Gun Permits, Public Records and Privacy Considerations

I wrote many legislative bills for Arizona’s gun owners that were designed to and did eventually legalize the carrying of concealed weapons. For me it was a 14 year battle I did side by side with Prescott’s own Representative, Dave Carson. This was Carson’s sweetest victory in his legislative career. Carson lived to get his own permit but soon passed away. I consider Dave Carson the Father of Arizona’s Right to Carry Law.

With me were two heroes, Landis Aden and often Sandy Froman would drive up from Tucson to lend her eloquence, grace and beauty to our fight. Later Froman was our NRA President for two terms. Perennially working all 90 members of the Arizona Legislature for gun rights was quite a quest during those years.

When the final bill was halfway through the process I noticed that it lacked any privacy considerations. If the bill passed in its current form, robbers and killers could quickly learn if their prey had a concealed weapon permit. News media could learn the personal information and addresses and publish whatever they wanted from the public record. I quickly met with Dave Carson providing him with language to correct the problem. The rest is history and CCW permit holders are protected.

Over the years reporters have written and filed stories about prominent or celebrity types revealing that they had carry permits. I guess it was an effort to embarrass or endanger them. That won’t happen in Arizona.

The Students For A Democratic Society Got it All Wrong

These kids of the Sixties are today just a bunch of Old Bolsheviks. In the 1960s and early 70s they distracted, burned and bombed their radical message injuring many cops along the way. The kids didn’t and still don’t have a clue.

The SDS brats came from wealth and privilege as they put their own families through pure Hell. The antiwar students set out to injure and kill to prove that war and violence was wrong. The spoiled little draft dodgers wasted all the money their parents spent putting them through school.

The countries these little Communist slugs admired the most like the old Soviet Union, North Korea and China would have quickly rounded them up and killed them should they have tried their tricks in those nations. We killed none of these terrorists but for an isolated event at Kent State where four troublemakers fell dead from gunfire.

The SDS, Yippies and Hippies of the anti-war movement have the blood of millions on their hands because they facilitated the post Viet Nam War killing fields in Cambodia. These political creatures had a strong influence on American policy because humans like sheep will follow absolutely anyone including The Weather Underground straight into Hell.

Mayor Daley’s Chicago Gun Violence Summit Needs Help, Much More Than He Knows

Mayor Daley has called his usual entourage of reverends, political allies, high ranking police officials and City Boss Ed Burke to gather round and come up with new ideas to deal with the recent tidal wave of bloodshed on the city streets. New ideas will never come out of that group in a million years.

Daley has destroyed the morale of the Chicago Police Department by completely sidestepping civil service laws and the carefully crafted civil service tests for promotion. The tests predict the success of those passing the examinations by requiring that they know their duties and procedures well enough to supervise others. Now promotions are based on political clout and sexual favors. The police have been badly demoralized beyond repair and have little incentive to risk life and limb for anyone these days.

Daley and his cronies have forced the law-abiding citizens to surrender their only meaningful self-defense tools with un-constitutional and un-American gun laws. Daley needs a new approach to this horrible culture of violence and cowardly killings.

Daley needs to open his mind to people like author and statistician John Lott who has studied gun control’s counter-productive results to controlling violence. Daley did everything he possibly could to force Professor Lott to leave the University of Chicago because Lott told the truth.

Letting citizens protect themselves will level the playing field by making assault, robbery, extortion and murder dangerous for criminals. Daley needs to face the music that he has been dead wrong about his personal and deep seated theories of crime control.

Mr. Mayor, gun control only works against the law-abiding that obey those and other laws. You need these people to help police. Who wants to come forward and provide information if they can’t protect themselves from armed thugs? Crime fighting has to be a partnership and your most important partners are hiding under their beds.

Let’s Tell The Truth About Race and Chicago Crime

You won’t Read this in Chicago newspapers or see it on any television news report. Political correctness has dictated a massive cover-up of race’s effects on crime long ago.

Chicago has been awash in blood from record shootings and killings during the last several days. Who is doing this and why?

City officials will always blame guns for the violence and of course street gangs. That’s so simplistic and somewhat misleading.

The answer is that a significant segment of Illinois’ African-Americans sadly have a solid culture of crime and violence. Life is cheap, fast and short for this sector of society.

