Crime – The Laughing Wolf

Go Read

Then think, then pray. The assassination of Charlie Kirk was not just a horror and tragedy, it was stupid. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that we needed to talk about how, despite all that has been accomplished in a short time by Trump, one or more stupid people doing stupid things (here and abroad) could have catastrophic consequences. This is one of them.

As usual, L’Ombre de l’Olivier posts a very good one. Go read his post. I’m also going to link to it on my post from yesterday. The anger that has been building in the majority of our citizens just got hit with a blast of pure oxygen. It may or may not flip the switch, and I hope it doesn’t. But it won’t take much for stupidity for it to be thrown. Seriously, pray.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. If you want to know some of what it is going for, read here. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Charlotte

First up, please help stop the stupidity. There are those trying their best to start a race war. They are stupid. Don’t be stupid. I suspect a number of them are bots, and I’m wondering how many of those bots are run from China (and Pakistan)? Point, laugh, and short-circuit as much of that as you can please.

One of the more horrifying things to me was that, as someone who regularly uses public transport, I had a good idea that something was going to happen even before Iryna Zarutska sat down. Something about him was setting off alarms from the start, and there are reasons I am not on my phone a lot while riding public transport. Between bad suspension and the need to keep my head on a swivel (esp. on certain lines) it’s just not a good idea.

I also don’t blame her for not being more aware. In Eastern Europe, Ukraine, and Russia, the trains and such are still largely safe. There is security. It’s a different experience. It used to be that way in Western Europe, but with all the immigration that’s no longer true. Used to be in the Paris subway the worse you had to worry about were pick-pockets. Sigh.

Here, public transport is not clean, fun, or safe and that seems deliberate. Busses and even subways/light rail are often unofficially used to house and move the mentally ill/homeless, particularly in winter or other bad weather. You also run into people who feel very privileged because of their victim status, and are not shy about deserving to ride for free, special stops, etc. Some in that class have been told for years that whites are the enemy who has always abused them. Which means you run into some very nasty racism, such as the elderly black lady who tried to spit at me simply because I was white and on “her” bus. You do meet some nice people on occasion, but…

She was lied to on many fronts, and she paid for it with her life. The look of fear and shock on her face will stay with me for the rest of my life. Fact is, she was already dead at that point, she simply didn’t know it. Those blows probably took out one or both carotids and the jugular. Any chance she had was lost when it took some 90 seconds to come to her aid — none of those around her did a thing for her. Not allowed to say some of the words I want to say; but, I also remind myself there wasn’t a lot that could be done absent clotting/pressure bandages and a surgeon.

I’m also going to ask you not only to pray for her soul; but, to pray for the man who did come to her aid from elsewhere, and the lady who joined him. Dollars to donuts he (and maybe her) is playing the “what if” game right now: what if I had moved faster, what if I had done things differently, what if… It’s a thing, and it haunts more than one combat medic I’ve known and it eats at a lot of first responders. I hope they both are smart enough to get some help, or find some people who’ve been there and done that to help them through the aftermath.

For the thug and those who sat there and did nothing, not even ask or check to see if they could help her, I’m asking the Lord to illumine them. To open their eyes and minds. May justice be done.

Your safety is your responsibility. It can’t be delegated, it can’t be hired out, and it can’t be ignored. You have to be paying attention and you have to be prepared. Over the years, I’ve been able to de-escalate a few situations; and, to avoid even that by being aware and avoiding situations. It can be as simple as taking the next bus, or going with an alternate route or plan.

Thing is, be aware. Keep your head on a swivel, have a plan, have backup plans, and know what you can, should, or will do. If turning and walking away works, do it; but, if it drops in the pot aggressive and forceful action quite often causes the other party to break off and run. Stealing from Instapundit this morning, here’s a post on just that. Ambush close: turn in, engage, destroy. Sarah A. Hoyt has a good post on the lies we tell our children, lies that get them killed. Finally, from The Lawdog Files comes the truth in that everyone is a lesson.

There are a lot of good things happening in America, but we are not out of the woods yet. This is a reminder that local elections matter. Vote for your health and safety, and that of those you love. Hold your local government, prosecutors, judges, etc. accountable. It’s not just in Charlotte that they have blood on their hands.

Teach your children well. If you don’t teach them, and more importantly show them in everyday life by your actions, they don’t have a chance.

Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark. And, as you see the photos and videos, go give your kids an extra hug.

Cruel To Be Kind

Those who have been in any way, shape, or form on the sharp end will get some of what I’m going to say. A few others might as well. Those of ivory towers and sheltered lives (made safe by rough men) probably won’t. This may actually take several posts, as it reflects some things I’m working through right now.

In terms of the individual, the concept of turning the other cheek is the right and moral thing to do. When attacked a couple of times, literally or figuratively, I have simply asked the person — absent signs of continuing the attack — why they did it? That is a form of turning the other cheek. It has kept some things from escalating and saved a lot of mess.

That presumes, however, you are dealing with a rational (or at least semi-rational) person or creature. When that is the case, there is an opportunity for reason, and morality, to de-escalate (as they like to call it now) and reach a reasonable and just (important part) resolution.

It was an important factor in the spread of Christianity. The early Church was extremely pacifistic, something that didn’t change until the third century and even then there was some strong limits on things. Fact is, Orthodoxy and I believe certain other groups (Coptic?) never did adopt a “Just War” theory and dogma while the Roman Catholic Church (and some Protestant denominations) did adopt such. The traditional Christian view is that self-defense is allowed, but wars of aggression are not. And, yes, some Churches seem to honor that in the breach, but that’s a different story.

Of the Disciples, only one died of old age. The rest, along with many (most?) of the Apostolic fathers became martyrs. Their refusal to act in the ways the Romans and others tried to provoke, along with their unwavering faith (and some of the miracles that occurred in their deaths) helped turn the tide such that Constantine was moved by his dream after thousands had been converted. I will point out that the Fathers of the Church had to decree that people should not seek out martyrdom; but, only accept it if it came their way.

Because the Romans and (most) others were not irrational, people were moved and the new faith grew. Societies changed, and changed for the better over time. While many ‘elites’ are loathe to admit it, Christianity reshaped the world for the better, with slavery eliminated as a wide-spread practice (it is still there in a sadly growing amount) as England and other Western Nations (including eventually the U.S.) worked hard to eliminate it. Post for another day, but Islam is leading the spread of slavery in the world today.

The problem is that there are two major sets of irrational players in the world today. There are an increasing number of irrational individuals (again, likely another post), in the West. The other set of irrational players are major governments. As I’ve noted before, governments play by toddler rules and not necessarily by reason. The older I get, the less I suspect reason is used in government at all…

Irrational people come in a variety of types. At one end you have your typical street person, where mental illness and drug use (often related) create irrationality that may be very harmless, or very harmful. Sometimes in the same person. A quick solution to the problem of them would be to restore mental hospitals and mental health; but, there are a lot of rice bowls that would be kicked over by such so don’t expect local or state governments to move on that anytime soon.

On the other end, you have an extremely protected class who have led very sheltered and protected lives. Rather than reason, they have been conditioned to run off emotions, with facts, evidence, and Reason things to be shunned. It’s not limited to academia (sadly), but is rather widespread amongst the so-called ‘elite’ class.

And there is some overlap between that latter class and government. Which only makes the problem of governments not following reason worse.

Now, when one has a ‘negative encounter’ with a street person, your choices range from ‘I will not harm another made in the image of God no matter what’ to ‘I will protect the lives of others and myself however I have to.’ That choice is yours to make and you will either live with or die by the choice you make. Martyrdom still exists (see Syria, Africa, et al for examples) though most Christian denominations say it is a sin to seek it out.

If it is just you, it may even be an easy choice. The problem is, it seldom is just you. That complicates things, for you have a variety of responsibilities and duties to your family, and even to the greater good as represented in the social contract. Keep in mind, however, that the social compact only truly works and applies in high-trust societies. It works not at all in low-trust societies, to which the West is being rapidly reduced.

Now, keep in mind that there is still that other group of irrational individuals who are often in the bureaucratic leadership as well as political leadership. The ‘negative interactions’ there are less physical and far more political, ideological, and religious (and Woke is a religion that is waging religious war on Western Civilization and the Christian Church in particular). This is where ‘Render unto Caesar…” can come into play. There are some sects of Christianity that feel a ‘true’ Christian should not care of this world and it’s politics at all, to the point of not voting and refusing to discuss or deal with matters political. Even when there are anti-Christian efforts to be voted upon. Not my cup of tea, but again probably a post for another day.

