YOUTUBE And Copyright Violations

I can’t argue that every artist, performer and producer does not have the right to control their work, image and intellectual property. Then came YOUTUBE breaking all the rules. They let people put up whatever video they please and merely provide free hosting. The villains if any there are just happen to be the posters of the material, not YOUTUBE.

There are a gaggle of lawyers waiting to gut YOUTUBE claiming they are the copyright abusers hoping to sue them out of existence. They want YOUTUBE to police what the public posts there. I say they should not have to. The lawyers can locate individual abusers like me and take me to court instead. YOUTUBE’s users are on the honor system!

I say take a deep breath, and try to first determine if this service is not simply helping the artists. There are so many artists that have fallen out of the spotlight and their work can’t be seen anywhere who have been reborn on YOUTUBE. The result a new marketplace has been found where they can sell their stuff.

I have a solution! Let the artists sell their CDs and DVD’s with any exhibition of their work. After I stole the Jack Webb clip I went out a bought a boxed set of Dragnet DVD’s to enjoy. Had I not seen the clip and discovered what a lost treasure it was, I would have never bought the DVDs.

Grabbing and posting local TV news clip with proper credit promotes that TV station’s news product. That’s international publicity that station can’t buy anywhere.

My hope is that the courts don’t hang YOUTUBE for what their users do. This is not the same as the Napster.com case. Thousands of users like me post original material that they create. Viva YOUTUBE!

Gun Free Zones Are Killing our Children!

A major failed experiment of Liberals across the country was to establish GUN FREE ZONES. The concept is simple enough, to ban all firearms within certain areas.

There was no better place to start this grand idea then in our schools. Perhaps a message could be sent to the children that guns are evil and only for killing! It’s double duty, prohibiting and demonizing guns at the same time!

That GFZ concept is usually announced with bold red-letter signs. Additional efforts are taken such as placing minimum wage, poorly trained, guards with empty holsters and metal detectors at the doors of these institution.

In theory the GFZs should work. The reality is that they only work to insure a homicidal maniac can quickly gain control of the Gun Free Zone and kill as many of our children as he pleases. The Gun free Zones and unarmed security guards are no match for a determined and armed assailants or terrorists.

When the so-called Mob gave up control of the Las Vegas hotel/casinos,to new corporations, their gun-shy executives disarmed their security at first opportunity. The result was an, unprecedented surge in take over robberies and killings of tourists. The new Las Vegas executives soon learned their mistakes and re-armed their security staff members. The crime wave has all but ended.

The United States Postal Service used to have armed mailmen assigned to security duties before the creation of the uniformed postal police. These mailmen were disarmed and not replaced by the postal police. The postal police were never in every post office like the armed mailmen. They are called the same way you’d order a pizza, but the pizza would arrive first.

Predictably the new term, “goin’ postal” was born. Disgruntled and disturbed employees began to settle their scores right there without interference from anyone armed. The funeral directors got an increase in business.

As corporations across the country soon adopted the empty holster, guard programs another new term was born, “workplace violence”. The same thing happening in the postal facilities happened in factories everywhere.

When the GFZ programs fail the administrators then waste good money after bad on more metal detectors and empty holster guards. The gun-hating administrators refuse to admit the failure of their experiment. They just can’t seem to learn the lesson that guns are for protecting and saving lives.

You would have though after the tragedy at the Columbine High School, Colorado school officials would have learned something. Obviously they did not.

If you are responsible for the safety of a business, school or other institution sell your metal detectors and hire trained and armed professionals and let them run the security programs. If you have an empty holster guards who can’t be trusted or trained to use a firearm, get rid of them.

Chicago Museum Set to Reopen September 30th

When I was a kid growing up in Chicago I discovered a terrific free museum near the Intersections of Clark Street and North Avenue. This was The Chicago Historical Society. Over decades I would spend countless hours inside viewing incredible exhibits that covered every American war, The Fort Dearborn Massacre, The Chicago Fire, The Haymarket Riot and so much more.

There was a jewel. That was the Lincoln exhibit containing the actual furnishings, including the very same bed that Abe Lincoln died in along with all the other furniture. They recreated that boarding house room to every detail. (The actual linens and bloody pillow are preserved at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC where they recreated the missing furniture.) This was also the place to learn how and why Chicago became the city it is today.

