Arizona Sheriffs Demand Special Prosecutor for Op. Fast & Furious
Ten of Arizona’s County Sheriffs joined together to demand accountability for those involved in Operation Fast and Furious, a Federally sponsored gun running program which supplied weapons to Mexican drug cartels from at least ten U.S. cities. The Justice Department and Eric Holder have been obstructing a House Oversight Committee investigation into the operation that went as planned.
Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever called Operation Fast and Furious a dishonor to law enforcement and a betrayal of law enforcement officers everywhere. These weapons have been used in crimes on both sides of the border. One of the weapons passed to the cartels by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was used during the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry in December 2010. Agent Terry’s brother Kent Terry said,”My family and I are very thankful for the Sheriffs of Arizona and the fact they are helping us demand justice for my brother’s murder.”
Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu held the press conference at the base of the Peace Officers Memorial, where Agent Terry’s name has been etched.
Sheriff Babeu was joined by nine other Sheriffs, four other Republicans and five Democrats. They made the call for a special investigator into the operation, Eric Holder’s resignation or firing, and criminal charges for those accountable. Sheriff Babeu also noted the Sheriffs found out about the operation through press accounts. (months after the Sipsey Street Irregulars blog broke the story.) He also suggested that the investigation needs to investigate other departments involved in the operation, such as the FBI, DEA, Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department.
Sheriff Larry Dever expressed his embarrassment that he had to apologize for the criminal actions of other elected officials.
One reporter noted a prior operation called Operation Wide Receiver, and mindlessly alluded to this being a partisan jab. If the lazy, partisan reporter had bothered to spend a minute on Google, she would have found out that the firearms in Operation Wide Receiver actually had tracking devices and were under surveillance. Operation Wide Receiver didn’t go as planned, the guns were lost and the program cancelled as a failure. The lazy reporter could then understand that a plan to illegally sell firearms to felons to deliver to Mexican drug cartels, without tracking or surveillance, could not be the next step in an investigation.
Navajo County Sheriff KC Clark said, “I’m outraged that our own Federal Government has betrayed local law enforcement by arming violent foreign criminals and it now appears that Attorney General Eric Holder may have lied under oath.”
Yavapai County Sheriff Scott Mascher said, “The Attorney General can’t be trusted to fairly self-investigate these possible criminal charges of gun running which has resulted in murders of both individuals from the U.S. and Mexico. A Special Counsel must be appointed.”
Previously, pro-second Amendment blogger Bob Owens was a lone voice calling for a Special Prosecutor. As more and more evidence of perjury and White House participation are released, the chorus grows stronger. Even congressman Paul Gosar has suggested that participants in this illegal operation are “vigilantes from DOJ going unchecked” and accessories to murder.
It is time for the President’s staff to stop playing politics with Operation Fast and Furious. This scandal is worse than Watergate, as people have been murdered in this scandal. The President must appoint a special investigator to bring those responsible to justice, or have the history of his administration forever tarnished by this corrupt, murderous operation.
It’s Tuesday, which means it is time for another episode of Top Shot on the History Channel. We’re making your Top Shot Tuesday even better by running a Twitter contest during tonight’s episode (10/9c). We’re going to be giving away some History Channel merch, so you don’t want to miss it.
We’ll be tweeting out a question about the show during tonight’s episode, so follow us at Twitter.com/GreatSatanInc and tweet us back with your answer (make sure to use @GreatSatanInc and the hashtag #topshot in your tweet). If you win, we will send you a brand-spankin’ new History channel t-shirt.
Good luck and may the red mist stay clear of your favorite contestant tonight!
Note: Merchandise provided by the fine folks at the History Channel. Thanks!
The Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) held their annual luncheon on Saturday in Tucson. If you are unfamiliar with AzCDL‘s mission:
The purpose of the Arizona Citizens Defense League is to protect individual freedom and laws that attend to it through lobbying, petitioning, fund raising and all lawful means to enforce Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution of the State of Arizona.
You want to know what Article 2, Section 2 of the Arizona Constitution is about? Well, I’m glad you asked. Article 2, Section 2 states:
Article 2 – Political power; purpose of government
All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.
Mz. VRWC and I headed down to the Old Pueblo for the annual celebration of individual rights and some great BBQ. About 400 of AzCDL’s 5,000 members attended the luncheon, and almost everyone open-carried, with a few concealing.
For an event like this, it is customary for the attendees to get dressed up a bit. For many, it meant opening the gun safe and grabbing a pretty gun appropriate for this special event (much like having a strand of pearls or a tuxedo for special occasions).
We had a tasty lunch of barbequed chicken, pork ribs, and beef tri-tip, slaw salad, cobblers and more, catered by Sapphire Catering. As we finished our meal, AzCDL Communications Director and JPFO Executive Director, Charles Heller spoke to the crowd for a bit before turning the microphone over to Arizona State Representative Brenda Barton (AzCDL rated A+) to introduce the rest of the speakers. The speakers included Gabriela Saucedo Mercer, candidate for the Arizona District 7 House seat (running against Raul “boycott my state” Grijalva) and Arizona State Senator Frank Antenori (who is considering a run to replace Rep. Gabriel Giffords). Also in attendance, AZ State Representative John Kavanagh, accepting a lifetime achievement award on behalf of AZ State Senator Russell Pearce, AZ State Senator Paula Aboud, as well as chief’s of staff for various other legislators. It’s always good to see that elected citizens aren’t afraid to be around those they represent.
There were even raffles for various firearms. Despite the Smallest Minority handing us two raffle tickets before retiring for an early siesta, we did not win the Ruger LC9 he should have won. However we did steal win a faux zebra skin rifle case (perfect for Mz. VRWC’s tactical shotgun) and a family membership to Shooters World, an air conditioned indoor range in Phoenix, at the silent auction.
Long story short, the annual luncheon was a pleasure and again, members were given the microphone to suggest new laws they wanted to fight for, as well as laws they wanted repealed. I have no doubt that AzCDL will continue the fight to maintain and regain our liberties.
Bottom line, don’t pay any attention to the lazy hippies and communists putting on their Occupy Wall Street demonstration (sidewalk camping). They won’t accomplish anything sitting around whining for “change” and whining for handouts. Joining, supporting, and participating in a group that represents and lobbies for your interests will get you the government you want and deserve.
If your state doesn’t have an organization like AzCDL, consider starting your own group. Citizens have a right to the same access and persuasion as any other special interest. The power is yours, if you want it.
I’ve only been shooting for a couple of years, but I’ve already amassed a decent-sized collection of cheap shooting glasses that don’t work well, and are now collecting dust. I recently upgraded to a pair of $30 outdoor store sunglasses because I just can’t bring myself to drop a few hundred dollars on “professional” glasses, and the options for anything in between big box store $5 cheapies and full paycheck glasses are very few and far between.
Enter the 5.11 Tactical Deflect Shooting glasses. At $99.99 plus shipping, you get the glasses with interchangeable smoke, clear and ballistic orange lenses, a cleaning bag, eyeglass holder and molded carrying case with a strappy thing with a snap that I would guess is for use with other tactical gear (sorry, I’m new at being tacticool).
I’ve had a chance to wear the glasses several times while shooting in both daylight and at night with range lighting, and here’s my breakdown:
Fit and Comfort: I was a little worried that the 5.11 shooting glasses would be too big, as I have an average, girl-sized head. Not only do they fit me well, but on a recent trip to the range, C. Pig borrowed them to wear while driving, and they fit his larger-than-average noggin as well (he needs a bigger head to fit all the extra brains he has up in there). I’m normally not a big fan of wide arms on glasses, as they can interfere with ear protection, but I’ve had no problems with them getting in the way or causing my ear muffs to gap. These glasses have been so comfortable that I’ve been in no hurry to change over to my sunglasses on the drive home after wearing them for 3-4 hours on the range.
