Posse Incitatus

Hutaree case collapses - surprising no one

The Posse has been remiss in providing updates on the strange case of the Hutaree Militia.

Readers will recall that more than a year ago we had regular digests detailing how flimsy this case appeared to be and how badly the Justice Dept. was managing things.

To quote Darth Vader, now their failure is complete:  most of the accused were acquitted and the remaining two got minor gun charges.

It is not surprising that this case ends with a whimper rather than a bang – follow-through has never been a strength for this administration – but it is interesting how little media interest this whole sordid episode has excited.

Consider:  If the case against the Hutaree was in fact correct, then a bunch of extremely dangerous terrorists just evaded law-enforcement and are now free to resume their nefarious work – and they now have had government-agent supplied bomb-making training. 

Of course, there is also the possibility that these were loud-mouthed but otherwise harmless individuals who were targeted in order to distract attention from other gun-related investigations – like the brilliant Operation Fast and Furious, which no one seems to authorized.  It just happened, like a thunderstorm or earthquake.

 

The Zimmerman Distraction

Having watched the ongoing circus that is the Zimmerman Distraction for a few days, I think that there are two three items driving the publicity:

1.  The Obama Administration badly needs to fire up African-American voters.  A modern-day lynching is essential to keeping high turnout going into the fall election.

2.  If Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and the rest of the racial hustlers are to remain solvent, they need some incidents to feed off of - regardless if whether they fit the template.  Times are hard for these guys.  With so many interracial couples and a black man in the White House, it's just not as credible to claim that there are Klansmen behind every shrub.

3.  The MSM always loves a good race-riot story and this fits with their worldview, which hasn't changed since 1972.

Unfortunately for these groups, things are not likely to work out as they imagine.  For one thing, Zimmerman isn't white, he's Hispanic.  This, combined with Obama's nascent war on the Catholic Church, is likely to drive a deep wedge between the Latino and Black communities. 

This is of course the problem with playing tribal politics - eventually you create too many enemies.  But that's all the Dems know, so that's what they are doing.

THE REAL TRAGEDY:  While protest marches spring up across the country, we should note that Detroit is still a hellhole, Flint is a debacle and an entire generation of black children are trapped in decaying schools where - despite the expenditure of huge sums of money - they will get almost no education.  A few lucky ones will escape, but for the rest it is either the welfare dole or prison.

I have said it before, and I will say it again:  If one set out to utterly ruin a people, one could not easily exceed what the Democrats have achieved in Chicago, Detroit and the other urban nightmares.

But it does not do to dwell on this, because people might wonder who was responsible, so let's get all worked up over a shooting in Florida.

Want to fix schools? Keep liberals away from them

Contrary to the liberal stereotype, conservatives actually love education.  We firmly believe that economic growth is fueled by a talented, well-educated and ambitious population.

We also understand that as it currently exists, our public education system is not effective and that the more money you pour into it, the worse things get.

One of the (many) reasons I dislike liberals is that they claim to be “for the children” but seem to be totally indifferent to whether or not “the children” actually benefit from their programs. 

Consider Detroit.

Here you have a city that has effectively collapsed and is now ruining its second consecutive generation of childrens’ lives.  The taxpayers of Michigan have offered truly huge sums of money and gotten nothing in return.

The liberals’ answer?  Spend even more money.

Unlike liberals, I tend to credit my opponents with good intentions.  I accept that people of goodwill can differ sharply on what method to achieve a common goal works best.  (This is in stark contrast with liberals, who assume that if you disagree with their methods, you must be EVIL!!1! and want to destroy the world.)

However, in the case of schools like Detroit, I can no longer give liberals the benefit of the doubt.  Given how much they focus on funding, they should be up in arms about the waste.  The money given to educate the poorest children in the state – the “most vulnerable” as the liberals like to call it – is being squandered to their long-lasting detriment.

And liberals are just fine with this.

At this point, one begins to question whether liberals actually give a damn about “the children” and are simply more interested in the dues their political allies harvest from the teachers’ unions.