This museum boasted the finest gun collection found anywhere in the country. Examples of every kind of firearm could be seen here until guns were demonized in 1968. During the 1970s, as fast as the liberal gun haters on the board of directors could, that fabulous gun collection disappeared and dwindled to just a few. The museum was a victim of political correctness and an insidious form of censorship. I can’t help but reason that the Museum’s board became a tool for revisionist history with that move.

Over a year ago the museum closed for retooling and remodeling. With that came a name change to satisfy the lowbrow inhabitants of Chicago. It will be reopened as, The Chicago History Museum. I will visit the new institution on my very next trip to Chicago. I will reserve my opinion of the changes until I’ve seen them with my own eyes. Yes I’m suspicious and distrusting about more revisions to Chicago’s history.

There are few signs of any of the exhibits that captivated me as a child and young adult on the museum’s website. I can only hope that have not destroyed more history in the name of political correctness.

Museum website

The Colonel Has Left The Range

A giant in the firearms rights and training world, Colonel Jeff Cooper has passed on. He was an educated man and understood what made this country great. Cooper founded his Gunsight training facility in Arizona that went a long way to keeping cops and law-abiding citizens safe. Cooper was an author and wrote thousands of articles throughout his career.

More on Cooper

Repealing the Fourth Amendment

We don’t need no stinkin’ Fourth Amendment! That’s the battle cry this morning from Republican Congressman, Geoff Davis of Kentucky. He’s authored a new anti-drug and anti-weapon law that would require every local district to develop search policies – including strip searches that come with built in civil and criminal immunity against prosecution for teachers and staff.

They are calling this un-American legislation, THE STUDENT TEACHER SAFETY ACT OF 2006. The House passed this trash bill on a voice vote, bypassing the committee process and with no way to hold individual members of the House accountable for their votes.

How did a clown like Representative Geoff Davis get elected in the first place? He’s just another politician who took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution and then attempts to amend it, avoiding the proper political process for amending the Constitution.

I offer no excuse for this but believe Davis must be incredibly ignorant or just plain insane. Perhaps he thinks we should adopt the policing methods of North Korea? I don’t think even Hitler’s Nazis would have adopted this kind of strategy.

In the early days of America Geoff Davis would have faced a large crowd of men carrying torches who would have hauled him off for an educational session on some fun things that can be done with tar and feathers.

However today’s people that inhabit America have no use for the Bill of Rights that hundreds of thousands of our soldiers have fought and died defending.

I’m trying to figure out what most parents would say about schoolteachers and school employees frisking, fondling and striping their children in the name of public safety?

Drive by Shooting Lessons!

To help the wayward Hispanic hoodrats improve their performance, this instructional video may provide assistance.

Quick! Stop The World For More TSA Panic

This time it’s the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Somebody forgot he had a small Beretta .25 in his carryon case this morning. When he remembered it was time to quickly leave to avoid being jailed for pure and simple forgetfulness.

The TSA Nazis captured the gun and the bag so whatever threat they thought they had was over. Flights were unnecessarily delayed for 90 minutes anyway as they evacuated two concourses and frisked every passenger again.

Where does the TSA find the morons that make these stupid decisions? The TSA dopes won’t rest until all the airlines are bankrupt.

I suspect the gun's owner is on video tape and they even have his name and address from his bag. With any luck even so they still may not be able to gather enough probable cause to arrest anyone. Our desperado needs to remain silent and only ask for a lawyer if they come looking for him.

Katrina Victims Ravaging Houston

"When the `Katricians' themselves are quoted as saying the crime rate is going to go up if they don't get more free rent, then it's time to get your concealed-handgun license.” a voice on Houston radio proclaims. Gun shop owner and radio talk-show host, Jim Pruett, voiced this ad. Of course this has become a war of words between the Liberals and Conservatives of this Texas metropolis.

Natural disasters take lives, destroy property and levy an emotional toll on humanity. They also bring out the best and worst of human behavior.

The first response by criminals is always looting and as police are unable to deal with or prevent crime the gangsters naturally escalate their lawlessness. Of course the law-abiding victims of such catastrophes were the obvious prey for the armed thugs.

During and after the evacuations of New Orleans the despot Mayor, Ray Nagin ordered police to rob law abiding citizens of their legally owned firearms and ammunition leaving them helpless unable to defend against the roving gangs of home invasion robbers and rapists. Unfortunately a tyrant politician put the police on the wrong side of the law as the courts soon ruled. It’s amazing some citizen resisting the armed robbery of his firearms did not kill some cop. If that happened it would have been a justifiable homicide. No honorable cop should ever violate his oath of office to enforce some crackpot politician’s obviously unlawful directive.

