Friday, July 20, 2012
Bazz Childress, In Memoriam
There were many more also.========
SCV National Convention Embassy Suites Nashville SE - Murfreesboro, TN
Ride with Forrest to Murfreesboro
========
Another Gun Free Kill Zone claims lives
Gun Owners of America Offering Real Solutions to Last Night's Shootings
-- As another Gun Free Kill Zone claims lives
Last night's shooting in Aurora, Colorado was extremely tragic, as more than a dozen people were killed in another Gun Free Kill Zone.
At the opening showing of “The Dark Knight Rises," James Holmes dressed up in costume and murdered several people while the movie was barely thirty minutes into the story. The gunman used a movie gunfight to cover his actions and further surprise the innocent patrons. Worse, the theater in Aurora reportedly has a "no guns" policy.
Despite gun control's obvious failure, the calls for more restrictions have already begun:
* Piers Morgan of CNN came out of the box, calling for more gun control in the wake of the shooting.
* New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the strategy of people arming themselves for self-defense just "doesn't work."
* And the Brady Campaign took the opportunity to tell the nation that, "This is yet another horrific reminder that guns enable mass killings."
Tragically, many were killed last night. But it is also tragic that there was not another gun-toting Samuel Williams at the theater -- the senior who rescued several Floridians against two armed thugs at an Internet cafe last week. (You can read the story and watch the exciting video here.)
And of course, while the national media is sure to focus on this Aurora, Colorado shooting for days to come, there is another shooting in that same city that you probably heard nothing about -- when a worshipper at an Aurora church stopped a shooting this past April.
In that shooting, the bad guy was only able to kill one person in the parking lot, as the armed hero took him out before any other damage could be done.
Funny how the national media tends NOT to pick up stories where the good guy stops the perp!
To keep this in perspective, whenever we hear about horrid shootings like the one last night in Aurora, Colorado, we should remember that guns save as many as 80 lives for every one that is tragically taken. See the Gun Owners of America Fact Sheet here.
Gun Owners of America is appearing on several media outlets today to answer questions about our gun rights and to offer concealed carry solutions as the cure to future acts of terrorism like this.
Also, you can call in to GOA Radio Live to discuss this event with our Talk Show host, Bill Frady, from 6:00-8:00 pm tonight. Call 703-776-9264 to be on the show. GOA's Larry Pratt will be interviewed by Frady next week.
At the opening showing of “The Dark Knight Rises," James Holmes dressed up in costume and murdered several people while the movie was barely thirty minutes into the story. The gunman used a movie gunfight to cover his actions and further surprise the innocent patrons. Worse, the theater in Aurora reportedly has a "no guns" policy.
Despite gun control's obvious failure, the calls for more restrictions have already begun:
* Piers Morgan of CNN came out of the box, calling for more gun control in the wake of the shooting.
* New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the strategy of people arming themselves for self-defense just "doesn't work."
* And the Brady Campaign took the opportunity to tell the nation that, "This is yet another horrific reminder that guns enable mass killings."
Tragically, many were killed last night. But it is also tragic that there was not another gun-toting Samuel Williams at the theater -- the senior who rescued several Floridians against two armed thugs at an Internet cafe last week. (You can read the story and watch the exciting video here.)
And of course, while the national media is sure to focus on this Aurora, Colorado shooting for days to come, there is another shooting in that same city that you probably heard nothing about -- when a worshipper at an Aurora church stopped a shooting this past April.
In that shooting, the bad guy was only able to kill one person in the parking lot, as the armed hero took him out before any other damage could be done.
Funny how the national media tends NOT to pick up stories where the good guy stops the perp!
To keep this in perspective, whenever we hear about horrid shootings like the one last night in Aurora, Colorado, we should remember that guns save as many as 80 lives for every one that is tragically taken. See the Gun Owners of America Fact Sheet here.
Gun Owners of America is appearing on several media outlets today to answer questions about our gun rights and to offer concealed carry solutions as the cure to future acts of terrorism like this.
Also, you can call in to GOA Radio Live to discuss this event with our Talk Show host, Bill Frady, from 6:00-8:00 pm tonight. Call 703-776-9264 to be on the show. GOA's Larry Pratt will be interviewed by Frady next week.
“Historical Perspectives Guide North Carolina’s War Between the States Commemoration”
The Sesquicentennial of the War Between the States (WBTS) and North Carolina’s role in that tragic conflict, began with observances across the State on May 20, 1861, the 150th anniversary of North Carolina’s withdrawal from political union with the Northern States.
To accurately and honestly present the State’s participation in that war, the North Carolina War Between the States Sesquicentennial Commission was founded last year by interested citizens, historians and academics from across the State, who developed the goals of maintaining a website of history and information, gathering public input, and telling the story from a “North Carolinian perspective.” The banner atop the opening page of the website dedicates the website to the “Unsurpassed Valor, Courage, and Devotion to Liberty” of the North Carolinians of that period.