You can argue and try to mitigate this with claims of discrimination, inadequate resources or plain and simple poverty. The fact is we have what we have and it’s very ugly. Black on Black crime and then Black on White crime is the deadly Chicago plague.

Caught in the middle of this mess are the hard working and law-abiding Afro-Americans that are not a part of the violence culture. They desperately need meaningful ways to defend themselves and families from the crime culture where they live.

The cops cannot provide any real protection for these respectable people. Self-help is all they have to fight gangs, extortion, threats and worse. The Mayor and City Council of Chicago have taken away their rights, and in too many cases, their very lives by banning the possession and carrying of firearms for basic self-protection. Cowardly criminals are protected from any harm by their victims using self-defense.

Onerous and draconian gun laws impact the safety and lives of peaceable African-Americans more than any other group. Government holds these people down while criminals have their way with them. This is as bad as discrimination ever gets. Law-abiding citizens everywhere deserve better.

Chicago Police Labor Crisis Is Reaching Critical Mass

Chicago had a horrific weekend of shooting Mayhem. The body count is difficult to track as more wounded and dead are discovered and the wounded die in hospitals. The offenders are the usual suspects that can now sense Chicago police are happy to let them just shoot it out.

Major morale problems plague the department as the relationship between cops and Mayor Daley has turned really sour. The department is thousands under normal strength and there’s no contract progress.

The cops are angry that Daley has only made war on gun ownership by normally law-biding citizens. The end result is that the criminals are in charge.

Look for normally quiet areas of the city to go unprotected as the department command staff step up high saturation patrols in troubled neighborhoods. Of course the cops maybe just wasting a lot of gasoline as they drive aimlessly around.

I suspect that brutality complaints and police involved shootings will be dropping dramatically as Darwin’s law will thin the population. Cops that avoid work rarely get complaints or find themselves in shootings.

These days, Chicago’s finest have little interest in doing more than protecting themselves and collecting a paycheck. This summer Chicago will not be a safe place to live or work. By law cops can’t go out on strike but they have many creative and effective job actions at their disposal.

The new police superintendent has been given and impossible task, leading a department hated by the politicians running the city.

The Chicago Police Department is close to hitting bottom. I don’t see a way up or out until Alderman Burke, his puppet mayor and city council are forced out of office and perhaps get prosecuted for crimes.

Blaming Mexican Violence On America’s Second Amendment

The same country that shamelessly exports their violence, drugs and poverty to America is now loudly whining. Mexico’s corrupt and vile government is blaming our freedom and liberty for their violent drug war problems.

They demand we do more to curtail smuggling of firearms to Mexico while they do nothing at all to curtail the smuggling of illegal immigrants, drugs and fugitives into our country.

It seems that a fence dividing our nations with 100% security cooperation between both our countries is the ultimate solution to everyone’s problem. Mexico’s criminals wouldn’t be able to smuggle anything in or out of the United States or back into Mexico.

Our own Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has chimed in with their own self-serving ideas for Mexico’s problems with gun violence. The BATFE solution is a blank check from our taxpayers to uncontrollably increase their powers, assets and manpower like every government agency that ever existed. The BATFE has wasted far too many tax dollars on their unconstitutional mission anyway.

The usual knee-jerk solution offered for every problem is to trash American’s rights to defend themselves, families and country.

America’s freedom is not the cause of Mexico’s violence problems. Mexico corrupt politicians have made sure only criminals have weapons long ago. The result of Mexico’s gun control is that their criminals easily dominate the entire country.

Another real and incredibly simple solution is for both countries to just get out of the drug enforcement business. Of course that would forever cut off the corruption Gravy Train for both of our nations. Peace and prosperity would return as the drug dealers, Lords and Czars all have to suddenly look for a career change.

All the laws in the world have not made a dent into drug abuse. Perhaps we can redirect some of the wasted enforcement money to the medical treatment of those addicted souls that really want it.

Daley Vows Enforcement Action To Curb Chicago’s Latest Gang Violence!

Daly told reporters he and his new Police Superintendent are going to take action to slow down the epidemic of shootings plaguing the Windy City’s Black neighborhoods..

