Who Took the Gun to the Lego Movie?

I went to the local theater on Monday to take the boys to the Lego Movie. We were meeting another party there so I bought tickets for all of us. I left the teenager to meet his friends out front while little brother and I went inside to save some seats. (It was clear the early show was filling quickly since it was the President’s Day holiday.)

After securing seats, I called the teenager and told him what great seats we had taken. He then informed me that his friends were on the way with an extra person. He told me he had already tried to get an extra ticket but the show was now sold out. Much to my disappointment, this was a package deal and we all needed to sit together in the same showing; since that was no longer possible, I reluctantly left the theater and proceeded to get a refund for the show.

As my younger son and I stood in line to get the refund, I noticed the kids in front of me pick something up that was on the ground, play with it for a few seconds and then drop it again. I looked at the object on the ground in disbelief. I asked my son to pick it up. I then asked him if it was metal. He replied I think so. I then took it from his hand. It was a large bullet for a powerful pistol. (I later learned that it was likely a 38 Special round.) It was about the diameter of my pinkie finger and the casing was about an inch and ¾ long. The bullet was a concave shape.

After completing my refund, I took the bullet and gave it to a security guy at the theater and then we left.

I believe in the Second Amendment—more even than many Conservatives—but no responsible citizen would be dropping live ammo on the ground for small children to play with. I don’t think the owner of that bullet is responsible enough to be “packin’ heat” in public.

Ed Prieto: Groping for Justice

Is it me, or have you noticed that often the difference between the crooks and the cops is the badge? Not to say that there aren’t some good folks in law enforcement but there are some bad apples too. One such apple that I have crosses political swords with before is current Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto.

Prior to his gig as Sheriff, Ed used to work for the California Highway Patrol. He was an instructor at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento. During his time as an instructor, he was able to screen female recruits and upgrade to a new wife.

Ed is not the only CHP instructor that I am acquainted with to trade a ring for a fling. Our society has a term for people like Ed that use their position as a supervisor to get sexual favors from those under them.

Anyway, after the Academy, Ed decided to run for sheriff in Yolo County. As a result, his first political fundraiser was in Los Angeles. No joke, I think I still have the campaign finance reports. I remember because one of his first contributions was from an abortion clinic in East Los Angeles. Why a sheriff candidate would accept money from anybody living over 400 miles away is peculiar but what nexus is there between abortions in East Los Angeles and a rural law enforcement guy? (I will let the reader speculate any possible connection.)

Ed and I had a talk at the Yolo County Fair the summer he first campaigned. He was staunchly defending Bill Clinton as news of Monica’s famous blue dress was helping to inject “a Lewinsky” into the public lexicon. Being of a similar background to the President, I understood his desire to defend Clinton.

With the Democrat machine in Davis backing him, Ed won the election and has been sheriff ever since.

Ed has a documented track record of being morally challenged so it was no surprise that he has been hit with three harassment lawsuit in two years. What is surprising is that it is his employees, the sheriff deputies that are having issues with him.

Lawsuit #1 Sexual Harassment of Deputy

Robin Gonzalez claims in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday that the blatant conduct has continued for almost her entire 11 years under Prieto’s command.

The uninvited and unwanted attention has included hugging and kissing her, cradling her buttocks in his hands, pinching other parts of her body, lewd stares, repeated observations regarding her appearance and weight, and remarks laced with sexual innuendo, according to Gonzalez.

At one point, Gonzalez states in the civil rights suit, Prieto told her she could continue in her position as an investigator if she performed oral sex on him.
female deputy’s suit accuses yolo

Lawsuit #2 Sexual Harassment of Deputy

Victoria Zetwick, a corrections sergeant and veteran of 24 years in the Sheriff’s Department, alleges that Prieto embraced and kissed her more than 100 times in the 14 years since he became sheriff.

The suit, filed Oct. 3 in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, names Prieto and Yolo County as co-defendants and seeks undisclosed damages, claiming “mental anguish and emotional distress.”

“Each time was awkward, unsolicited and unwelcome,” the suit states, adding later that Prieto acted with “impunity and increasing boldness” and was unfit to serve as sheriff.
Deputy Files Suit

Lawsuit #3 Racial Harassment of Deputy

A Yolo County Sheriff’s Deputy has accused Sheriff Ed Prieto of using racially insensitive language during a departmental staff meeting last fall.

