PATRIOT DAY...

Officially, Patriot Day is recognized every September 11th in memory of the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. While I certainly wouldn't dream of taking anything away from the nearly 3,000 people that perished as a result of that event, I have often wondered how, exactly, they determined that "Patriot Day" was a fitting name to commemorate it. In my mind, Patriot Day would more appropriately be recognized on 19 April, today.

First and foremost, my reasoning stems from the fact that it was on this day in 1775 that the Battle of Lexington and Concord ushered in American Revolution 1.0 and the fight for a new country's freedom from tyranny was on. 

For reasons known only to God, April 19th has also been the date of a significant number of other notable events...

* In AD 65, Gaius Piso's plot to kill the tyrant, Emperor Nero, who so richly deserved to die, was foiled by a freed slave that betrayed him.

* In 1506, the Lisbon Massacre began where accused Jews were slaughtered by Portuguese Catholics.

* On this day in 1608, O'Doherty's Rebellion began in Ireland.

* In 1782, John Adams convinced the Dutch government to recognize the newly formed United States of America as an independent government. The house that he had purchased there became the first American embassy.

* Considering the state of our Nation today and the current degradation of morality and social values, I found this one particularly interesting. On this day in 1927, Mae West was jailed for 10 days, convicted of "obscenity and corrupting the morals of youth" for her portrayal of a prostitute in a Broadway play. My, how times have changed!

* The first blood of the Civil War was shed during the Baltimore Riot of 1861. Anti-war Democrats and other Confederate sympathizers attacked state militia regiments on their way to Washington.

* 19 April 1942, the new Vichy Government, in an attempt to bring French insurgents in line with Nazi rule, Pierre Laval promised them protection from the Nazis.

* On this day in 1943, the largest uprising of Jews against their German oppressors began. This was known as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and lasted 4 weeks.

* Interestingly, on this day in 1960, students in South Korea staged a massive protest against the newly elected President, Syngman Rhee. The students claimed that the election was fraudulent and ultimately forced Rhee to resign. 

* You may remember, 1989 is when the gun turret exploded on the USS Iowa killing 47 sailors.

* 19 April 1993, the assault on the Branch Davidians, by numerous federal agencies, began. 

* 19 April 1995, marks the day of the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

* The first Boston Marathon was run on this day in 1897. Coincidentally, it was also on this day in 2013 that the Boston Marathon bomber was taken onto custody.

There are many, many more interesting events that happened on this date, but most of these are significant to us in some way. 

So, now that we have established the significance of this day in history, let me tell you why I'm writing this today. I started to make a long Facebook post but decided that I would put it here and make it easier to share with non-Facebookers and for me to preserve it.

Late yesterday, it was announced that a major Chinese cyber attack was imminent and could affect many aspects of American lives. We have known of their potential capabilities and some of the mischief that they have created for many years, but now is different. Very, very different. With an election coming up and everything else in America being terribly unstable right now, I see this as a monumental, possibly insurmountable problem, posing a clear and present danger to the country and to the people.

Not only are we currently in danger of a very disruptive cyber attack, I think this could help clear the way for a major, physical terrorist attack, or multiple concerted attacks. I believe this to be inevitable and possibly imminent right now. The influx of 100's of thousands capable, military aged, foreign actors into this country over the last few years makes this even more probable.

I don't know how much more encouragement some of you need to get serious about your training and preparations for extended hard times, but if I were you, I would consider my choices of travel and expenditures of time, money and resources very, very carefully.

It can be argued that we are on the brink of Civil War 2.0 and/or another revolution and I agree that those are serious considerations, but this is about survival.

DAMMIT! What are you waiting on?
----------------

Chinese Cyber Attack

. 

In Liberty, Cope Reynolds (@Desertscout1) 

Colts and Kimbers are what you show your friends.  

GLOCKS are what you show your enemies!

Fire in the Sky...

OK, here's a little tidbit of information that most of you will choose ignore. Your choice, but I am driven to try and help people. I've been that way since I was big enough walk.

Those of you that have sat through my 8-hr Disaster Preparedness Seminar heard me tell you about the Carrington Event of 1859. That was when a massive CME struck earth and wreaked havoc with telegraph and electrical systems. NASA and professional astronomers have calculated that the next CME of that size or larger should happen in 2025. 

Well, it appears that either they have miscalculated or nature is not cooperating. They are now saying that it is more likely to occur in early 2024. It's already April so I guess it won't be THAT early in 2024. However, I do very much believe that it will happen at some point in the pretty near future.

Some folks will probably read this with some modicum of interest but when it comes to actually making any preparations for it, I'm not sure how many will put forth the effort. Again, your choice.

