We’re the “Only Ones” Who Can Be Trusted
Two gun bills recently came through the Virginia legislature. One, SB 476, would have allowed CCW permit holders to carry their guns into a restaurant that serves alcohol, provided they didn’t drink. Permit holders would be required to notify their server that they were carrying, so the server wouldn’t bring them any alcohol. The media went crazy, naturally. Democrat Mark Herring said, “Drinking alcohol and carrying firearms is not a good mix. It’s a public safety issue. There was no compelling case for loosening the restriction on carrying a concealed weapon into bars.” Never mind that the bill specifically prohibited “drinking alcohol and carrying firearms.” Gov. Tim Kaine vetoed the bill, because mixing guns and alcohol? It’s just not a good idea.
Unless, of course, you’re an “Only One.” Because SB 776 “[a]uthorizes an attorney for the Commonwealth or an assistant attorney for the Commonwealth to carry a concealed handgun without obtaining a permit wherever such attorney may travel in the Commonwealth,” like bars, restaurants that serve alcohol, and so forth. By the way, as “Only Ones” like this, you get a pass on training, too, since you’re apparently so good that you don’t need any training. That must be the case, since Gov. Kaine signed this one. Maybe it’s that whole bar exam thingie.
Because Everyone Deserves a Name…
…and “John Doe” doesn’t count. Neither does “Tent Girl,” or “Buckskin Girl,” or “Johnny ‘Dupage’ Doe.” Those aren’t real names. Those are the names given to people by the press, because no one knows who there are. Those names belong to dead people, bodies found by the side of the road, or wrapped in a bag in a vacant lot, or mummified in an abandoned railroad tunnel.
Law enforcement officials have some 40,000 unidentified bodies in their records, and over 100,000 people go missing each year. The Doe Network works to “give the nameless back their names and return the missing to their families.” I can’t think of many better uses of energy. What an amazing calling.
Tri-State 2?
The owner of Seepe Funeral Home & Crematory, in Jackson, MS, is under investigation for desecration of a corpse. At least two former employees have come forward with evidence that Mark Seepe had given cremains to one family before their family member was cremated, as well as photos of bones from multiple cremations mixed together.
Funeral Industry News - 21 March 2008
- Cheryl Runner Kittle has pleaded guilty to embezzling over $35,000 from pre-need contracts held by an Elkins, WV funeral home. She’s agreed to restitution, but further sentencing awaits.
- The Suburban Journals in Town and Country, MO has a nice piece talking about the effects of weather on funerals. Here in Central Ohio, we won’t run in a Level 3 Snow Emergency, and usually discourage running in Level 2. During the snowstorm 2 weeks ago, something like 15 funerals were canceled due to the weather.
- A 32-year-old soldier based in Colorado has been charged with charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and driving left of center out of a crash involving a funeral procession in Ash, NC. David Deming had just graduated from sniper school at Fort Bragg and was driving home to Colorado when, as he was passing a funeral procession, he looked down to pick up a soft drink and swerved left of center. His truck struck two limousines and another vehicle, killing 9-year-old Cheyenne Thomas and injuring 13 others.
- Mourners in Gastonia, NC were shocked to see two cars staged for a funeral procession erupt in flames, just before the procession departed. One car belonged to the officiating pastor, but police think the fires were covering up evidence of theft from both cars. A man was seen running from the scene and getting into a car driven by a woman, but police have no further information.
- A Gwinnett County, GA funeral home is pursuing civil charges against someone who opened a functioning crematory retort, recorded over 30 seconds of video of the burning body, and posted the video to YouTube. Police say there’s no statute against posting the video, but I suspect the people recording the video were trespassing in the funeral home when they entered the crematory room. Such areas are typically marked as restricted areas, or at least located out of the main public areas, making it unlikely someone just “happened” to walk in to the room. For that matter, many newer retorts use automated doors of some sort, making it difficult to just throw the door open.
See you next week.