Wilmington historian Bernhard Thuersam serves as chairman of the Commission and leads the effort to present the role of this State in an accurate light which leans primarily on solid primary and secondary source research, historical accuracy, and especially the words and recollections of North Carolinians who experienced the conflict in battle and at home. Thuersam said the selection process for the Commission “was guided by merit, ability, competency and experience, and most importantly earning the respect and confidence of the public. We wanted the best people on board.”
Thuersam notes that “we gained tremendous credibility as a source of historical accuracy when Thomas Smith, Jr., Commander of the North Carolina Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), generously agreed to serve as our Commission vice chair. We are very, very fortunate to have him with us.” Organized in 1896, the SCV is charged with maintaining the heritage and honor of the Confederate soldier, and ensuring that the history of the War be accurately and responsibly related to later generations of Americans.
Additionally, the academic board guiding the Commission is headed by Dr. Clyde N. Wilson, a native Tarheel and distinguished retired Professor of History at the University of South Carolina. An accomplished author of many books, articles and commentary on the WBTS, Dr. Wilson served as Editor of the John C. Calhoun Papers and is an unquestioned authority on the antebellum South, its politics, culture and traditions. Dr. Wilson penned the website introduction, and his writings on history, political interpretations and the war are sprinkled throughout the website. Dr. Wilson was a great inspiration to create the Commission, according to Thuersam, “his lifelong dedication to education and learning gave us the necessary impetus.”
Mr. Thuersam adds that “the Commission is a great group of dedicated people to work with on the Sesquicentennial project and all help make this a very rewarding experience – making history easily accessible for young people today and preserving this information for future generations. What better sense of satisfaction could be achieved?”
The Commission also sees the Sesquicentennial observance as a compelling learning experience in today’s unique political environment – a time of renewed interest in Constitutional issues, the original and historic role of federal and State governments in the American political process – and how political questions were viewed by North Carolinians of that time. “This gives us incredible insight into their thoughts and understanding of the world they lived in,” said Thuersam.
Some of the most salient questions the website poses include why North Carolinians debated a departure from the Union, what reasons and rationale motivated them in this idea, how did they see this in relation to the United States Constitution, and how should we view their actions today? The pages of the Commission’s website run the gamut from the actual name of the conflict to early North Carolina political history and the lead up to actual war; Northern opposition to war; regiments being raised in defense of the State; selected battles and North Carolinian heroism; treason against the State, and memorials to those who fought and died, to name a few topics. One of the most compelling pages “Patriots of ’61,” is an illustrated compendium of North Carolinians, mostly farmers, who enlisted in defense of their country, and many of whom did not return.
The “At War: Battlegrounds and the Homefront” page not only presents the personal sacrifices and bravery in battle, but also the often destitute conditions at home, where wives and children had to maintain life with the men off to war.
“The website is not an all-inclusive register of battles and numbers of men engaged in various battles, but a comprehensive collection of short stories that present the conflict in understandable and very personal terms,” said Thuersam.
The Sesquicentennial Commission’s website is primarily a collection of pertinent quotes and excerpts from many primary sources that include diaries and letters, as well as books and periodicals written after the close of war which offer accurate period descriptions of the time and experiences. This is the approach, Thuersam says, which best informs the reader of history. “Through this method we can best understand what motivated the people of that time, why they acted in the manner that they did, and ultimately comprehend the effect that time has had upon our own time. This helps us “connect the dots,” so to speak, to our own time.”
Thuersam said that the Commission obviously could not do its work without the mountain of research already accomplished by historians of the past, and present. “Anyone can learn more about the period and the people by simply culling our published bibliography and recommended reading lists.” He suggests “a great read about the life of James Johnston Pettigrew is Clyde Wilson’s “Carolina Cavalier,” a distinguished man before the war from the Lake Phelps area and probably destined for greatness had the war not come along.” Pettigrew was killed after Gettysburg.
The authors of works cited on the Commission’s website span the 20th century and before, with authors like Daniel H. Hill and his son D.H., Jr., Walter Clark, Joseph de Roulhac Hamilton, RDW Conner, Archibald Henderson, Hugh Talmage Lefler, William Powell, Daniel Barefoot, Archie K. Davis, Mark A. Smith, Chris Fonvielle, Dawson Carr, Rod Gragg, Craig Chapman, Brenda McKean, Michael C. Hardy, and Neil Raiford, to name just a few. Thuersam holds that “all North Carolinians owe a debt of gratitude to them for their great work in remembering North Carolina’s past, and our project would not be possible without their labors.”