The generous citizens of Houston opened their homes and arms for the victims of Hurricane Katrina taking in, a quarter-million refugees. They came to Houston in busses, some chartered and other stolen. The crime rate and murders began to soar as a result. With 120,000 evacuees remaining after their free money ran out the crime rate won’t be coming down any time soon.

Houston police say that Katrina evacuees are suspects or victims in 59 of Houston's 262 homicides between January 1 and August 26. That the upper-middle-class, West Houston residents have blamed evacuees for violent crime rates that have increased almost 14 percent in one district and homicides that have nearly doubled in another.

Within two weeks of the Katrina refugees being kicked out of Houston’s hotels I was sent there on an assignment. They were making serious renovations to hotels everywhere in town because of the wanton and outrageous destruction to the rooms and property of the inns caused by their former guests. Most of the hotel employees where I checked in were bitter for their experience with these freeloaders.

It’s too bad the Katrina refugees could not be sent to a city that voted to ban handguns. Anyone foolish enough to support gun bans deserve a lesson too many Katrina evacuees are only too willing to provide.

Accused Chicago Cops Released On Bail

Bail is most important for innocent people accused of crimes. It’s not the issue of freedom so much as the pressure for other prisoners to win their own freedom by claiming you confessed to unsolved crimes. This and a whole host of things that can and do interfere with fair trials happen to people forced to stay in custody.

The four accused officers were ordered held on outrageously high bail not heard of outside First Degree Murder cases where the death penalty cannot be imposed. Of course the prosecutors are very unhappy but bail is no small part of the Bill of Rights. Yes cops have rights too.

The four officers were arrested on September 7 and still face multiple charges including armed violence, home invasion, aggravated kidnapping and delivery of a controlled substance.

Now let the justice system grind through this mess and hopefully the right things will happen. The officers can receive as much as 30 years behind bars if convicted. I hope these cases are only hot air and that the officers are actually innocent. Somehow I think the states witnesses are going to turn out to be a bunch of liars. Stay tuned.

Maria Bello naked in a film with me?

I’ve wanted to be in a film with this stunning actress ever since we met in a Marina Del Rey deli. Well it actually happened and she got naked too! I have a speaking cameo early in the film but unfortunately I’m not in that scene with Bello. William Macy had the real fun!

This is a NC-17 rated film that just opened in the theaters. Its called THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED. This film is a documentary that exposes the inner workings of the Motion Picture Association of America, film ratings system.

Filmmakers, Kirby Dick and Eddie Schmidt a couple of years ago first contacted me about their project. They wanted to determine who at the MPAA made ratings decisions and to determine possible conflicts of interest in the process. The independent filmmakers felt that the ratings deck was stacked against them in favor of their competitors, the major studios. I was none too eager as an actor/screenwriter to get into this mix and anger many of my potential employers.

Our filmmakers went with a colorful, middle-aged, self-professed dyke PI to do the job. There is a lot of humor involved with the unmasking of the anonymous raters and appeal board members. There is also a not so subtle suggestion that these people have a conflict of interest because of their other roles in the film industry.

I expect some serious fallout over Dick and Schmidt’s exposé to come from the powerful MPAA and the studios that created that organization.

Film information and trailer is here.

The story of how paul and Maria met can be found here.

They’re Pledging Allegiance To The Mexican Flag In American Schools?

Dateline Freeport Texas--Nothing that goes on in our schools supported by American taxpayers can surprise me anymore. Is this Liberal or just simple insanity? What was Velasco Elementary School’s Principal Sam Williams thinking when allowed a Mexican Independence Day celebration complete with a pledge of allegiance to the Mexican flag in a school supported by American taxpayers?

Anyone that wants to support a foreign government is free to leave our soil for good and do so. It’s beyond bizarre to see Mexicans who choose to leave that country, trespass on our soil celebrate anything involving that corrupt government while sucking the benefits of a free education from loyal Americans.

Sam Williams needs to be removed from any and all American government payrolls for this slap in the face to every American he facilitated. Williams is a disloyal American has since apologized in an effort to keep his job. It’s too late and we must let every educator in America know this kind of activities will not be tolerated in our schools.

You can hear a radio program in Houston where this even was the hot topic of talk radio yesterday. It’s the Chris Baker show on NewsRadio 740 KTRH.

New Fashion For 2007 Hits the UK Runways!

