The perils of poor Facebook personal information security habits

From the Granite State, comes this reminder to practice good social networking information security:

NASHUA, N.H. -- Nashua police are crediting an alert off-duty police officer who heard fireworks with cracking a burglary ring that targeted homes known to be empty because of Facebook postings.

Police said they recovered between $100,000 and $200,000 worth of stolen property as a result of the investigation.

Police said there were 50 home burglaries in the city in August. Investigators said the suspects used social networking sites such as Facebook to identify victims who posted online that they would not be home at a certain time. [emphasis added]

"Be careful of what you post on these social networking sites," said Capt. Ron Dickerson. "We know for a fact that some of these players, some of these criminals, were looking on these sites and identifying their targets through these social networking sites." ...

Read the rest here. A good reminder to be careful what you share online, and to make sure your Facebooking, MySpaceing, blogging, and Twittering spouses, kids, relatives, friends, and neighbors don't broadcast to the whole (online) world your out-of-town / business / vacation plans. Especially if your precise home location is easily ascertainable.

U.K. home owners average violent burglar attack every 30 minutes

Thank goodness those enlightened Brits banned guns. Now, they ought to ban burglary:

A householder is attacked by a violent burglar every 30 minutes.

The shocking statistic exposes for the first time the epidemic of terrifying intruder confrontations taking place in Britain.

It will intensify demands for householders to be given greater protection if they use force to protect themselves and their family against a burglar.

In the wake of the case of Munir Hussain, who was jailed and later freed for beating a raider, ministers insisted it was extremely rare for a person to find themselves in trouble with the police for fighting back against a burglar.

But with householders suffering violence on 23,000 occasions last year, campaigners say the case for a change to the law is growing ever stronger. ...

High robbery rate gives NBA players reason to carry arms

From John Lott, writing at FoxNews.com:

Some people ask why a man who stands 6-foot-4, weighs 215 pounds and doesn't have an ounce of fat on him needs to carry a gun.

But Gilbert Arenas is not an anonymous physical specimen. He's a player for the NBA's Washington Wizards. And statistics show that the point guard's fame and recognition make him much more likely than the average man on the street to become the victim of a violent crime.

Arenas, who has no previous criminal record, was indefinitely suspended without pay Wednesday by NBA Commissioner David Stern for bringing unloaded guns into his team's locker room. Federal and local authorities are looking into criminal charges, particularly possible violations of the District of Columbia's strict gun laws.

...

For some observers, it is hard to comprehend why professional athletes carry guns. The massive size and strength of NBA players would appear to make them unlikely crime victims. But Gary Kleck, a criminology Professor at Florida State University and co-author of "The Great American Gun Debate," says that's hardly the case.

"Athletes in some respects constitute more attractive targets," Kleck says. "They have a high public profile and are known to have wealth and items that can easily be stolen, such as jewelry."

Statistics support Kleck's case. Five NBA players were robbed during the four years from 2005 to 2008 — a rate of 280 per 100,000 people, compared to 145 per 100,000 for the rest of the U.S. population. In other words, the rate that NBA players are robbed was about twice the rate for the rest of the country. ...

Read it here.

More gun control, more crime

From Howard Nemerov, on the relationship between the anti-gun Brady Campaign's scores and higher crime rates:

... Further evidence of bias appears when correlating Brady scores with FBI violent crime rates. Only six states, plus D.C., scored over 50 (on a scale of 100). All but one of Brady’s “top 7” restrict law-abiding citizens from carrying concealed handguns. Brady’s “best” averaged a violent crime rate of 577.3 and a Brady score of 64.1. Brady’s nine “worst” all received a score under 6, and all have liberal concealed carry laws (also called “right-to-carry”). They averaged a violent crime rate of 398.1––45.0% lower than Brady’s “best” states––and a Brady score of 3.4.

Brady’s “best” had an average murder rate of 8.7, while their “worst” averaged 5.3, 64.5% lower. Also, Brady’s “worst” average robbery rate was 85.0 and the aggravated assault rate was 273.2, while their “best” average robbery rate was 243.1 (186.1% higher) and the aggravated assault rate was 304.3 (11.4% higher). ...