Perhaps the most blatant example of this was in 2003, when wealthy philanthropist Bob Thompson offered the amazing sum of $200 million to build alternative schools in Detroit.  Surely, this was a liberal dream come true:  FREE MONEY and BETTER SCHOOLS.

Oh, but they wouldn’t be union schools.  There would be actual accountability.

Never mind.

Happily, the new mayor of Detroit, Dave Bing has managed to repair the bridge that ex-Gov. Jennifer Granholm torched nearly a decade ago.

Good for him – and good for the kids of Detroit.

My goal this year is trying to look on the positive side of things and if there is an upside to our current economic blizzard, it is this:  We are realizing just how much money we’ve been wasting for years.  There is nothing like a cash crunch to focus the mind.  School districts across the state (and across the country) are coming up with new salary plans, health benefits and other innovations to keep the doors open and actually improve education.

If the end result of Michigan’s “Lost Decade” is that we finally get a handle on our failed school districts, we really won’t have lost that much after all.

World on fire

I picked the wrong week to be away from the computer.

The stock market is dropping like a rock and London is in flames.  The world watches in disbelief as the Leader of the Free World holds dilatory news conferences devoid of anything other than petulant whining. 

I’m generally an optimist, but there’s not a lot of bright spots right now.  Thanks to Michigan’s new governor, Rick Snyder, it looked like our “lost decade” might finally be ending, but the President’s economically self-destructive policies are dragging us back to the hole from whence we came.

The Democrat base is mobilized, but it has nothing to do.  Imagine that their fondest dreams are achieved and that Scott Walker, Rick Snyder and the rest of their current bugbears are driven from office by recalls.  What then?  The public at large has no appetite for massive tax increases nor the means the pay for them.  The S&P downgrade shows that we cannot borrow the money, so there is literally nowhere left for the left to go.

The current talking points about “soaking the rich” are just that – talking points.  Adding surtaxes to corporate jets will merely shatter the aviation industry, adding even more unemployed workers to the dole.

Back in the sunny halcyon days of the late 1990s, I tried to imagine what a world run by liberals would look like – a modern analogue to Atlas Shrugged.  Now I’m living in it.

(I suppose it’s just as well – I didn’t care for Rand’s ultra-verbose writing style and dropped it after a few hundred pages.  You know, Orwell wrote political pieces but he was at least concise.  Maybe people were supposed to read Rand on the train or something.)

Anyhow, I find myself wondering how much food I can grow in my back yard and watching for sales on canned food. 

I know the “experts” in the chattering classes insist that Obama still has a good chance of getting reelected, but at this point the stock market is now lower than it was when he took office.  Ignoring the historically high unemployment, when was the last time the nation rehired someone who destroyed that much wealth?

More to the point, has he at any point showed the ability to learn from his mistakes?  The seismic scandal that is Gunwalker has not yet even begun to register in the mainstream press.  As information continues to flow about just how many guns we sold to drug cartels in Mexico – and how many people were killed with them, I find it impossible to believe that the administration’s standing with the public will increase.

 

The Freep steps up on the gun rights debate

Some weeks ago we mentioned Mlive’s coverage of the 10-year anniversary of Michgian’s concealed carry law.  Now the Detroit Free Press has its own coverage, which I think is a bit better.

The first installment essentially declares the entire debate to have been about nothing.

It contains the usual quotes, but what is interesting is how unrepentant the anti-gun crowd is.  They still oppose the law, of course, but most would rather change the subject.  And of course they want the training standards increased.

It is worth mentioning that one of the article’s authors, Dawson Bell, actually applied for a concealed pistol license and wrote about the experience.  This perhaps explains the scrutiny applied to the Brady Campaign’s propaganda in the second article of the series: 

Some of what passes for research and analysis of the effect of permissive concealed weapons laws on crime and violence is pretty crude.

