Free Republic

Devon Woltring I am not a fan of warning shots.   The bullet has to go somewhere;  in densely populated areas, there is a chance that an innocent person could be injured.   Still, I run across stories where warning shots seem to have "worked".  That is, the warning shot seems to have accomplished some good purpose, whether to defuse the situation without anyone being killed or wounded, or, as in this case, to bring help. The suspect above is accused of stealing money from a resident, then returning to attack a resident of the home involved.  From kgw.com: "The resident...

Monday evening in Ferguson, Mo., protestors shouted down a CNN camera crew’s live shot reporting on developments in the story involving Officer Darren Wilson killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown earlier this year. During the 11 p.m. hour, host Don Lemon attempted to throw to CNN reporter Sarah Sidner for an update, but the broadcast was overwhelmed by shouting and interruptions from protestors surrounding the crew. Sidner attempted to talk through the shouting, but her audio was clearly problematic. Lemon cut her off and ended the satellite broadcast due to technical issues. On-the-ground video from Bassem Masri shows the aftermath, in...

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — Concerns over prolonged police shooting protests have prompted a Ferguson civic group to plan an alternative Halloween celebration to take place five days before the actual holiday. KSDK-TV (on.ksdk.com/1CwNiJt ) reports that the group I Love Ferguson has scheduled a pumpkin walk on Sunday afternoon in the Old East Ferguson neighborhood....

NY Times reports: “Officer Wilson appeared for four hours before a St. Louis County grand jury” to tell his side of story.A breaking New York Times report sheds new light on Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson’s mortal encounter with local Michael Brown. The police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., two months ago has told investigators that he was pinned in his vehicle and in fear for his life as he struggled over his gun with Mr. Brown, according to government officials briefed on the federal civil rights investigation into the matter. The officer, Darren Wilson, has...

In Atherton, Calif., 94027, the most expensive home currently on the market is a 12,840-square-foot Mediterranean mansion with a $21.988 million price tag. Not a millionaire? Good luck finding a place to live in this Silicon Valley enclave. The least expensive home for sale in the 94027 ZIP code is a 1,370-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath bungalow. In other words, a starter home–with an asking price of $1.499 million. The median price of the 24 homes listed for sale over the summer was $9.03 million, making Atherton the most expensive ZIP code in America for the second year in a row. “Atherton...

It's beginning to look like Ferguson, Missouri might be the scene of yet more horrific riots as word has leaked out about Officer Darren Wilson's grand jury testimony in the Michael Brown shooting investigation. Wilson reportedly testified that he was trying to leave his car to question Brown and his friend as they walked in the middle of the street, but Brown pushed him back into his police car. He then, according to Wilson, pinned him, scratched him repeatedly, and hit his face and neck and tried to take his gun. At this point, Wilson says he shot Brown twice...

After being shot, one robber dropped the stolen money. An armed citizen in Arizona has stopped a bank robbery in a dramatic and effective fashion.   It appears that he determined what was happening, took action, and fired on the armed robbers when they resisted.   One robber was killed, the other is in custody.   It reminds one a bit of the famous Arkansas bank robbery that was thwarted by armed citizens in 1922.  From abc15.com: "He took the keys out of the car because they left the car running. And so he took the keys out of the car and...

HB1243 passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on October 6th, 143 to 54.   The bill adds teeth to the Pennsylvania preemption law that has been on the books for years.   Over 50 local governments have made a mockery of the rule of law by passing restrictive and illegal local ordinances.  The bill allows member organizations to sue municipalities on behalf of their members, so those who push citizen disarmament (disarmenters?)  are claiming that it gives authority for the NRA to sue local governments. That is true, just as the ACLU sues local governments over first amendment issues, or the...

ST. LOUIS, Missouri — If the protests in Ferguson and St. Louis in recent months have an anthem, it isn’t “We Shall Overcome,” or “Wade in the Water,” or any other civil rights-era song. It’s a darker, more confrontational song – Lil Boosie’s “F*** the Police.” When the chorus of Lil Boosie’s song wasn’t blaring on a giant sound system carted through the crowd at night, it showed up in chants or printed on posters. As night fell, the protests morphed into a party, with demonstrators dancing out on the street and on top of cars. With few ways for...