Deputy Darrel Johnson told KCRA that during a meeting with a number of deputies and other high-ranking officials in the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department in September of 2011, the Sheriff singled him out using possibly racially inflammatory names such as “gravy” and “dark one.”

Deputy Johnson, who turns 43 next week, is a 14-year veteran peace office who has served the past seven years as a sheriff’s deputy with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department where he is currently employed.
deputy-files-suit-against-sheriff-prieto-alleging-racially-insensitve-names-and-hostile-work-environment

Being a Democrat officeholder in California clearly insulates officials from the rules that the rest of us are expected to follow. Prieto is unfit to be Yolo Sheriff. His justification is that he has behaved this way his whole law enforcement career so why should he change now? I hope he resigns and get out of law enforcement, but I suspect that he will cling to power until it is taken from him. At best, perhaps he will decide not to run for re-election.

On the other hand, with all this publicity, perhaps Ed could get employment as a TSA screener. He certainly has a feel for the job.

 

Update

Sacramento Bee has hidden the articles behind their firewall but other stories can still be found related to this issue in2018

Commentary: Is There a Problem at the Sheriff’s Department?

Public Safety Risk Increasing

Yet another article on the threat to public safety by release of prisoners. Even I am surprised by number of bad guys already let loose on the public.

The state has reduced its prison population by more than 46,000 inmates since 2006, with more than half the decrease due to a 2-year-old state law that is sentencing lower-level criminals to county jails instead of state prisons. But the population remains about 9,400 inmates over the level required by the courts.

The state has said it can whittle the population further by the end of the year but would remain 2,300 inmates over the court-ordered number.

“It’s inevitable. You’re going to have people released to the community who are continuing to commit more crime and, as such, our population in the (jail) facility is going to be impacted,” said Sgt. Jason Ramos, of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.

He added, there’s a 70 percent chance criminals released will reoffend.
Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/judges-gov-brown-must-fully-comply-with-prison-order/-/11797728/20650150/-/dpyo3p/-/index.html#ixzz2Wso78db5

Emphasis added by me.
Instead of building more prisons our elected officials are trying to disarm the public.

My solution is to release all the prisoners in the neighborhood where the judges live and see how they like living with their rulings.

Parole Units Continue to be Gutted

Jerry Brown continues to release dangerous prisoners back into society while simultaneously cutting the ability of the Department of Corrections to keep track of these folks. The parole portion of the Corrections Department is being severely cut back; both in terms of officers and facilities. As offices close, the physical distance between parole officers and parolees increases. This coupled with fewer officers will eventually lead to more crime in our state.

The purpose seems to be to build the false case that only higher taxes will protect us from criminals. Unfortunately, nothing can protect us for the criminals in office.

Below is the current list. It was announced today that five more parole units were closed.