Though dependent upon private-funding in these hard economic times, the Commission has sponsored many events across the State and sought public input on the observances. “I am always impressed,” Thuersam adds, “by the public turnout at our events and the many people who remember their own ancestors, the North Carolina regiments they served in, and the battles they fought in.” He noted a time recently when a lady introduced herself at an event as the descendant of Col. William Lamb of Fort Fisher fame, “and thanked us for our work in remembering her ancestor and the brave men who fought with him.” She left a donation.
Asked of another sesquicentennial website online, Thuersam responded: “First of all, I think the more Sesquicentennial websites that present accurate North Carolina history to the public, so much the better! There is one online that does a good job of presenting the historical timeline and chronological order of battles and such, certainly a valuable resource in that vein.”
Thuersam is concerned though about history being driven more by political considerations than being dedicated to the North Carolina people who sacrificed, fought, bled and died in that war. “If the historian is more concerned about imposing current social and political attitudes on the past, then historical accuracy is sacrificed to satisfy political expediency, pressure groups, and issues that have no bearing on the period we are relating. One must avoid “presentism,” and judging the past by today’s beliefs.”
Asked about the claim of “new interpretations” coming from some social historians, Thuersam stated that “the experiences of North Carolinians then, interpretations of the time, if you will, are already in existence and easily found. These are the only interpretations that are valid, and the historian of today who claims to know the minds of our ancestors better than they, is being rather disingenuous.”
He added, “When historians today talk of “new perspectives” on the past, what they are really saying is that they wish to project modern political thought and prejudices into our view of the past, and distort the meaning of our traditions, culture, and understanding of past generations of North Carolinians.”
In reply to the assertion that the Commission’s website is a “Confederate-side” of the story, Thuersam said that “that is an interesting comment – but this is the North Carolina side of the story; the story of the men, women and children, young and old, black and white, who experienced the war and its destructive effects. How else do you relate our history to later generations than through the eyes and ears of those who lived through it? The North Carolinians of that time did indeed join the American Confederacy, and did nothing wrong in their own eyes; they were motivated by self-preservation, political independence and Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration. This is an American viewpoint, not “Confederate.”
Asked if anything would help make their effort more successful, Thuersam reflectively noted that “money is always an issue with private historical endeavors – we have been fortunate to have received some generous private donations for research and maintaining the website,” and he noted that much source material is provided by several large private libraries. “We could always use more funds and anyone can contact me with questions.”
The most rewarding aspect of this large project for a privately-funded historical group, Thuersam maintains, “is the positive effect we are having on the public, and especially young people, and this is proven by the many, many, positive comments received from all over the State, and beyond.” As the Sesquicentennial is upon us and we will not be here for the Bicentennial, “we are leaving a good foundation and legacy for the next observance.”
Historical Perspectives Guide NC WBTS Commemoration
NC: YOUR PRESSURE IS WORKING ON WRAL-TV
For those who missed last week’s events, WRAL-TV in Raleigh published an article on its website entitled “Rural areas lead in concealed weapons permit rates.” Unfortunately, within the article a section entitled “Find concealed carry permit-holders in your area” contained a database of permit-holders searchable by address, unnecessarily exposing gun owners. After multiple lengthy discussions with GRNC, their concessions were not enough.
In response we asked gun-owners to contact WRAL-TV advertiser Chris Leith Dodge and insist they discontinue support of anti-gun media. Sources tell us that representatives of Leith Dodge have contacted WRAL about their inappropriate disclosure of handgun permit holder information. Now it is time to take the second step, and apply new pressure from another source.
STEP TWO
Leith Dodge is a limited advertiser with ads appearing on WRAL’s webpage only. Now we go after the big fish: Broadcast advertisers. Fred Anderson Toyota currently runs three expensive WRAL-TV broadcast ads per evening newscast. This high-level support of an anti-gun media outlet must stop.
GLASS HOUSES?
In an apparent attempt to shame gun owners, some media outlets have a history of publishing the names of gun purchasers. But that was many years ago, before the advent of the Internet. Things are now far more reciprocal. Last week we learned about reporter Mark Binker. Now let’s meet his boss and Station Manager, Jim Rothschild who has assumed the role of WRAL-TV mouthpiece on this issue.
But first, an admonition: DO NOT THREATEN OR HARASS JIM ROTHSCHILD. If you contact him, express your disappointment with the article …
BE POLITE, DO NOT THREATEN, and CALL OR EMAIL ONLY ONCE!
Jim was recently promoted from WRAL-TV Director of Operations to Station Manager just this January. He’s been with WRAL since 2010 after leaving a 29 year stint at St. Louis’s KMOV. It appears that his wife Pamela (now Qualy) did not join him in this move and still resides in Missouri as a 6th grade teacher.
