Occupy Protestors Continue to Tarnish Their Image
Not that they had a lot of good image to keep shiny in the first place, mind you… but stories published in the media continue to show the true colors of the “Occupy” movement. Starting with the “Occupy Des Moines” movement, right here in my backyard, where the occupiers have said that they will return to the Capital grounds this evening despite being told that they cannot spend the night there and having been evicted once before. According to the article, how the ISP handles the situation will play an important part in how this event turns out. In reality, there’s only one way that ISP should react, and that’s to arrest the protestors for trespassing.
In New York City, Occupy protestors sunk to new lows when they defiled church property. Ignoring the classic “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” proverb, protestors urinated on a crucifix in one church, and stole a baptismal font in another. These are churches that opened their doors to the protestors to give them a place to get out of the cold, and this is how their generosity and “humanity” is repaid. One of the church pastors gave the protestors two weeks to clear out. He’s a better man than I am, I suppose. I would have given them two hours, if that long.
Finally, up in Indianapolis, Occupy protestors – joined by union members – are threatening to disrupt Super Bowl activities if Governor Mitch Daniels signs into law new Right to Work legislation. Legislation that allows workers to choose if they want to belong to a union or not, and loosens the grip that unions have on companies and their workers.
So let’s recap a few things here. If you are an Occupy supporter, please by all means chime in and give your side of the story.
The Occupy movement is supposed to be about “democracy” and “power to the people over corporations.” Yet in Indianapolis, Occupy protestors and union members are fighting legislation that would do just that – give power to the people to make their own choices. It’s clear that none of these “learned scholars” (including an organizer who is a professor at Purdue) have studied how ineffective socialized societies have been over the course of mankind. It’s a travesty of the very laws and tenants that founded our country to see elected officials standing on the steps of a state capitol building supporting the values of the Occupy movement. Those officials should be removed from power for treason against the Republic.
Looking over the list of “needs” on the Occupy Des Moines website, I would ask the organizers one question if I could: “How do you think those items came to be manufactured if corporations are so bad?” It is sheer hypocrisy that these protestors are seeking good manufactured by corporations for their “comfort” and “basic needs” when those very corporations would not exist in the Occupy movement’s sad vision of utopia.
Finally, one thing that Jesus Christ has taught us is that we should always turn the other cheek. But to defile one of the Christian faith’s most holy symbols by one of the most base human functions (in fact, there is probably only one other way that it could have been worse), and to steal another is just about as low as these people can go. Turning the other cheek is good as far as it goes, but at some point, there is a limit, and these people found it.
Any attempts to classify the Occupy protestors as anything like the Tea Party Movement is totally off base. The only similarity is that it’s a grass-roots movement. Past that, Occupy protestors are selfish, ignorant people who either cannot or will not think for themselves and become productive members of society. My challenge is still out there – anyone who is an Occupy sympathizer is welcome and encouraged to refute me, and I will even give them space to do so right here on Right of Middle.
Got the balls to do so?
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Youngstown vs. Des Moines – Recap
(If you’re not interested in hockey, this post is not for you.)
This entire post, along with pictures from the game, is now available on my new Examiner page.
Those who know me well know that I am a huge hockey fan. I’ve been a fan of the Washington Capitals since the mid-80′s, and have seen their ups and downs. OK, mostly downs, but they’ve had a few bright points in the 25 years that I’ve been rooting for them. Unfortunately, there are no NHL teams in the Des Moines area. But we do have a USHL team called the Des Moines Buccaneers. Like the Caps, they’ve had their ups and downs, but they at least have a few championship banners that they can boast about.
My wife and I belong to the Bucs Booster Club, and we’re new season ticket holders. I was quite proud of her on Saturday evening when I thought she was going to go through the glass in a futile attempt to get at an opposing player before I did. Brought a tear to my eye. I want to help spread the word about Bucs hockey, and I’m working to compile and post game recaps of at least all the Bucs home games. I’ve got another outlet in mind instead of Right of Middle, and that’s still in the works. In the meantime, I need to get my first attempt up where it could be seen and reviewed. With that in mind, here it is. I put this together Sunday morning while the game was still fresh. My goal is to get recaps like this posted within a couple hours of the game’s conclusion once everything is in place.
Bear with me as Right of Middle takes a short break from the usual topics of firearms, government, technology, and liberty.
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December 17, 2011
The Des Moines Buccaneers took to the ice this evening against the Youngstown Phantoms. At 15-6-1, the Phantoms were on paper 10 points better than the Bucs. The last meeting between these two teams took place on October 14 and 15, with Youngstown taking both games on their home ice 4-2 and 5-1 respectively.