Read it here. Brady's anti-gun ideal states have higher crime rates than those states where peaceful citizens can own and carry guns for self-protection. Not exactly a revelation, but empirical evidence is worth stating for the fence-sitters on the gun control debate, those with an open mind who may not have considered the issue in depth. For those with common sense, such a result is likely self-evident.

Ham-handed Brits to give up glass, try plastic

From the formerly Great Britain, comes this story [Hat tip: reader Ken R.]:

Plans to replace the traditional pint glass with one made of shatter-proof plastic will not be accepted by drinkers, the pub industry has warned.

The Home Office has commissioned a new design, in an attempt to stop glasses being used as weapons.

Official figures show 5,500 people are attacked with glasses and bottles every year in England and Wales. ...

Article here. Yeah, that oughta work. Another step on the road to "assault glass" control. No doubt all silica-based beverage ware will soon be verboten in Her Majesty's kingdom. After all, those evil assault glasses are the "favored weapons" of bar criminals, don't ya know?

Study: Antidepressant use doubles

From Reuters, comes this troubling statistic:

Use of antidepressant drugs in the United States doubled between 1996 and 2005, probably because of a mix of factors, researchers reported on Monday.

About 6 percent of people were prescribed an antidepressant in 1996 -- 13 million people. This rose to more than 10 percent or 27 million people by 2005, the researchers found. [emphasis added] ...

Article here. So one in ten Americans is on antidepressants? Yikes!

The study looked at data up to 2005. With the economy in much worse shape, and unemployment more than double where it was back then, I wonder how many more are on antidepressants now? And if there is, shall we say, a "discontinuity event" in the U.S. or global economy, and all those people can no longer get, or afford, those meds, what happens then? Think about 27 million (possibly more now) people, mostly adults, off their meds, cranky, depressed, potentially unemployed, maybe desperate, and the implications for criminal / mass shooting violence.

You do carry wherever you go, right?

Britain most violent country in Europe

So much for the image of peaceful, formerly Great Britain:

Britain's violent crime record is worse than any other country in the European union, it has been revealed.

Official crime figures show the UK also has a worse rate for all types of violence than the U.S. and even South Africa - widely considered one of the world's most dangerous countries.
...
In the decade following the party's election in 1997, the number of recorded violent attacks soared by 77 per cent to 1.158million - or more than two every minute.

The figures, compiled from reports released by the European Commission and United Nations, also show:

* The UK has the second highest overall crime rate in the EU.

* It has a higher homicide rate than most of our western European neighbours, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

* The UK has the fifth highest robbery rate in the EU.

* It has the fourth highest burglary rate and the highest absolute number of burglaries in the EU, with double the number of offences than recorded in Germany and France.

But it is the naming of Britain as the most violent country in the EU that is most shocking. The analysis is based on the number of crimes per 100,000 residents.

In the UK, there are 2,034 offences per 100,000 people, way ahead of second-placed Austria with a rate of 1,677.

(Credit: UK Daily Mail)

The U.S. has a violence rate of 466 crimes per 100,000 residents, Canada 935, Australia 92 and South Africa 1,609. ...

Article here. It's a good thing they banned guns in 1997, huh? There's nothing like a gun ban to increase violent crime because, hey, gun bans don't apply to violent criminals.

And you can bet the BritGov has been trying to fudge the crime numbers as best they can by underreporting (not taking or discouraging crime victim reports) and misclassifying or reclassifying crimes and their severities, etc. Do a search and you'll find reported examples of this type of manipulation. And still the Brits' crime rate is the highest in Europe.

Guess what the bans on guns and knives have achieved? Answer: Crimes committed with guns and knives have skyrocketed. Of course, this will come as no news to residents of such urban utopias hellholes as Washington, D.C., or Chicago, where the same failed policies have resulted in the same failed results. Both D.C. and Chicago are perennial favorites for murder capital of the United States.

