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Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 11:54pm: Women in Mississippi Are Educating Themselves on How to Use a Firearm.

May/24/17 by Erika Haas

Women in Mississippi are taking their personal protection into their own hands by exercising their right to bear arms.

Lori Shelton, who always considered herself anti-gun, decided to take a firearms training course after her home was broken into just last month.

“I was always anti-gun,” she told News Channel 3. “I wasn’t really scared of them, I just decided I wanted to be anti-gun, and what a difference 24-hours makes.”

“I was getting ready for work, doing my normal routine, and I heard a noise as I was getting out of the shower,” Shelton recalled. “I peeked through the blinds…and saw him looking at me. I mean we made complete eye contact,” Shelton said. “He proceeded to come through the back of the house, and I ran back and dialed 911.”

Her daughter was sleeping upstairs during the incident.

While police arrived in minutes, it took over an hour to locate the suspect.

According to Shelton, the intruder not only stole some of her antiques but her sense of security.

“It’s really hard. You don’t think about standing at the sink washing dishes, but with every dish that I wash, I’m constantly turning and looking over my shoulder to see if somebody is looking in,” she told News Channel 3.

It’s for that reason that Shelton decided to educate herself on guns, and is currently working toward getting her pistol permit and her own firearm.

She not only goes to the range for target practice but has enrolled in a firearms training course that teaches her how to load, shoot, store and clean a gun. She even takes her 15-years-old daughter along so she, too, knows how to protect herself.

Firearms instructor, Donna Hollway, says the course has had over 200 female students since it started last year; that’s about 50% of all participants.

“We have a large group of women that want to learn more about their weapon, want to be comfortable with it, want to be able to protect themselves and their family,” Holloway told News Channel 3. “Policemen and their husbands are not always going to be there to protect them, so they need to learn how to protect themselves when they’re out doing their daily lives.”

Judith Starks has also enrolled herself in the firearms training course.

It’s taken her more than twenty years – her home was broken into in 1993 – but Starks said she’s finally ready to learn how to defend herself.

“The thing that held me back was the fear. But now that the way the world has changed, I’m not going to be fearful anymore,” she said. “Let the fear go, get these lessons.”

Holloway reminds us: “Every woman is capable of doing this.”

So get out their girls, and learn how to defend yourselves and your loved ones!

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 11:39pm: More Women Signing Up For Concealed Carry Class.

Apr/27/18 by Tom Knighton

Anti-gunners like to paint concealed carry as the domain of beer-swilling, minority-hating, 'wannabe Rambo Males' looking for an opportunity to blow someone away. Much of their anti-gun rhetoric is based around this idea.

It's all based on misconstrued data or outright fabrications.

However, they really need to update their version of reality.

In a statement released Monday, the National Carry Academy says the number of women taking concealed-carry courses has spiked by 24% since the February 14 shooting.

In an interview with The Federalist, NCA CEO Chris Schutrop said an increasing number of women have been arming themselves over the past three years, but the Parkland shooting especially hit a nerve among women.

“There’s a greater chance they can protect themselves if they are carrying a firearm and are trained to use it,” Schutrop said. “It’s a tangible way that they can make a difference to help others and help themselves.”

That’s awesome. Seriously.

While concealed carry wouldn’t have prevented Parkland, it may well have helped at countless other mass shootings!

It wouldn’t have helped in Parkland simply because concealed carry wasn’t allowed on school campuses in Florida!

Based on the anti-gun push down that way, it’s unlikely that’s going to change any time soon.

But even taking the extremely rare possibility of mass shooting off the table, concealed carry is a massive benefit to women. While some circles like to pretend that women are capable of literally everything a man can do, there are exceptions.

For example, the average woman is physically weaker than the average man. That puts women at a disadvantage when it comes to violence, where strength is an important factor. - Unless that is, she has a gun.

You only need to muster a few pounds of pressure with your finger to pull a trigger, and that’s an incredible equalizer when you’re asking a 120-pound woman to defend herself against a 250-pound aggressive male.

I think most women recognize that fact, and many are looking at how to mitigate those differences. - That means a firearm. Plain and simple.

One comment about the NCA’s numbers is that it only accounts for increases in concealed carry courses.

It doesn’t account for a spike in states that don’t require a course before issuing a permit. I’d wager that you’d see as big, if not a bigger, spike there.

After all, women who might be intimidated by a concealed carry class might skip the process. If they didn’t have to sit through one, they might just pick up the permit.

Of course, it’s impossible to know the gender breakdown of concealed carry, but I’m glad to see this news. I’m a husband and a father of a young daughter. One of my greatest fears is something happening to my wife or little girl and me not being there to try and protect them.

The idea of the average concealed carrier changing to include more women means other fathers can deal with that fear a little bit better than before as their little girls, now all grown up, can protect themselves.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 11:25pm: South Korea's Foreign Minister: The Credit on North Korea Progress Clearly Goes to President Trump.