The Bucs started Jason Kasdorf in goal. He had J.D. Cotroneo and Connor Schmidt on defense in front of him, and Justin Hussar, Chad McDonald, and Anthony Greco leading the offensive attack.
The Phantoms tested Kasdorf very early in the game, and netted their first goal before most in the crowd had a chance to finish their first $1 hot dog promotion. Phantoms forward Soren Jonzzon scored on Kasdorf just 34 seconds into the game, and it appeared right away that the Phantoms might again have the better of the Bucs. But Des Moines would come right back. A shot by Mac Olson beat Phantoms goalie Matthew O’Connor at the 1:47 mark and tied the game at 1-1.
The rest of the period saw some great end-to-end action, with no team having an overall advantage or prolonged offensive push into their offensive zones. Heavy hitting and physical play was the highlight of the first period, much to the crowd’s enjoyment. The Bucs found themselves on the power play at 7:03, and found themselves a man down at 14:32. Neither power play squad could connect, and both power plays seemed unable to get set up and get quality chances going. The period came to a close with the Bucs Tanner Karty and the Phantoms J.T. Stenglein sent to the penalty box at 19:03 for fighting. The period ended with a 1-1 tie, and the Buc enjoying a 16-10 shot advantage.
The second period found Youngstown right back on the quick offensive, with Dylan Margonari scoring on Kasdorf just 2:19 into the period. Margonari was sent off the ice 34 seconds later for cross-checking, and the Bucs found themselves with the first power play of the period. Unfortunately, they were unable to get on track, and the Phantoms tallied a short-handed goal by Austin Cangelosi at the 4:14 mark. With only 41 seconds left on their power play, the Bucs found themselves down 3-1, and their extra man advantage expired with nothing positive to show for it.
The Bucs then found themselves down a man at the 5:52 mark when Matt Miller was sent to the box to serve a minor for too many men on the ice. Not to be outdone by the Phantoms, Kevin Irwin brought the Bucs back to within 1 with a short-handed shot that got past O’Connor at the 7:25 mark. When the Phantoms found themselves short-handed again at 9:04, the Bucs were able to set up a strong offensive zone presence that paid off. Trent Samuels-Thomas evened the game at 3-3 as the power play ended with a goal at 11:06. Tempers began to flare, and the Phantoms Michael Gunn was sent to the box with a 5 minute penalty for cross-checking before play even got started after the Samuels-Thomas goal. Only 34 seconds later, the Phantoms regained a lead they never relinquished as Mike Ambrosia netted their second short-handed goal of the evening.
The remainder of the period was penalty filled, as referee Maciejewski filled the penalty boxes with coincidental minor infractions at 14:43, 15:54, and two coincidentals for each team at 17:48. The Phantoms were unable to grab any immediate momentum from their fourth goal, and while the Bucs appeared to have the overall edge in offensive play during the period, they were unable to find an equalizing goal. The period ended with the Phantoms leading 4-3 on the scoreboard, and posting a 16-9 advantage in shots.
The third period had the same start as the first two. Kasdorf was chased from the goal at the 2:40 mark when Alex Gacek beat him unassisted on a shot from the right circle. Christian Frey came in for the Bucs but quickly found himself in the same situation, being beaten by a blue-line shot from the right by Youngstown’s Jordan Young a mere 46 seconds later. Youngstown was called for two minor penalties at 4:53 and 6:12, and the Bucs were able to convert on the ensuing 5 on 3 man advantage with a goal by Anthony Greco at 6:41. But the Bucs never seemed to get any sort of sustained attack together after that goal, and the Phantoms took advantage of the Bucs apparent lack of offense and coordination with their final goal at 15:34 by Eric Sweetman. The final score was 7-4, with the Phantoms edging the Bucs in shots 39-37.
The Bucs are now off until December 28 when they travel to Kearney, NE for a matchup against the Tri-City Storm. The Bucs find themselves below .500 at 10-11-1 for the season. They hold a 3-1 season advantage over the 9-16-0 Storm.
Visit the Des Moines Buccaneers website for team information and to purchase your tickets for the next home game!
Gun Control in China, Great Britain, and Des Moines
Unless you’ve been ignoring the news lately, you are probably well aware of the riots that have been spreading in Great Britain over the past several nights. Scores of thugs running rampant throughout London, Bristol, Birmingham, and Liverpool for no obvious reason. Residents and business owners alike saw their property destroyed by roving gangs with absolutely no regard for moral standards.
Rioters were left virtually unchallenged in several neighborhoods and able to plunder from stores at will or attempt to invade homes. Restaurants and stores closed early across London again Tuesday, fearing more looting.
