The Armed Citizen: Fight Crime by Fighting Back

Here is a video that was released long before the Navy Yard shooting this week. Considering the Gun Control advocates love to create emotional videos as propaganda for their misguided causes – this video certainly provides an adequate response in-kind.

Now - let's take into consideration that it was President Clinton (a Democrat) who put into affect a new law that banned loaded guns on military bases; and now you get Fort Hood and the DC Navy Yard massacres.

Is it safe to think that military personnel; who are trained to use these weapons professionally – if they had been allowed by law to carry their loaded sidearm; would have been able to put down the crazy shooters before so many people were shot and killed? The common sense answer is yes. Unfortunately it is quite clear that the Gun-Grabbers lack any common sense.

According to new crime statistics released this week by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Chicago had more homicides in 2012 than any other city in the country. There were 500 murders in Chicago last year, the FBI said, surpassing New York City, which had 419.

The fact that most of the killings happen on the south side of Chicago; the very place where President Obama developed his political career from; comes with amazing irony. This is a city where it is next to impossible to legally possess a handgun or other guns – and despite all the regulations limiting or denying gun ownership that were designed to eliminate gun violence – they have the highest rate of gun murders and gun violence in the nation.

You would think that very fact alone would be enough to stop Gun Control Advocates in their tracks; to pause and re-think their positions and ideas. Yet no – they will use the Navy Yard shooting this week; to press even harder.

Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said “a mass shooting at a South Side park shows why assault weapons should be banned”… "It's a miracle there has been no fatality," he said. "Illegal guns, illegal guns, illegal guns drive violence."

FYI - Superintendent Garry McCarthy – guns are not violent and guns don’t kill people. People kill people – more to the point; violent people with guns kill people, and violent people do not obey laws – so they do not pay attention to your laws that ban guns or assault weapons.

It seems Superintendent Garry McCarthy seemed to have conveniently forgotten that the guns and assault weapons used to commit crimes in South Side Chicago are ALREADY BANNED! Ooops!

In fact Superintendent Garry McCarthy – a vast majority of law enforcement professionals disagree with you.

In March, PoliceOne conducted the most comprehensive survey ever of American law enforcement officers’ opinions on the topic gripping the nation's attention in recent weeks: gun control.

Totaling just shy of 30 questions, the survey allowed officers across the United States to share their perspectives on issues spanning from gun control and gun violence to gun rights.

The results do not back up Superintendent Garry McCarthy “professional opinion”. Again – Ooops!

More than 15,000 verified law enforcement professionals took part in the survey, which aimed to bring together the thoughts and opinions of the only professional group devoted to limiting and defeating gun violence as part of their sworn responsibility.

Links, Sources & Resources

Video: Armed citizens are the best defense

13 shot in park: My younger brother was on the floor

Disarming the Myths Promoted By the Gun Control Lobby

GUN CONTROL: A REALISTIC ASSESSMENT - By Don B. Kates Jr.

Gun Policy & Law Enforcement – Where Police Stand on America’s Gun Control Issue

PoliceOne's 2013 Gun Policy & Law Enforcement Survey Results: Executive Summary

Is Atheism a Religion?

I’ve said for many years now – If you carefully observe the practices, behaviors, expressions, writings and even traditions of Atheists – that their groups have all the trappings of ‘Religion’.

Whoever said that atheists aren’t religious? There books; or shall I say bibles (“bible” is from the Greek word biblos and is translated as “book”) — are indicators that atheism is a faith that has its own set of scriptures.

Would Richard Dawkins ever acknowledge that his rabid atheism is actually a religious view?

Atheism is the belief that there is no god. According to the Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy:

“Atheism is the position that affirms the non-existence of God. It proposes positive disbelief rather than mere suspension of belief.”