What’s Daley’s plan? As usual Daley will have the cops out searching far and wide for more middle-aged, White, gun collectors who own handguns banned in Chicago for decades. Of course these collectors only crime is to collect firearms.

The usual result of Daley’s war on gangs is that the gangs win absolute dominance and control over the entire city since Daley does his best to make sure only criminals have guns.

Daley will never live long enough to learn the simple truth, that his gun control efforts only make the problem much worse.

Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

I don’t really care who they are or what they believe. They have a right to exist and marry who they please as often as they like.

Okay we’ve all heard about young teen-aged girls marrying older men. I believe that nature or God, not other people’s religious and social values determine when younger people are ready for marriage and child bearing. That said, I find government’s uninvited and manufactured probable cause evidence used to obtain a search warrant an un-American outrage.

No adult or child should be forced to live with anyone including their own parents if they don’t want to. The same goes for marriages. I’ve heard no evidence of any involuntary membership of this community. What willing families no matter how different, wish to do should not be anyone’s or government’s business.

I don’t care if these people collect welfare entitlements beyond their personal needs or personal wealth. Since all of Central and a lot of South America have been raiding our treasury it’s nice to see any Americans getting theirs too. The answer to welfare fraud is real welfare reform. Don’t hold your breath until the Bolsheviks in Congress deal with that idea!

I do sincerely hope that the women of this community get some serious fashion and makeover tips while they are away from their big social/religious community. It’s sad to see so many young women dressed in such drab and ugly attire.

Felons Recruited For Our Military, An incredibly Dangerous Trend.

Our military has opened the enlistment door to sex offenders, burglars and even killers. This is dangerous. I’m not talking about juvenile crimes but infamous and despicable crimes

Felons don’t belong in our armed services. Our military provides training for use of every type of weapon including improvised explosives. Convicted felons caught with weapons are normally subject to ten year prison sentences.

Is it an incentive for law-abiding young Americans to serve their country when they learn they'll be forced to shower and share barracks with common criminals? In the military your very life depends on your fellow soldiers. I don’t want anyone’s life placed in the hands of thieves, drug offenders and burglars.

Are we sending our impressionable young people to our armed services to be influenced by convicted felons? Someone please tell me how this could be good public policy?

Food Shortages, Rationing And America’s Current Population.

There were a few times in our history when Americans went hungry. The Great Depression and food was rationed during World War Two. We’ve been able to keep food inexpensive and plentiful for all through longstanding pricing schemes.

Now there are lots nasty rumors that our food supply may be interrupted. We may find ourselves in monetary crises as our printed money backed by nothing becomes worthless. We can definitely count on some serious inflation brought on by runaway fuel prices.

The only fix our government seems to know is to print more money while they tax productivity to death. Most businesses just can’t survive any more taxes and regulation. Unemployment can be the only result.

In the past Americans have proven themselves resilient to these kinds of problems but I think the Me Generation will not be able to cope.

I just don’t expect to see our urban freeloading populations quietly shedding pounds without uncontrollable violence. We maintain an entire underclass with handouts and they are too spoiled to submit to any deprivation.

Our banks are in serious trouble and the FDIC $100,000.00 per account insurance is too insufficient to protect American assets in the endangered financial institutions. America’s wealth is in danger of redistribution.

Any such crisis will bring out our Communists like flies on a manure pile. They will convince far too many folks in our ignorant population to join the Karl Marx train straight to Hell.

Urban Americans will be the ones that suffer the most. People in rural areas will hunt, fish and grow their own food. Perhaps the rural Americans will be on the receiving end of the wealth redistribution for a change as food becomes the new currency. How will the new conflicts shake out?

Heckler & Koch XM8, 5.56mm Assault Rifle Wins The Army’s Latest Torture Test

The current M-4 service rifle of the US military is the Grand child of the Colt M-16. The M-16 was introduced into combat at the beginning of the Viet Nam war. The M-16 had lots of problems related to unreliable cycling and being too needy for constant cleaning and maintenance.

The M-4 has not really been improved outside of cosmetic changes and adaptability for accessories many of which I question their value. Nothing replaces disciplined marksmanship.