Jim received a BA in Communications from University of Colorado, Boulder in 1974, and an MBA in 1996 from Fontbonne University – a Catholic institution in St. Louis. He currently lives at 2XXX Weston Green Loop in Cary, NC 27513. His townhome is currently assessed at $206,000.
Jim has a son, and two daughters. His son is a Duke graduate currently enrolled in the business program at Harvard. He is a Principal at a business consulting firm located in Boston, MA. Jim’s eldest daughter graduated from SMU in 2009 with a BA in psychology and creative advertising. She now works in Denver, CO as a Property Manager. Jim’s youngest daughter also just graduated from SMU and also lives in Denver.
The picture above was taken at this spring’s SMU graduation. From left to right are Jim’s son, eldest daughter, ex-wife and youngest daughter (the graduate).
In deference to the fact that WRAL-TV didn’t QUITE reveal the most personal information of concealed handgun permit-holders, we have withheld Jim’s exact address and additional information about his family even though they are available on the Internet as what Jim calls “public information.”
| Immediate Action Required |
We need you to do two things:
- CONTACT WRAL STATION MANAGER JIM ROTHSCHILD and let him know that you will shun both the station and its advertisers until such time that the concealed handgun permit-holder search engine is removed and an apology is made to NC permit-holders;
- CONTACT WRAL ADVERTISER FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA and let them know they are advertising with a media outlet bent on attacking gun rights, and that they should withdraw their advertising immediately.
CONTACT INFO
WRAL-TV General Manager JIM ROTHSCHILD: Email jrothschild@wral.com AND call him personally in his office at: 919-821-8520
WRAL advertiser FRED ANDERSON: Email sales@fredandersontoyota.com AND call him personally in his office at: 919-561-5441
| Deliver This Message |
Again: DO NOT BE RUDE OR THREATENING
-----------------------------------------------------------
To Fred Anderson Toyota:
Dear Mr. Anderson:
Unfortunately, your advertising dollars are being used to attack my rights. I’m sorry you have been caught up in this, but one of your major advertising venues, WRAL-TV, has attacked the rights of lawful North Carolina gun owners, subjecting them to criminal predation by releasing nearly complete addresses of concealed handgun permit-holders.
As you are probably aware, NC concealed handgun permit-holders are overwhelmingly law-abiding, politically conservative and fiscally responsible, making us your best customers.
Although I’m sure you have no intent to attack the right to keep and bear arms, your advertising dollars are being used to do precisely that. As such, I am asking you to contact WRAL and tell them to stop attacking law-abiding citizens and apologize for the attacks they have so far made.
If they fail to respond to your entreaties, I further ask that you withdraw all advertising expenditures from the station and let me know so that I can tout your Toyota dealership to lawful gun owners statewide as one who supports the rights of lawful Americans.
I look forward to patronizing your dealerships as supporters of the United States Constitution.
Respectfully,
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To Jim Rothschild:
Mr. Rothschild:
I find it difficult to fathom that you would be so journalistically irresponsible as to publish even partial addresses of concealed handgun permit-holders. Ignoring the fact that this group is overwhelmingly responsible, with a rate of criminal prosecutions just a fraction of the general population; ignoring the fact that permit-holders are threats to no one, making their location irrelevant to your readership, it amazes me that your legal department would allow you to print what may be tantamount to an invitation to burglarize unoccupied homes.
Your claims that the information is already public ring hollow: In truth, getting it requires a written inquiry from the State Bureau of Investigation. In truth, you are compromising the personal information of law-abiding North Carolinians not for public benefit, but instead as part of your effort to undermine the right to keep and bear arms.
Remove the information from your site immediately and make apologies to the concealed handgun permit-holders you have threatened. Until you do so, I will not only stop patronizing your station and website, I will actively work to deny you advertising revenue.
Respectfully,
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Big crime, little time
Steven Hirsch
NYS Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman
Not even the sickening sight of a child molester professing his love for one of his tormented victims was enough to undo a sweetheart plea deal.
So, despite the pleas of the victim and prosecutors, acting Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Martin Murphy stuck to the two-year sentence he’d offered a serial pedophile.
Andrew Goodman pleaded guilty last month to 48 felonies — “even more than Jerry Sandusky,” as his victim pointed out.
And prosecutors were prepared to seek a seven-year sentence on each count.
But Murphy last month dangled the bare minimum in front of Goodman — who quickly snatched what even his own lawyer called “an amazing deal.”
With time already served, Goodman could be back on the street by September.
In court yesterday, the 27-year-old predator declared an undying love for his victim, who — along with his brother — was molested for “a torturous four years.”
“Every second of every day, all that I think about is [the victim],” Goodman declared. Then he turned to the youth, now 17, and said: “I love you.”
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