When Ray was a young off duty, Austin Texas Cop he raced to the Texas Clock Tower when he heard about the armed rampage of Charles Whitman in 1966. Martinez along with officer Houston McCoy and the aid of one armed civilian, Alan Crum (pictured at right) heroically entered the tower and killed the crazed gunman ending that bloody siege. Ray Martinez does not buy into that Gun Free Zone crap and has nothing but praise for the many Texas Civilians that helped keep Whitman pinned down with fire from their hunting rifles. I met Ray more than a year ago in Houston and took this picture of a fine hero. It was real a pleasure to me this fellow.

The numbers keep rising of the dead and injured. This story will unfold as always that a flake or felon went on a killing spree. So far about 50 innocent people were shot by the gunman. The real question I have is could this mutant been stopped by an armed citizen early in this bloodbath? Sadly the answer is yes. There was the University of Texas Clock Tower incident in Austin with Charles Whitman in 1966. Soon Whitman was being shot at by many Texas, Bubbas with high-powered hunting rifles. The armed Texas Bubbas saved lives by keeping Whitman down in defensive mode. Oh yes, Whitman was shot and killed by an armed civilian hero, Alan Crumb who was with the young, hero Austin Cop I met last year named Ramiro Martinez. Armed civilians saved the day in Austin. Gun Free Zones only work to create and maintain soft targets.

They had this battle when they created a so-called “Gun Free Zone” at Virginia Tech. They punished at least one student who had a valid concealed weapon permit and successfully fought efforts to legalize self-defense at this school. This morning a gunman entered a dorm and killed at least one student and he’s loose at this hour on the campus. How many defenseless people must be murdered in these Gun Free Zones” before the gun-rights haters jusy go away? Legislative effort to address this problem failed after they punished a student with a valid concealed weapon permit for mere possession of a handgun. UPDATE: The suspect has been arrested. There was an earlier incident here involving a spree killer and his history is quite a read ! I think it's time to legalize self-defense at this and other colleges in our nation.

Yes, racial hatred is ugly and those who use racial slurs in a hurtful manner are ignorant jerks. But now I have to ask, what ever happened to the idea that stick and stones make break my bones but names will never hurt me? We as a society have given in to way too much sensitivity and political correctness. We have placed far more importance on people using racist language. By doing that we also made those words far more shocking and hurtful. Every ethnic group on this earth has been the target of bad humor and insults. Ignorant statements attributed to Don Imus, Mel Gibson and a few others just don’t deserve the attention they have received. Giving such importance to people making racial invites even more such statements. It’s time for all of us to lighten up, thicken our skins and ignore these unimportant people.

There are millions of people wandering American streets who are wanted by police. We have a huge and unsolvable problem. Just in the state of Pennsylvania alone there are 1.4 million fugitives and we have absolutely nowhere to put them. The failed Drug War has fueled this dirty little secret. The vast majority of the fugitives are wanted for drug violation or violations of probation or parole connected to what else but more drug violations. The system is broken beyond repair and lost in the mix of that vast abyss of fugitives are arsonists, forgers, robbers, rapists, burglars and of course killers. If all the people wanted on drug related arrest warrants picked a single day to surrender our entire criminal justice system would collapse. There would be no way to provide the judges, prosecutors, public defenders or jail facilities to deal with this mess. Overwhelming and breaking the system can do what many in this country want, to bring an end to the American Drug War once and for...

52 year-old FBI Special Agent Barry Bush was accidentally shot and killed by another agent duiring a surveillance operation on a group of three suspects wanted for robbing several banks in central New Jersey. Bush was in a car that tried to block one suspect acting as a scout for his accomplices outside the PNC Bank in Readington, New Jersey. A van full of agents pulled up next to the suspect's car, and one of the agents accidentally fired his rifle as he exited the vehicle. The FBI and legendary Director, J. Edgar Hoover were victims of their own over-promotion. They have given themselves an undeserved reputation as an elite and superior force with training that is somehow far beyond that of mere policemen. The effectiveness of police combat techniques are shaped by a combination of training and actual field experience with violent and near violent encounters with dangerous criminals. Hoover was a world class PR man who could have made millions with ad campaigns. The public’...