Why do you suppose this is the case? Could it be that the residents and business owners have been left with no substantial means to defend their lives or property after years of “gun control” that has effectively disarmed the British? Here’s a hint – try to invade a home or business that is protected by someone with firearms here in America, and see what happens. Looters in New Orleans after Katrina completely bypassed neighborhoods protected by armed residents, and stores in LA protected by armed business owners were left untouched during the Rodney King riots. Proof enough?
Over in China, gun control has been the norm there as well. But there is no rioting, no rampant lawlessness. Why? Simple. China and Great Britain are a study of gun control in two different cultures, both with detrimental results. In England, draconian gun control has left the citizens with no way to defend themselves against marauding thugs. The government does not go so far as to execute those who violate firearms laws, but the simple act of rounding up the guns and disarming citizens has left them totally defenseless, dependent on the (outnumbered) Bobbies, and subject to the will of the thugs. In China, those who keep and bear arms are subject to severe penalties, up to and including death. They’ve rounded up all the guns there too, but the threat of severe punishment keeps the citizens in line. So instead of the citizens being dependent on the cops to keep things safe and subject to the will of thugs, in China, citizens are both dependent and subject to the will of the government. Which in reality could easily be called a band of tyrants, or thugs.
Either way, gun control has led both countries down two dissimilar cultural paths, but with similar results: citizens at the mercy of others, unable to defend or stand up for themselves. In other words, sheep at the mercy of wolves. Do not be fooled by the headline of the article I linked above: China serves as classic example of effective gun control laws. China’s situation is certainly a classic example of gun control laws, but they are effective only at enslaving the people and making them subjects of the government, not citizens of a free republic.
Come back across the globe and enter Des Moines, just in time for the Iowa State Fair. In response to a riot at the Wisconsin State Fair this year, the “Beat Whitey Night” riot from last year’s Iowa State Fair, and threats on CraigsList about paybacks for last year’s riot, KCCI News is reporting that the Iowa State Patrol believes that the Iowa State Fair will be safe.
“I can tell people not to be afraid to come to the fair. We’re going to be out there, our presence is going to be known. And when situations arise, we’re going to take care of it,” said Sgt. Scott Bright, of the Iowa State Patrol.
Exactly. Like the 16,000 police officers in Great Britain called out to “make their presence known” have made an impact on the riots there.
Here’s a tip for the folks who administer the fairgrounds in Des Moines. Unless the intention is to wand everyone who enters and search every bag with the same scrutiny that the TSA uses, there is no way that weapons will be kept out of the fair. Furthermore, lest Sgt. Bright and the fair promoters have forgotten,”Beat Whitey Night” didn’t happen on the fairgrounds – it happened outside of the gates, where admission and possession cannot be controlled. So is it really sane – or logical – to proclaim that the fair will be safe simply because there will be an increased police presence? Or is it time for the fairgrounds to lose the distinction of being one of only a handful of places in Des Moines that a free citizen cannot practice the right to keep and bear arms?
Even in Illinois, the last holdout against the Second Amendment, some law enforcement officers understand this concept.
“We don’t have problems with legal guns owned by responsible, trained people. We have a problem with irresponsible and criminal people who have guns,” [Sleepy Hollow Police Chief Jim] Montalbano said.
Imagine that – a police chief who has no problem with citizens being armed. The training part is a bit sticky, but overall, he’s got the right idea and he trusts his citizens to exercise their rights as our founding fathers intended. What a concept.
The problem is that you’ll never get the anti-freedom socialist movement to get on board with citizens carrying guns. They (rightly) see that as a huge threat to the advancement of their agenda, and they will push and pull at every angle to achieve their goal. The only thing you can do, as a patriot of the American Republic, is to stand your ground, draw a line in the sand, and simply say “no more.” We will not allow our government to abrogate any more of our rights, and we will not give up the instrument that has and will continue to protect us from harm, whether it be a common criminal or a tyrant leader.
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Des Moines Home Invasion & Carrying on Army COE Property
Two tidbits today.
First, and something that should be no surprise, another Des Moines couple was terrorized by a home invasion robbery this morning. According to KCCI news, the couple was awakened to the sound of their door being kicked in. What followed was 90 minutes of terror, being held at gun point, locked in their bathroom, and their house ransacked.
As is usually the case, the criminal had a firearm, and the homeowners did not. When the homeowners were able to contact the police, the suspect was long gone. So far, nobody has been arrested in connection with the incident.
