Bullheaded Texan's "Open Thread"

Comment

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 6:28pm

White House Reacts To Stunning Data About Unaccompanied Alien Children.
May 1, 2018
The costs from America’s porous immigration system continue to rise. At the end of April, news broke that between October 2016 and December 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was unable to locate nearly 1,500 of the 7,635 unaccompanied alien minors it attempted to reach—almost one-fifth of its file.
"I don’t care what you think about immigration policy, it’s wrong,” Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) said.
He’s right:
A very small percentage of the unaccompanied alien children (UAC) who illegally enter the United States each year are ultimately removed, creating a major public safety challenge.
Loopholes in our immigration laws put both UACs and American citizens at risk. Most UACs are older teens (16-17 years old) from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Some are MS-13 gang members who use our immigration system to infiltrate the United States, but UACs who are not gang members are still at risk of harm from MS-13. This broken system is dangerous for everyone!
Under the obuma Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services documented that 80% of the 71,000 Central American children placed between February 2014 and September 2015 were released to sponsors who are in the United States illegally.
Parents were more than half of the cases; many others were siblings, aunts, and uncles.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 5:11pm

Pennsylvania Game Commission Gives Thumbs Up To Semi-Auto Shotguns.
2:00 pm May/1/18 by Tom Knighton
For many people, the shotgun is the ultimate do-all firearm. They’re capable of taking down just about any game you want them to, so long as you can get close enough.
However, not all shotguns are authorized to be used for all game. Sometimes for good reason, but still…
In Pennsylvania, at least there’s been a bit of sanity interjected. Now, hunters can use semiautomatic shotguns.
Semiautomatic centerfire shotguns that propel single-projectile ammunition will be lawful sporting arms in most of Pennsylvania’s firearms deer, bear and elk seasons in 2018-19. The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave unanimous approval to regulatory changes that permit these sporting arms for deer, bear and elk hunting. For elk, the shotgun needs to be 12-gauge or larger.
The Game Commission historically has permitted the use of semiautomatic shotguns for deer and bear seasons within its special regulations areas near Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
With today’s vote, such authorization is extended to the remainder of the Commonwealth, as well as to the state’s elk hunters.
It seems that Pennsylvania is a little behind the times when it comes to guns. In particular, they seem to be just now recognizing semiautomatic weapons as being viable for hunting.
No, seriously. It’s not just shotguns. As Dean Weingarten over at The Truth About Guns notes:
In 2016, Pennsylvania gave the Game Commission the authority to approve semiautomatic rifles for hunting. In January of 2017, the Game Commission approved hunting big game, small game and furbearers with semiautomatic rifles. In spite of the 2016 law, the decision to allow hunting big game with semiautomatic rifles was reversed in March of that year.
Semiautomatic rifles are legal to hunt small game and furbearers in Pennsylvania, but not big game. Furbearers include coyotes, foxes, and raccoons.
The first semiautomatic rifle designed for big game was patented in 1900 and introduced in 1906 by Remington. It proved a popular and successful design!
In other words, a 100-year-old design used for legal and ethical hunting pretty much all over the world is illegal for taking big game in the state of Pennsylvania.
At least now they can use semi-auto shotguns for big game.
The question is whether this rule would be reversed as well or not. At this point, I’d advise hunters in Penn. to not purchase a semiautomatic shotgun for hunting alone unless you don’t mind it the state deeming it illegal shortly thereafter. But, if you’re willing to take that risk, have fun.
Personally, maybe I’m just overly cautious, but I wouldn’t want to hunt bear without something semi-auto. As a general rule, though, I don’t play around with any game animal that might eat me in turn. Call it a quirk.
With luck, the state of Pennsylvania will step up into the 21st century in the very near future and allow hunters to use whatever kind of action they deem appropriate for the various game.
It’s one thing to say a caliber is insufficient to take a certain variety of game.
It’s quite another to say certain action types should be banned as well.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 5:05pm

Insurance Company Offers Interesting Seminar for Businesses in TX.
Aug/25/16 by Jenn Jacques
An insurance company in Amarillo, TX is arming it’s clients with the knowledge they may need in the workplace by offering an Active Shooter Safety Seminar.
That’s right: an active shooter safety seminar for businesses offered by their insurance company as a way to bolster their risk management program. BRILLIANT.
“An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. To best prepare your staff for an active shooter situation, business owners need to create an emergency action plan (EAP) and conduct training exercises. Together, the EAP and training exercises will prepare your staff to effectively respond and help minimize loss of life,” said Kimberly Dryden, a Risk Advisor with the company. “Because these types of issues are part of a good risk management program, we look at the complete risk of a community, our business partners and our families. It is our desire to share our resources and start the conversation within the Texas Panhandle to prevent, respond and mitigate safety and security issues.”
The seminar will be held Thursday, September 1 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the Amarillo College Downtown Campus, located at on Polk St. in Amarillo.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 4:54pm