Optical Quality and Safety: What was I thinking using el cheapo glasses all this time? These babies are clear (both smoke and clear lenses), with no sign of distortion. The first time I wore them was during a practice that started just before sundown, and it was way past dusk before I felt the need to change over to clear lenses. There have been no signs of fogging, which is awesome, and one of the reasons most of the glasses I’ve purchased have ended up in the closet.
I’ve taken more than a couple shells to the face while wearing these glasses (extractor issues seem to follow me everywhere), and there are no signs of scratches or dings. I’ve been really good about putting them back in their case after each use, but they have taken a couple of tumbles on the ground. Again, no sign of scratching or dings. I have always been clumsy with hard on my sunglasses, so while I know I’m living on borrowed time with the scratching, I’m pleased to see that replacement lenses can be purchased separately. That may seem like a no-brainer, but I’ve got another pair of glasses that I’ve pretty much destroyed the smoke lenses on, and I would have to by the whole set again to get the replacement lenses.
Replacing the Lenses: This is the only thing about the glasses that I don’t like. The glasses come with instructions for changing the lenses, but I couldn’t get the lenses to budge. After about 15 minutes of struggling with them, I finally turned them upside down and flexed them from the middle outward, and got the lenses to release. Popping the new lenses in was a bit of a pain, but I got that figured out in about five minutes. I have noticed that the lenses are coming out and going back in much easier, now that I’ve done it a few times. Last week, I forgot to change the lenses out before heading to the range for an evening of steel shooting, and I was able to replace the lenses at the range in only a couple of minutes.
Overall, I am very pleased with these shooting glasses, and I guarantee they won’t be gathering dust with my other pairs of shooting glasses anytime soon. The 5.11 Tactical Deflects are a great value, and I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to purchase a solid pair of shooting glasses. For full specs on the glasses, visit the 5.11 Tactical website.
Yes, these glasses were supplied to me at no charge by folks at 5.11 Tactical in exchange for my unbiased review. I was not compensated for the above review and No, you can’t have them.
Does anyone in Pennsylvania want to win a nice gun? If so, get yourself to the Bucks County Friends of NRA Dinner this Thursday evening, September 15th at 5:30 PM. You can win a gun in a raffle, like we have, or win a unique collector firearm at the auction, while enjoying a tasty dinner with people that you’d like to hang out with. Doors open for raffles, games & silent auction at 5:30pm. Dinner will be served at 7:15 PM, at Spring Mill Manor in Ivyland, PA.
While online ticket sales have ended, you can still email Christie Caywood through bucksnratickets@pagunrights.com to get tickets to the best investment in the shooting sports you could ever make. The tickets are only $40 per person and half of all net proceeds go to fund projects within the state on youth firearm safety and education programs, hunter education, range development and improvement, women’s training seminars, and wildlife conservation efforts. The other half is used to fund similar projects with a national scope.
Enjoy a great meal, meet people who share your interests, and maybe even walk away with a new gun, what more could you want?
You want more? Well then, I’m glad you asked! You could also win a pro-gun toaster. No really, you can win an NRA toaster that makes divine, pro second amendment BLTs. Everyone loves this unique and rare item!
If you are on the East Coast, what are you waiting for? Get yourself to this Friends on NRA dinner and support the future of the shooting sports by emailing Ms. Caywood, right now!
It’s been about a year and a half since I dove head first into the world of competitive shooting, and while I’m making some progress with my speed and accuracy, there’s something holding me back, and I can’t seem to shake it. I’m no stranger to the stress, anxiety and pressure present when participating in sports (especially since my nature is to be ridiculously competitive), but there is an element of practical pistol shooting that I have never experienced before, and it’s making me look like more like Jerry Lewis than Jerry Miculek when I’m shooting a match.