2013 Information Bulletins
Note: Items marked N/A are not related to parole
13-01 ANNOUNCING THE ACTIVATION OF THE LOS ANGELES GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM DISTRICT & CONSOLIDATION OF PAROLE DISTRICTS IN REGION III
13-02 ANNOUNCING THE RELOCATION OF PASADENA PAROLE UNITS 1 AND 3 IN REGION III
13-03 ANNOUNCING THE RELOCATION OF THE BOARD OF PAROLE HEARINGS, SACRAMENTO DECENTRALIZED REVOCATION UNIT
13-04 ANNOUNCING THE INTENT TO REORGANIZE & CONSOLIDATE PAROLE DISTRICTS WITHIN REGION IV
13-05 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE OROVILLE PAROLE UNIT IN REGION I
13-06 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE SAN LEANDRO PAROLE UNIT IN REGION II
13-07 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE MODESTO 1 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION 1
13-08 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE BUENA PARK PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-09 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE ORANGE 2 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-10 N/A
13-11 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE PASADENA 3 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION III
13-12 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE FRESNO 3 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION 1
13-13 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE FRESNO 1 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION 1
13-14 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE FRESNO 4 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION 1
13-15 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE FRESNO 8 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION 1
13-16 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE POMONA 2 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-17 ANNOUNCING THE RELOCATION OF THE FULLERTON PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-18 REVISED – ANNOUNCING THE RELOCATION OF THE LONG BEACH 1 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION III
13-19 REVISED – ANNOUNCING THE RELOCATION OF THE LONG BEACH 2 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION III
13-20 REVISED – ANNOUNCING THE RELOCATION OF THE LONG BEACH 4 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION III
13-21 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE LONG BEACH GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-22 ANNOUNCING THE RELOCATION OF THE ORANGE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-23 ANNOUNCING THE ACTIVATION OF THE NEW ORANGE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM 2 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-24 N/A
13-25 ANNOUNCING THE REORGANIZATION AND CONSOLIDATION OF PAROLE DISTRICTS WITHIN REGION IV
13-26 ANNOUNCING THE REDISTRICTING OF PAROLE UNITS INTO THE REGION III SOUTHEAST DISTRICT
13-27 ANNOUNCING THE RENAMING OF THE GLOBAL POSITIONING UNITS IN REGION III
13-28 N/A
13-29 N/A
13-30 REVISED – ANNOUNCING CLOSURE OF THE OCEANSIDE PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-31 ANNOUNCING CLOSURE OF THE ESCONDIDO 2 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-32 ANNOUNCING CLOSURE OF THE EL CAJON 3 AND 4 PAROLE UNITS IN REGION IV
13-33 ANNOUNCING THE RELOCATION OF THE SAN JOSE 1 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION II
13-34 N/A
13-35 N/A
13-36 ANNOUNCING CLOSURE OF THE SAN JOSE 4 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION II
13-37 N/A
13-38 N/A
13-39 N/A
13-40 N/A
13-41 N/A
13-42 ANNOUNCING CLOSURE OF THE CONCORD 1 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION II
13-43 ANNOUNCING CLOSURE OF THE BAKERSFIELD 4 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION I
13-44 ANNOUNCING CLOSURE OF THE REDDING 1 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION I
13-45 Announcing the relocation of the Inland Global Positioning System (GPS) Parole Unit in Region IV
13-46 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE COSTA MESA PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-47 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE OXNARD PAROLE UNIT IN REGION II
13-48 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE ONTARIO 1 AND 2 PAROLE UNITS IN REGION III
13-49 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE MORENO VALLEY 3 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION IV
13-50 ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE OF THE FRESNO 6 PAROLE UNIT IN REGION I

California Government Threatens Public Safety

California is trying to confiscate virtually all firearms owned by law abiding folks in the State while simultaneously releasing more than 33,000 prisoners that have not served their sentences back into the world. In addition, at the same time the prisoners are being freed, there are massive layoffs of parole officers and closures of parole offices. Below is a partial list of the parole closures. This is done under the guise of consolidation.

Information Bulletin Numbers
13-01:  Announcing Activation of the Los Angeles Global Positioning System District & Consolidation of Parole Districts in Region III
13-02:  Announcing Relocation of Pasadena Parole Units 1 and 3 in Region III
13-03:  Announcing Relocation of Board of Parole Hearings, Sacramento Decentralized Revocation Unit
13-04:  Announcing Intent to Reorganize and Consolidate Parole Districts Within Region IV
13-05:  Announcing Closure of the Oroville Parole Unit in Region I
13-06:  Announcing Closure of the San Leandro Parole Unit in Region II
13-07:  Announcing Closure of the Modesto 1 Parole Unit in Region 1
13-08:  Announcing Closure of the Buena Park Parole Unit in Region IV
13-09:  Announcing Closure of the Orange 2 Parole Unit in Region IV
MISSING
13-11:  Announcing Closure of the Pasadena 3 Parole Unit in Region III
13-12:  Announcing Closure of the Fresno 3 Parole Unit in Region 1
13-13:  Announcing Closure of the Fresno 1 Parole Unit in Region 1
13-14:  Announcing Closure of the Fresno 4 Parole Unit in Region 1
13-15:  Announcing Closure of the Fresno 8 Parole Unit in Region 1
13-16:  Announcing Closure of the Pomona 2 Parole Unit in Region IV
13-17:  Announcing Relocation of the Fullerton Parole Unit in Region IV
13-18:  Announcing Relocation of the Long Beach 1 Parole Unit in Region IV

The parole and correctional officers are being eliminated in layoff “Waves”. Currently the Department of Corrections is wrapping up Wave 3. There are six scheduled waves of layoffs within the department. It is logical that more people on parole and less folks to keep tabs on them means more crimes committed. Also, many that violate parole are not being arrested because there is no place to keep them. With this crappy economy what are the employment prospects for folks with a criminal record?