More carnage in the "gun free" Windy City

From Chicago, a place where guns are banned for those who obey the law:

The weekend that started violently has ended the same way.

Another four people were slain overnight, Chicago police said this morning.

Before that, seven people had been killed and more than 20 wounded on city streets from Saturday into Sunday -- including an unidentified woman who was found strangled on the 3300 block of West Congress Parkway.

From the start of the holiday weekend midnight Friday until the early hours of this morning there were 63 shootings and one stabbing, according to police sources. ...

Article here. Gee, 63 shootings in a single holiday weekend in a "gun free" city. How's that gun ban working out for ya, Chicago?

Thirteen of top 15 most dangerous cities led by Democrats

... and one Independent who supported Obama. From the American Thinker, commenting on a Forbes Magazine list of America's most dangerous cities:

When Mayor Giuliani, the feisty Italian-American Republican took charge of New York, he meant business. Crime went down, down, down.

Alas, today's big city mayor is more likely to be a soft-on-crime Democrat.

What do I mean? When Forbes magazine listed the 15 most dangerous cities in America - the political class ignored one embarrassingly obvious fact. Yes: 14 of the 15 mayors leading America's most dangerous cities are Obama-first leaders. ...

See the list here, or read the Forbes article here. A remarkable coincidence, no? OK, maybe not so remarkable. Many of these politicians are often the same ones pushing to disarm the peaceable, law-abiding citizens of their cities.

Toledo lays off police officers, suspects could walk free

From Buckeye Firearms Association, on the recent layoffs of 75 police officers due to that city's budget problems:

When word of significant cuts to the Toledo police force first came out, one senior police officer issued the following recommendation to city residents:

"Buy guns. Invest in precious metals: lead, gun power and brass."

And now, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner is admitting the reason why this is such good advice:

"Violent crimes, shootings, are not ever prevented by the presence of a police officer, no matter how many thousands of police officers you have."

Saturday, May 2 marked the first full day since 75 Toledo police officers turned in their badges and guns, and according to the Toledo Blade, word of the significant cuts in the Toledo police force is on the street.

"There ain't a side of Toledo you can go where they do not know the police is going to be laid off," one resident is quoted as saying. ...

Read the rest here.

One consequence of the layoffs is that suspects arrested by the laid off officers could walk free, in the event that the arresting officer(s) are the only witnesses in those cases:

Some accused criminals arrested by the 75 Toledo police officers who were laid off last week could get a free pass on facing charges unless there is a victim to testify in their cases.

Toledo Municipal Court presiding Judge Tim Kuhlman said yesterday that the court's seven judges have been forced to dismiss both misdemeanor and felony cases when the city can't produce the officer - who, in some cases, would be the only witness.

"We are pretty much dismissing all of the cases when the officer has been laid off and the city can't go forward because their witness is not there," Judge Kuhlman said. "I can't give you numbers, but it's probably equal to the same percentage of the [police department] who were laid off."

The charges range from misdemeanor traffic offenses to felony drug cases, the judge said. ...

We'll probably start seeing more situations like this around the country, as cities, towns, and county governments face looming budget shortfalls. Indeed, as previously reported (see my post here), one California county has publicly stated that they will no longer be prosecuting misdemeanor assaults, thefts, and a host of other misdemeanor crimes, in addition to no longer prosecuting certain drug felonies.

Cash-strapped California county to stop prosecuting some crimes

From the Golden State, comes this story about the consequences of the bad economy, and one county's ongoing budget problems:

Misdemeanors such as assaults, thefts and burglaries will no longer be prosecuted in Contra Costa County because of budget cuts, the county's top prosecutor said Tuesday.

District Attorney Robert Kochly also said that beginning May 4, his office will no longer prosecute felony drug cases involving smaller amounts of narcotics. That means anyone caught with less than a gram of methamphetamine or cocaine, less than 0.5 grams of heroin and fewer than five pills of ecstasy, OxyContin or Vicodin won't be charged.