I’m not fond of the 5.56 MM cartridge outside of law enforcement use and close in jungle fighting. I much prefer the 3.08 NATO round used in the Belgium FNFAL. The sad truth is today’s military boys and girls don’t shoot so well and rely on spray and pray. The need for lots of extra ammunition for poor marksmen is a reality. The real issue I have is the poor penetration of the 5.56 lady round that turns simple concealment into cover.

We are so heavily invested in the 5.56 MM round I don’t see a change in my lifetime. The H&K XM8 won the latest Army testing and as you can see in the video is an impressive performer. This little rifle has the feature I want that the M-16/M-4 does not have, access to the bolt and chamber.

RICHARD LARDNER of the Associated Press provides us with the details of the testing here.

Bloody 17 Hours In Chicago--32 Shot, 6 Dead

Windshild of an unmarked Chicago police sedan.

In a prelude to another exciting Chicago summer local criminals were out controlling the population again. The squad car pictured above was the target and thankfully the officers escaped with their lives. Others weren’t so lucky

Chicago like Washington DC has a total prohibition on handguns. Statewide there is every kind of control from a special state purchased ID card before a law-abiding citizen can own or purchase firearms or ammunition. Besides waiting sometimes months for the ID card there are still onerous waiting periods for each purchase and additional background checks. The state ID card closes every, what gun-rights hating politicians call loopholes.

Illinois criminals arrested and charged with violent gun crimes never have the required card. Illinois and Chicago politicians live in a dream world where they believe that guns only come from licensed dealers at gun shows.

The gunrunning networks are simple. Criminals are supplied by burglary proceeds, stolen police and military weapons. Drug dealers often accept payment in guns as well as cash later selling the guns at a profit. Despite the heavy-handed federal, state and local gun law enforcement criminals in Chicago will never be disarmed.

Still, Mayor Richard M. Daley and his cronies demand new gun laws every time the state legislature meets. The results of Daley’s efforts are only more gun violence.

The Chicago Police Department’s management made sure that the city’s murder statistics were under-reported by reclassifying unsolved murders as ongoing death investigations. They willfully concealed the Medical Examiner’s cause of death rulings in an obvious effort to suggest that Daley’s gun control really worked.

Gun control is a failure in every free society in the entire world. Governments can only control citizens that obey the laws and gun prohibitions. Gun control laws do little but help criminals gain total and absolute dominance over the law-abiding citizens.

The most obvious areas of failure were the creation of criminal, free-fire zones also know as Gun Free Zones. Airports, schools and malls will always remain killing Zones until America wakes up.

Read about Chicago’s 17 hour bloodbath here.

Count Me In With CNN’s Jack Cafferty On His China Remarks

China is a Communist Hell Hole run by goons and thugs. Slavery and assembly line capital punishment for minor offenses that offend Chinese government, Bolshevik sensibilities is normal there.

I will never understand why we trade with this monstrous totalitarian nation. It was the one thing I hate about the Regan Administration's efforts. We should be helping counter-revolutionaries destroy this scourge.

Today thousands of Chinese-Americans picketed the Hollywood, Sunset Blvd. offices of CNN in protest to Cafferty's remarks. I can see where these demonstrators have their loyalty. Perhaps they should be deported so they can live there under the government of their choice but they are busy sending money to American political candidates of the far Left Wing. These enimies of America are conquering us with propaganda and bloody Chinese money.

I don’t think our athletes or any American should travel to China for any reason. I have nothing against the Chinese people, I just want them to be free and happy. As far as I’m concerned the only good Communist is a dead Communist.

The TSA Must Be Stopped Now!

The TSA has become the most loathed government agency in American history. The horror stories of this agency’s brain-dead workers forcing women to drink their own breast milk and use pliers to remove nipple rings and such never end. Thefts of passenger’s property are common as too many of these otherwise unemployable people snoop rather than search for harmful items.

I can remember watching TSA operatives singling out actress, author and former Good Morning America host, Mariette Hartley for a secondary screening at New York’s JFK Airport. They tossed Hartley’s carryon bags contents displaying her underwear for all to see. Actor Paul Sorvino was also on that flight and they somehow let him escape that indignity as did the four, 20-something Muslim men traveling together on this same flight.

The TSA has bought hundreds of millions of dollars worth of bomb detection equipment that is easily defeated and their X-Ray imagining equipment just cannot see what will or will not explode.

