Category: Current Events & Politics

Letter Re: Details Emerging on the Outlaw Maine Hermit

Hey Jim, This guy lived within 30 miles from me for 27 years. An interesting story to be sure. I’d like to bail him out just for the chance to talk but for $5,000 it would be too expensive. This is not wilderness. It is a 30 minute walk from Pine Tree Camp – I have been there a few times. My buddy in high school worked there as a cook. Here is some news coverage about him, from another source. Keep up the good work. – Bubby JWR Replies: After you wrote me to mention this, I found an …


Letter Re: Hard Working Homeless in Kansas Dug Tunnels

James, A brief article I saw on underground homeless camp in Kansas: Underground homeless camp cleared near the East Bottoms. Although the article does not give much detail, I find it an interesting use of space, staying out of the way and a lesson to learn regarding people who may be close to your proximity without one even knowing it.  It also drew my mind back to the Bielski partisans and the camps they dug in Naliboki Forest. God Bless, – John in Ohio


Guest Article: Colorado’s New Law on “Large Capacity” Ammunition Magazines, by Attorney Timothy J. Priebe

On March 10, 2013, the Governor of Colorado signed into law three new statutes that pertain to gun and magazine owners throughout the state. In this post, I will start with the addition of C.R.S. 18-12-301, having to do with “Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines”. We will first begin with the name of the bill. As many of you know, a magazine which holds more than 15 rounds is not a “Large Capacity” magazine but in many cases just the stock or standard magazine that comes with the firearm. However, if you asked my mother, who is not a gun owner, …


Connecticut Gun Owners Betrayed by Their State Legislature

Connecticut is known as a progenitor of American Liberty. There were some small War of Independence battles fought at Stonington (1775), Danbury (1777), New Haven (1779), and New London (1781.) But sadly, legislators in Connecticut just dutifully lined up for their Kool-Aid cups and voted for a ban so-called “assault” weapons, a ban on private party sales of used guns, creates a new “ammunition eligibility certificate,” and mandates a ban on the manufacture or sale and a registry for high capacity magazines. Do these buffoons have any concept of how many millions of magazines larger that 10 round capacity exist, …


Two Letters Re: Things to Understand When Interacting With the Police

Dear Editor: In response to R.B. and his comments on “Things to Understand When Interacting With the Police,” I’d like to share “Some Things He Needs to Understand When Interacting With Civilians.” We’ve long abandoned the idea that the police are interested in helping us when they interact with us. We expect, for good reason, that any encounter with a police officer is going to be a reminder that right or wrong, he or she is a cop, they must be respected no matter how inhumane their behavior, and that any error on the part of the officer is inconsequential. …


Letter Re: Things to Understand When Interacting With Police

James, In my opinion 99.9% of preppers are law-abiding citizens who fear God and want nothing more than to be left alone to live their lives in peace and prosperity. Having said that I take extreme exception to the recent article entitled, “Things to Understand When Interacting With Police”, by G.S. from Florida. G.S. is a defense attorney who used to be a prosecuting attorney. Let me introduce myself as much as I can. I am a prepper and a police detective in a Western state and have arrested many criminals over the years. I have been in many jury …


Letter Re: Why Colorado is Running Out of Water

Hi Folks, I’m a transplant to my now-home state of Colorado.  When I came here where I’m living now was about the edge of suburban development.  Denver has a law that restricted it from growing called the Poundstone Amendment (wherein cities couldn’t annex without a vote of approval of land owners.)   My wife is a fifth generation native, her ancestors settled and farmed northeast of Denver for a few decades.  Winter wheat was a big crop, Rocky Ford produced perhaps the best melons I’ve eaten and in the summer it was nearly impossible to drive around without tripping over a …


Letter Re: The Right to Open Carry Guns: Use It or Lose It

James, I hope your readers don’t lump all police officers into the ignorant category. I’m retired now, but I clearly remember an instance about 15 years ago… I was on grave shift and received a call of a man with a gun in a Shari’s restaurant at about 2 a.m.. When I asked the dispatcher what the man was doing, she told me he was eating.   I walked in and spotted him fairly quickly. He had a Ruger Blackhawk in a leather western style holster. I sat down in the booth with him and asked him why he was …


Things to Understand When Interacting With Police, by G.S.