People who are suspected of misdemeanor drug crimes, break minor traffic laws, shoplift, trespass or commit misdemeanor vandalism will also be in the clear. Those crimes won't be prosecuted, either.
...
Barry Grove, a deputy district attorney who is president of the Contra Costa County District Attorneys Association, said, "There's no question that these kinds of crimes are going to drastically affect the quality of life for all the citizens of Contra Costa County."

The decision not to go after any perpetrators of certain offenses, Grove said, amounts to "holding up a sign and advertising to the criminal element to come to Contra Costa County, because we're no longer going to prosecute you." [emphasis added]
...
Kochly said prosecutors will still consider charging suspects with certain misdemeanors, including domestic violence, driving under the influence, firearms offenses, vehicular manslaughter, sex crimes and assault with a deadly weapon.

Article here. Contra Costa county is located in the Bay area in Northern California. Looks like crime's probably gonna go up, once word gets around to all the criminals that the county's not going to prosecute certain crimes. Let's hope law-abiding residents of the county have acquired the means to defend themselves.

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that other counties have either already implemented, or are considering implementing, similar no-prosecute policies due to tight budgets.

Holdup victim fights back, wins

From Oakland, CA, comes this story:

A 23-year-old visitor from the East Coast had just gotten money from an ATM when he told his friend on a cell phone that he had a bad feeling about two men approaching him at the Fruitvale BART Station in Oakland.

His worst fears were realized when one suspect, Victor Veliz, 18, held a folding knife with a 5-inch blade to his neck and the other, Christopher Gonzalez, 18, threatened to shoot him Thursday night, authorities said.

In a blind panic, he lashed out at his attackers, grabbing the knife from one of them and punching the other as his friend listened in horror on the phone.

Without realizing it, authorities say, the man stabbed Gonzalez in the chest. Gonzalez stumbled to his family's home around the corner, collapsed into his father's arms and died.

Veliz, who is affiliated with a gang, was arrested at Gonzalez's home after police allegedly found him with the East Coast visitor's cell phone. He will be charged with murder in the death of his accomplice, along with a robbery count, prosecutors said.

The robbery victim suffered only cuts in fighting off his assailants. He ran from the station, flagged down an Oakland police officer on Fruitvale Avenue and turned over the bloody knife. His name was not released.

The man was "scared senseless" when he was attacked about 9:30 p.m. Thursday, said Allison Danzig, an Alameda County deputy district attorney. He acted in self-defense and will not be charged, she said.

When police told him that Gonzalez had died, "he was very saddened and very upset," Danzig said.

Gonzalez's father, Javier Gonzalez, said Friday that his son had cried out for his parents and sister when he burst into his home on San Leandro Street. He died there.

Javier Gonzalez sobbed at the loss of his son, who worked with him in his roofing business and at Oakland Raiders games.

"I'm angry at both of them," he said of the robbery victim and Veliz. "They took my son away from me. He was a hard-working kid."

He added, "My son is dead. I want somebody to pay for this."

Article here. Note that Mr. Gonzalez's "hard-working" son was killed while trying to commit a violent felony, and Mr. Gonzalez wants to blame the victim for his son's death.

The article reports that prior to the attack the victim had a "bad feeling" about the two men who attacked him. Generally, we ignore these "bad feelings", which are really warning signs, at our peril. Learn to trust your instincts. If you think someone is a potential threat, or that you're about to be attacked, pay attention, identify possible avenues of escape, prepare to fight back if escape isn't possible or cannot be accomplished safely. Don't blithely continue to chat on your cell phone, hoping that "bad feeling" will go away.

The eighty / one percent problem

From NRA News:

Did you know that 80 percent of the crime in this country is committed by less than 1 percent of the population?

The FBI says the one million gang members in this country are responsible for four out of five crimes, yet the Obama administration seems to ignore this fact to focus on gun control that has nothing to do with breaking the back of criminal gang violence.

For example: The Obama administration only mentions gangs in the "Urban Policy" portion of its agenda, not in crime and law enforcement. Yet the FBI tells us "Gang migration from urban communities to suburban and rural locations, which began more than two decades ago, is a significant and growing problem in most areas of the country."