If/when this event happens, there is a strong possibility that many, if not all, electronic devices and components will be heavily damaged and cease to function. Potentially, this could mean that cars, airplanes, trains, computers, power plants, generators, cell phones, radios, microwaves, most flashlights, clocks, most wristwatches,... you get the idea. Not at all a good time to be traveling! 

 Since a phenomenon of this magnitude cannot be duplicated in a laboratory environment, we really don't know to what extent it will affect our lives. It could range from a minor inconvenience to putting us back in the 18th century and I'll also tell you this... if that happens, the effects could last literally for years. 

So, here's the deal, for whatever percentage of you that are still reading this...

You cannot save everything, and you cannot stop living your lives, but there is a lot you can do. You should already have 3 months to a year's worth of food put away. You should also have a fair amount of water and the means to obtain and purify more. 

You should have the means to defend yourself and your family. I promise you that there will be many, many people that will do absolutely nothing to prepare and they're going get hungry fast.

You will need medical supplies and the knowledge to use them.

And communication. You had better have a reliable means to communicate with family and friends and listen for reports from others. Being in a complete, communication black-out scares the ever-loving hell out of me. If you took my class, I told you a couple of ways to make Faraday protection containers. If you have not yet done that, I suggest you get off your Biden and get it done!

There are other potential calamities at our doorstep. Serious ones. If you dont believe that, and if you're not making some kind of plans to get you and your family through it, you are in for a very, very rude and possibly deadly awakening.

This video is one many that might help explain what I'm talking about.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=duf06SGYO1o&si=llM3zgZVsKcpB4LI

And here's another one...

.

https://youtu.be/FZQhJVc9wTo?si=Xox6sn0bXip8nOVW

Oh, It's Just a .22...

A discussion arose about the lowly .22 cartridge a week or so ago, so I thought I'd add to that a little and throw this in. This is the Gospel of .22 from the Book of Cope...

The .22 family of rimfire cartridges includes the Short, Long (all but obsolete) and Long Rifle, but does not include the .22 Magnum in my mind, which is in a class all by itself and is .001" larger in diameter. This little family of cartridges is grossly under-appreciated and misunderstood. Many, many inexperienced or semi-experienced shooters and, of course, the wannabes don't give this little gem NEARLY enough credit. The truth is, this little feller will do nearly anything you think you're big enough to do, within reason. For the most part, this article will stick pretty close to the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. 

Every warm-blooded species of animal in North America has been taken with the .22LR, including pronghorns, deer, elk, moose, and every species of bear that exists on the North American continent. It is also used for subsistance hunting by Natives across the fruited plain and into Alaska and Canada.

Disclaimer: I, by no means, consider the .22 a big game cartridge. I'm simply saying that it has been, and will undoubtedly continue, to be used in that role from time to time. 

Because of its diminutive size, many shooters treat it as a toy. "Oh, it's just a twenty-two",  they say. Just a twenty-two?

Well, read on...

Depending on the style of bullet, the .22's small diameter provides excellent penetration despite its modest velocity. Even at ridiculously long ranges, the .22 is a killer. Its not remotely difficult to make 1-shot kills on small game out to 200 yards or so with an accurate, scoped rifle. Much larger game can be taken humanely inside of maybe 125 yards, depending on the animal and bullet style.

How is that possible? Precise shot placement. Generally, there's no such thing as an inaccurate .22. If you can do your part and the gun is mechanically sound, even the cheapest, practically worn out .22 will usually shoot, and shoot well.

The first gun that I got to call my very own was a bolt-action, Montgomery Ward rifle, made by Mossberg. It cost $19.95 and I got it for my 9th birthday in 1965. I still have it today, and it is still a tackdriver. I haven't the foggiest notion how many thousands of rounds have been put through that thing, but I can tell you, it is many.

Back to the penetration thing...

Aside from the .22's uncanny ability to generally stack bullets on top of each other, its penetrating ability helps make it a stone-cold killer. This is evidenced by a VERY large hog that I once killed with a single shot from a .22 pistol; a 6⅞", Ruger MKII. Understand that the velocity of the bullet from that handgun barrel was probably in the vicinity of 1100 fps.

Penetration? Why, yes, thank you! Here's the specifics...

The hog was standing approximately 6-7 feet away, facing me. I carefully placed the bullet precisely between his eyes and slightly high. He dropped like his legs disappeared out from under him. Two kicks, and he stretched out and was gone. Attached are pictures of the live hog, well over 1000 pounds of him, and a couple of the skull. I took over 500 pounds of mostly deboned pork in the house later that day.

That tiny little bullet entered through what is probably the thickest, hardest part of the skull, went through about 5" of brain matter, and exited the rear of the skull, going into the spinal column. I have no idea how far it traveled after that.