The equipment works to discover guns left in bags by permitted but sometimes absent minded and normally law-abiding citizens who are instantly turned into convicted felons.

The TSA cites concerns that profiling passengers may violate the Constitution. I guess these same bureaucrats forgot to read the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition that restricts government from unreasonable searches and seizures absent probable cause or a judge’s warrant. The TSA claims that passengers voluntarily submit to the frisking is pure hogwash. We have to travel by air in the normal course of everyday life and there is no viable alternative.

Americans have allowed their politicians to trade freedom, liberty and privacy along with their dignity for the mere illusion of security. I’d much rather take my chances with terrorists any day.

America has become a nation of sheep allowing a few goats to treat them like criminals as they take them through the meaningless and demeaning security rituals.
Playing Simon Sez with the unwashed and unemployable that was hired for the TSA jobs program is beyond insulting.

Why would President Bush appoint a political hack like Kip Hawley to head this agency when he has no law enforcement training or experience?

Sheriff Joe Run Out Of Arizona Town Before Sundown--Not Quite.

Click On Picture To Enlarge.

Just a little Southeast of Phoenix Is the Town of Guadalupe. The town has a population of poor and ignorant Hispanic and Yaqui Native American Indians. Since America’s Drug War began there has always been an over abundant population of Illegal Aliens here along with a high crime rate.

Guadalupe has a local government with a history of corruption. They had their own police department run by criminals and the local magistrate could and would fix anything.

After a law enforcement crises in the 1980s they disbanded what was left of their police force and contracted for law enforcement services with the Maricopa County Sheriff.

Recently, Sheriff Joe Arpaio known for being America’s Toughest Sheriff has been attacked by town politicians, clergy and citizens for enforcing the law of the land. The town’s politicians want to select what laws will or won’t be enforced.

I have my own issues with the sheriff about the treatment of prisoners in his jails who have yet to be convicted of anything. That’s the people accused of crimes who are unable to post bail and be released during the one to three years it takes to get their day in court. Often the lies of supposed victims and witnesses are exposed at trials and the former suspects are set free. Sheriff Joe punishes everyone in his jails.

The other issue I have is Arpaio’s publicity stunts are often over the top. Examples are the pink underwear, prison stripes and chain gangs. Again being tough on innocents accused along with convicted criminals is wrong.

The latest rhubarb is over Immigration Law violations. Guadalupe’s politicians think Arizona is part of Mexico. Of course they demand welfare, education and medical benefits meant for American citizens and lawful aliens.

Guadalupe wants Sheriff Joe to turn his head and wink at the violations while taxpayers are soaked paying for medical care, schools, food and imprisonment of dangerous felons who sneaked across our borders.

Sheriff Joe has given the town 180 days to find alternative police services to their liking.

I’m firmly with Sheriff Joe on this one. Guadalupe deserves what they get.

The following is a press release from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office:

Recent actions and statements made by the Town of Guadalupe against the Sheriff's Office are unjust and ignore the professional law enforcement services provided by the Sheriff's Office for the past 30 years. These criticisms are not only a disservice to the deputies serving the Town but reflect poorly on the community as a whole. The current law enforcement contract provides 1.66 beats which includes patrol, responses to emergency calls, arrests of suspects, traffic enforcement and accident investigations, investigation of alleged crimes, property and evidence safekeeping, up to date reporting systems, dispatch and police communications services for a total charge to the Town of $1,186,000. At no additional cost, the Sheriff's Office provides canine, SWAT, posse and helicopter search and rescue. As with all law enforcement contracts, the Sheriff's Office only charges the Town for actual cost recovery. Neither the Sheriffs Office nor Maricopa County profit from the payment received for law enforcement services to the Town.

The Office has provided the community with proactive crime suppression enforcing all laws of the State of Arizona on a quarterly basis. These additional enforcement activities have been successful in reinforcing the safety of the community. Our recent activity resulted in 45 individuals arrested and booked. Of the 45 arrests, 18 individuals were warrant arrests (a total of 28 warrants were cleared); 6 individuals were arrested for drug violation; 9 individuals, after being interviewed, were determined to be illegal immigrants; 12 individuals were arrested for miscellaneous other charges. In addition, 22 misdemeanor citations and 120 traffic citations were issued.

