Looks like Miguel had a run in with a Brady supporter on Facebook, where the supporter claimed to be facing continuous 50 caliber fire for ten hours straight. Miguel was skeptical of such a claim, since a 10 hour firefight on the streets of Orlando would surely make the papers. Turns out she bought a house near a gun range and doesn’t like the noise. Miguel notes, “It’s called the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, not the Brady Campaign to Prevent Loud Noises.”
Month: November 2011
ACORN Behind Occupy?
I’m shocked. Shocked I tell you. Apparently they are going into extreme cover-up mode. Have these people been weaned from the public teat yet? I hope so.
More on Searches
A commenter brought up an interesting point in regards to the search of Cemetery’s vehicle, from a lawyer who says the 4th Amendment is alive and well, and it’s still possible to win 4th Amendment cases:
Your real concern is that all other things being equal, police are going to be believed in court over citizens. Well, yea, and that’s always been true, and likely always will be. The advice to have your own camera rolling is well taken.
I think that is partly my concern. If I think about the issue a bit more, what I really think I have an issue with are the dogs. Don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with the use of dogs in police work, or even the use of dogs for their noses in police work. I do have an issue with dogs amounting to probable cause for a search. Let me explain.
It is conceivable that sometime soon, technology will allow us to replace the dog’s nose. In this instance, police will be able to circle your vehicle with a device that takes in air samples, and looks for signatures of contraband. The interesting thing about this technology is, I think it actually would enhance civil liberties. I can’t cross examine a dog to find out what was going through its mind when it “alerted.” I can demand the logs from the device, demand to see its service records, and examine the science behind its function.
Even if it ends up a matter of judicial notice that the devices are reliable, and a reading can amount to probable cause, the officer at least would have to induce a reading somehow if he wanted to act merely on his suspicion, rather than just read the tea leaves of a dog’s behavior.
What’s interesting about such a sniffing device is how it would be affected under Kyllo v. United States. Unless such a device was generally available, it’s hard for me to see how it would be distinguished from the Kyllo case, except that involved a residence, and this would only presumably involve a vehicle or personal effects such as luggage. Perhaps the court would rule you have a lesser expectation of privacy. But as it is, a dog sniff doesn’t even constitute a search for 4th Amendment purposes, but if I were to use a device the mimics a dog’s nose, it presumably would. This goes to show the court’s logic in this matter is not entirely consistent.
Kriss Vector SDP Review
Over at Shooting Illustrated, Caleb gives the civilianized Kriss Vector pistol a review. I was going to point out the Kriss review I did after the Lucky Gunner shoot, but it turns out it only ever existed in my head. Guess I need to remember to write the down. The Kriss SMG is also quite a lot of fun, and the recoil reduction of the system does work as advertised. It has more kick than I expected, but for as high as the cyclic rate is, it’s quite controllable. I think they have an interesting system, but with tactical teams moving toward rifle-caliber carbines and PDWs, I’m not sure how much luck they’ll have selling a pistol caliber SMG.
But if you have the cash to pony up, it is a lot of fun. Obviously the Kriss SMG is not available to civilians, but the carbine version is the same system in semi-auto. If I were going to pony up the money for one, I’d go for the extra $200 for the tax stamp to get the short barreled version. As a shooter, I’ve never been too enthusiastic about semi-auto versions of submachine guns, and I don’t own any, but if I were going to spend the money on one, I’d get a Kriss.
The Geriatric Militia Conspiracy
The media is going to have a field day with this, if only because it’ll be useful for drawing attention away from Fast and Furious and discrediting one of its sources. The Affidavit submitted for the search warrant can be found here. Their geriatric plot seemed to revolve mostly around the use of ricin, claymore mines, and silenced weapons. Our group of grandpas here seems to want to use shaped charges too, because presumably they’ve read about it somewhere, though perhaps they can’t quite remember much about it. The affidavit outlines a story of hilarious incompetence, which made it very easy for the FBI to build a case against them. Just from the affidavit, it already looks like a pretty solid case.
On May 24, 2011, THOMAS and CHS1 drove to Atlanta in THOMAS’s 2006 Red GMC Canyon Pickup Truck, license plate Georgia BMB 0821. CHS1 consensually recorded the trip. THOMAS and CHS1 planned and conducted surveillance on the ATF (2600 Century Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30345) and the IRS (401 West Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30308) buildings to plan and assess for possible attacks.
There’s an awful lot of consensual recording going on here. But I guess you have to have something to share with the grandkids at Christmas. Or perhaps at their age, it helps to remember what the conspiracy was about, and who it was against. Either way, this is generally enough to nail someone on conspiracy. You can actually sit around and talk about the geriatric rebellion all you want, but as soon as you take some action to further your conspiracy, you’re committing a crime. If you have two confidential informants following you around with recording equipment, it’s typically not going to be hard to gather enough evidence to send you to prison for the rest of your short lives. What’s surprising is how much of their action reads not like the action of grown men, who should at their age have some aged wisdom, but rather reads like 13 year old Quasimodos plotting to attack their local Jr. High to get back at the cool kids. I will share with you some of this quite humorous, though demented and incompetent, plot:
“We’d have to blow the whole building like Timothy McVeigh. If we we’re gonna blow the buildings I would be smart to hit ’em both at the same time. Plant the explosive right up against the wall, a shaped charge. We can do it. Okay let’s do it then. We can so do our own homework on making from scratch mortars what the hell’s that, claymores and grenades. We’ve gotta have a lot of explosives.”
Pretty sure McVeigh just used truck filled with a few barrels of diesel fuel and fertilizer, along with some blasting agents. I guess they didn’t do their homework. Either way, grandpa’s walker could probably be converted into a wicked fragmentation grenade.