So... let's go back to that "toy" comment. My cousin used to have a butcher shop in Farmington, NM and I've seen countless hogs, full grown steers and cows fall to a single .22 Short out behind that shop. I've lost track of the number of deer I have killed with a .22, each and every one with a single, well-placed shot. Of course, add to that innumerable coyotes, foxes, prairie dogs, ducks, grouse, rabbits, etc, etc, etc. Toy indeed!

Whatever you have now in your personal arsenal, it is not complete without at least one, good .22 rifle!

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming...

Do You Get It Yet?

OK, there are still some out there that don't believe things are as bad as they really are. Some believe that it's bad and going to get worse, but have still taken little to no action to prepare themselves and their homes. Others don't want to think about it." I don't blame them, I don't either.

Well, here's the deal. A couple years ago, I wrote a piece that explains our situation very, very well. Please go read it here...

http://www.swsablog.com/2023/03/coming-events.html

That's all well and good but as per my prediction, and many others, the state of the Nation and, in fact, the entire world, is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Looking the other way will not make it go away.

Bank of America has just issued a stark warning about the condition of the U.S. dollar and the alarming increase in the U.S. debt, which is now increasing by ONE TRILLION DOLLARS EVERY 100 DAYS! That's nearly $4,000,000,000,000 a year! 😱

Moody's Investment Service just lowered their fiscal health prediction for the U.S. from stable to negative 3 months ago.

It's not going to be business as usual. There are many other contributing factors such as the massive influx of illegal aliens. The increase in the illegal alien population in Los Angeles has grown 242% in the last 5 years and some of those are from hostile countries. 

Non-U.S. citizens are being allowed to serve in government positions, particularly law enforcement (https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-illinois-police-officers-illegal-immigrants-law-1816306) which includes being able to obtain and carry firearms, in Illinois (HB3751) and Los Angeles and, I'm sure, a few other places.

All this on top of the fact that we are on the verge of a civil war and possibly a revolution. 

You have a limited amount of time to figure out how you and your family and friends are going deal with this. Use it wisely.

You Are Witness to History in the Making!

I was initially reluctant to make this article public. I did put it on one of my Facebook groups that is preparedness related and I sent it to many of my closest friends and family members but that is all. I figured some of them that are like-minded and already on-board, could still use a reminder and to a few others that I thought might need a little prodding. 

Today, I decided to go out on a limb and make it public.

I think it's interesting (and kind of sad) now that it's almost too late for a lot of people; that talk show hosts, celebrities, military strategists and other experts are warning about the exact things that some of us have been preaching about since the 90's. It's going to be awfully difficult (and expensive) to do everything that needs to be done at this late date.

I heard about the Yemeni attack on an American cargo ship on the news yesterday morning. Yesterday, literally as I was writing this, Iran attacked 2 American interests and one Israeli. Also, it was anoounced that Poland has revised their call to active duty procedures. And the list goes on...

It won't take many events like these to launch WW III.

Why did I name this article what I did? Well, the fact is, history is made every single day, but you are very likely going to be witness to a most significant historical event. What will almost certainly happen in the very, very near future has never happened before, in the history of mankind. I feel that the possibility is quite a bit better than 50/50.

We are likely to see both American Revolution 2.0 and Civil War 2.0 happen nearly simultaneously, right here in our country. What's the difference, some may ask?

A revolution is when a group of people (the governed) attempt to overthrow or fundamentally change the governing body that governs them. Revolutions are typically violent but they don't necessarily have to be.

A civil war is when 2 or more groups of people within one political subdivision (city, county, state, country) attempt to achieve control over the other group(s) or independence from another group. Civil wars, by their very nature, are always violent.

These two things happening together is quite significant, in and of itself, but the big kicker here is that we could also be participating in a world war at the same time and it could conceivably come to our shores. 

In the first two instances; normal, conservative Americans will be right in the middle of both. On the one hand, conservatives may be going head-to-head with progressives/liberals/communists. On the other, normal Americans may be forced to go head-to-head with the government, which would be particularly bad for everyone concerned. It is yet to be seen which side any or all of the left will choose in that one.

The greatest concern, is the likelihood of normal Americans having to fight a two or 3-front war on their own turf.

So, with all this being said, I'm going to say something that you have all heard me say before and will hear again. Check and double check ALL your preparations. Don't waste money on stupid crap that you don't need right now, at least not until you're comfortable that you have everything else in order. Make absolutely certain that you have the five, most important things addressed. Those are; food, water, defense, medical and communications.

Please don't take this lightly. There is a strong possibility that one or more of these events will happen this year, in addition to the serious concern of massive,  civil unrest as a result of the presidential election this fall. 