Apr/27/18 by Katie Pavlich

For the first time since 1953, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Un walked hand-in-hand across the DMZ, crossing into each other's respective country. Later in the day after a series of meetings, the two leaders agreed to officially end the Korean War.
During an interview with CNN's Christiana Amonpour Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha credited President Trump for the progress being made.

"Clearly credit goes to President Trump. He’s been determined to come to grips with this from day one,” Kyung-wha said.

Meanwhile, the United States is taking a celebratory yet cautious approach to the progress. President Trump's meeting with Kim Jong Un is being planned for June, although a location has not been announced.

"KOREAN WAR TO END! The United States, and all of its GREAT people, should be very proud of what is now taking place in Korea!" Apr/27/18

President Trump

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 11:15pm: Trump: Newly Minted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Is a Patriot and Has My Trust.

Katie Pavlich: Apr/26/18

Thursday afternoon, former CIA Director Mike Pompeo officially became the 70 U.S. Secretary of State after being confirmed by the Senate in a 57-42 vote.

"I am pleased with the Senate’s confirmation of Mike Pompeo to serve as our country’s top diplomat. Having a patriot of Mike’s immense talent, energy, and intellect leading the Department of State will be an incredible asset for our country at this critical time in history," President Trump released in a statement.

"He will always put the interests of America first. He has my trust. He has my support. Today, he has my congratulations on becoming America’s 70th Secretary of State."

"Congratulations to Mike Pompeo on being confirmed the 70th Secretary of State! Mike brings years of public service and expertise to the job. POTUS & I know that Mike Pompeo will serve our Nation w/ distinction and will do an outstanding job for the American people." Mike Pence

Michael Richard Pompeo was just sworn in as the 70th Secretary of State from the West Conference Room at The Supreme Court of the United States by Associate Justice Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. 1:13 PM - Apr/26/18

President Trump has been blasting Democrats for days for continued obstruction of Pompeo's nomination.

"Hard to believe Obstructionists. The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people, including the Ambassador to Germany. They are maxing out the time on approval process for all, never happened before. Need more Republicans!"

Donald Trump

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 10:48pm: Big Updates From President Trump's Meeting With German Chancellor.

April 27, 2018

President Trump met Friday with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, giving updates on several key issues facing the two countries, and other critical foreign policy issues. Here are the biggest stories coming out of their joint press event.

1. President Trump congratulated the leaders of North and South Korea after a historic summit and said his meeting with Kim will be in the “coming weeks.” The president promised that a “maximum pressure” campaign will continue “until denuclearization occurs.” North and South Korea pledged an official end to the decades long Korean War.

2. President Trump pressed the Germans and other NATO allies to increase their defense spending. The chancellor pledged to be a reliable partner, but acknowledged Germany’s shortfall, at only 1.3 percent of GDP of the pledged 2 percent.

3. President Trump also remarked that the World Trade Organization has treated the U.S. poorly. He calls for “fair and reciprocal trade relationships with our friends and allies.” He told the German leader directly that it wasn’t her fault, but America seeks to lower the trade deficit, for which Trump lays blame on previous administrations.

4. The president said he may attend the opening of the new embassy in Jerusalem in May. He stated that he was able to reduce the cost of construction from $1 billion to $3-400,000.

5. President Trump says he won’t discuss the use of military force, but he decisively warned Iran: “They are not going to be doing nuclear weapons. You can bank on it.”

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 10:02pm: Young America's Foundation Scores Victory Against Berkeley.

Apr/27/18 Katie Pavlich

Young America's Foundation scored a legal victory against UC-Berkeley this week after a judge in San Francisco refused to dismiss the organization's lawsuit against the university for infringing on the First Amendment rights of conservative students and speakers on campus.
“Young America’s Foundation looks forward to moving on to the merits of this case and vigorously defending our claims at trial. This ruling allowing YAF’s critical First Amendment case to move forward is a win for conservatives and free speech, and it shows that Judge Chesney believes there is significant evidence of Berkeley’s work to suppress conservative speech," Young America’s Foundation spokesman Spencer Brown released in a statement. “Conservative students will finally have their day in court, and we are confident that the outcome of this case will be the restoration of students’ First Amendment rights at the University of California, Berkeley.”

The lawsuit against Berkeley is backed by the Department of Justice, which issued a statement of interest for the case in January.

“This Department of Justice will not stand by idly while public universities violate students’ constitutional rights,” former Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand said about the statement of interest at the time.

YAF filed the lawsuit late last year after the university repeatedly forced conservative students to pay extreme security fees to host speakers or face cancellation of their events. The university has special requirements and hurdles for conservative speakers that are not required for those who espouse leftist ideology.

"UC Berkeley has used its infamous unwritten and unpublished High Profile Speaker Policy to repeatedly suppress conservative speech on campus.

In Wednesday’s ruling, the court found sufficient factual allegations for YAF’s First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment claims to move forward to trial," YAF released in a statement. "At trial, Berkeley will also have to answer for its unconstitutional application of the Major Events policy surrounding Young America’s Foundation’s breakthrough lecture with Ben Shapiro that took place last September.

