Ed and I have known each other since Basic, way back at Fort Benning (aka Fort Beginning). Ed is one of the smartest guys I know. While I stayed in and ruined my health (and sanity) in the Army, Ed got out, went to college and got an engineering degree and these days he’s in charge of a huge operation and he’s pulling in the big bucks. Ed is African-American – the reason this is significant is that over the years he has opened my eyes to a few realities that never occurred to me.
I am a big 2nd Amendment guy, but a question I struggled with for years was the whole thing about justification for a semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine. There is no sporting application for such a firearm. When I got out, I didn’t get myself an AR-15 – I was trying to decompress, and I didn’t want to own a sinister looking black rifle. I made do with my Lee-Enfield for any long-range applications, and a shotgun for home defense.
Then one day Ed explained it to me.
Ed said, “There used to be this thing called lynching, in this country. People who form up lynch mobs, go after black men, and string them up in trees. And when they did this, they used to take group photos in front of the lynching tree, and the county sheriff would be there right alongside everyone else. And often, state governors would either turn a blind eye to it, or outright endorse this behavior.”
I got it immediately. What Ed was describing was the epitome of tyranny, contrary to the freedom that is referenced within the Second Amendment:
“Imagine,” my friend Ed said, “that if every black man in America had an AR-15 with seven 30-round magazines; the era of lynching would have been over before it even began.”
I get it now. Imagine if, prior to the Krystallnacht in 1938, every German Jew had a Luger pistol with three 8-round magazines; the Holocaust would have been over before it ever got started. And if every Jew and Slav in Eastern Europe had a Mauser M98 or a Mosin-Nagant rifle with a basic load of ammo, with instructions to kill just one German soldier each then go home and bury their rifle in the back yard, the Third Reich would have never taken Poland, much less launched into the Soviet Union.
When President Biden announced that he was going to ban AR-15s, I went right out and purchased an AR-15.
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un has put an entire city under lockdown after 653 bullets went missing during a military withdrawal, it has been claimed.
The dictator’s officials have searched house-to-house in the city of Hyesan, which has a population of around 200,000 people, for the ammunition, two sources told Radio Free Asia.
‘The city… will remain on lockdown until all 653 bullets are found,’ a resident of the northern province of Ryanggang, where Hyesan is located, anonymously told RFA’s Korean Service.
The assault rifle ammunition was discovered missing on March 7, when soldiers with the Korean People’s Army 7th Corps were pulling back from the area surrounding the city, which lies on the border with China.
They had been deployed there in 2020 to enforce the border closure at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘They withdrew completely between February 25 and March 10, but an extensive investigation is underway because of a loss of bullets during the evacuation process,’ the Ryanggang resident said.
When it happened, the soldiers did not initially report it but tried to find the missing bullets themselves, according to the source.
‘But when the missing bullets could not be found, they notified the residents and began a rigorous search,’ he said.
The police and military launched an investigation, sealed off the whole city, and began searching house to house, the source said.
‘Those who have seen or picked up any number of bullets are required to report them as soon as possible.’
Those who fail to report any bullets they found could be punished, the source said.
‘There have been no clues even after ten days have passed since this investigation began,’ the source said.
Residents had been looking forward to the army’s withdrawal from the area, but during the investigation they will have even less freedom of movement, a Ryanggang province official, who requested anonymity to speak freely, told RFA.
‘Last week, orders were issued to factories, farms, social groups and neighbourhood watch units in the province to actively cooperate with the ammunition-related investigation,’ the official said, adding that when the bullets were not recovered after ten days, the investigating authorities resorted to lying to spread fear among the public.
‘They tried to put pressure on the residents by bluffing that the withdrawal was a manoeuvre related to the safety of the Supreme Dignity from reactionary forces,’ the official said, using an honorific to refer to the country’s leader.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – On Tuesday, the Senate Judicial Committee passed a bill to expand gun access in Tennessee in a 7-2 vote.
However, the bill (SB 1503) has been met with opposition through the entire process, and that continued Tuesday afternoon.
“How can we give children, 18-year-olds in my eyes are still kids, the ability to carry around deadly tools?” said Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis).
Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) stated, “You can be drafted at 18 years old.”
The move comes after a gun rights group pressed a lawsuit against Tennessee to allow 18-year-olds to carry firearms. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti struck a deal to allow that. Now, the legislator is considering making it law.
“We’ve had many agencies come in here and talk about how 18-year-olds cannot carry, that we don’t want them to carry, it’s too dangerous,” said Rep. Chris Todd (R-Madison County). “All of a sudden, we have a court ruling saying you must do this, you have to treat 18-year-olds as an adult for everything, not just voting or serving in the military.”
Pushback came from Lamar, who pointed to the mindset of those who are 18.
“18-year-olds like myself were still in high school,” said Lamar. “And I just don’t think any high schooler is responsible to have a deadly weapon.”
According to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), there have been 15 guns found in Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) so far this school year; Whites Creek High School and East High School account for the majority.
“We strongly oppose any policies that put more guns into schools and onto college campuses,” said Kathy Barnette with Mom’s Demand Action TN. “Schools should be safe places, and this creates a dangerous environment.”
On Monday, MNPS security found loaded handgun was found in a student’s backpack in a classroom at Hillsboro High School.
According to the school district, it was found during a scheduled K-9 search. Officials said in part that the handgun was, “immediately secured by school security and MNPD, and the school was placed on lockdown for approximately an hour while the police finished the search and concluded their initial investigation. Possession of a firearm on campus is a zero-tolerance offense and the student responsible will be subject to appropriate disciplinary actions and criminal charges.”
“Lowering the age could mean more gun homicide,” Barnette said.
Todd has continued to state, “It is a civil right and we are recognizing that in this bill.”
Hillsboro High School parent Shaundelle Brooks, whose son Akilah Dasilva was shot and killed at an Antioch Waffle House in 2018, said she has continued to take a stance against bills like SB 1503.
In a statement to News 2, she said:
“There is no way that increasing access to guns and putting them in the hands of younger people without permits and training will make us safer. What we need to do is work on things we could do outside of schools, outside of Waffle House, outside of church, to keep our children safe. The fact that guns are in school is a clear sign that we are failing our children. An 18-year-old is not allowed to legally drink, they need a license to drive, these bills are a disaster waiting to happen. They are not keeping our children safe. An 18-year-old walking around with a gun in public is one of the most terrifying things to watch. When will our government pass laws that will protect our children? And stop putting their lives in danger. Tennessee continues to pass laws that put our lives, our love ones lives at risk.”
SHAUNDELLE BROOKS
According to the MNPD, gun(s) have been found in the following schools during this school year:
has released church/school surveillance footage of #trans mass shooter Audrey “Aiden” Hale (he/him). The female-to-male identifying militant shot his way into the school & roamed around looking for victims. Hale murdered 3 young children & 3 staff.… Show more