Take, for instance, the anti-gun Violence Policy Center's Web page called "Concealed Carry Killers." ( www.vpc.org/ccwkillers.htm )

It purports to tally the carnage that results when states, such as Michigan, authorize ordinary citizens under most circumstances to be licensed to carry concealed guns.

Concealed carry licensees "routinely" kill cops, perpetrate mass murders and other gun homicides, writes VPC. The center counted 308 "Private Citizens Killed By Concealed Carry Killer" since 2007. A lot of them -- 78 -- were Michiganders.

A closer look at VPC's data doesn't necessarily confirm a CCW crime nightmare scenario. The overwhelming majority of Michigan victims the center cites (62) were licensees who committed suicide. Michigan's concealed weapons law requires the State Police to report annually on deaths by suicide of license holders.

But the reports contain no information about how the licensee died or whether a firearm was involved.

Several other "victims" in the VPC report appear to have been criminals themselves, shot attempting to rob legally armed citizens. But with 276,000 concealed pistol license holders, even the unscrubbed VPC numbers hardly establish evidence of a crime wave.

As we’ve noted before, this is pretty thin gruel, and the anti-gun lobby has been dishing it for years.  How refreshing to see someone in the mainstream press has finally noticed.

As this blog has been pointing out for years, the question of whether concealed carry reduces violent crime is a complex one and extremely difficult to quantify.

What is not complex, what is not in doubt, is that armed citizens do not cause violent crime.  The decision of whether you could carry a weapon for self-defense is about options, not guaranteed results.

Carrying a small-caliber pistol does not grant immunity from crime, nor does it stop incoming bullets – though anti-gun activists constantly pretend that this is what gun rights supporters believe.

The truth is that carrying a pistol gives one more options to effectively resist violence should it occur.  This is especially important for physically weak people who are especially vulnerable to violent crime.

In an imperfect world, no policy can provide perfect security.  All that shall-issue laws do is offer the possibility of a better outcome to an already unpleasant situation.

 

Summer gun news roundup

I’ve been somewhat silent of late, largely because I’m doing what all right-thinking Michiganders are doing:  Enjoying summer while it lasts.

It may be difficult for folks from warmer climates to understand this, but winter is never far from the mind in Michigan.  From November to March, the state is locked in an icy, overcast tomb.  When spring comes and the weather turns, the whole state essentially celebrates its good luck.

I do not exaggerate by saying that every weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day is a festival somewhere in the state.  We have the Mint Festival, Highland Festival, and Coast Guard Festival – the list just goes on.

All of which is to explain why I’ve been remiss in following a series fascinating gun rights developments.

On Saturday I visited the Mason Gun Show and was (once again) amazed by how many people were there.  I recall years when that same show over the same weekend was almost deserted – empty tables and just a few milling patrons.  Not any more.  The tables were packed with vendors and despite the heat the aisles were packed with visitors.

I was interested to note that ARs are finally coming down in price – quite a bit, actually.  I saw more than one pre/post-ban AR-15 for less than $800 – in other words an amazing deal just a year ago.  Even the top-end M-4 clones were quite reasonable.

Ammunition is also getting a bit cheaper and certainly was much more plentiful.  The Bullet Bubble hasn’t burst, but it is deflating.  Indeed, I think that, given commodity price inflation, it can’t really burst because the input are still simply too high.  The market may be saturated from all the hoarding of the last two years, but that merely allows manufacturers to reduce production to two shifts from three and save on overtime.

Michigan’s big gun news was the 10th anniversary of it shall-issue concealed carry law.  Mlive had a series of features on it – some well-written, some not – but the unavoidable conclusion was that despite the gun control lobby’s fevered predictions, the streets did not run with blood.  The current system is still a bureaucratic nightmare and we can only hope the permitting process will be streamlined and handed over to the Secretary of State and treated like drivers licenses.

When the law took effect, the applicants were overwhelmingly male.  In recent years the trend has flipped and now CCW classes are dominated by women.  This makes perfect sense – women benefit far more from an equalizer than men do.