We’re The “Only Ones” Not Asking Much
“I won’t ask for much. Just sex, once or twice. You’ll get to like me. I’m a nice guy.” So allegedly said “Only One” Isaac R. Baichu, who reviews over 2,600 green card applications each year, as an adjudicator in the Garden City, N.Y., office of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
He was talking to a 22-year-old Colombian woman who, he suggested, might have some trouble on her application due to a couple of old legal issues. But, for the right price, this paragon of civil service could make those problems go away.
The victim would have reported the issue directly to CIS, except they quit publicizing the complaint email address and phone number last year. Lovely.
We’re The “Only Ones” Allowed to Intimidate People
Ryan Horsley owns a gun shop called Red’s Trading Post. He’s currently under trial regarding the revocation of his FFL. As you can imagine, this has been discussed at a lot of gun blogs, including War On Guns.
The trial concluded the other day, and a Deputy US Marshal pulled Ryan aside and asked him to give a specific message to David Codrea, over at WoG.
“Inspector Meyer asked me to contact you in regards to posting any information with the intent to threaten, intimidate, or incite the commission of a crime of violence against that covered official… “
So Inspector Meyer has apparently resorted to threatening or intimidating others to try and prevent something that’s not even happening. Hmm. And why didn’t Inspector Meyer call David himself, or email him? It’s not like David tries to hide anything.
David had a very clear, measured response: How dare you!
How dare you, indeed.
We’re The “Only Ones” Fast Enough
Good to see that the “Only Ones” in Montgomery County are keeping the double standard alive.
I don’t know about anyone else, but my boss tells me that I’m responsible for any citations issued when I’m on a company bike. But then again, I’m not an “Only One.”
Dumbfounded or Jealous?
Maybe a little of both. Or perhaps bemused is better.
Yes, the apocalypse is upon us. Pancakes in a can.
On the one hand, I’m disappointed that people can’t be bothered to add water to some pancake mix and stir. And the complaints about throwing away half the batter are baseless. Cook it all up, then freeze the leftover pancakes. That’s what we do. That way we’re only cooking pancakes about once a week or so, and you can have a pancake in 30 seconds or so.
But on the other hand, I’m almost jealous that I didn’t think of it first.
Almost.
How Can They Sleep at Night?
“In terms of my conscience, my conscience is that I did the right thing,” says attorney Dale Coventry. Jamie Kunz said, “How often did I think about it? Probably 250 times a year. I mean I thought about it regularly.”
They’re talking about how they kept attorney-client confidentiality. In 1982, they were public defenders, and their client, Andrew Wilson, admitted to them he had shot-gunned a security guard to death in a robbery. And they were very clear on things: they’re not allowed to betray that confidentiality for any reason.
Even if an innocent man was tried and convicted for that crime, and sentenced to life in prison. 26 years ago.
I think it’s safe to say we’ve now found a good example for the definition of egregious. You know, once upon a time, I thought I wanted to be an attorney. When I hear of attorneys taking actions like this, or rather not taking action in a situation like this, I am so glad I didn’t take up that career. I am astounded that a person could let a man they know to be innocent suffer through 26 years of imprisonment. Alton Logan faced the death penalty for a time. What do Coventry and Kunz say about that? “We thought that somehow we would stop at least the execution.” Oh, that’s good.
They say they were released from the confidentiality issue by Wilson’s death in November. What if Logan had died first?
How can you make up what they took from Alton Logan?
If there’s an attorney reading this, I’d really like to hear how you can justify keeping exculpatory evidence quiet. How can you justify letting a man sit in prison for 26 years, when you know he’s innocent?
More from The StandDown Project and The Chicago Tribune
Keeping the Skies Safe
…from a 14-year-old with a feeding tube. Because heaven only knows what could have been concealed in that sterile wrapper. Sounds like the screener needs to catch up on things.
Do people realize that when you treat citizens like this, the terrorists have already won?