The Sheriff's Office is not a sanctuary law enforcement agency. The Office does not pick and choose which laws it will or will not enforce. The Sheriff's Office is totally committed to enforcing all laws fairly and equitably. Statements made by you and the Phoenix mayor reflect a disturbing discrimination and selective enforcement agenda that certain laws passed by the legislature and voted upon by the citizens of Maricopa County should not be enforced. As the position of the Sheriff's Office is one of dedication to full law enforcement and the Town's position is one of selective and self serving law enforcement, the Sheriff's Office has decided to invoke the termination clause of its law enforcement agreement with the Town of Guadalupe.

This letter will serve as the 180 day written notice. This should give the Town sufficient time to study and research the law enforcement needs of the community and explore other law enforcement alternatives.

Sincerely,
Joseph M. Arpaio. Sheriff

Chicago’s Great Big And Now Dead Puddy Tat

I held off dealing with this story as long as I could. Chicago police officers from the 19th district shot and killed a 150 pound for real mountain lion in Roscoe Village near Lane Tech High School.

I’m an animal lover from way back and think God’s four legged creatures are a lot more tolerable than most of the two-legged animals inhabiting the Windy City right now especially those in City Hall.

Here the police ran out of options to control a dangerous predator and resorted to gunfire. You’d think the cops murdered a beautiful young high school cheerleader listening to the hordes of critics and cop haters.

I learned a lot of useful things in the old O’Brien Street police academy but I’m sure I must have slept through that class on lion hunting or lion control.

You can’t escape the fact that mountain lions always move at lightning speed and are a serious threat if they are cornered or hungry. The same critics would be whining if the cat killed a child or senior citizen.

Today local politicians, media and a large percentage of residents of Chicago hate cops. The us vs. them mentality has never been worse in the city with “much smaller shoulders.”

It's more obvious everyday that Chicago cops have lost their desire to do more than survive and collect a paycheck. The awful appearance of today’s Chicago cop reflects the lowest possible morale.

I don’t see a fix for what ails my hometown. Perhaps bringing in thousands of these mountain lions and letting them roam free may be the ultimate solution.

TSA’s Edmund S. "Kip" Hawley Is Bad Government

In case you are wondering just who the patronage hack is that's mismanaging America’s airport and air line security, it’s a career railroad, government contractor boss and bureaucrat named, Edmund S. "Kip" Hawley.

Appointed by President Bush in 2005 to head the troubled agency Hawley has wasted our money faster than it can be printed on things and programs that at best give a really poor illusion of security.

How can a man with no law enforcement training or experience be appointed to run such super sensitive operations as America’s Aviation Security?

Hawley obviously hates pilots as he has fought arming them and done everything possible to obstruct and or destroy the Flight Deck Officer program.

I question Hawley’s allegiance to America despite his long history has a Republican political creature. Hawley has done everything possible to keep America’s air transportation a soft target for our enemies.

The TSA is a rogue government agency and Hawley is at the helm.
Rather than take suggestions from law enforcement officials Hawley finds a way around them. The stonewall attitude and arrogance of any agency begins with its lack of leadership.

Airline Scapegoat’s Termination Proceedings Begin

US Airways has started termination proceedings seeking the dismissal of veteran pilot James Langenhahn according to Flight Deck Officer’s Association Vice President, Mike Karn.

The firing is in connection with the gun accident in the skies over Charlotte, NC last month as Langenhahn was stowing the gun contained inside a padlocked holster. The TSA dangerously dictated that pilots place a common padlock across the trigger of a loaded gun. The inevitable happened when the gun went off as a result.

I warned of this problem here at Crime, Guns and Videotape last December.

The pilots were and are precluded to publicly talk about or criticize the holster or insane locking procedures that were the obvious cause of the accident.

The TSA has been able to cloak their incompetence and other failings under National Security. That is until I learned about the foolish procedures and exposed them

After the accident I have placed my video recreation of the actual accident that has been viewed thousands of time and shown on national television.

I fully expect Langenhahn to sue his airline for any contract breech and the TSA for their negligent administration of this most sensitive and important area securing our skies from terrorists.