Professional Civilian Security Company Starts Training in New York.
10:50 pm Apr/23/16 by Jenn Jacques
Have you ever walked through different scenarios on how to survive and save lives in an active shooter situation?
That’s exactly what a pair of Navy SEALS did in their first active shooter training session for civilians yesterday.
“I was a sniper, explosive expert, communications,” says Navy SEAL Michael Donnelly.
“The majority of people are sheep. And we want to train those sheep to become sheep dog and be vigilant and to survive an attack,” said Navy SEAL Hector Delgado.
The men teamed up with Dr. Terrence Burns to form SAFGRU, a professional civilian security company providing training to regular people how to survive active shooter scenarios.
“They want to teach regular citizens, ordinary people what to do in this type of event. We wanted to alarm them in a controlled fashion get their heart rates up a bit. It was a ten second scenario that ended promptly. But a real life scenario would continue for perhaps up to 15 minutes before law enforcement brings the situation under control,” said Terrence Burns M.D., president of SAFGRU.
“They are not likely to have an authority figure present to guide them. They need to be prepared to take action to defend themselves and their loved ones,” said Dr. Burns.
WGRZ reports:
After a conference on how to survive an attack at a hospital, they decided to pass along those skills to as many people as possible. They will go through tactics usually reserved for the professionals during the drills you have heard about, but probably have not been able to participate in unless you are a first responder.
“If you can realize what surroundings you’re in, where your exits are, basics of minor details, you can act very quick and deflate the situation basically,” says Donnelly.
“Give them the immediate knowledge of when there’s a crisis how to either lock themselves down, fight, or escape and leave the building. So there’s three things they need to consider, and it has to be done within the first 90 seconds,” says Delgado.
“If you make yourself a hard target, whether it’s hiding or running, or escaping, then you’re doing yourself justice and you’re helping others get out. Remember, if you’re locked in a building, or you’re locked in a room, and someone’s trying to get in, and they can’t get in to hurt you, they’re going to move on,” says Delgado.
The fledgling company certainly hits an untapped market at a time when citizens are eager to accept their own and others’ security. Their mission statement sums it up: “The modern world has created a critical void that relates to the very survival of ordinary people. SAFGRU, LLC closes that gap using the technical expertise, survival and leadership methods proven under fire.”
SAFGRU is currently in Buffalo New York, but will host sessions nationwide, opening offices in Miami and New York City.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 4:45pm

What This Gun Range Is Doing in the Wake of the Texas Shooting Is Incredible!
3:00 pm Nov/20/17 by Erika Haas
A good guy with a gun isn’t much help if he (or she) doesn’t know how to properly use that firearm, especially in a high stress situation.
That’s where Top Guns owner, Steve Ellis comes in.
The local Indiana gun shop and range offered free firearms training to 24 churches in the area last weekend. More specifically, volunteer gun experts taught church officials what to do in an active shooter situation, including how to identify the shooter.
“Part of it is situational awareness, threat assessment, be a good whiteness, knowing what to look for and what to watch out for so that you can get that information and communicate to other members of the team,” Ellis tells MyWabashValley.com.
With only one day of training and over 40 attendees, the Top Guns owner knows they didn’t prepare everyone for everything. But that wasn’t the goal.
“We may not be able to catch every scenario but man, if we can catch some of these, boy that would be a great thing to be able to prevent the next incident from taking place,” Ellis explains.
Hopefully, more gun ranges across the country start offering these types of classes – and open them up to all citizens, not just church officials!
As Ellis says:
“Don’t go through life being scared.
But do go through life being prepared!”