As a former prosecutor and now criminal defense attorney practicing in Florida, I offer some insights gained by experience for the patriotic reader. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2,266,800 adults were incarcerated in U.S. federal and state prisons, and county jails at year-end 2010 – about 0.7% of adults in the U.S. resident population. Additionally, 4,933,667 adults at year-end 2009 were on probation or on parole. In total, 7,225,800 adults were under correctional supervision (probation, parole, jail or prison) in 2009 – about 3.1% of adults in the U.S. resident population. With the statist establishment criminalizing everything, …


Colorado’s Million Magazine March

On March 20th, Colorado’s Democrat Governor John Hickenlooper did a very foolish thing. He signed into law a ban on any magazine over 15 round capacity with a ban on shotguns with tubular magazines that can hold more than 28 lineal inches of shotshells, and another law that will ban private party sales of guns. (All transfers except a few within families will have to be handled through Federally licensed dealers. ) Because the magazine ban won’t take effect until July 1, 2013, I can predict an unintended consequence: Close to one million magazines of 16+ round capacity will be …


Letter Re: The Right to Open Carry Guns: Use It or Lose It

Mr. Rawles, I read your essay “The Right to Open Carry Guns: Use It or Lose It,” with interest.  I watched the videos you linked to with horror.  I was awestruck. It is a shock to my system to see law enforcement officers so poorly trained and so willing to violate rights of citizens.  Perhaps I should know better by now.  To think that just one telephone call from a “concerned citizen” is enough to cause the police to violate a law abiding persons civil rights is terrifying. I live in an extremely 2nd amendment friendly state, Arizona.  It is …


The Right to Open Carry Guns: Use It or Lose It

The American concealed carry movement can now be chalked up as a bona fide victory. CCW permits are now available in 48+ states. (To be safe I’d say around 46 or 47 states, depending on several factors. For example, permit issuance policies are not always uniformly non-discretionary in every county within a state.) The logical successors to the concealed carry movement are the Constitutional Carry Movement (aka permitless concealed carry) and the Open Carry Movement. In my opinion, both of these are worthy endeavors. I’ve said the following before, but it bears repeating: Whenever someone must buy a license or …


Americans Against Illegal Mayors: Demand A Plan

Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns political pressure group is hard at work. Working with several paid lobbyist, advertising, and public relations firms, they are about to launch a $12 million television ad campaign, pressing for “comprehensive background checks”. Banning private party sales of used guns (forcing all gun sales to go through licensed dealers) will lay the groundwork for a nationwide system of gun registration. But Bloomberg’s Buddies have some public relations problems… The latest news is that another member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns has been arrested. This time it was Mayor Craig Lowe of Gainesville, Florida, …


Letter Re: Market Prices and the Availability of Goods

Jim, Unfortunately, it has become common for preppers to express outrage at the exorbitant post-Newtown pricing of ammo and certain magazines and firearms. Frequently, the complaints are accompanied by vows and pleas for others not to patronize certain offending retailers after things return to “normal.” Apart from the implicit assumption that things will return to “normal,” I think that this sentiment is way off base. Although I like paying “reasonable” prices as much (and probably more) than the next guy, I find the notion that retailers should not raise prices to meet increased demand both fundamentally flawed, and ultimately dangerous for preppers.    First, we have …


Letter Re: Taxes for Millionaires: Food For Thought

Jim, How many times has the President said that we need to raise taxes on those making more than $1 million per annum? Some believe that the government will also confiscate gold and silver. As many know, our government already confiscated gold in America, circa 1933. Even so, collectable coins were exempt, which is reason enough to own gold/silver coins that have value beyond the base metal – a discussion topic for another day.   Many of us at retirement age receive some form of retirement income from the federal government. Some receive disability pay as well, but the feds …