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In other news, Gun Owners of America is reporting today that “The Gosar Amendment” is being introduced, which would force the Army Corps of Engineer to allow firearms on COE property, subject to the laws of the state where the property is located. Citizens have long been denied the ability to exercise their firearms rights on Corps property simply because of an invisible line drawn on the ground, separating Corps property from the land around it. National Park Service land and National Forests lost this “magical” distinction already, and the Corps dug in their heels. They emphatically said that they would not allow firearms on their property.
The Gosar Amendment changes that, and forces the Corps to abide by the rules of the states. It’s long overdue for the Corps of Engineers to get their collective selves knocked down a notch or two, especially when dealing with firearms rights. Please contact your US Representative and urge him or her to support the Gosar Amendment.
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Des Moines Not Immune to Big City Crime
Two stories over the weekend highlight the fact that even though Des Moines is a “comparatively” safe place to live, there are still those out there who would seek to do us harm. In both stories, the criminals used firearms to conduct their business. In both cases, no firearm was used by the victims, which ended up ultimately allowing the attackers to escape unharmed.
In our first story, three young men entered a home through an unlocked door and demanded money from the residents. When a struggle ensued, one resident was slashed with a knife, and all three attackers left the home. The attackers apparently believed they would find an easy set of victims, but when that didn’t happen, they took off like frightened little kids. As usual, meeting force with force is a surprise to criminals, and the attackers should feel lucky that none of the victims used a firearm for self-defense or the outcome would likely have been much different.
(And before anyone says, “Gee, that was stupid, going to bed with the door unlocked,” keep in mind that there is never ANY reason to go to bed with your door locked except to keep away the predators that have no regard for life and property. Locks don’t need to stop honest people, because they are not the ones who break into people’s homes in the middle of the night. While it is generally a good idea to lock your doors at night, it’s a damn shame that we are forced into doing so by the wolves that roam amongst us in society.)
In our second story, a man and his girlfriend were accosted by two men in downtown Des Moines after having dinner at a pizza establishment. The man was knocked unconscious by one of the attackers, and the woman was ordered to give up all of her money. The attackers then took the man’s wallet and phone while he was still lying unconscious.
On the same web page as this story is another story detailing an attack by five juveniles on a man after breaking into his home. At least one juvenile was armed with a handgun, which was used to pistol-whip the man.
My point in all of this is to simply provide a wake-up call to folks in the Des Moines area that crime is still out there. We live in a fairly safe community, but we cannot let our guard down, even for a moment. It’s also important to understand that criminals make their living by being criminals. As more restrictions on firearms are contemplated every year in the name of “making the community safe,” these incidents should point out the fact that no law currently on the books or being considered would have stopped any of these thugs. In fact, it’s probably fairly safe to say that none of them have a valid Iowa Permit to Carry Weapons, so the current “ask permission for a permit” system did nothing to enhance community safety in these cases.
Having access to a firearm is never the be-all end-all for every situation. But it does give the victim a fighting chance, and it gives the attacker something else to think about when he (or she) is contemplating their next “score.”
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Code Blue on Red Light Cameras
Perhaps Los Angeles needs to take lessons from Des Moines?
News today out of the City of Angels says that LA is going to pull the plug on their red light cameras. According to the LA Times, the LA Police Commission has decided to turn off the city’s red light cameras, citing questionable results and a lack of ability for the cameras to pay for themselves. This caught the LAPD completely off-guard, because they thought the LAPC was going to roll over and renew the contract. Surprise! It looks like the LAPC did their homework and decided that enough was enough.
If LA took the same route that Des Moines is taking, the funding part wouldn’t be a factor. According to KCCI, the new red light cameras in Des Moines are “self-funded” because the company that installed and will operate them gets $27 for each ticket that is issued. The rest of the $65 to $80 fine goes to Des Moines.
So let me get this straight…
A system that automatically takes your picture with no human intervention, sending you a ticket with a fine that you must pay or spend your time away from work to defend in court (since again, there is no human intervention to confirm or deny what actually happened), is funded completely out of the fines that are issued. Furthermore, the funding goes to a private company with no way for citizens to ensure that there is compliance or “above-board” operations. The more tickets that get issued, the more money they make.
Big brother would be proud of Des Moines. We’re doing this for your own good, and we’re helping to grow the economy by doing so, because we’re funding the growth of private business! Here’s a link to a story on Wired that talks about the effectiveness of red light cameras.
I don’t typically find a lot of good things in California these days, but I have to admire the voters in Anaheim who overwhelmingly voted to ban the installation of red light cameras in their city.
Imagine that – citizens getting a say in how they want to see the law enforced on themselves! What will they think of next? Freedom? Independence?