I think one turns one’s back on politics and politicians at peril for all one holds dear. Especially when is dealing with Woke and Islam. Both of those do not respect restraint or any number of things they consider weak. They see such not as a moral or ethical goodness, but a sign of submission and surrender — and they act accordingly.

Which, to wrap this up for today, leads to a good example that those I mentioned in the opening paragraph will get. Sometimes, the best thing and the thing that will result in the least amount of death and damage in the long run involves death and destruction on a small scale. “Chinese” Gordon did so in Africa many years back, and the Islamic terrorism of the day settled down right quick. There are other historical examples that we may get into later, but to close we have something recent to consider.

The U.S. military just blew up a narco boat headed to the U.S. with gang members/narco terrorists (take your choice) and illegal drugs of a nasty sort on board. The ususal suspects are wailing that this is extra-judicial murder (gee, not our citizens, on the way to do harm to the U.S. and it’s people, etc., so that’s a no on murder from me) and we should have intercepted, coddled, etc.

The counter-point they are missing is that this action just accomplished several things that may well prevent more suffering, destruction, and death in the long-run. It served notice to a certain country that these efforts will no longer be tolerated, requiring them to either double down (skeet shoot), try to find other ways (time and expense), or give up (not likely, sadly). It also made it much harder to find boat crew and narcos willing to do these trips as the smart ones will get that the U.S. government is willing to make a few more examples. It also kept a few tons (most likely) of drugs out of the U.S. where it is helping fuel a variety of problems. Couple of other points, but those are the main ones.

Next time, I want to come back and look at this again, and at how this applies to the ‘migrant rape problem’ which is both a cultural problem and a deliberate act of war. The latter far more so than many/most are willing to openly discuss since to do so will get one called Islamophobic (and arrested in England). I also want to get into the morality of ‘cruel to be kind’ and the related topic of the morality of being willing to sacrifice others for your beliefs. It’s complex, it’s complicated, and it’s important as we are going to be facing a number of choices in the coming years as we deal with irrational people, governments, and even religions (mostly non-Christian).

Part II soon I hope.

Car Saga Continues

Quick update to this post. Did not get to meet with the lawyer this morning, they looked a things late last week and said nothing they can do, recommended some other resources (including the group that recommended them), and I’m going to continue to try to get a second or third opinion. Really doesn’t look like a lot I can do at this point, so may just be a hit on my credit score with no recourse. Bleh.

Sold Car Saga

Those who are long-term readers will remember that I sold my car last year, I thought to a young man (young men) who’s grand-dad was going to use it to teach them car repair. The last few days have been interesting, as that was a great big steaming pile.

Not sure if I mentioned it here or not, but last fall I learned from the BMV that the title had never been transferred. Per their recommendation, I sent a certified letter offering to help with that transfer to the address I had for the buyer. Letter was refused and I made little progress in finding a lawyer (particularly cheap or free) that could help me with the issue.

Got back into that search hard yesterday, as Saturday I got a notice that the car had been impounded by the State Police and that as it was still in my name I was liable for fines, fees, and storage. Talked to the holder of the vehicle, and was told not to worry as if not claimed it would be sold. Since I do not have current proof of ownership, couldn’t claim it even if I wanted to.

So, spent yesterday dealing with Legal Aid and such, and this morning had an online chat with a lawyer through the Bar Association. Short version, I don’t have ‘proper’ legal proof of sale (photo of title signed over to the buyer); there is not much I can do/could do anyway; and, it could zorch my credit rating. Not sure about other legal liability, but am going to go next Monday to talk in person with a different lawyer to see what, if anything, I can do to protect myself.

To make it even more fun, the young man who allegedly bought the car may well have used a false ID, given a false address, and the name given does match a person with an extensive rap sheet that seems to involve a number of issues around cars and fraud going back a couple of decades. Seems ISP may have impounded it after catching him out with false plates on it. Don’t know for sure, but suspect the ‘grandpa’ was this man.

So, at least according to this consultation, there’s not much I can do. Other than Pray, and that will be done. Meantime, will be getting a second opinion, if not a third, and make every effort I can to protect myself and my credit rating.

Joy. Not what I wanted to be dealing with, or ever expected to have to deal with. If you ever sell a car yourself, take care and cover yourself. Oh well, onwards!

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Random Thoughts On A Friday

Not sure I am up to a full post today, but did want to share a few thoughts while I could. More on the personal in a bit. For now…

I’m unsurprised at the rash of SWATtings going on right now. It has long been a favored tactic of progressives and is effective. Sadly, it has even resulted in deaths. Those behind these really do hope for that I fear, but also seem to think it will intimidate people. I think they are wrong about that, and they should stop to think that if there is a death the FBI may be the least of their worries.

It is interesting that so far, the majority of those being swatted are on various enemies lists coming out of Ukraine. This is not to suggest Ukraine is behind it, but that the lists do make a good “shopping list” for some of the more unstable on the progressive side. Sending the pizzas (again, it appears that all of those SWATted have had pizzas show up right after, that are ordered prior to the event) is a message.

Frankly, I’m surprised there hasn’t been more violence. People who are having their rice bowls kicked over seldom like it, and when you see the system that you and yours have spent generations (keep in mind, a lot of this started under Woodrow Wilson) building up, and achieved unprecedented growth in the last twenty years (astronomical during the past four), you tend to be a little upset. Particularly if you are not in the top tier. They are upset, but have fallbacks. The next tier down does not have those same levels of fall back as they were still building.

If you are midway (or further) down, it’s worse and that’s also usually where you find your true believers and less-stable people. They are in the worst shape and are going to be far more likely to do rash things. This is the group you see on social media calling for assassinations and actually taking part in attacking Tesla and Tesla owners. They make good cannon fodder and will be used as such. See my earlier post this week for some background.

I will say that the SWATting needs to be dealt with quickly and strongly. So do the many other instances of law breaking underway (building takeovers, movement blocks, etc.) but those are mostly dependent on local action. However, SWATting, as it uses interstate communications, can get Federal help and the FBI is now assisting. It also has the ability to prosecute on it’s own if needed. We will see. It needs to be prosecuted as the attempted pre-meditated murder it is. If that is done, you will see it drop to almost zero rapidly.

I’ve lost track of when Space X is going to try to launch the crew again, but glad they stopped the last launch. For all I loathe the perfect safety culture/no failures club, a manned launch is not something where you want or need to run risks. Hoping they continue to have an unblemished launch record and that they get the “stranded” astronauts home soon.

Going to look at a duplex today, and am following up on some other prospects. Not rushing, but not dwadling (too much) either. I may have to go for larger than I might like, so I can get everything out of storage and get rid of most of it (keeping books, cooking gear, and some Christmas stuff). I want to downsize (except for my books, I want more, more, more).

Looking at a vocal coach to help me with my relearning how to sing. I have sorta relearned to read sheet music, but as with the guitar I can’t tell you the notes I’m playing. Show me where my fingers go and I can play a song on the guitar. If someone hits the first note on a page, I can (mostly) sing the rest. I have problems staying on pitch, and in dealing with some range issues. I’ve actually been singing alto a bit to get by, but tenor/baritone and bass seem to be more my range. Our music director is working with myself and another gentlemen to help us get better, but some extra lessons and help won’t hurt a bit.

If I seem a little off the next few weeks, we are doing a rather significant diet change. I am going back to a keto variant and feeling it. However, given a number of digestive issues and other delights, it needs to be done. A number of foods seem to cause problems, most of which are carbs, so… I may share more of the diet as we work things out.

More soon I hope. Take care of yourselves, be safe, and be prepared. Keep your friends and family close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Community Watch Past And Future?

While at O’Banion’s Sunday, a conversation caused one of those “sparks” that brought back a memory from childhood, and has caused some contemplation given this story and other current events. Thank goodness the girl was recovered safe and sound, as it seems to rarely happen that way.

Sunday, the Bartender was expounding forth (not an unusual occurrence), this time on the concept of community in terms of church and neighborhood. I found it interesting that we had similar paths, a decade or three apart, given that I’m a Georgia Boy and he’s a Yankee (grin). His parents had moved from downtown Indianapolis to the suburban wilds of Greenwood (which was not the boom area it is today). My parents did something similar in the early 1960s, moving out of old Macon and into suburbs that literally pushed up against woodlands.

Turns out, we both were free-range kids growing up. Our parents let us out and we got with other kids, explored, played, and did a lot of things that children today are deliberately denied. We walked to the nearby school, we rode bikes all over, all without our parents breathlessly tagging along. Which is not to say we were unsupervised. You and your parents knew the families around you, both on your street and pretty much a street on either side. Now, two streets over was starting to be terra incognita, and on one side that second street over butted up against acres of woods.

So, various mothers kept a watchful eye out and made sure we knew their hose was available so we could stay hydrated. A couple of the nicer ones even offered cookies and snacks (often homemade) on occasion. The moms kept in touch and as such had a rough idea where different groups of kids were and what they were doing.

Then one day, reality intruded. A man tried to snatch a little girl into his car. Kids were yanked into random homes until they could be gotten home or closer to home if they were latchkey. Given the attempt, all kids would be with adults until a parent or parents were home.

Today, I know that some of those moms who came out and got everyone inside were armed. While it was never officially confirmed, it sure did look like a number of dads left work and were driving around as well. Police and sheriffs, who we rarely saw, were out in force as well. The woods were off-limits for a week or three after that, and a much closer eye kept on what little play did happen for a while. Don’t know about the girls, but a number of boys got their first Boy Scout or other knife, or got a new and better one about that time.

The largest threat of such things has always been the creature hiding in the extended family or neighborhood, holding up a fair face to the world to hide the corruption beneath. But kidnapping by a random stranger hits a note that the first one does not. We never were quite as free to free-range after that, but it was still far better than today.

To be honest, Scouting provided a chance to do some of what was taken away via camping and hiking trips. Sad to say, one place we camped and liked we never went to again as it turns out the gunfire we heard breakout at one point was a serial killer taking out a family.

Thing is, both in the recent event and in the one from my past, communities came together. People looked out, looked after each other, and pooled resources. The police got information and tips, and along with some luck and a lot of work, a little girl was ultimately safe in both cases.

Given the deliberate assault on public safety by activist prosecutors and judges, communities are going to have to come together again for safety. It won’t be allowed in the targeted (mostly blue) cities, as those activist prosecutors and judges will be throwing the book at anyone fighting back. But, outside of those areas that have been targeted, it can and will work. Think about it, and it’s a good idea to know your neighbors.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Don’t Cheer Hunter Indictments

I was going to do a long post on why I think this is not what it appears, but PJ Media has beaten me to it. Worth a read, as well as the linked article.

For some additional perspective, check out Guy Relford on Newsmax (1:19:37 is the chop he posted) and on the Hammer & Nigel show. Sorry, no time chop for the latter.

My short take is that David Weiss has been protecting the Biden’s for years. There is no reason to believe that he will stop being a consigliere (catamite?) for them now.

They Didn’t Learn

And we are likely to pay. The so-called leaders who were the most draconian during COVID faced no sanctions of any kind for their illegal, high-handed, and unconstitutional orders. Heck, most of them have been re-elected despite all the damage they did. Just look at Indiana where human petri dish High Tax Holcomb was sailed merrily along raising taxes, and Boss Hogsbreath, the mayor of Indianapolis who went both missing and Screwloose at different times, is likely going to be re-elected. Look at Reichsgovernor Witmer in Michigan, along with so many more.

The true poster child of the lockdown left, however, was Gov. Grisham of NM. I’m really surprised she didn’t get more of a national stage (which seemed to be her goal) as she not only went full lockdown, but even shut down grocery stores for two (or more) weeks. Let the peasant’s starve! She also took full advantage to regulate liquor and other stores because she could. Where was the principled opposition to her draconian and over-reaching orders? Good question. I haven’t found any significant opposition to her then, or now.

Yes, now. Yesterday, Gov. Grisham declared the 1st and 2nd amendments null and void in the area of Albuquerque over a public health emergency of violence. She is also demanding and/or seizing a lot of info into types of guns, calibers, etc. and may be demanding it of local gun dealers. You don’t go after that info unless you intend to use it.

The Albuquerque chief of police has thanked the governor for her actions, though he has noted in a memo that enforcement will be by state-level resources. In other words, APD is not getting involved with making those arrests or decisions. There are a lot of problems with LE and prosecution in the Albuquerque area, and I leave that research up to you. I used to go out there on a regular basis for NASA, and saw the slide start. You get out from there, and things aren’t bad except for a spineless legislature and a fascist governor. The latter are why I have not looked at NM as a viable location.