This little offering at London Fashion Week was part of the Tashi Spring/Summer 2007 collection. It so nice to see designers getting to the bottom of good taste! There’s always hope this too could catch on here.

Will your daughter be the first one her block to sport this trendy little outfit?

The Dog’s Dilemma

First let me say I’m no fan of Duane "Dog" Chapman. Chapman is the larger than life convicted felon, who for cash hunts down other felons. The American public’s insatiable and voyeuristic appetite yearning to see life in America’s trailer parks has made the flamboyant Chapman a star of sorts. I have nothing against bounty hunters but I have a problem with felons in general. Chapman paid his debt to society but still carries the, Mark of Cain as an unpardoned felon.

Andrew Luster, is heir to the Max Factor fortune, a rapist (convicted in absentia), and bail absconder who fled to Mexico. No, I’m no fan of Luster either.

Last is the incredibly corrupt Mexican Nation. I have not had an urge to visit Mexico for any reason. The government is in serious need of an invasion or revolution. The Mexican leaders need to be turned out and soon.

Those are the players and I don't like any of them.

Chapman tracked down bail jumper Luster in Mexico where Chapman’s trade is prohibited. Soon Luster was safely locked away in an American prison. The bad news is Chapman was arrested for some kidnapping or unlawful restraint allegation for his role in the return of Luster to the United States. Chapman posted bail and quickly failed to appear and went on to build a high profile with his T.V show on the A&E Network.

Chapman’s new and high profile was his undoing. Some Mexican official’s now believe that Chapman has struck it rich and they want their share. They put out an extradition request to get Chapman back to Mexico where they will simply sell him his freedom. Does Mexico want some justice for some real transgression? Does anyone in Mexico really care that some Gringo rapist was taken away by some other Gringo? This is about the unbridled greed of Mexican bureaucrats and nothing more.

One thing for sure if Chapman does not pay up they will see to it that he will spend years in a horrid Mexican prison. Somehow I don’t think the Gringo bounty hunter will do to very well with his new prison neighbors.

I think there should be a political or diplomatic solution rather than allow the extortion and or over-reaction to Chapman’s transgression. If the “dog” has any friends they should be all over President George Bush like a cheap suit to intervene in this debacle.

Here is the latest as of 9/22/06

Being A Cop In San Francisco

San Francisco is Ground Zero with all that’s wrong with America. Bolsheviks run the city, where homosexuals wallow in decadence, debauchery and doom. It’s a city where cops are viewed to have only one mission, enforcing hate crime laws.

San Francisco was not always that way. This once beautiful metropolis was one of the better places to live on the face of the earth. That changed over the last four decades.

The laws that regulate police were made by the rest of California’s citizens, who have different and more traditional values. The officers are sworn to uphold all of California’s laws and are not merely the Gay Gestapo.

The chief of police, Heather Fong reflects the mentality of today’s San Francisco. She’s not fond of cops either.

Last July, Officer Nick-Tomasito Birco was killed in the line of duty while engaged in a vehicle pursuit of a robbery suspect with an incredible criminal history. Of course the local population and their media trashed the officer and his efforts to keep the ungrateful people of San Francisco safe before the officer’s body was cold.

The hapless San Francisco police officers are very lucky to have found a stand up guy, Gary Delagnes, as president of the San Francisco Police Officer Association. Here he speaks out on the murder of Officer Birco. You’ll love the way Delagnes handles the San Francisco media.

Young Chicago Man Shot Dead By Vigilante!

It happened despite every legislative effort to prevent this sort of thing. Chicago does its best to provide safe-working conditions for muggers, rapists and killers through unyielding gun bans. You see in Chicago only criminals and cops can carry guns. Of course there are those politicians who want to disarm the cops too! So far they’ve managed to reduce firing range training from four times per year to one for Chicago police officers.

The unthinkable happened this time. Instead of a couple simply turning over their cash or property, they strong-armed one of their armed robbers taking his gun away and shooting him.

Wounded, Jon Diego Sylvester, 31 then fled to a get away car. The vigilante killer held a second robber at gunpoint until police arrived. Sylvester’s third unknown accomplice drove him to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park where he died.

It turned out that the trio of robbers obtained another man’s cash and wristwatch moments earlier. At least that man did not try to take the law into his own hands!

I’m sure Chicago’s lawmakers are wringing their hands to come up with some new laws to prevent crime victims from harming other robbers like poor Jon Sylvester who simply need money.

Note: Some people don't get that I wrote this in jest to Chicago's gun bans. The victim here are not a vigilante but a hero. Score one for Darwin!

