOU ARE NOT Likely TO SEE IT AGAIN. >I have been told by my Attorney who spoke to the BATF Agent Trying to >TALK to me that he has no idea when I would get my rifle back if I >Voluntarily gives it to the state or BATF for Testing. > > >HEADS UP DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS YOU WISH TO KISS YOUR INVESTMENT IN YOUR >RIFLE OR RIFLES GOOD BYE and try collecting for KKK if she wins the >coming election. JUST SAY NO; But you had better talk to an Attorney >First. > > >OF the two Attorneys I talked to today, the second one told me his phone >was ringing off the hook with the same story and that he had heard that >the state had already voluntarily received over 5000 rifles at this >time. Voluntarily means they show up at your house and you let them in >and show them your rifle and they keep it, and threaten or bully you >into saying ok I volunteer. I am not a lawyer that's why I called one, >but of the people I talked to today the consensus is a voluntary hand >over to the state in no way obligated the state to compensate you for >the full value of your firearm or as the saying goes so sue me, if you >want you weapon or compensation and if you do get your weapon back in >what kind of shape will it be in. A $1000.00 plus in value rifle can >disappear or turn to junk in the states hands before you get it back, >that's if you get it back. This is back door confiscation using this >murderous rampage as the excuse. > > >This is happening below the radar the word needs to get out now and >fast!!! Please spread this information as far as you can, for you too >may get a knock on your door. > > >===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE=================== > >-------------------- end forwarded message from Mike Riddle -------------------- > >-- >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- >RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! >----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- >An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no >weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his >hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a >on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ >----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- > > Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >- > - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: Wal-Mart Petition. (fwd) Date: 21 Oct 2002 16:06:39 -0700 (PDT) ----------------------- begin forwarded message from Brad3000 --------------------- FYI - This one almost got away - anyway pls sign it. (thx www.gunsafe.org) WAL-MARK SUPPORT FOR 2A AND OWNERS:- http://www.petitiononline.com/GT1776/petition.html ----------------------- end forwarded message from Brad3000 --------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: (Fwd) Radical extremist gun nuts (fwd) Date: 25 Oct 2002 18:55:19 -0700 (PDT) Hi folks; Here's a good one. Bill ----------------------- begin forwarded message from Mary Lou Seymour --------------------- http://www.flashbunny.org/content/gunnuts.html ----------------------- end forwarded message from Mary Lou Seymour --------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: Michael Bellesiles Resigns from Emory Faculty (fwd) Date: 26 Oct 2002 08:51:24 -0700 (PDT) Now we just need to keep an eye on where this traitor goes from here. Bill ----------------------- begin forwarded message from Bill Phillips --------------------- "Emory now considers the investigation of allegations of research misconduct against Professor Bellesiles in connection with his book Arming America: The Origins of a National Gun Culture to be concluded and resolved. " http://www.emory.edu/central/NEWS/Releases/bellesiles1035563546.html ----------------------- end forwarded message from Bill Phillips --------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Bill Vance Subject: [slick-r] Fw: [freefire] OTHER gun news the media missed while the sniper stalked (fwd) Date: 27 Oct 2002 11:39:39 -0800 (PST) ----------------------- begin forwarded message from j ----------------------- Shots from the Underground By Robert A. Waters Published 10. 25. 02 at 22:28 Sierra Time By the time John Allen Muhammed and John Lee Malvo were arrested for the Beltway Sniper murders, they had gunned down ten people and wounded three others. Howls from the gun control mob were heard, and polls indicated that many Americans agreed that there should be tighter firearms restrictions. But beneath the surface, others were using guns to save lives. On October 13, a Philadelphia woman shot an armed serial rapist. As Daniel Wesley threatened her with a rifle, Charmaine Dunbar drew her own licensed handgun and fired, striking him twice. Investigators later determined that Wesley was the violent rapist who had been stalking the East End area for weeks. His six victims included a fourteen-year-old girl. This incident occurred during the rampage of the Beltway Sniper. Predictably, the networks, which gave wall-to-wall coverage to the Sniper, said nothing about the capture of the serial rapist. On October 2, a 53-year-old Detroit woman shot one of two gunmen who broke into her home. This story was reported only in the local media. On October 6, in Ybor City, Florida, a robber pulled a gun on parking lot attendant Ian McGeehan and demanded money. The victim, who had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, pulled his own handgun and shot the robber twice. On October 7, Sam Harper, a deliveryman for the Birmingham News, saw a shotgun-wielding robber threaten a store clerk. Harper pulled a handgun and shot the robber. Tom Burtnett, the clerk, credited Harper with saving his life. On October 8, Richland, South Carolina store owner Sterling Patterson opened fire on three armed robbers. One of the bandits had pointed a gun at a customer and threatened to kill him. Patterson's barrage hit one of the robbers and sent the others fleeing. Also on October 8, a Las Vegas homeowner shot two home invaders. After they broke into his house, the resident and his wife took refuge in their bedroom and called police. However, when the intruders attempted to break down the door, the homeowner shot them. In Detroit, on October 10, a storeowner came to the rescue of a woman who was being mugged. As she attempted to withdraw money from an ATM machine, two men assaulted her. The business owner saw what was happening, retrieved his gun, and shot one of the thugs. On October 13, a Vigo County, Indiana teenager shot an intruder who threatened him with a crowbar. Between October 7 and October 13, armed intruders were shot by residents in Texas, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, and North Carolina. On October 14, a cancer patient in Tennessee shot an armed home invader who attempted to steal his Oxycontin. None of these stories merited the attention of the national media. The coverage given the sniper was justified. It's a huge story. However, when other stories which show the benefits of guns are suppressed by the national networks, our views on gun control are distorted. No doubt, the Philadelphia woman who shot Daniel Wesley saved dozens of women from the trauma of sexual assault. Due to the rapist's violent nature, it's also likely that several lives were saved. While it is difficult to numerically assess the benefits of her heroic actions, Charmaine Dunbar may have saved as many lives as the Beltway Sniper murdered. Indeed, Police Chief Robert W. McNeilly, Jr. said, "We took this just as seriously as the shootings down in Washington. D. C." Unfortunately, the average American will never know because the national media did not report it. - Robert A. Waters is the author of "The Best Defense: True Stories of Intended Victims Who Defended Themselves with a Firearm." His new book, "Guns Save Lives: True Stories of Americans Defending Their Lives with Firearms," is available at Loompanics.com, or by calling toll-free 1-800-380-2230. ----------------------- end forwarded message from j ----------------------- -- RKBA! ***** Blessings On Thee, Oh Israel! ***** 4-19! ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- An _EFFECTIVE_ | Insured | All matter is vibration. | Let he who hath no weapon in every | by COLT; | -- Max Plank | weapon sell his hand = Freedom | DIAL | In the beginning was the | garment and buy a on every side! | 1911-A1. | word. -- The Bible | sword.--Jesus Christ ----------------+----------+--------------------------+--------------------- Constitutional Government is dead, LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! -