Crying and worrying about it won't prevent "it" from happening. 

JUST GET PREPARED!

Freedom vs. Liberty from an LDS Perspective

Sadly, "liberty" and "freedom" are just words to too many people. They are too often just catch words used in conversation that are, many times, used out of context and interchangeably without the knowledge of their true meaning or even the desire to know.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, these words have a particularly strong meaning to me, as it should to all Latter-day Saints (read Alma 12 through 24 in the Book of Mormon.) Virtually every president of our church and many of the other brethren have spoken on this topic repeatedly throughout the history of the Church. Freedom is mentioned 47 times in the Book of Mormon and liberty, 28 times. As Latter-day Saints, we should set the bar for others in the proper usage of these words by demonstrating our love and knowledge of these sacred principles every time we get the opportunity. 

OK, so the implication above is that the two words should not be used interchangeably, and I'm sure at least a few of you are wondering why. What's the difference?

Put simply, the liberty, or liberties that you enjoy are enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and enumerated in the Bill of Rights. Liberty allows you to think, act, speak, write and worship as you choose, within certain confines of the law.

Freedom, on the other hand, means unconfined. That you are free to do as you please, regardless of consequences. You are free to run red lights, drive 50 miles per hour over the posted speed limit, rob a bank, or take a deer out of season. However, you must understand that if you do these things and get caught, you are subject to lose both your freedom and certain liberties.

No, it's not nit-picking. It's a real thing, and it matters how you use those words.

I frequently hear people thank their Heavenly Father for their freedoms during a prayer. No. You don't have "freedoms." You have freedom... singular. But you have multiple liberties within the liberty granted by the founding documents.

Teach your children, friends, and neighbors the difference! We owe it to the Founders.

Incidentally, "freemen" is mentioned at least 8 times in the BoM. We were freemen long before we were Americans.

How Important is Weapon Camouflage?

Whether you are on the offense or have taken a defensive posture for the protection of yourself, your family or your country, it is universally agreed upon that you and your equipment should be as discreet and undetectable as possible. Invisible would be ideal. This also applies to hunting and surveillance operations.

In order to achieve effective camouflage, one of two things must happen. 1. The item being camouflaged must blend in to its surroundings through the use of coloration and/or the application of materials such as burlap, leaves, twigs, grass, etc. Or, 2, the item must appear to be something that it is not.

The Redcoats of Revolution 1.0 considered the way the farm boys conducted themselves in the woods to be unfair or unethical, but it was very effective. There was really little improvement in camouflage techniques from then until the early 20th century. A few new things started happening during WWI and, WWII brought us a little more but the jungles of Vietnam provided continued and rapid improvements in the way we conceal ourselves, our vehicles, fighting positions and our weapons, which brings us to the point of this post... concealing our weapons.

I'm not talking about concealing your pistol by putting it under your jacket, I'm talking about long guns; rifles and shotguns, and how they have given away our positions for decades before someone finally got wise to it. 

Of course, the snipers of the world were probably the first to take camouflaging their rifles into consideration. I have personally conducted several tests on this very subject. Is it really worth the effort? ABSOLUTELY IT IS! 

Quick story...

Several years ago, we conducted a field exercise near Superior, AZ. Most of us were wearing a camouflage pattern called Multi-Cam. I think it is one of the finest, all-around camo patterns available. We were shooting a steel target 200 yards away when someone damaged the frame and it fell down. My son volunteered to go fix it and stand it back up. At a full 200 yards, in full camo and face paint, he was virtually invisible in that particular environment. However, when he turned his right side towards us, the black grip of his handgun stuck out like a fluorescent lamp. A quick glimpse out there was like the old "follow the bouncing ball." 

That was the catalyst that began our testing. 

The results of the testing were jaw-dropping. Regardless of the type of camo or the background surrounding it, an untreated gun was incredibly noticeable.  That changed the way we all thought about how we camoed ourselves and our weapons.

So the takeaway message here is: if you want to be fully prepared to either fight or hide, offense or defense, your weapons MUST be camouflaged! It can be as simple as matte spray paint or camo tape or a more expensive route like DuraCoat, etc.

This is very important, considering the turbulent times we are about to experience!

November CCW class!

The things that you learn in any CCW class does not make you a gunfighter, but it's a GREAT place to begin your training!

The Multi-State CCW class from Southwest Shooting Authority is a non-shooting class that provides everything you need to satisfy the State of Arizona's requirements to obtain a concealed weapon permit. Arizona's permit is also recognized in about 35 other states, giving you the ability to legally carry a concealed weapon almost from coast to coast and border to border.

Topics covered in this class include:

* Safety 

* Laws

* Justification of the use of lethal force.