Here is what WBBM-TV had to say.

A young cop with a lot of class!

Here is a traffic stop and arrest that just could not go right but for the expert handling by a young copper aided by two fellow officers and Taser stun gun. This kid has the right stuff and this video should be shown in every police academy.

The Pope was correct about Islam!

I don’t give a rat’s ass if anyone was offended by Pope Benedict’s remarks suggesting, that early Islam was spread by violence. I’m no expert on Islam but we’ve all seen way too many severed heads of the innocent non-believers. History has proven the pope to be correct.

When I travel to India I always visit the Golden Temple, which is the seat of the Sikh faith in Amritsar along the Pakistan border. There is a museum there where cameras are forbidden. In the museum are photographs and paintings that go back some six hundred years that document Muslim massacres of Sikhs. One photo shows the turbaned heads of Sikh men displayed in bookcases. A huge painting shows the cowardly Muslim warriors raiding a large Sikh village while the men were away. The Muslim bastards murdered the Sikh women’s babies, cut them into small pieces strung the pieces into garlands and forced the women to wear them around their necks. That of course came in conjunction with mass rape.

In early raids on the Golden Temple Muslims took great delight in filling the huge water tank around the temple with the blood of non-believing Sikhs. The Muslims had an inability to co-exist with the Hindus, Sikhs and Catholics in India. When Gandhi’s followers won Independence from the British Empire, there were two countries born instead of one. Pakistan refused to be part of India. Together the Muslims and the rest of the population of India could have become the world's strongest economic power but for non-stop Muslim violence.

If the Muslims want credibility they will have to begin to behave themselves. Since Islam was founded in the 7th century, by the prophet Muhammad, Muslims have redundently proven that they have been incapable of doing. The so-called peaceful or moderate Muslims failed and refused to help in controlling the carnage and are just as culpable as the radical element.

Just how will the peace loving Muslims prove their religion is one of love and understanding when told of the Pope's remarks? By burning Catholic churches of course. How many heads of priests or nuns are the goofy Muslims going to put on display over this?

We have to find a final solution to the dangerous and deadly Muslim problem in our world while we still can. We only have two choices, convert to Islam or kill all the Muslims.

This is not written to start anti-Muslim hate but for simple non-Muslim survival.

Convicted Killer Jailed After 30 Years On The Lam

This tale must have been torn from the pages of a Victor Hugo novel. In 1964, a 19 year-old girl was stabbed to death in a Detroit hotel. That was 42 years ago. The suspect was a 34 year-old man by the name of Thomas Ball. God only knows what led up to that horrific killing.

Ball was arrested and convicted and sent to prison. Somewhere along the way Ball was diagnosed with mental illness and was sent to a Michigan psychiatric facility where in 1976 he escaped, never to be seen again. That is until now.

Something very unusual happened, Ball the escaped and convicted murderer changed his ways, to live an unassuming and quiet law abiding family life. He had a long time relationship with a woman who died a natural death last year just outside of Nashville. Finally the long arm of the law caught up with Ball who is now known as Tom Fry.

Ball who is now 76 years-old, has been just scooped up and must face whatever the law puts him through. Before the escape Ball would have been out after serving just four more years before he would have gotten paroled.

I say 30 years, as a fugitive along with the 12 years he’s already served is enough under these circumstances. Somehow I thing being a fugitive somehow helped Ball from re-offending since he had to keep the lowest possible profile.

I say Ball is now redeemed and it’s time to forgive him and allow him to continue as law-abiding citizen. I hope there’s a Governor’s commutation or pardon waiting Ball instead of additional years in prison.

Chicago to brand gun owners with scarlet letter

The same punishment that forces convicted pedophiles to register as sex offenders is next for those who run afoul of Chicago’s gun bans and petty firearm registration/taxation schemes.

Under a proposed city law, by Aldermen Burke and Carothers anyone with as much as a single conviction under Chicago’s goofy anti-gun rights ordinances would be required to check in with the cops every six months. They’d be forced to provide information of their name and or alias, as well as their height, weight, eye color, driver's license information and a photo ID. Offenders also would have to provide police with their place of employment and details of their conviction.

Under another feel-good proposal by Alderman Burt Natarus plans to outlaw any sale or transfer of a BB gun.

Chicago’s politicians have a hatred for Freedom, Liberty and the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Update: A lawyer who is a recognized gun law expert informed me that Burt Natarus' deam BB gun prohibition will violate the federal law that both regulates BB guns and preempts the states from making laws inconsistant with the federal law.