What’s the “Bubba profile” you ask? Just that, it’s some red necked, White boy with a pick up truck and a gun that is singled out for selective enforcement. In Houston the cops and prosecutors are out-of-line as they make their own law that supercedes all other law in this East Texas land. Most cops claim to be in favor of gun rights as they earn their brownie points by arresting people for petty and even unwritten gun law violations. Government prosecutors must present all cases in court. You’d think between the cops and prosecutors some common sense and discretion might prevail. That’s just not so in the Houston area where some cops and the Harris County D.A. have placed their own warped judgment above the law. The Federal and Texas Constitutions have mandated rights to keep and bear arms. In recent years the Texas Legislature have debated and relaxed gun laws that have either dubious value or no impact on crime or criminals. To combat abuses the ACLU has come forward to hel...

This cool photo and story was found on Flicker the photo sharing website. I copied the information accompanying this photograph. The good news is that a young man is safe tonight, but Apple needs to replace his Ipod without charge for the free advertising. “Photos sent to me by my friend Danny with this caption: My wife’s uncle works in a military hospital and told me about this. It’s pretty amazing. Kevin Garrad (3rd Infantry Division) was on a street patrol in Iraq (Tikrit I believe) and as he rounded the corner of a building an armed (AK-47) insurgent came from the other side. The two of them were within just a few feet of each other when they opened fire. The insurgent was killed and Kevin was hit in the left chest where his IPod was in his jacket pocket. It slowed the bullet down enough that it did not completely penetrate his body armor. Fortunately, Kevin suffered no wound.”

An executive assistant to Senator Jim Webb was arrested for packing a loaded by Capitol Hill Police while entering the Russell Senate Office Building. Just what was the violated law? Why none other that the one recently struck down by the Court of Appeals. What’s beyond funny that congressmen and senators can carry guns under the rules they made for themselves. I guess our politicians should never, ever have to suffer from the same laws that they demand all other Americans must live under. The same royal rules did not help Webb’s staff member carrying the good senator’s gun for him while he parked his car. It will be fun watching this case float through the legal system.

Now this is novel! A long haul, over the road truck driver, Warren Talbot shares his lonely life on the highway with the world. Using a cell phone connection card, laptop computer and digital video camera he is able to accomplish his continuous live broadcast. You can see his stream on both links below. The only problem is when this broadcaster is moving through remote areas of the country with poor or non-existant cellular service. Worry not, as he will soon be where the signal is better. My mind is racing with the endless possibilities of an inexpensive way for bloggers or anyone capitalize on this concept. His broadcast site His webpage

Yes, I consider the TSA workers going through my baggage and property a violation of Civil Rights, the Fourth Amendment to our Constitution and an outrageous privacy invasion. I no more want TSA people in my baggage and property than I want a burglar in my home. I would rather take my chances with terrorists over TSA and government tyranny any day. On more than one occasion I have had things pilfered from my checked baggage and now the TSA and airlines avoid responsibility and restitution to victims. We must do something, anything at all to combat this behavior. Workers caught stealing today only face misdemeanor charges like a first time shoplifter taking a candy bar from a 7-11 store. That needs to change with state and federal laws that would make any theft of baggage or their contents a felony with a significant prison term when committed by a TSA worker against a traveler. Their special access to our personal property demands a punishment that deters such nefarious activity. ...

After watching that frightening and sad video of a lady bartender being badly beaten by an off duty cop, I have another that more accurately reflects just who are the men and women of the Chicago Police Department. You will see some early 1970s and before rare images of Chicago policewomen at work.

An off duty 20th District tactical officer is in very hot water today for his Feb. 19th, apparently unprovoked attack on a lady bartender on Chicago’s Northwest side. I like to avoid these stories but this one needs attention. Officer Anthony Abbate, 38 faces a two to five-year prison term for Aggravated Battery along with swift and certain firing from the position of public trust he’s held for over 12 years. In addition to the Aggravated Battery felony charge is an allegation of witness tampering. Officer Abbate has destroyed his own future and brought tremendous embarrassment down on all of his fellow officers with his shocking behavior. I will be following this case through the court system and you can learn the results right here. A Chicago Tribune with security video can be seen here .