* Civil and criminal consequences of a shooting.

* Weapon and ammunition selection.

* Methods and means of concealment. 

* Situational awareness and much, much more!

Tuition is $75 at the door, cash only or Venmo, username @Desertscout1.

Since seating is limited, please call or text 928-693-7482 to reserve your seat or email: Training@SouthwestShootingAuthority.net. 

We will be there from 9am sharp until about 2pm. 

Class will be held at:

8 County Road 3398, near Vernon, AZ.

Water and snacks will be provided. 

PLEASE BRING NOTE-TAKING MATERIALS!

The Epitome of a Warrior

(This story was texted to me this morning. I have printed it here, in its entirety as it was received,  complete with credits to the NYT and the writer. I can only assume that it us complete)

This story is about a warrior. There was a time when there were many men like this. Not so much nowadays. In the coming days and months, it will be men like this one that will turn the tide of evil. With God's help, if it is His will and if we are deserving of his Grace, more men like this will rise and stand against the Beast and, against unimaginable odds, will defeat and kill it. 

America is literally under siege and it will get worse... much worse. Dig deep. Look deep into your own soul and see if have what it takes to do even a fraction of what this man and others like him have done and will do. Your country needs you...

--CR

Retired Israeli General Grabbed His Pistol... and Took On Hamas

By rushing to confront the attackers himself, Israel Ziv has become a public symbol of Israel’s former military successes — and its failure this time. 

Israel Ziv, a retired Israeli Army general, was taking a bike ride Saturday morning when a flood of alarming calls started coming in.

A huge barrage of rockets had been fired from Gaza. Gunmen from Hamas, the armed Palestinian group that controls the territory, were pouring across the border. Soon he would learn a friend’s son was trapped in a kibbutz.

He raced home, put on his uniform and grabbed his weapon, a nine-millimeter pistol.

Within minutes he was flying down a deserted highway in his new white Audi. As he neared the Gaza border, columns of black smoke rose in front of him, and the Israeli Army, at least at first, was nowhere to be seen. Hamas attackers were running across the landscape, hunched under the weight of heavy machine guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers, shooting at him.

“They were all over,” he said. “Hundreds of them.”

Mr. Ziv, stocky, spiky-haired, a bit irascible, and the former head of the operations directorate of the Israel Defense Forces, is a well-known figure in Israel, especially now. His actions over the weekend — driving headlong into the battle zone armed only with a pistol, organizing a confused group of soldiers into a fighting unit and overseeing evacuations — have been widely publicized on Israeli news channels. In the process he has become an avatar of Israel’s D.I.Y. spirit — and of the failure of its military and intelligence agencies.

The Israeli government said the toll in the devastating incursion by Hamas had reached 1,200 people killed, most of them unarmed civilians.

Already, amid the anguish over the slaughter, public frustrations are beginning to boil, with many Israelis, Mr. Ziv among them, taking issue with the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The government is totally paralyzed,” said Mr. Ziv, who, even before this crisis, was extremely critical of Mr. Netanyahu for what he said were policies that bitterly divided Israelis and put the country’s security at risk.

Nevertheless, Mr. Ziv is still welcome in Israel’s corridors of power. On Wednesday, he held several teleconferences with captains of industry about raising tens of millions of dollars to help victims and their families.

“Just for civilians,” he shouted into his phone. “None of it for the army.”

He spoke to the top brass of the military and the police about shoring up a civilian defense force that had clearly been overwhelmed.

He even walked into Israel’s Defense Ministry, where he met with the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and held secret meetings with national security officials in which they left their mobile phones on the hallway floor before stepping inside a small office for a chat that, the hope was, could not be tracked.

So weakened is public faith in the country’s military that one of the biggest issues Israelis are talking about is arming themselves. Many already own weapons, but the government announced this week that it was purchasing 10,000 assault rifles for civilians, along with bulletproof vests. Mr. Ziv is spearheading an effort to empower retired generals and former soldiers to rebuild community defense squads in the Gaza border area and around the country.

Mr. Ziv is focusing on helping to rebuild community defense squads in the Gaza border area and around the country.

Credit...Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

“We need weapons,” one man pleaded with Mr. Ziv as he visited a massacre site on Wednesday. “And we need a system.”

Mr. Ziv put a hand on the man’s back and said, “We are putting together that system right now.”

As they spoke, huge booms thundered and black smoke billowed up from the horizon, obscuring the banana farms and the wire fence along Gaza’s border with Israel that Hamas had breached to launch the assault. Gaza, only a few miles away, has been under relentless attack by Israeli warplanes since Saturday, killing hundreds of Palestinians.