I love this quote:
“It’s a dishonest program,” said Zine, a former traffic cop. “This thing really mocks the public.”
Hello, DMPD? Mayor Cownie? Is anyone listening?
Oh, and there’s that pesky little issue about the Constitution, citizen’s rights, and all that muck. If you get pulled over by a police officer for running a red light, you have the ability to confront your accuser and plead your case. “Innocent until proven guilty” is some odd saying that I learned as a kid. Getting an automated ticket from one of these cameras certainly seems to blow this whole concept away, in my opinion. I know that some courts don’t see it that way, saying that red light cameras are totally Constitutional and do not infringe on anyone’s rights. Take that with a grain of salt, folks. Some of these courts are the same ones that believe that “keeping and bearing arms” is a collective right, not an individual right. Our judicial system is just as corrupt and blind to the Constitution as our Legislative system is.
No, LA doesn’t need to take lessons from Des Moines. Des Moines needs to learn from LA in this case. Citizens of Des Moines, you need to wake up and take control of your own destiny. Stand up and tell your elected officials that you do NOT want automated fine generation devices in place within your city limits.
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Ft. Hood, Philadelphia, and Zero Tolerance
I just didn’t know where to start. Three topics that pushed my buttons over the past week or so.
Let’s start with the tragedy at Fort Hood. At an American military base, supposedly a secure installation, stricken with the tragic deaths of over a dozen people. The Army wants to be careful in calling it an act of terrorism, saying that there are many Muslim members in the ranks who would be offended. I contend that we’ve gotten way to “PC” for our own good. Call a spade a spade – this was an act of terrorism, plain and simple. Like it or not, the US is in the midst of a war. Not a war like generations before us fought, where the enemy was easy to identify. The war we are fighting now has lines that are blurry and enemies that are hard to spot. So it was amazing to me that the General of the base said that firearms are not issued to the troops unless there is a drill or other specific activity that requires them.
Really? If we refuse to acknowledge that we are fighting a war, then we are allowing ourselves to be pushed around. The Major that perpetrated this act of terrorism had to know that he would face little or no opposition simply because nobody else would be armed and able to counter his attack! How many more acts like this will need to take place before we wake up and realize that the only way to prevent criminals – and terrorists – from plying their trade is to make them believe that they will not be able to accomplish their task. Meeting force with force. My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives at Ft. Hood, but this tragedy did not have to happen. Allowing members of the military to be properly able to defend themselves would have caused Major Hasan to reconsider his plans. At the very least, fewer lives would have been lost.
Criminals do not obey laws. That is the very essence of what makes them criminals. To operate a military installation in the midst of a war on terrorism and not allow our soldiers the ability to defend themselves is just crazy.
Moving on to Philadelphia, the citizens there are in the midst of a strike by transit workers. It’s not uncommon to see workers go on strike in order to get better working conditions. As reported in USA Today:
“Union workers, who earn an average of $52,000 a year, are seeking an annual 4% wage hike and want to keep the current 1% contribution they make toward the cost of health care coverage. Their contract expired in March.
“SEPTA was offering an 11.5% wage increase over five years, with a $1,250 signing bonus in the first year, and increases in workers’ pensions, Maloney said.”
Are you kidding me? We are in the midst of a recession. There are unemployed workers lined up looking for jobs. SEPTA offers a guaranteed wage increase and an increase in pensions. Yet the union decided that wasn’t good enough, so they decided to walk off the job, causing a major disruption to traffic and routines in Philadelphia. Not the best timing here, folks. It would be fairly easy to fill the positions left vacant by the striking workers with others who are desperate for a job. Maybe if the economy was stronger there would be more sympathy for the transit workers. I am not traditionally in favor of unions, and it is actions like this that give unions a bad image with the general public.
Finally, the insanity of “zero tolerance” in our public schools was displayed over the past week or so. Right here in Des Moines, a student is suspended for bringing an empty shotgun shell to her science class for show and tell. In Newark, Delaware, a student is suspended for bringing a Cub Scout camping tool to school that contained a blade.
In each case – and others like them – a sensible person would have to consider the intent of bringing the items into the school. I am perfectly OK with throwing the book at those who bring dangerous items into schools with the intent to do harm or create panic. This was not the case in the two incidents I highlighted. In fact, an empty shotgun shell simply cannot cause harm to anyone, unless someone tries to swallow it. Zero tolerance policies will not keep criminals from bringing dangerous items into our schools. The two students I highlighted had no ill intentions, yet their records are now tainted with their respective suspensions. We should be teaching our students about trust and responsibility. Zero tolerance policies teach our children about neither.
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