The pilots need to stick together on this one since it’s a matter of safety. Perhaps a job action is in order to get the program taken from that rogue government agency, The Transportation Security Administration.

May I be the first one to suggest that fellow pilots and concerned citizens contact the Federal Flight Deck Officer’s Association and donate money for all of Capt. Langenhahn’s legal Expenses and lost wages.

Until Langenhahn in reinstated to his job with back pay I will avoid booking flights on UA Airways.

The Federal Air Marshal Program Is A Mess

To become a law enforcement officer you need two things, academy training and experience with handling criminals. State and local police departments include several weeks of field training in busy areas before academy graduation. Then you are only a green recruit for a year or two until you become the real police.

The most difficult part of police work is dealing with violators. Police work is the art of not turning littering into armed robbery and not missing dangerous tricks pulled by career criminals.

Unless air marshals have prior police experience their effectiveness will be limited significantly. The air marshal candidates and applicants lack the basic tools to handle the job even after training.

Do you really want to see a green air marshal engaged in close quarter combat with a trained and experienced terrorist? Of course the rub here is that this may well be the first time the air marshal ever had a real fight. Cops on the other hand deal with the best of street fighters and barroom brawlers.

The job of air marshal is boring, and swallowed in lots of government bureaucracy.

Remember the air marshal is the man or woman that is not listening to IPOD, watching DVDs, chatting with other passengers, reading or sleeping. The air marshal is breathing bad air and eating too much expensive and really bad airport concession food. This has to be a lonely and miserable life.

Years can go by before an air marshal is called into enforcement action. An air marshals experience on the job is as worthless as being unemployed everywhere in the American job market.

The truth is they air marshals are quitting as fast as they’re being hired. It’s so difficult to find qualified candidates they lowered hiring and training standards and are giving the jobs to the screeners these days.

We have a much better force and that’s encouraging trained, certified and fit off duty cops to fly armed for free or at greatly reduced ticket prices.

I’d set up a one day training session and vetting process for the volunteer cops wanting to participate.

Armed pilots and off duty armed cops are the best prospect for keeping Americans safe where air travel is concerned. It’s not only cost effective but the only effective way to deal with these issues.

Here is more about the TSA and their problems from CNN investigative correspondent Drew Griffin.

My Magical Monday Night In Culver City

Click on picture to enlarge.

Retired Chicago police sergeant, Andy Murcia was a vice dick turned into a 23rd District supervisor. He had a part-time gig as the house dick at the swank Ambassador East Hotel on the Gold Coast. Andy met more than a few celebrities there including the incredibly beautiful and talented, Ann Jillian. When that happened sparks flew and the two have been married ever since. I’m very blessed to have them as friends. I was invited by Andy and Ann to attend a staged reading of 'In Love--With the Music of great Antonio Carlos Jobim' at the Culver City Jazz Bakery.

The play was narrated by the Love Boat Skipper, Gavin MacLeod. Along with MacLeod the singers/actors were Amic Byram (playing the rich and sophisticated older man) Debi Nova (playing the very yummy, Girl from Ipanema) and Will Collyer (playing the idealistic cabana boy). They all did real justice to the great Jazz-Samba-Bossa Nova music of Jobim.

I have to single out Debi Nova who performs well beyond her 22 years. Nova knew just how to flirt with her co-stars and the audience as she amazed me with her voice, charms and talent. Jobim created a true fantasy girl from Ipanema and Nova filled that vision perfectly. I don’t want to slight Byram and Collyer here but I think they’d understand that my infatuation with Nova is a “guy” thing.

Music director/pianist Bill Cantos, guitarist Pat Kelley and drummer Michael Shapiro expertly showcased their rich talents for this production.

The story line was cute, contrite, fun and perfectly crafted around Jobim’s timeless music.

The concept and play was the work of Ernest Chambers, a long time Hollywood producer who spent many years working with the late entertainment legend Merv Griffin. Special material was provided by Ken and Mitzi Welch.

I look forward to getting my hands on the cast album as this ambitious and exciting show moves forward.

I want to thank Andy, Ann, Andrew along with the entire cast and crew for a wonderful evening of first rate entertainment.

I found a YouTube offering from that Costa Rican firecracker, Ms. Nova you can see here: