Independents jumping from the Dem ship.

Supreme Court could potentially incorporate the 2nd Amendment to the states.

Sarah Palin gives Oprah huge ratings.

“Her words came from the heart, not a teleprompter.”

Yes, ObamaCare will lead to federally funded abortions.

MSNBC reporter bullies teenage girl on line for Palin signing.

Quote the Brady Campaign:

This latest tragedy, at a heavily fortified army base, ought to convince more Americans to reject the argument that the solution to gun violence is to arm more people with more guns in more places.

Problem number one – they imply that the soldiers on this “heavily fortified” base were armed to the teeth. In truth, the soldiers at Ft. Hood were not allowed to carry weapons. All of the victims were unarmed when Hasan began his shooting rampage.

Second problem – the people who subdued Hasan happened to be the first two armed people at the scene, officers Munley and Todd. Hasan was only stopped when weapons were used against him.

Pfc. Marquest Smith, who was at the scene, took cover under a desk and “[laid] low for several minutes, waiting for the shooter to run out of ammunition and wishing he, too, had a gun.”

Militaries of other nations permit their soldiers to carry guns on their person while stationed–an option so obvious, I shouldn’t have to explain why. Thanks to gun control and deprivation of the right to self defense at Fort Hood, soldiers of the United States Army–preparing to face the threat of enemy insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan–were helpless to face the simple threat of one man with a pistol.

It was said that “it would be a shame if our diversity became a casualty” of the Fort Hood tragedy. Let’s not allow self defense to be interred as well.

Meanwhile, in New Hampshire… (also via Reason)

Two people in dark clothes follow you for several blocks. It’s after midnight. You look back several times at them. They say nothing, but they continue to follow. What to do?

Dustin Almon, 28, faced this perdicament this week while walking back to his home. On the third time looking back at his pursuers, Almon produced a pocket knife and extended the two-inch blade, which he held at his side. There was roughly twenty feet between him and them.

It turns out these men were undercover police. When they shouted “Police!”, Almon immediately folded and holstered his knife and cooperated with the officers. The result? He is being charged with criminal threatening with a weapon.

“I feared for my safety,” said one of the officers, who was, once again, twenty feet away and both he and his fellow officers were carrying concealed pistols. Almon was sentenced to 30 days in prison, but he intends to appeal.

I think it is safe to say that Almon acted completely reasonably and rationally in the situation–he suspected the two men following him were muggers, and hoped to avoid conflict by scaring off potential attackers.

The law he is being charged under, against “threatening with a weapon,” was probably instituted in the hope of punishing gang members and the like and reducing armed attack on citizens. However, if holding a knife at a distance of twenty feet falls under this law, it certainly will backfire and only encourage attacks on citizens.

Being afraid of defending yourself from an attacker only emboldens attackers and increases the incidents of violence, not reduces.