A quick note for LE and those working for state and county governments, and not just in NM though they are the audience I hope to reach. I wrote a while back about the need to make decisions, as circumstances are putting people in the position of assisting, enforcing, or otherwise implementing illegal and unconstitutional orders The shadow of Nuremberg is upon us, and you have decisions to make. Will you be a good little servant and do as you are told, and join the ranks of the Stasi and party bureaucrats? Or, will you have the courage, honor, and integrity to refuse even if it means your job, or life? The choice is yours, and I will note that if you refuse to make a choice, you still have made a choice you just don’t have the integrity to admit to yourself.

For everyone else, be aware of who makes what choices. This is a chilling reminder that there are many who will cheerfully and willingly enforce illegal orders. There are even more who will keep the bureaucratic machine running so as not to rock the boat.

The governor, who seems to think she’s the Präsident der Republik Grisham, needs to be removed from office ASAP. I’m not sure what the mechanism is per the New Mexico constitution, but clear violations of the Constitution can’t be allowed to stand. This order and power grab needs an emergency injunction via the Supreme Court as well. Provided that court and others don’t wimp out again and declare that the citizens of the state don’t have standing to question their betters. Also, this does require New Mexico legislators and politicians (or even LE) with a spine and a brain — which seems to be in short supply.

This needs to be dealt with hard and fast, because if it isn’t, she may be the first but will not be the last. Expect to see every power-hungry wanna-be tyrant declare public health emergencies on a similar vein, and they won’t just be going after guns though they will at the start. Remember what has happened to every disarmed population in history… The Biden Regency and imperial governors are also hard at work to destroy the First Amendment, and will use these orders to advance that effort. So, find ways to call this out, to help those who can stomp it hard and fast in the courts, and to hold those abusing power accountable so that they suffer consequences, real consequences, for their actions.

Otherwise, the dark days I see coming will get here a lot sooner than they would otherwise. We’re still in the Golden Hour, but efforts like this, unless met, will erode that hour to uselessness.

Execution

Over at Hot Air, Jazz Shaw has up a post about Alabama’s efforts to use nitrogen for executions. A lot of good food for thought there.

When it comes to executions, humanity has displayed its creativity to excess. Given that the purpose of execution was to make it clear to others not to do X (especially if aimed at the king, etc), any number of very horrific methods were developed. Sawing someone in half with the blade coming up between the legs, drawing and quartering, broken on the wheel, burning at the stake or in an oven, impalement, having molten metal poured down your throat, and, well, you get the idea. In my lifetime, I know of hanging, the electric chair, firing squad, and lethal injection being used here in the U.S. For many years, Russia used a bullet to the back of an unsuspecting prisoner’s head. What goes on in some countries tends to hark back to earlier times.

We moved from the concept of making the death as gruesome as possible to simply having death, and the ability of the state to kill you, as the deterrent. The problem is, our current system makes it about anything but a deterrent. Even with executions being legal (again), the efforts to sabotage the process are well underway. Such efforts are why it is almost impossible for states to get the needed drugs for lethal injection. It’s why several states have opted to reinstate firing squads as an option.

So, Alabama is going to try (or try to try) using nitrogen. The parenthetical is because corporate media and the anti-death penalty brigade of the lawyer’s guild are already fighting against it. Untested, unproven, yada, yada, yada. Except it has been used, fairly extensively, with animals and I remember reading a few years back about an assisted suicide company/euthanasia outfit having some famous designer work with them on a chic portable death chamber where the person inside could watch the world/be in a favorite place as they died from the nitrogen. After all, with nitrogen there is no choking/suffocating sensation, and it’s all rather peaceful.

My own personal take on the death penalty is that I prefer it to happen at the hands of the intended victim on the spot. That’s not always possible, unfortunately. My problem with state executions is that part of me does not like giving the state that power; and, the possibility of a false conviction. It does happen, and if the raft of prosecutors exposed for lying, cheating, and worse doesn’t concern you, it should. Especially in a case where the plaintiff could face the death penalty.

That said, I do feel there are some people who need to be permanently removed from the world for the safety of the world. For all that I do worry about someone who’s innocent being jailed, much less executed, the current system is a joke. When you have a process that can literally stretch out for decades, something’s wrong and you have no deterrence from the penalty.

As for this specific method, I don’t have a problem with it. It works, it’s relatively humane, and it’s something not dependent on big pharma and such. If all goes smoothly, it will be a way to get the system moving again, which is exactly why it’s being opposed. After all, if it does become a deterrent again, crime might drop instead of climbing unchecked. We can’t have that, now can we.