Click on the photos to enlarge... This is a photograph of a coupling device used to hold those large shipping containers together as they haul goods across the oceans and rail routes all over this earth. This item was recovered in the Los Angeles area. I hope someone can tell me the source or owner of the device in the above photograph. If you have any information click on my picture and please send me an e-mail.

Visiting the Brady and all their related web sites today has provided the best laugh I’ve had in years. After the Washington DC handgun ban was torpedoed by the United States Court Of Appeals the “sensible Gun-laws” people have gone into survival mode. After all they make their living by destroying the liberty of American citizens. They need the “good life” like everyone else complete with first class air travel where ever they go. Sensible is the word these gun-rights haters love to use suggesting that there is some form of firearm freedom they support. They claim to support the right to possess a firearm that’s not too cheap, too small, too big, too powerful, too ugly or capable of causing injury or worse to anyone. I’ve yet to see the gun these extremists don’t hate in the hands of a law-abiding civilian. The sensible gun ban crowd has been running a scam on people who can be tricked into sending them money. Today’s push is in light of the very real likelihood of the end to most...

Greenwich Village, NYC--New York Liberals hate guns and see no problem placing uniformed auxiliary police officers in harms way without guns and any meaningful way to defend themselves. Last night two young officers paid for that insane policy with their lives and a bad situation went beyond the gravest extreme. When it was over four people lay dead Auxiliary Officer Nicholas Pekearo and Auxiliary Officer Yevgeniy Marshalik were shot to death when they followed a suspect who had just murdered a pizza shop employee. A killer armed with two guns had entered the shop, asked for a menu, and then shot the employee in the back multiple times after the man turned around. New York is a place where only outlaws have guns and even some cops don’t.

The March 9th decision of the United States Court of Appeals in, PARKER VS. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA , overturning the 30-year D.C. handgun ban has wide-ranging ramifications on gun laws including the National Firearms Act of 1934 that, required registration, taxes and outlawing machineguns and such. Soon after that 1st federal (1934) gun law was enacted there was a bizarre one-sided case before the Supreme Court, (USA VS. MIller) where the accused gun law violator, Miller had actually disappeared and had no lawyer to argue his case. That Miller decision was based on a huge fallacy where the members of the Supreme Court did not know that our military and National Guard employed short shotguns. The Court determined without any evidence or argument that a short-barreled shotgun was somehow not a suitable military weapon and not protected by the Second Amendment. The truth is our military has always employed such shotguns or trench-guns. That ruling opened the door to government regulatio...

Washington DC--It’s a great day for the Bill of Rights in America! A three judge appellate court panel just ruled that the Second Amendment is a right of the people, not just militias. The decision overturned a low court ruling that upheld the ban in light of a legal challenge by area residents. This has strong implications for the entire nation and will affect gun bans in California, New York, and Illinois. The next step is an appeal by gun ban proponents to the United States Supreme Court. Read the opinion here! With other pro-freedom rulings made in recent years it may well mean that American’s right to keep and bear arms has real meaning.

You all were taught in the police academy that handcuffs are only a temporary restraining device. Leaving a prisoner out of view, in the back of a wagon or interview room even for a few seconds may invite an escape attempt. That mild and quiet prisoner may well believe he’s wanted for a murder that has not even been discovered when you have him in custody for something minor. There were at last count over 200 videos on defeating locks on Youtube. Now the creeps have shown the world how to escape from handcuffs at Google Video. Aside from the technique depicted on the video below there are others that utilize ballpoint pen refills, springs and safety pins. Some criminals have even concealed handcuff keys with tape inside the rear of their pants waistband in order to free themselves when handcuffed behind their backs. Let's error on the side of caution with extra vigilance so you can go home to your families at the end of watch. Funerals for fellow cops are always a miserable eve...

Norco-This time is was a house fire. Responding firemen found a garage full of ammunition and called the cops. The result was the total confiscation of the owner, 62 year-old, Thomas McKiernan's property. Of course an imbecile from KTLA-TV news had to sensationalize this and portray the quiet owner as some kind of terrorist. There’s obviously is no right to keep and bear arms in the Bolshevik Republic of California. I have a question for TV reporter Bill Smith. What exactly is a, “machine gun bullet”? Don’t bother answering Bill, we know that you don’t have a clue what you’re babbling about. Sit back and watch KTLA-TV throw gasoline on this fire. Here is an update with a list of allegations.