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 4:35pm

Guns Saving Lives; Don't Mess With Texas!
Texas Educators Receive Active Shooter Training.
2:00 pm Mar/13/18 by Tom Knighton
While we wait for the federal government to decide whether there will be a program at that level to allow teachers to be armed, some places are taking matters into their own hands. After all, this most likely will happen at the state level anyway, with Florida already considering a program — and they’re not alone.
In Texas, for example, they’re not waiting around. They’re getting teachers ready, just in case!
In ENNIS, Texas, Teachers are readying themselves in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shooting that killed 17.
Sixteen teachers and school staff members got a whole day of training Saturday on how to handle a weapon in the event of an active shooter situation. The free event was led by a former Irving police officer.
Teachers like Kim Raney got a lesson in protecting their students. “Its scary sometimes. We do our best to have security at our schools, but you never know what’s going to happen. And it’s better to be prepared than not prepared,” said Raney.
Tim Bulot owns Strategic Weapons Academy of Texas. He’s a former Irving police officer with nearly 30 years in law enforcement. “This is the first time I’ve done anything like this… normally it’s police officers, SWAT and overseas contractors who we train here,” said Bulot.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where teachers need training like this.
Of course, they’ve needed it since Columbine, but no one wanted to listen then.
Regardless, it seems likely that we’ll soon see plenty of outrage stories all about how this is horrible, that what we need to do is take away people’s Second Amendment rights. But, as Jazz Shaw notes at Hot Air:
I’m sure we’ll be able to find someone to complain about this in no time at all, but doesn’t this seem like a best last resort if there are no other options available?
Particularly in rural areas, it may be quite a while before the authorities arrive.
And as we saw in Parkland, you may not even have any immediate relief then. Simply teaching someone about proper safety precautions and giving them a few sessions on the practice range is definitely important, but these folks are going one step further, and if the lessons stick with them it could mean the difference between life and death.
There’s also the deterrent factor to be considered. Rarely are these school shootings done by some stranger who travels in from far out of town. Usually, it’s someone from the community.
And if the local news makes it very clear that any shooter arriving on the scene will be met with multiple armed teachers with training on bringing down an intruder, there’s a fair chance they’re going to look for another target.
This is the kind of thing that will save lives without a firearm ever being drawn. Many times, these killers want to create a massive death toll, like they’re keeping score in a video game or something. They want to kill and kill a lot.
The fact that there will be teachers in these schools who are trained to respond with lethal force will act as a deterrent, since there’s now too great a risk the shooter will be killed before he can get a “high score.”
That’s the heart and soul of not just the idea of allowing teachers to carry a firearm but concealed carry in general.
It’s that the bad men have to factor in the possibility of being shot before they can accomplish their goal, be it killing dozens of people, stealing a wallet, or raping a woman.
The point is to not allow them to do it and make others think it’s too risky to try.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 4:13pm

DOJ Cracks Down on Illegal Caravan With Federal Charges.
May/1/18 11:00 AM Katie Pavlich
The Department of Justice has started issuing charges against members of a caravan parked at the southern border with Mexico.
Late Monday night, charges were filed against 11 aliens for illegally entering the United States. One of the caravan members has been deported before.
“When respect for the rule of law diminishes, so too does our ability to protect our great nation, its borders, and its citizens,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions released in a statement. “The United States will not stand by as our immigration laws are ignored and our nation’s safety is jeopardized.
U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman and his team should be commended for quickly filing illegal entry charges for individuals apprehended along the southwestern border. We will continue to work with our partners in each U.S. Attorney’s Offices to aggressively pursue prosecutions of criminal illegal entry.”
According to DOJ, the members charged purposely evaded immigration authorities by entering the country at "a time and place other than as designated by Immigration Officers, and eluded examination and inspection by Immigration Officers."
“The American Dream has beckoned immigrants from across the globe because of the promise that prosperity and success are within reach for all,” United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mexifornia Adam Braverman said. “Those aliens have contributed their voices and perspectives to make up our uniquely American experience. But the foundation for the American Dream, and what allows our democracy to flourish, is commitment to the rule of law!
These eleven defendants face charges now because they believed themselves to be above the law. Those seeking entry into the United States must pledge fidelity to the law, not break them, or else face criminal prosecution.”
The members of the caravan, made up of illegal aliens from Honduras, arrived in the United States late last week after Mexico failed to stop them.
They claim to be seeking asylum in America.
**** ONLY 11 ARRESTED!??? ****

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 8:17am

Texas Officer Shoots Suspect During Traffic Stop.

5:00 pm  Apr/5/18 by John Dempsey

 This week, the Mexifornia State Assembly proposed a law that dictates when an officer can fire their weapon in self-defense. I previously touched on how dangerous such a law would be to officers, their families, and society.

 A recent officer-involved shooting in Pasadena, Texas shines some light on these problems. 