And in just about every village where Israelis have been slaughtered, when a light breeze stirred the slender eucalyptus trees it also carried the smell of death.

Mr. Ziv spent Wednesday moving through this landscape. Sixty-six years old and a decorated paratrooper, he revisited the same terrain where he had tried to rescue as many people as he could. That included the site of the ill-fated desert rave party where Hamas terrorists massacred hundreds of young people — which Mr. Ziv believes might have been a primary target of the attack. Just about everywhere he went, soldiers and civilians thanked him, then shyly asked for a selfie.

His account of what he did on Saturday has been backed up by other retired generals and active duty officers who fought with him over the weekend.

He left his house, a beautiful home overlooking olive groves near Tel Aviv, and arrived in the battle zone around 10 a.m. He was traveling with a close friend, Noam Tibon, a retired general whose son was trapped in the Nahal Oz kibbutz.

The site of the music festival that was attacked by Hamas gunmen on Saturday.Credit...Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

Mr. Tibon’s son, a prominent journalist, had called his father in deep distress, saying gunmen were closing in on him and his family. In recent media interviews, Mr. Tibon said he told his son: “Trust me, I will come. This is my profession. Nobody can stop me."

Mr. Ziv said that as they drove closer to Gaza, fires burned everywhere and unchallenged Hamas gunmen fired into buildings and passing cars. At first, he said, he didn’t see any Israeli soldiers. But as they traveled deeper toward the besieged villages, they encountered small bands of Israeli soldiers trying to fight back but clearly outnumbered.

“Things were not organized,” Mr. Ziv said.

He and Mr. Tibon linked up with a platoon of young soldiers, piled several of them into the Audi and began attacking Hamas gunmen on the road, Mr. Ziv said.

It was difficult taking them on with just a pistol, Mr. Ziv said, but after a soldier in his car was wounded, Mr. Ziv snatched his M16 and started firing out the window.

The worst feeling, though, was knowing that although they were some of the first responders, they were already too late.

Bodies were strewn on the highway, along the paths in the kibbutzim, in the patches of shaded forest they passed. What Mr. Ziv shared has been corroborated by extensive video and photo evidence, some of it filmed by the Hamas gunmen themselves. They hunted down Israeli civilians sitting in their cars, huddling in their homes, hiding at a bus stop and running for their lives.

“No one could imagine they would do what they did,” Mr. Ziv said. “It is a brutality that we have not witnessed since the establishment of Israel.”

He added, “So now we need to change the whole doctrine about Gaza. No more Hamas.”

How do you do that? he was asked.

“Level the ground,” he said.

Mr. Ziv and Mr. Tibon split up near the kibbutz where Mr. Tibon’s son lives. While Mr. Tibon joined a group of Israeli soldiers fighting Hamas members there, and eventually rescued his son, Mr. Ziv raced to other hot spots. He said he spent nearly 24 hours straight rushing around the kibbutzim and villages under attack, firing his own weapon, organizing evacuations of civilians and coordinating with the military to dispatch backup units as fast as possible.

The worst he found was the rave site. On Friday night, several thousand young people, Israelis and many foreigners, had flocked to an open field a few miles from the Gaza border to hold an overnight open-air dance party. By the time Mr. Ziv reached it Saturday night, he said, there was nothing left to be done.

The site of the rave that was attacked by Hamas gunmen.Credit...Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

There were bodies everywhere: in the campsite; in the field where everyone had been dancing; in car after car after car lining the road, filled with young people trying to escape.

He ran to one young man slumped out of a car and felt his neck. No pulse.

“I think the trigger for this whole attack was this event,” Mr. Ziv said. “Hamas planned this for a long time. But they knew a critical mass would be here this weekend.”

From evidence the Israeli military found at the rave site, and what witnesses said, the Hamas attackers surrounded the gathering on three sides. One group of gunmen opened fire on the crowd, methodically driving the panicked partygoers toward the road, where more gunmen were waiting to mow them down.

“I can still hear them screaming,” Mr. Ziv said.

He stood on the site looking out at a field littered with water bottles, rolled up sleeping mats, still-full boxes of Oreos, shirts, pants, tents and empty camp chairs. It was like everything was there but the people. One soldier quietly moved past him, carrying a black plastic bag, looking for documents.

“People don’t understand how fragile the situation is,” Mr. Ziv said. “Hamas has to pay for this.” He paused. “With their existence.”

He then walked away.

Jeffrey Gettleman is an international correspondent and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He is the author of “Love, Africa,” a memoir. 

Our World Today

BE ADVISED:

I got this directly from two different "X" posts...

It is my understanding that the leader of Hamas has just called Muslims around the world to embrace a day of global jihad this Friday the 13th.

That’s 3 days from now.