Activists are not only threatening police officers in Ferguson, Mo., but are also threatening their families. That’s the claim being made by officers in the St. Louis area and it is adding to an already tense atmosphere between protesters and police, according to the local CBS affiliate KMOV. “They [activists] want to be unabated in their attacks against law enforcement, mistreatment of facts and in their threats against law enforcement,” said Jeff Roorda of the St. Louis Police Officers Association. “These are people calling for violence against police officers.”(continued)

I was traveling South on Highway 75 in Atoka, Oklahoma, when I saw the sign pictured above.   I couldn't resist stopping and finding out if it were true.  I have been saying that  the ammunition bubble was going to pop, and I have been seeing a bit more .22 ammunition available than a few months ago. The sign was for  The Pawn Ticket, and it was open. Once inside, I was informed that they had run out of .22 ammunition the day before.   They were selling it for $85 a brick (500 rounds) or $10 for a box of...

One day after visiting the Cleveland and Akron areas last weekend, a Dallas nurse was diagnosed with Ebola virus and may have been contagious while on her return flight home. There are now 16 people in both Cuyahoga County and Summit County that are being monitored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and one person that is being officially quarantined. Now that the deadly virus has arrived in the U.S. and has had an encounter in Cleveland, local officials are stepping up their efforts to make sure that our area hospitals, health organizations and safety forces can...

The Department of Defense incident comes as a US cruise ship is forced to skip a Mexican port because of a passenger ebola scare.The Pentagon shut down a building entrance and part of a car park after a woman was sick and told police she was in Liberia two weeks ago. Hazmat-suited crews from Arlington, Virginia, descended on the scene as the woman was taken to hospital as a possible ebola case. She began vomiting after she got off a shuttle bus that was taking guests to a high-level Marine Corps ceremony. The other passengers were released and advised to...

The nephew of the black African who brought Ebola to the United States doesn't blame his uncle. He blames us. He writes in The Dallas Morning News that his uncle did everything right in Liberia, but still got Ebola, and wasn't treated correctly in the U.S. The claim is that he had a right to be on U.S. soil and that it's our fault he's dead. I suspect this is how President Barack Obama views Ebola. How else do you explain his opposition to a common-sense ban on travel to the U.S. by people from Ebola-infected countries? Tragically, Obama's alternative...

Churches are suspending Communion traditions and encouraging congregants not to hold hands or kiss. New York Giants football players are second-guessing whether their wives should accompany them on a road trip to play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. And at the State Fair of Texas, even Big Tex is urging visitors to wash their hands. Dallas has seen only three cases of Ebola, but it’s top of mind for almost everyone. Healthcare experts remain confident they can stop the deadly virus in its tracks, and they say there is little chance of an outbreak in...

Question: How does a grassroots Republican rancher fight an establishment Leftist incumbent swimming in limousine liberal money? Answer: With a grassroots campaign and by leveraging new mobile app technology. Jeff Byrd, a Republican running for New Mexico's 3rd congressional district (U.S. House) against one of the most liberal Democratic incumbents in the House, Rep. Ben Ray Luján, got a bit of help from a small tech firm located in Albuquerque.The Albuquerque-based tech firm microIT Infrastructure, LLC, released of a free mobile app for the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and iTouch platforms in support of Jeff. The app can be download in...

TUSTIN – A quiet, residential Old Towne street was greeted with an unfamiliar sight Tuesday morning after an emu escaped its home and ran into traffic before returning safely. Police officials responded to a call of a loose ostrich or emu around 11:25 a.m. in the 300 block of 6th Street.

Kansas Democratic nominee for governor, Paul Davis Kansas voters will soon go to the polls and decide who they want to govern our state for the next four years. The question is what criteria will be used to fill this position? While economic issues such as business, jobs, and taxes always weigh heavily in our state, Kansans, more often than not, attempt to find leadership through people of faith and good moral values. In 1998, I was a member of the Montgomery County Drug Task Force. One of several jobs I performed within this multi-agency group was that of serving...

Police Chief Chris Carden Robbers who use clubs are very dangerous.  They often believe that they have to strike their victim to demonstrate seriousness.   In this case, the would be robber made a mistake in the victim selection process.  His victim was a CCW holder who drew his gun when threatened.   The would be robber ran off, but the armed  citizen was able to give a good description to the police, who quickly made an arrest.  From al.com:   "I am extremely proud of the good police work that came into play," Carden said. "They all did an outstanding job...

“Mic check,” a protester named Joshua said in the foyer as demonstrators prepared to leave Chaifetz Arena Sunday night following an interesting turn of events that culminated with young protesters defiantly making their way to the stage to speak on their own behalf at an interfaith service. “We are going to meet up at 4200 Shaw,” Joshua said. No further instructions were given. The diverse group of mostly young people had come to St. Louis for the “Week of Resistance” also known as “Ferguson October” – four days of events coordinated with several organizations weeks before to demonstrate and protest...