It's shocking that this White House limits violent gangs to "Urban Policy" solutions. Its agenda focuses on support for gun control that would do nothing to reduce gang activity, but would erode the Second Amendment rights of every law-abiding American -including history's most sweeping ban on semi-automatic firearms.

The Obama plan seems to ignore the one million gang members who commit 80 percent of the crime in this country, while targeting the 80 million lawful gun owners in the United States. That's not a solution to gang violence, and it's not "Change."

In fact, it's just relying on the same failed policies that have made Chicago one of the most crime-ridden cities in the country.

One of the important points to keep in mind behind the anti-gun political agenda, is that for many of these anti-gun politicians, gun control isn't about crime prevention, but about control over the people. Crime is simply a convenient excuse for pushing a civilian disarmament agenda.

The ABC News article mentioned in the NRA News item is available here:

As many as 1 million gang members are believed responsible for as much as 80 percent of crime in America -- and the gangs are spreading across the country, according to a Justice Department gang threat assessment.

Approximately "1 million gang members belonging to more than 20,000 gangs were criminally active within all 50 states and the District of Columbia as of September 2008," the report says. ...

New report may cast doubt on current forensic methods

From the New York Times:

Forensic evidence that has helped convict thousands of defendants for nearly a century is often the product of shoddy scientific practices that should be upgraded and standardized, according to accounts of a draft report by the nation’s pre-eminent scientific research group.

The report by the National Academy of Sciences is to be released this month. People who have seen it say it is a sweeping critique of many forensic methods that the police and prosecutors rely on, including fingerprinting, firearms identification and analysis of bite marks, blood spatter, hair and handwriting.

The report says such analyses are often handled by poorly trained technicians who then exaggerate the accuracy of their methods in court. It concludes that Congress should create a federal agency to guarantee the independence of the field, which has been dominated by law enforcement agencies, say forensic professionals, scholars and scientists who have seen review copies of the study. Early reviewers said the report was still subject to change. ...

Article here.

Self-defense classes and gun licenses on rise in Atlanta

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

In early December, three heavily armed men broke into Chris Devoe’s Little Five Points apartment and attacked him and a friend.

One intruder struck Devoe repeatedly in the head with a shotgun and then tied his hands with a cord. Two took his friend, Rachael Spiewak, into another room and sexually assaulted her. The third left with the victims’ ATM cards and passwords, returned, and then he, too, sexually assaulted her.

Word of the attack spread quickly through Atlanta’s gentrifying intown neighborhoods. It became one of a string of violent crimes that together shook residents’ sense of security.

Some responded by forming neighborhood groups and calling for more police protection. Others enrolled in self-defense classes. Still others say they have armed themselves, and applications for new gun permits nearly doubled in Fulton and DeKalb counties from 2007 to 2008, according to statistics from the county probate courts.

Spiewak, a 27-year-old social worker who manages a bicycle co-op, says the assault tested her values, but she felt she passed the test. She didn’t change. Like many of her neighbors, she wants additional cops on the street, but also more community centers, youth programs and better access to public transportation.

“The answer is always non-violence,” said Spiewak, who asked to be named in this article even though The Atlanta Journal-Constitution usually does not identify victims of sexual attacks. [emphasis added]

Article here. Lots of silliness and a general anti-gun slant in that article, and the gun owners interviewed in the piece are portrayed as ambivalent about carrying a gun. Much hand-wringing.

Unfortunately, while the vast majority of folks can be taught to defend themselves, and to understand the moral good of such action, a small percentage of the population probably won't ever understand or be capable of defending themselves. While there are those who are physically limited in their capabilities, for the small percentage of folks we're talking about it's mostly a mental and emotional problem, rather than a physical one.

Semi-autos are "weapon of choice" in Windy City

From Chicago, where handguns are banned:

When it comes to killing, semi-automatic handguns appear to be the weapon of choice in Chicago.