If you live in a major city in America or Europe, I’d recommend avoiding crowded/highly public places on Friday!

Khalid Mashal the leader and founding member of Hamas gave a speech today asking Muslims all around the world to do the following:

1. To show anger, especially next Friday, in Muslim countries and also among Muslim supporters around the world; he called it “the Friday of Al-Aqsa flood”, he said this will send a message of rage to Zionists and to America.

2. He asked for financial help from all Muslims around the world; to help with their money, he called it “Financial Jihad”. He asked Muslims to give to the fighters of Gaza in order to compensate them for the destruction.

3.He asked political pressure, from Muslim leaders and Muslim nations, to stop Israel’s military invasion of Gaza.

4.The most important thing: He asked all Muslims around the world to carry out Jihad by their souls; to fight and be martyrs for Al-Aqsa. 

He wants Muslims to fight against the Jews, starting with Muslims who live in the countries surrounding Israel: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt (but also other countries), to go to the borders and try to enter, each by his own means. He said: This is the time for Jihad to be applied on the ground rather than just in theory. He asked the Mujahedeen to go in long caravans to spill their blood on the land of Palestine.

 

These are his final words: 

Funds are important but today we are asking for your blood and souls [to be sacrificed for Palestine]

The Last of the Greatest Generation!

Yeah, this is a very long post but the project is finally completed! The historical and personal value of this project and the people involved are priceless to Amy and I. To say it was an honor to be able to serve this family would be an understatement.

Of course, I'm talking about painting the cabin of Corporal John Kinsel  Sr., one of the last two Navajo Code Talkers that is still living. Corporal Kinsel served as a Code Talker in the Pacific Theater with the 3rd Marine Division in WW II from 1942 to 1945.

He built this cabin himself in 1950, after he came home from the war. He personally brought the logs down from the mountains behind his property by horse and wagon. He is now 106 years old and has lived in this for almost 74 years. 

I first met him and his son in 2020 completely by accident, but we had a nice visit, and I was invited back. The second time I went, I took my wife, Amy, with me, and I almost lost her. She absolutely fell in love with Kinsels, and I think the feeling was mutual. We talked with them for hours! We stayed much longer than I had intended, but it was SO much fun and interesting beyond description. 

I promised the Kinsels that I would come back and paint their cabin as soon as I could but, with Covid, bad weather, moving and so many other things going on, it has taken awhile but we finally got back up there to do it!

This latest visit was a particularly good trip because "hastiin sání" was feeling well and spent some time talking with us about his WW II experiences. He's a little hard to understand, but his English is good, and he still has his signature sense of humor that he was so well known for. He looked up at me from his wheelchair and said, "When are you going to stop growing?"

We went back a couple of months ago to begin fulfilling my promise. We pressure washed the entire cabin and painted the addition, which is the kitchen, that was added in 1975. Then, we went back this last weekend, caulked the deep cracks in the logs, and painted the reminder of the building.

Hastiin sání was feeling well enough to go out and admire the renewed life we gave his beloved cabin. I believe he and his son, Ron,  were quite happy with the way it turned out, and again, Amy and I were beyond honored to have had the privilege to provide this tiny act of service for this family. 

NOTE: I want to give a shout-out and special thanks to the two people who donated and helped make this project a little easier for us. I didn't get permission to use your names in this, but you know who you are.

Tʼáá íiyisíí ahéheeʼ!

.

New Mexico's Tiny Tyrant Toppled!

JUSTICE HAS PREVAILED!

(At least temporarily) 

Zia Rifle and Pistol Club Electronic Newsletter

Apparently, the grapes were sour anyways. After Attorney General Torrez refused yesterday to defend the governor's order in court, her office fired back that she "did not ask the attorney general to represent the state", as well as attacking his failure to combat crime during his tenure as DA and AG. This circular blame-game now occurring between the mayor of Albuquerque, its former DA, law enforcement leaders, and the governor looking for someone to assign blame for the crime ravaging our community is yet more time wasted by our elected leaders, all of whom bear a heavy burden of guilt on the issue.

 

Despite the Attorney General's refusal to defend her, the governor's order was the subject of motion hearings on temporary restraining orders in 5 of the lawsuits (NAGR, GOA, WTP, FPC, and Private Individual 1) today before Judge Urias, a Biden appointee. The various plaintiffs generally agreed that the sections requiring enjoinment were Sections 1 and 4 of the public health order, and section 4 of the executive order directing local governments and agencies to enforce the order.

 

An attorney appeared on behalf of the governor and made a number of fundamentally political arguments, up to and including the judge to relitigate Bruen. Astonishingly, she said the order was not a law, and could therefore stand, despite the Second Amendment. He eventually began pushing back on her arguments, and informed her that he could not relitigate Bruen on the governor's behalf.  