“Yea, uh, claymore mines, we can make these things, but I’d rather have store bought, a real one.”
Yeah… the mines Home Depot sells are a hell of a lot more reliable than the grow-it-yourself types. You could always pick one up at Lowes, which is better laid out, and keeps the anti-personnel weapons in a more logical aisle, but Home Depot has a better selection.
“We need to place within an ATF or DEA big black van. When they fill up their people, we’re gonna take ’em all out at once.”
If they get into a white van, the plan is off!
THOMAS expressed interest in obtaining weapons and equipment for the “covert group” from the UCE. THOMAS stated that he and the other members of the group have begun physical training and fitness to prepare for the physical demands that their plans may require.
My recommendation is this, for physical training.
“Helluva’n effect for so small a package! Interested? You bet!!! Show this to Cobra (ROBERTS) and then we’ll work out what we might be able to swap for some. Thanks!”
It’s not a conspiracy if you all don’t have cool code names. For the record, he’s talking about explosive packages here, though possibly he’s heard that line from his wife before.
On August 1, 2011, CHS1 consensually recorded a meeting with THOMAS, ROBERTS and another individual in northeast Georgia. They talked about acquiring TNT and building their own explosive devices. They discussed various types of detonators, but seemed to focus primarily on using pre-paid cell phones
The pre-paid models are the only ones that come with the detonators built in.
The affidavit notes some problems with the informants (one is under indictment), but given they have audio recordings, it looks like a pretty open and shut case of probable cause to get a valid warrant. No matter how ridiculous these guys might be, if you make a list of federal sonsabitches you want to take out, and then take action to further your plot, even if the FBI is there every step of the way providing you with everything you need to incriminate yourselves, you’re going to end up in prison. After reading the affidavit, I have no problem with what the FBI did here, and I’m going to guess after execution of the warrant, they are looking at a pretty solid case. We should probably be thankful these guys were laughably incompetent.
Cemetery Pulled Over. I’m Going to Guess DWJ.
Looks like Cemetery got pulled over near Nashville and got his car searched. I’m guessing, just a guess here, that his crime was DWJ, or Driving While Jersey. It matches my experience that cops in the South are a hell of a lot nicer and more polite while they are crapping all over your rights than they are up here.
The cops were right though, that you don’t need a warrant to bring a dog around the car, but the dog is just a front to get probable cause to do a search. The dog may have shown no objective interest, but had they found contraband, you can bet they would have testified the dog alerted, and would have pointed out to the court that it’s a highly trained dog. The dog could be about as good at finding dope as your neighbor’s Pekingese, but it’ll hold in court. It’s your word against theirs. Who do you think the judge or jury is going to believe?
Basically as long as the cops had a reasonable and articulable suspicion that a crime was being committed, which would generally only take following your average driver a few miles, you have a legal stop. Once you have the dog on the car, you have the pretext for a search no matter what the dog actually does. Basically if the cops want to search your car, you’re not going to stop them. The key is not consenting to a search. If the dog comes out, roll with it, just make it clear you don’t consent to the search. Not much else you can do. The 4th Amendment has been dead letter for a long time. All searches are reasonable. Long live the War on Drugs.
Occupy Philadelphia
A blogger colleague who works in the Comcast Center, the tallest building in Philadelphia, has some pics of the Occupy Philly protest trying to occupy the Comcast Center. What I really want to know is who the dude is walking that beam? And what is he accomplishing by being there? How did he get up there? It’s odd that in a picture of occupiers, I’m really floored by the guy with the high wire act.
The best part that Dave notes, “Oh, by the way, I asked my coworker and he said they smelled pretty bad.” Looks like mostly they will be occupying City Hall, which I’m pretty sure probably smells bad enough from the rats that infest that building on any given day. I doubt anyone will notice. But the Comcast Center is private property, and security appears to have acted quickly.
UPDATE: Apparently the high wire act is a statue. I guess that’s why it’s not moving.
The North Korean Fun Fair!
An excellent photo essay of communist dictatorships who are starving their own people trying to look like they are something less than a dilapidated failed country. It kinds of reminds me of one of those Star Trek episodes where the aliens get a hold of some piece of literature and try to recreate what they think represent the human earth world based on that small window of insight into human existence, but pretty much totally get it wrong. From the sample picture I show, pretty clearly the North Korean regime hasn’t ever heard of rule 4. But I guess when you’re starving people by the millions, what’s it to you if someone loses an eye? I guess we should just be happy it’s probably not a real gun, with political dissidents used as backstops. I particularly encourage readers to make sure to see the photos at the bottom of the roller coaster. That takes some guts to get on a rickety piece of crap like that for journalism’s sake.
Chicks With Guns
Now it’s art in New York City. As a side note, I had no idea Beretta had a gallery on Madison Ave. in New York.
Or Maybe They Need to Look at Context
Some discussion over whether Herman Cain is aware China is a nuclear power, based on this quote from Cain:
So yes they’re a military threat. They’ve indicated that they’re trying to develop nuclear capability and they want to develop more aircraft carriers like we have. So yes, we have to consider them a military threat.
It could be he just didn’t state it correctly, but in the context of aircraft carriers, this is certainly correct. There are only two nations on earth that have built a nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the United States and France, and France’s nuclear carrier program has been plagued with trouble. Building nuclear aircraft carriers is complex and expensive, and we’re the only country on earth that’s really built a strong expertise in doing it. This capability allows us to project power around the world, because our aircraft carriers can use their huge fuel tanks to carry around plenty of fuel — for the planes.
So I’m not sure Herman Cain is ignorant here. He might just have spoken poorly about China trying to develop a nuclear capability for their navy, which is certainly accurate.