Some call it the Red Mist. My better half has referred to it as bezerker. It is an indiscriminatory and unrelenting force that is laser-focused on sabotaging your performance. Ridiculously clever and devious, it will allow you to build up your confidence just until you step up to the line and into the shooting box. And then the timer goes *beep*, the red mist appears, and all careful planning and strategy disappears as if it never even existed.
If you’ve been watching Top Shot on the History Channel, you may have noticed that the Red Mist makes a cameo appearance in almost every episode. During episode two of season 3, it appeared during the elimination challenge and prematurely knocked my favorite contestant and WOMA home girl, Sara Ahrens, out of the competition.
During Sara’s commentary at the end of the show, she recognized the role the red mist played in her loss when she said, “I’ve had practice in friend and foe targets, it’s just a matter of I’ve never done that next to another person. I’m kind of being overcome by the intensity of the situation.”
Yep, that’s the unmistakable mark of the red mist. It doesn’t just effect your performance on the range, it also leaves a trail of amnesia and dumbfoundedness in its wake, making it that much more difficult to overcome.
So, is it possible to defeat the Red Mist, and if so, what’s the secret? Watching shooting greats like the Leatham’s and the Miculek’s make it pretty darn obvious that it can be overcome, but how does a mere mortal like me fend off this unwelcome creature that has the power to take over my brain at will?
I recently had the opportunity to ask World Championship competitive shooter, and all-around awesome woman, Eva Micklethwaite how she deals with the pressure and anxiety that builds up when she’s competing in a big match. Eva was kind enough to explain to me what she did to conquer the Red Mist when she found herself a bit “freaked out” by one of the stages at the recent USPSA Area 3 match:
It’s the preparation I do BEFORE I even step on the range that helps me with that. At this particular stage, though, I told myself to take your time and get through it. Don’t rush it, stay focused, and be patient with myself and the trigger. Basically a mental talk off the ledge. Once the buzzer goes off, instinct kicks in as well.
Experience helps a lot, you’ll get there. Mental strength is also a BIG part of this game. And if all else fails….breathe!
Looks like I’ve got some dues to pay to the Red Mist. If you’re looking for me, check the local ranges. I’ll be the one trying to reload my left thumb into the magazine well.
As Hurricane Irene approaches landfall, the national news media is freaking out. The message from their “EXTREME WEATHER CENTER” graphics art departments is clear – FREAK OUT! PANIC! ZOMG it’s going to rain! Lots of rain and wind! Argghhhhh!
Don’t get me wrong hurricanes can be really bad, but the news coverage is hysterical. I hope all of my friends, and even my enemies, on the East Coast make it through the storm safe and sound.
While you wait for the storm to blow through, pass the time with a little Le Chic.
Ten of Arizona’s County Sheriffs joined together to demand accountability for those involved in Operation Fast and Furious, a Federally sponsored gun running program which supplied weapons to Mexican drug cartels from at least ten U.S. cities. The Justice Department and Eric Holder have been obstructing a House Oversight Committee investigation into the operation that went as planned.
Sheriff Babeu was joined by nine other Sheriffs, four other Republicans and five Democrats. They made the call for a special investigator into the operation, Eric Holder’s resignation or firing, and criminal charges for those accountable. Sheriff Babeu also noted the Sheriffs found out about the operation through press accounts. (months after the Sipsey Street Irregulars blog broke the story.) He also suggested that the investigation needs to investigate other departments involved in the operation, such as the FBI, DEA, Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department.
Sheriff Larry Dever expressed his embarrassment that he had to apologize for the criminal actions of other elected officials.
It is time for the President’s staff to stop playing politics with Operation Fast and Furious. This scandal is worse than Watergate, as people have been murdered in this scandal. The President must appoint a special investigator to bring those responsible to justice, or have the history of his administration forever tarnished by this corrupt, murderous operation.