Additionally, California has already gutted the juvenile system. Only two facilities are still running statewide all others have been closed. Instead, juvenile offenders are being placed in your community in group homes. There is no requirement to inform local law enforcement or neighborhoods when one of these homes in opened in your community.

Conclusion: you are less safe with Jerry Brown as governor because there are more criminals at large that are unsupervised and you don’t have the right to defend yourself or your family.

Comments on the Connecticut School Shooting

I am amazed but not surprised at the outcry over the school shooting at Newtown Connecticut. While the attack was terrible, the political posturing and exploitation of this tragedy by liberals in our country is breathtaking. The shooter leaves his rifle in the car, using two pistols to kill his victims and all the media and politicians can do is try to convince us that the gun that was not used to commit the crime should be outlawed.

I wish people would spend their efforts comforting the families that lost loved ones instead of exploiting this shooting to empower themselves politically. I think if you look at it closer you will find that the ones offering comfort and those exploiting these deaths are actually different groups. Those offering comfort do so in private while those exploiting it do so as they pander to the cameras.

A constant in the liberal playbook is that no criminal is responsible for his deeds; it is society’s fault because we did not prevent the circumstances that lead to the crime. Why so many gullible people think this belief is reasonable is yet another indictment of government schools in this country.

The NRA had it right when they stated that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is when a good guy has a gun. The whole line of discussion about banning firearms is blatantly unconstitutional. The Second Amendment has nothing to do with hunting, it is allowing citizens to be armed to protect themselves; first from the tyranny of government and secondly from threats to persons and property.

The hypocrisy of many exploiting this event for political purposes is shameful. Have none of the folks in our country ever heard of the Beslan school siege? Terrorists took almost 1,200 people hostage in a small village school on the first day of classes. During the three day hostage stand-off 380 people died. If you don’t want to dig too deep on Google to read about it then watch the documentary Beslan: Three Days in September narrated by actress Julia Roberts (yeah Pretty Woman herself).

In a few days many Christian Churches will honor the Feast of Holy Innocents. This is a day when we remember Herod the Great’s failed attempt on the life of Jesus when he executed all male children under two years of age that lived in the vicinity of Bethlehem.

Mass murder and evil deeds are nothing new. However, what is new is our knee-jerk reaction to punish the law-abiding and criminalize their lawful behavior because bad guys are bad. Liberty is a dual-edged sword; it can lead to greater good or greater evil. The alternative to liberty is slavery not security. The shooting in Connecticut should not be an excuse to limit the liberty of law abiding folks.

Colorado Movie Shooting

In contemplating the shooting last week, I came across an old song that sums up many of my feelings.

The local school has got a real problem
They’ve hired policemen to restrain the rage
Metal detectors greet the school children

I’d like to say welcome to judgment day

Out on the streets I hear the guns blazing
They’re not just children going through a stage
‘Cause now they’re eighteen and beyond raising

Well, I’d like to say welcome to judgment day

Judgment Day DeGarmo and Key Band 1994

I’m probably in the minority on this point but I disagree that this guy is mentally ill. This is wishful thinking so people can deny the existence of evil in the world. I think the shooter was someone with twisted values but knew what he was doing. I’m sure he spent the bulk of his formative years in government schools.

If Darwin was right—as he was surely taught— then why were his actions wrong? Surely he proved his fitness as superior to those that died? If we are the product of random chance and probability then on what basis were his actions wrong? Based on what he was taught in government schools his actions are arguably rational, reasonable and justified in his mind. If “man is the measure of all things” then if he did what was right in his own eyes then how can we judge him?

It is at this point that Liberals and Libertarians scream that we can do whatever we want as long as we don’t hurt others. But if Darwin was right then what basis do you have to limit behavior by saying that hurting others is wrong? At this point folks will appeal to Hobbs and “the state of nature” or Rousseau and the “Social Contract” but both of these are artificial constructs that never existed in the real world. They are devices to explain things without appeal to God as creator and governor of the universe; besides Darwin and Marx swept aside the old order and introduced one that has lead to the “post Christian West”.

Without belief in God no amount of verbal gymnastics will provide an adequate basis to prove that murder is wrong. God is real—no matter how much non-sense that Christopher Hitchens could churn out to the contrary—nothing can change this Truth. Murder is wrong because it is first and foremost an assault on God by destroying beings created in His image.