Still, this is a pretty momentous shift and one of the more telling details is the fact that East Lansing (aka Ann Arbor North) actually offers concealed carry classes through its Parks and Recreations Department.  Not only that, but it also offers shooting camps for kids at MSU’s new Demmer Center.

If you told someone 15 years ago that this would happen, they would call you insane, but now even in a liberal bastion like East Lansing, guns are becoming normalized.

All of which is to say that the Obama Adminstration’s ill-conceived and horribly executed Operation Fast and Furious may be a political crisis of the highest order.

Also known as Gunwalker, this fiasco allowed Mexican drug cartels to import hundred and perhaps thousands of American firearms through illegal straw purchases with the full knowledge and consent of the US government.  Predictably, those weapons were then used to kill innocent people, including at least two US law enforcement officers.

At first it seemed that ATF would get the blame and trial balloons were floated that Acting Director of ATF Kenneth Melson would be thrown under the bus.

A year ago, Melson may well have fallen on his sword out of loyalty, but it has since become apparent that the Obama administration regards all of its appointees as expendable and has zero loyalty to them.  Not surprisingly, they are beginning to reciprocate.  Melson has chosen to lawyer up and seek Congressional protection.

This bodes poorly for the administration.  The One is supposed to be above, well, everything.  Clinton and Bush could weather scandals because they were just normal politicians like everyone else.  But Obama?  He’s a lightbringer.  Lightbringers don’t smuggle guns to drug lords.

Right now the mainstream press is refusing to cover the story, but when the Attorney General faces a criminal investigation, things may be different.

All of which is to say, lots of things going on, but summer also has its charms.  It's hard to blog when the weather is this nice.

 

The Granholm Straddle

It is a tradition in Michigan for each governor to commission a portrait for display in the Capitol upon leaving office.  These portraits are paid for by the former governor and are consciously used to help shape their legacy.

This past week former Gov. Jennifer Granholm unveiled her own painting.  It's truly awful - much like her time as governor, actually.

Much of the commentary over at the Freep centers on her numerous failings, or the odd collection of junk she decided had to be included:  toy windmill, GM slot car, painting-with-a-painting of the Ford River Rouge plant (WTF???) and so forth.

What I don't get is why she is standing in such an awkward position.  Does she suppose this makes the First Woman Governor in the History of the United States of Michigan look stronger?  More menacing?  More capable?

She is straddling something, but I'm not sure what.  Perhaps she means it to represent the way she wanted to tax the crap out of everyone but after the first tax hike decided it was a bad idea, only to come back to it again?  Maybe it represents the film tax credits, which also had a love/hate relationship with the governor.

I like to think it represents her position on gun rights - bitterly opposed to concealed carry reform as Attorney General, she flip-flopped and signed a bill to create a hunting season for mourning doves once in office.

Whatever the reason, it is an odd pose, and - in contrast with the understated and traditional portraits of Michigan's longest serving governors - will remind future generations that there was just something strange about that woman.

Savor that Canadian bacon

While the rest of the world was hastily rewriting international law to allow death squads learning of Osama Bin Laden's demise, Canada was having an election.

Here in Michigan, we know quite a bit about Canada.  For example, the drinking age over there is 19.  Thus, a common practice for the old-enough-to-fight/not-old-enough-to-drink is to go over and get lit up.  This was much more popular when you didn't need a passport and Canadian dollars were next to worthless.  

Anyhow, they had an election and the Conservatives won.  They did not do this by running on tax hikes, either, but rather on tax cuts, fiscal restraint and exploiting Canada's sizeable energy resources.  

Which is to say, they ran as conservatives.  Hopefully the American wing will get the clue.  Canada still has some problems (gun control, human rights commissions come to mind) but if the super-charged Harper government tackles these, it could bode well for the future.

And having a prosperous Ontario next door might mean Michigan could amount to more than its current status as Toronto's garbage dump.

Concealed carry goes mainstream

One of the more heartening developments in Michigan’s political culture is the acceptance that gun rights pose no threat to public safety – and in fact can enhance it.