 Officer Marc Adams, a 13-year veteran of the department, conducted a traffic stop on March 29th. The suspect took his time to pull over, and when he did stop, he do so abruptly and quickly pushed his door open. Officer Adams began giving loud verbal commands for the suspect to stay in his car, but the man shouted back “no.” He then turned the right side of his body away from Adams. Since the majority of the population is right-handed, common sense tells the officer the man is hiding something in his hand. 

 So, he commanded the suspect to show his hands. Instead, the suspect presented and pointed a firearm at the officer. Before the suspect could shoot, Adams got off multiple shots, striking the suspect in the left arm. This was enough of a distraction for him to retreat to the rear of his patrol vehicle, take cover, and create distance.

 The suspect then stumbled to the middle of the street while still holding the handgun. Officer Adams took a position on the passenger side of his vehicle, keeping the suspect in view. When the suspect began to take aim again, Adams fired a few more rounds, striking the suspect in the right side of his rib cage.  The shot was fatal. 

 And the Mexifornia assembly wants to legislate this? Leftists must be further out of touch than I realized. They believe they can write a bill that dictates when an officer can determine, often times in dark, whether a perceived firearm is an actual firearm or just an airsoft gun with the orange tip removed. Or if a real firearm has a chambered round or inserted magazine. Unfortunately, there is no time for “making sure” in these situations.

 Officer Adams didn’t have time to determine if the suspect had a projectile in the chamber of his handgun.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 8:17am

 Yet, liberals in Mexifornia think it’s logical to do so.

Officers don’t want to go through a critical incident like taking a life. Some handle the task better than others, some don’t handle it at all. In fact, it is not uncommon for officers to leave law enforcement altogether after being compelled to use deadly force.

 New officers are taught in field training that when a driver takes time to pull over, there is a higher chance for nefarious activity such as hiding contraband, or they may be looking for a place to bail out and run. Officers senses become heightened, and rightfully so, as in this case.  

 Let’s put this into context and place Officer Adams and the suspect in Mexifornia after the law has passed.

 Officer Adams would not be allowed to shoot first in self-preservation. He would have to become a target first. All the while, having a perfectly capable weapon and authorization by federal law to stop the threat to his own life.

 Officers should not be expendable for the sake of criminal who decides to point a firearm, or what can reasonably be perceived as a firearm, at an officer.

 Yes, there are inherent dangers in law enforcement. We all know that being shot is one of them. However, officers do not “sign up to get shot,” as critics ignorantly say.

 Don’t point a firearm, or something that is intended to look like one, at an officer, and no one will get shot. It’s common sense.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on May 1, 2018 at 8:03am

There’s An App for Illegal Aliens That Helps Them Avoid Feds, Guess Who’s Behind It?

 A new app that helps illegal immigrants evade federal authorities has just launched, and it’s funded by left-wing billionaire george soros, according to Judicial Watch.

 The app, Notifica, allows illegal aliens to have a predetermined plan and activate it by sending messages to family if they fear of deportation or have come in contact with immigration authorities.

 “Users can prepare a set of automatic messages to alert — with one click — family members, lawyers and others if they, or someone they care about, encounter immigration enforcement authorities,” LMT Online reports. “The tool was developed last year and distributed on a small scale and is now available for the public on Google and Apple apps stores.”

 'United We Dream' is the group who invented the app. They claim to be the largest immigrant youth-led community in the country, aiming to “embrace the common struggle of all people of color and stand up against racism, colonialism, colorism, and xenophobia.”

 The group was a project for the National Immigration Law Center, according to Judicial Watch, and was funded for “immigration-related employment discrimination public education.”

 The U.S. government granted the NILC over $200,000 between 2008 and 2010, who also claim to be dedicated to “defending and advancing the rights of immigrants with low income.”

 Both the NILC and its United We Dream branch are heavily funded from Soros’ Open Society Foundations; OSF is listed as a key financial backer for both nonprofits.

 “OSF has also funded a liberal think-tank headed by former killary clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and the scandal-ridden activist group Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), so corrupt that Congress banned it from receiving federal funding,” Judicial Watch reports.

 “I am not surprised by the app,” said Marri Velasquez, a Republican activist from Texas who co-founded the mexicans for Trump group. “It’s like fugitives, always running around trying to find the new thing. … They use Nextdoor.com and other network groups to alert each other.”

 “There is always going to be another protection, another cover-up,” Velasquez continued. “But this is not going to change anything.”

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• …
• 16
• 17
• 18
• 19
• 20
• …
• 40
• Next ›
• Page