Some atheists say - “Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color”

However, atheists make such claims so Atheism can avoid legal imperatives placed on religions in many countries, and can avoid some of the ideological hang-ups people have about “religion”. Here in the United States; atheists and their groups argue they are not a ‘religion’ so that they will not end up forced from the open market place of public expression (see freedom of speech and press in the U.S. Constitution), This way they can try to silence people of faith – their biggest critics; and still have their own freedoms to express their world view. It also creates a false dichotomy between science (which they claim must be naturalistic and secular) and religion.

At the end of the day – Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Atheism, etc.; are ‘Worldviews’ – the lens that someone sees the world through. A worldview in and of its self is not a religion. A religion; as defined with a certain criteria:

re•li•gion

Noun

1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

2. A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

3. The body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices:

Based on the correctly understood definition of the word ‘Religion’ – it is safe to say that Atheism is a religion.

Atheism, as defined in the contemporary western sense: is not just the lack of belief in a god, but the assertion about the non-existence of any gods, spirits, or divine or supernatural beings. Atheists in this sense are metaphysical naturalists, and as such, they DO follow a religion.

A better way to determine whether a worldview is a religion is to look for certain characteristics that religions have in common. The framework set forth by Ninian Smart, commonly known as the Seven Dimensions of Religion, is widely accepted by anthropologists and researchers of religion as broadly covering the various aspects of religion, without focusing on things unique to specific religions.

The seven dimensions proposed by Smart are narrative, experiential, social, ethical, doctrinal, ritual and material. Not every religion has every dimension, nor are they all equally important within an individual religion. Smart even argues that the “secularization” of western society is actually a shift of focus from the doctrinal and ritual to the experiential.

This world beats to the rhythm of religion in a thousand ways, and folks who follow these patterns are religious -- including atheists.

Religion certainly includes an idea of a God under whom man is inherently subservient, but religion also governs the belief system undergirding the way people think about, and live, their lives.It tells them who their authority is and it informs their values and behavior. It gives them their sense of morality and goodwill, and it guides them in the way they treat themselves and others. A religion does nothing less than construct one’s view of the world. Atheism is a ‘World View’ with all of the seven dimensions stated by Smart – and therefor is certainly a religion.

Atheists are, in fact, some of the most religious people.

First, they have a functioning God under whom they are subservient (normally its science or rationality, but mainly themselves), and that idea of God informs the way they live and interpret their lives. It informs their biases and determines their values, and governs any sense of morality or ethics they adhere too, or ignore.

Once that’s all settled all that’s left is the preaching. And they preach all the time!

If you pay close attention to practicing Atheists; the activities of their groups and organizations – it is safe and fair to say they are ‘Practicing a Religion’.

Links & Resources

Atheists Want Their Unbelieving ‘Bibles’ Placed Next to Gideon Bibles

Atheism: A religion

Atheism is a religion, too (FNC Opinions)

The New Village Atheists (equip.org)

From Rage to Faith – The Rage Against God(equip.org)

Iowa Democrats Pray & Give Thanks to God for Abortion Rights

I want you to imagine for one minute; a pastor or member of the clergy; an elected official or citizen:

Praying and giving thanks to God for King George, his redcoats or for allowing us to live under religious tyranny – or…

Praying and giving thanks to God for slavery in America as the nation headed toward a civil war. Imagine giving thanks to God for providing us slaves so that we can produce goods or services at a competitive price; allowing our families and nation prosperity through slave labor; or giving Americans “the choice” of whether or not to own slaves.

Imagine praying and giving thanks for segregation; for the fact that we have separate water fountains, bathrooms and areas on a public bus so that we would not have to share any space or activity with people of color. – Or… Giving thanks to God for the KKK and Senator Robert Byrd for standing up for our rights to deny black people equal access and equal protection under the law.

Now… with that in mind – you are more likely to understand why I literally felt like vomiting as I watched this atrocity of a prayer.

This woman is praying and giving thanks to God for abortion; for abortion doctors and for safe access to abortion.

Disgusting!