Poor Burt Natarus will just have to find another way to steal more Liberty and Freedom.

Here is the federal law on the issue:
15 U.S. Code section 5001
(a) Acts prohibited
It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture, enter into
commerce, ship, transport, or receive any toy, look-alike, or
imitation firearm unless such firearm contains, or has affixed to
it, a marking approved by the Secretary of Commerce, as provided in
subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Distinctive marking or device; exception; waiver; adjustments
and changes
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) or (3), each toy,
look-alike, or imitation firearm shall have as an integral part,
permanently affixed, a blaze orange plug inserted in the barrel of
such toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm. Such plug shall be
recessed no more than 6 millimeters from the muzzle end of the
barrel of such firearm.
(2) The Secretary of Commerce may provide for an alternate
marking or device for any toy, look-alike, or imitation firearm not
capable of being marked as provided in paragraph (1) and may waive
the requirement of any such marking or device for any toy,
look-alike, or imitation firearm that will only be used in the
theatrical, movie or television industry.
(3) The Secretary is authorized to make adjustments and changes
in the marking system provided for by this section, after
consulting with interested persons.
(c) "Look-alike firearm" defined
For purposes of this section, the term "look-alike firearm" means
any imitation of any original firearm which was manufactured,
designed, and produced since 1898, including and limited to toy
guns, water guns, replica nonguns, and air-soft guns firing
nonmetallic projectiles. Such term does not include any look-alike,
nonfiring, collector replica of an antique firearm developed prior
to 1898, or traditional B-B, paint-ball, or pellet-firing air guns
that expel a projectile through the force of air pressure.
(d) Study and report
The Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics is authorized
and directed to conduct a study of the criminal misuse of toy,
look-alike and imitation firearms, including studying police
reports of such incidences and shall report on such incidences
relative to marked and unmarked firearms.
(c) (!1) Technical evaluation of marking systems

The Director of (!2) National Institute of Justice is authorized
and directed to conduct a technical evaluation of the marking
systems provided for in subsection (b) of this section to determine
their effectiveness in police combat situations. The Director shall
begin the study within 3 months after November 5, 1988, and such
study shall be completed within 9 months after November 5, 1988.

(f) Effective date
This section shall become effective on the date 6 months after
November 5, 1988, and shall apply to toy, look-alike, and imitation
firearms manufactured or entered into commerce after November 5,
1988.
(g) Preemption of State or local laws or ordinances; exceptions
The provisions of this section shall supersede any provision of
State or local laws or ordinances which provide for markings or
identification inconsistent with provisions of this section
provided that no State shall -
(i) prohibit the sale or manufacture of any look-alike,
nonfiring, collector replica of an antique firearm developed
prior to 1898, or
(ii) prohibit the sale (other than prohibiting the sale to
minors) of traditional B-B, paint ball, or pellet-firing air guns
that expel a projectile through the force of air pressure.

The Fourth Amendment Is Alive At The West Los Angeles VA Hospital.

Nearly four years ago I visited the VA Hospital in the Westwood area of Los Angeles. I was both shocked and offended to see an airport style gauntlet of X-Ray machines and metal detectors manned by VA police officers. It was beyond sad to me to watch the heroes and defenders of our freedom searched like criminals while seeking their health care needs.

I should have complained loudly but I was silent about this travesty. I can’t imagine what ignoramus bureaucrat could have possibly ordered this un-American insult. I figured it had to be some non-veteran political hack who thought he was doing something wonderful.

Let me say that there are a small percentage of veterans who find themselves hospitalized there for metal health and drug abuse reasons. I guess you could argue that something bad could happen. This, while I have not seen one other hospital in the United States frisking patients and visitors. The excuse for this ongoing outrage and civil rights violation was non-existent.

The vary nature of this VA Hospital’s clientele would be for them to immediately jump up and protect their care givers and fellow veterans in the event of a threat or breach of the peace from any source.

Recent times have brought the return of dignity and privacy to our heroes using this institution and its facilities. The frisking gauntlet is gone. The watchful VA police are still there as they should be to protect our veterans and their fine caregivers.

I stayed silent when I first observed the offensive frisking program. I won’t be silent in my rejoicing to see that blight on freedom removed. To the administrators that ended the insult I offer my sincerest thank you.

Can something go wrong? Sure but that’s the risk we Americans are willing to take in order to live in a free society.