Semi-automatics topped revolvers as the weapon most often sent to federal authorities for testing last year, records show. Of 106 guns linked to homicides in Chicago, 54 were semi-automatic pistols, 44 were revolvers and eight were rifles, according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
...
Of the roughly 10,000 guns submitted to ATF last year from Chicago, the largest share were .38-caliber revolvers -- 1,900 of them. And the most common .38 was a Smith & Wesson.

But that doesn't necessarily mean .38 revolvers were the weapon used in most Chicago shootings. The federal agency was unable to provide information about the particular manufacturer and model of handgun most commonly associated with shootings -- including those resulting in murders -- in Chicago.

Chicago Police detectives said they believe that semi-automatic pistols -- particularly 9mm handguns -- are the most commonly used gun in shootings here. Detectives often find shell casings at the scenes of shootings. Semi-automatic pistols eject shell casings; revolvers don't.

But the police said they did not have a breakdown of weapons used in shootings.

Article here. Imagine that ATF ran traces on 10,000 guns from Chicago, a city that bans handguns and heavily restricts long guns. Of course, such inconvenient facts are evidently not worthy of media notice.

Just what's up there, anyway?

From the Palm Beach Post:

RIVIERA BEACH — A day after he was hit by a stray bullet in the back of the head, 74-year-old E.T. Strickland was back at work today - with the slug still stuck in his skull.

"I am the luckiest guy in the world," Strickland said from his business, Sunrise Financial Corp. in Palm Beach Gardens. "An inch more to the front and it would have hit me straight on. As it is, it just glanced around and lodged in the back."

The bullet hurts, he says, but not enough to stop him from going back to work.

"We sell commercial real estate so it's got to go on," Strickland said. "I didn't know what else to do and I felt pretty good."

Strickland and his wife, Pam, were driving home to Singer Island from a belated birthday dinner at Taboo in Palm Beach on Tuesday night when he was hit by a bullet from an attempted armed robbery outside the Walgreens near Broadway and Blue Heron Boulevard.

"The instant it hit me, I felt like somebody had hit me with a baseball bat," he said. "I saw the hole in the window and the blood. I pulled over so I could bleed outside the car."
...
Meanwhile, he says he's not going anywhere even though his home has been broken into twice, his car was once stolen on Singer and his wife's car was broken into on mainland Riviera Beach.

"It would be unlikely that a fifth thing would happen," Strickland said, "but then again, that is what I said about the fourth thing."

Article here. Lucky guy.

Kidnapping prevention expert is ... kidnapped

From the New York Times:

MEXICO CITY — An American security consultant who has helped negotiate the release of scores of kidnapping victims in Latin America was himself kidnapped last week in northern Mexico after delivering a seminar there on how to avoid that fate, officials said Monday. [emphasis added]

The F.B.I. and Mexican law enforcement officials are investigating the abduction, which took place Wednesday evening in Saltillo, an industrial city a three-hour drive from the Texas border.

The consultant, Felix Batista, 55, was giving security seminars for business owners in Coahuila State when he was abducted by a group of armed men.

Article here. Unfortunate, but ironic, no?

The life-and-death cost of gun control

Article by John Lott, on the recent Mumbai terror attacks and NFL player Plaxico Burress' illegal weapons possession case in NYC:

In India, victims watched as armed police cowered and didn’t fire back at the terrorists. A photographer at the scene described his frustration: “There were armed policemen hiding all around the station but none of them did anything. At one point, I ran up to them and told them to use their weapons. I said, ‘Shoot them, they’re sitting ducks!’ but they just didn’t shoot back.”

Meanwhile, according to the hotel company’s chairman, P.R.S. Oberoi, security at “the hotel had metal detectors, but none of its security personnel carried weapons because of the difficulties in obtaining gun permits from the Indian government.”

India has extremely strict gun control laws, but who did it succeed in disarming?

The terrorist attack showed how difficult it is to disarm serious terrorists. Strict licensing rules meant that it was the victims who obeyed the regulations, not the terrorists.

Academic research has continually found that police are the single most important factor in reducing crime, but police can’t always be depended on to be quick enough.