The court found YAF’s arguments persuasive, regarding Berkeley’s use of security fees to suppress conservative speech."

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 9:06pm: comey CAUGHT In Massive Lie By Fox News Host.

4/26/18 Daily Caller by Chuck Ross

Former FBI Director james comey repeated one of the more pervasive false claims about the infamous Steele dossier on Thursday, telling Fox News’ Bret Baier Republicans first financed the salacious document.

Instead, the clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee funded the dossier project.

“I knew it was first funded by Republicans,” comey told Baier during an exchange about his knowledge of the dossier, which former British spy Christopher Steele wrote.

“That’s not true, that the dossier that Christopher Steele worked on was funded by Republicans?” Baier replied.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 8:49pm: Calls For Trump To Win Peace Prize Increase!

4/27/18 Town Hall by Lauretta Brown

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News Friday that if President Trump is able to get North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to agree to denuclearize, the president should get the Nobel Peace Prize.

Graham praised Trump for the stunning progress made in getting North and South Korea leaders to meet Thursday to discuss denuclearization.
It wouldn't have happened without Trump!," Graham said Friday.
“The fact that the North Korean and the South Korean president met and they vowed to end the war.

What happened?

Donald Trump convinced North Korea and China that he was serious about bringing about change," he emphasized.

"We're not there yet, but if this happens, President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize!" Graham praised Trump for ignoring the critiques of his strategy towards North Korea.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 8:43pm: ALERT Trump Cleared By House Intel Report.

4/27/18 Town Hall by Katy Pavlich

A new report released Friday by the House Intelligence Committee shows there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election.

The report, which the intelligence community highly redacted and spans 253 pages, shows the Russians tried to influence the election through propaganda campaigns and details similar efforts in Europe.

It lists dozens of findings on a number of relevant issues and shows in January 2017 obuma intelligence officials used the infamous Russian dossier as a way to attack President Trump in the press.

That dossier was paid for by the DNC and the clinton campaign in 2016 and compiled by British spy Christopher Steele.

“Former DNI James Clapper, now a CNN national security analyst, acknowledged discussing the dossier with CNN journalist Jake Tapper and admitted that he might have spoken with other journalists about the same topic," the report states.

On Friday, a newly-declassified congressional report on Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections revealed that obuma's Director of National Intelligence (DNI) leaked information about the infamous anti-Trump dossier to CNN's Jake Tapper, lied about it to Congress, and then was rewarded with a contract at CNN a few months later.

The Federalist's Sean Davis notes that the revelations about former DNI James Clapper were made in a new 253-page report from the House Intelligence Committee.

“Clapper flatly denied ‘discussing[ing] the dossier or any other intelligence related to Russia hacking of the 2016 election with journalists,'” the committee found.

Clapper explicitly told Congress that he had never discussed the dossier with any journalists.

As Davis notes, Clapper later changed his story when he was confronted about his communications with Tapper.

Comment by Bullheaded Texan on April 27, 2018 at 8:22pm: Ex-clerk who donned judge's robe found dead before trial.

By MICHAEL TARM | A P

CHICAGO – A former law clerk who was facing trial next week in Chicago for impersonating a judge in 2016 has been found dead at her suburban Chicago home, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said Friday.
Rhonda Crawford, once on a fast track to a high-salary, high-status job as a judge, was pronounced dead Thursday at her Calumet City home, a daily coroner's ledger said.

It offered no details on the cause of the 46-year-old's death, indicating only that an autopsy was pending.

The former nurse drew headlines and ridicule around Chicago after word spread she'd donned black judge's robes on Aug. 11, 2016, and presided over traffic cases that should've been heard by a real judge.

Early that year, she had won a primary for an open county judgeship.

She told reporters later, she had been shadowing judges to prepare for becoming a judge, which she called "a life-long ambition."

At one point, an actual judge, Valarie Turner, invited her to sit on the bench. Accepting was a spur-of-the-moment decision, which she regretted, she said.

Her lawyer, Rob Robertson, told the Chicago Tribune Friday he didn't know how his client had died.

"Rhonda was a truly great person who led an incredibly good life and wound up caught in a situation that was well beyond what it should have been," he said.

After word spread about what she'd done in 2016, she was fired from her $57,000-a-year position and charged with official misconduct, which carries a maximum five-year prison term.

She pleaded not guilty to that charge and a charge of impersonation.

Her trial was to start Monday.

Even after the incident, Crawford went on to win the general election that year. But her license had been suspended and the Illinois Supreme Court prohibited her being sworn in to $180,000-a-year judge's job.

Actual judge, Valarie Turner was removed from the bench.

During disciplinary hearings, Crawford described being shocked when another judge approached her in a hallway shortly after she took the robe off.

The judge sounded angry, asking, "What would you put your career on the line like this?" Crawford responded, "I didn't know I was."

After she was charged criminally, many observers, including Chicago Sun-Time columnist Mark Brown, agreed Crawford wasn't fit for a judgeship. But Brown also wrote that "the criminal charges are an unnecessary bit of piling on."