Lest the Christians rejoice too much with my essay I do have a question about this topic for ya’ll. I have heard much about forgiving this guy for what he did but why? Has he repented? Did he say he was sorry? Has he asked for forgiveness? Has he gotten right with God? The answer to all these questions is NO. Listen to the following and let me know what you think of the forgiveness issue.
http://visitredeemer.org/sermons/?sermon_id=38

Meanwhile pray for the injured and families of the victims.

ID Theft Using Batches of Credit Cards

You may be a victim of identity theft and not know it for years.

Most stories of identity theft are about individuals that try to get rich quick by impersonating you, stealing what they can and then go on to their next victim. I know people to whom this has happen. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars and endless months of heartache to repair the situation. We have all heard commercials about how long it takes to restore your identity if someone hits you with a full-blown attack and companies offering one million dollar protection policies to protect you from such violations but there is another form of theft that is more subtle. If you are not paying attention, it could go on for years.

There are crime syndicates that deal in large volumes of information that do things on a more subtle basis. Here is how it works. Suppose I stole fifty thousand bank account or credit card numbers. If I want a steady steam of money over a long period of time then what I do is charge each card for $3.95. I just stole $197,500 and chances are that you won’t notice. So four months from now I do it again. This time I use different company name and a slightly different amount.

Until you complain to your bank and they take the time to fix it I can do it over and over again. Meanwhile, I can get more names and numbers and add then to my list to replace the folks that do catch on to my scam. Since it’s such a small amount of money why should they hurry to correct the problem?

This happened to me and I complained to my bank. They listened attentively and then did nothing. Four months later it happened again and this time I was told that they could not fix it via phone or email (which is how I tried to resolve the problem last time). I was told that only by going in person to the branch could they help.

When I got to the branch, I had to go through the whole thing with the teller who I knew couldn’t help me but I still told my sad tale. She went to get the branch manager. After a time of conferencing and huddling around a computer terminal the branch manager came to speak with me. She told me that the charge was made via my ATM/VISA card; the one ending in XX. (Actual numbers omitted) I said but my card ends with SZ. Then she looked on the sheet of paper in her hand and said yes but there is this other number on your account that is active. As it turns out, the bank had three different card numbers associated with my account. They had my current card, my previous card which was shutoff and a third old number from years ago that had never been shutoff. This third number was the one the thieves were using. I was told that they would refund the money to my account. I’m sure the thieves will be keeping their money and the bank will have to write-off the portion that they refunded to me.

You might want to keep a closer eye on your account so this doesn’t happen to you.

Oh, the fraudulent charges, they were from Byersbooks, a company from New Jersey, that stole $2.95 and Avant Garde LLC, a company from Colorado, that stole $4.99.

Baby Executed

As reported over the weekend, a 21-year-old man and his son were shot and killed in an apparent home invasion robbery.
http://www.kcra.com/news/14124355/detail.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297027,00.html

The father left his son in the car and walked up to the front door of a friend’s house and was jumped by two gunmen. All three men entered the house and a fight broke-out. The father was killed from multiple gunshots. The baby was in the car and strapped into his baby seat. As the gunmen left the house, they went over to the car and purposely shot the 8-month old infant in the head.

The motive is unknown.

The father was a boxer and had been training for a return to the ring. He had not fought for several years but had aspirations. Police have supposedly ruled-out gangs and drugs. This crime seems like something from a Mickey Spillane novel. Killing a man during a robbery is one thing, but executing his son raises the crime to the level of a mob hit.

I am particularly angry about this crime. Killing a baby in this purposeful manner is a crime that most folks would agree is worthy of a quick trip to the gallows. Part of my emotional response to this is the fact that it happened very close to where my wife works. In addition, I have a son that is two years old.

I hope the police will find the people responsible for this crime and rid our society of such evil men.

Virginia Tech Questions

There are many questions that remain unanswered about the shooting yesterday at Virginia Tech. Trying to find a rational motive is not among them.

What proof is there that both campus shootings are related?
Why did we know who most of the 9/11 hijackers were before the towers fell and it took over 24 hours before any information was released about the shooter?
Why did nobody fight this guy or try to stop him? (Todd Beamer and the American Spirit must not be lived or taught at this school.)
Isn’t it remarkable that even when reloading no one tried to stop him?
Where were the police?
Why doesn’t anyone bring up Beslan when talking about the number of dead and wounded? (F.Y.I. Beslan had over ten times as many dead)
Why is the only answer offered by Liberals to disarm the innocent and make it even harder to fight back?