The attack also illustrates what Israelis learned decades ago. — Putting more soldiers or police on the street didn’t stop terrorist’s machine gun attacks. Terrorists would either wait for the armed soldiers or police to leave the area or kill them first. Likewise, in India, the Muslim terrorists’ first targets were those in uniform (whether police or security guards).

Terrorists only stopped using machine guns to attack Israelis once citizens were allowed to carry concealed handguns. In large public gatherings, a significant number of citizens will be able to shoot at terrorists during an attack — and the terrorists don’t know who has them.
...
It would be great if the police were always there to rescue would-be victims, but as the police themselves understand, they virtually always arrive on the scene after the crime has already occurred. Fortunately, just as criminals are deterred by higher arrest rates or longer prison sentences, the fact that potential victims own guns deters some attackers. The Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey, which covers almost 30 years, also shows that having a gun is consistently by far the safest course of action for victims.

Over the last three or four years, numerous professional players can attest to the benefits of owning guns. For example, Corey Fuller, the 5-foot, 10-inch, 210-pound defensive back for the Baltimore Ravens, was confronted by two armed robbers outside his Tallahassee house. One robber chased Fuller into his house where his wife and children were sleeping, but Fuller was able to grab a gun and fire at the attackers, who then ran away.

T.J. Slaughter, a 6-foot, 233-pound linebacker, was arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at motorists who pulled up next to him on the highway. Slaughter denied that he had pointed the gun at the motorists and claimed that they had threatened him. No charges were filed, though, possibly following Dikta’s rule, the Jacksonville Jaguars still cut Slaughter the next day. Jacksonville claimed Slaughter was performing poorly.

Professional athletes’ physical strength hardly makes them immune to crime. Take a couple additional examples.

– The Oakland Raiders’ Javon Walker (height: 6-3, weight: 215 lbs.) was robbed and beaten this past June while visiting Las Vegas. He was hospitalized with a concussion and facial injuries.

– The Houston Texans’ Dunta Robinson (height: 5-10, weight: 184 lbs.) was robbed by two men in his home a year ago. The robbers bound him with duct tape and stole jewelry.

Unfortunately all of the nation’s four leading pro-sports leagues — the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball — trivialize the athletes’ concerns over safety. The NFL’s official advice: “In some circumstances, such as for sport or protection, you may legally possess a firearm or other weapon. However, we strongly recommend that you not do so.” The league advocates passive behavior when confronted by a criminal.

Fred Taylor (height: 6-1, weight: 228) a running back with the Jacksonville Jaguars made the point clear: “League officials tell us we need to take measures to protect ourselves. But the NFL says we can’t have guns in the facility –even in the parking lot. Crooks know this. They can just sit back and wait for us to drive off, knowing we won’t have anything in our vehicle from point A to point B.”

Even professional athletes are not supermen. T.J. Slaughter expresses no regrets for having a gun despite running afoul of political correctness and being cut by the Jaguars. He says, “I believe legally owning a gun is the right thing to do. It offers me protection. I think one day it could save my life.” It seems a lesson that many who are not quite as strong can also learn from.

Article here.

St. Louis alderman calls on constituents to arm themselves

From the Show Me state:

ST. LOUIS — Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe's neighborhood has seen nine homicides in 10 months this year, more than all but one other section of the city.

With gunplay wreaking havoc on his ward, Troupe thinks he has found an answer: citizens arming themselves.

The alderman is pleading with constituents to get guns of their own — and learn how to use them. Troupe, who represents a swatch of north St. Louis, is encouraging residents to apply for concealed weapons permits so they can start carrying a firearm.

The city's new police chief, among others, worries that introducing even more guns into high-crime areas is a recipe for greater turmoil, not less.

Troupe, however, says he has lost faith in the Police Department and is urging residents to take it upon themselves to protect their homes and property.

"These are God-fearing people. These are law-abiding citizens," Troupe, 72, says. "They have a right to own a gun, and they have a right to carry a gun."
...

Article here.