I was surprised to see this article over on Mlive about students supporting concealed carry on Michigan’s college campuses.  Not only does it present the supporters as something other than blood-thirsty nut jobs, the reporter couldn’t seem to find anyone in authority willing to recite the usual anti-gun talking points.

In fact, it is hard to argue that Michigan’s concealed carry reform has been anything but a success.  Michigan’s concealed pistol licensees have proven to be safe, law-abiding and responsible.  It is very difficult for gun control opponents to insist that eliminating the last enclaves of gun control in the state will touch off widespread massacres when permit holders have shown themselves to be so safe.

It is hard to remember, but when PA 381 took effect in 2001, then-Attorney General Jennifer Granholm vowed to lead a petition drive to repeal it.  When polling went south on her effort – in part because the predicted massacres didn’t happen – she quietly dropped the project.  Once ensconced in the governor’s office, she proved surprisingly pliable to the gun rights movement, even going so far as signing the infamous mourning dove hunting bill.

The Old Left is throwing a fearful fit right now as it becomes aware that its power is waning.  Whether they will manage to further entrench the unions is an open question, but we can be grateful that even the most doctrinaire liberal Democrats have given up on

MEA goes over the cliff

As noted yesterday, the Michigan Democrats are apparently bent on mass suicide.  I thought their idea of a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing union privilage was stupid, but now here’s the Michigan Education Association president urging its members to support illegal work stoppages to protect their gold-plated retirement and top-of-the-nation wage scale.

The letter advises employees that they could be fired for striking, but reads that:

"It is simply not possible to replace all or most school employees in the state…It is to, say the least, a time-consuming and expensive process for school districts."
The letter also warns "There may be some inconvenience for your students.”

Amazing.  Absolutely amazing.

At the rate these guys are going, all public sector unions will be outlawed by the end of the year – and it will be by popular acclamation, not “dictatorial” Republican governors.

Conservatives have long opposed public sector unions, but most of their arguments were based in theory rather than practice.  For example, when one notes that unionized employees serve their union rather than their employer (the taxpayers) and raised the specter of illegal actions, union supporters could always claim that this was extreme and would never happen.

Now we see that even law enforcement unions are acting more like Mob enforcers than sworn officers of the state.

It is clear that the MEA and other public sector unions care far more about feathering their own nests than serving the public.  Even if the MEA backs down, it is intolerable than an unelected and unaccountable group of people should hold effective veto power over the state of public education in Michigan.

Think about that:  The MEA president is not subject to a statewide popular vote; she is operating above the law.

The unions keep screaming “This is what democracy look like,” but let’s go to the very first section of Michigan’s Constitution, shall we?

1 Political power.

Sec. 1. All political power is inherent in the people. Government is instituted for their equal benefit, security and protection.

What the MEA chief is proposing is in direct opposition to this.  An unelected, unaccountable cartel now holds effective veto power over the state’s school system.  Unless their demands are met, they will shut it down.

Whether one likes or hates Gov. Rick Snyder, he was elected by a majority of the voters in November.  Should he exceed his mandate, he is subject to recall, just like the Legislature.

How do we recall the MEA?  How do we – the people paying the salaries of its members and lining its leadership’s pockets – have any say in what this group of renegades do?

Indeed, this abuse of power is why teacher strikes were outlawed 20 years ago.  That alone is what allowed the MEA to survive.  Should they violate the law, they will have demonstrated that they can no longer be trusted – the danger is simply too great.

If the local unions have any brains at all, they will resoundingly reject this call, as it will result in their utter destruction.  Michigan has double-digit unemployment and many of those workers are highly educated and would jump at the chance to teach.  The MEA has set up a guild system to keep those workers out, to create an artificial labor shortage in order to boost their wages.  A teaching certification now takes five years – but in the face of necessity, those rules will go out the window.

Districts will finally be able to make flexible hiring choices and when the dust has settled, I bet the best and most dedicated teachers will choose to stay with their kids and the families they are helping rather than a corrupt power-hungry cabal.