When he came back, he granted a temporary restraining order that returned New Mexico to the status quo on all carry, effective immediately. This means we can, for now, return to life as it was before last Friday, as far as the use of firearms.

 

The NMGOP announced its lawsuit yesterday, saying it would attack the underpinnings of the order in state court. Dozens rallied outside the party office, once again armed, with the state police absent from that event and an armed protest on Civic Plaza. The "gun free zone" signs usually found on Civic Plaza were, also, mysteriously absent yesterday. We have also heard that despite much sound and fury, the governor's office has yet to refer a single person to the state police for citation, and is now unable to do so.

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN!

I usually look forward to writing these pieces. Every one of them, and I have written many, come from the heart. I dont write them in such a way as to ensure that others will like them or even approve. I write them for me. I write them because something is weighing heavily on my mind, or my heart in this case. I write them because I enjoy doing my part, however small, to help regain lost freedoms. To restore liberty as many of us remember it. However, writing this article hurts me. It pains me to the core. I hope it hurts you to read it as much as it hurts me to write it...

America, YOUR America, has been in noticeable atrophy since the 60's. We didn't really notice it then, but as we look back now, the signs were there. The deterioration started out in ever so tiny increments and, by the 80's, those damaged, fractional segments of our liberty had begun to grow in size. While the decline was still very slow, it was becoming more noticeable. When the 90's rolled around, there was no denying that something was desperately wrong. More frequent road rage and school shootings, more violent video games, gun owners were under heavy attack and there was starting to be a very noticeable socio-political division. People were becoming increasingly frustrated while they tried to figure out what team they were on.

From 1969 to 1992, we enjoyed a moderately normal life under Republican leadership, with the exception of Jimmy Carter's one, dismal term and truthfully, even that wasn't as bad as what we are witnessing now.

With the 21st century on the horizon, we had endured 8 grueling years of Bill Clinton. We experienced then the first major display of the dual justice system. The White House had been violated and the Oval Office had been turned into a sexual playground. Was it the first time? Probably not, but it was the first time that anyone had been caught at it and made into public spectacle.

There were some major events under Bush 2.0 and we were once again at war

 but in spite of that, Americans again experienced relatively little political strife for 8 years... then came Barack Obama.

For 8 years, we had a horribly failed health care system, a dramatically weakened military, ramped up attempts at gun control, numerous false flags and 24 major, mass shootings; the most of any administration in U.S. history and 3 times more than the next closest administrations, which was shared by Clinton and G.W. Bush, each having 8. 

At this time, I give to you (drum roll please)  President Donald J. Trump. Donald Trump was likely the most arrogant, egotistical, self-aggrandizing individual ever to darken the doorway of the White House, but he got things done. Unemployment dropped to a 50 year low at 3.5%, he achieved petroleum independence for the first time, gun control had very little movement,  gas and commodity prices were low and stable, and no new wars were started. Life was pretty damned good with the exception of a rash of mean Tweets.

Then 2020 came along and all hell broke loose! Everything you could possibly imagine that could go wrong, did and continues to. Prices of EVERYTHING are through the roof and inflation is at a 40 year high. The White House has turned into an organized crime stronghold. The checks and balances that were put in place by the Founders to keep this kind of thing from happening are conspicuously absent. Why? Because the entire system has failed. Every branch of government and nearly every federal agency is complicit in the failure and cover-ups. In short, the fox is guarding the hen house.

What we are witnessing today is a well-planned, perfectly executed, intentional, blatant and malicious destruction of America brought about by domestic and foreign communists. Its not "woke". Call it what it is! It's communism, pure and simple. Our precious, constitutional Republic is being reduced to nothing more than the absolute epitome of a socialized, 3rd world country. The results of which will be manifesting themselves in the very, very near future. We're beginning to see them creeping in already. Some may say, "Creeping in? We're seeing it all around us every day!"

Yes, indeed we are. But what we are experiencing now is but a drop in the bucket compared to what is coming.

Equal justice under the law has been transformed into a dual justice system and a full-blown attack on the American people has been launched. Relatively minor offenses committed by conservatives are punished to the fullest extent of the law and then some. Conversely, large sections of several cities have been attacked and burned by factions of the left. Historical landmarks and other properties have been damaged or destroyed. Thousands of serious crimes are being perpetrated almost daily across the Nation, most of which are met with a blind eye. Some of these crimes are committed by public officials at all levels and some even by rogue law enforcement. This is not limited to the left. 

So why do Democrats hate America so much? Why has the party changed so dramatically since John F. Kennedy? Even some people within the party are beginning to see that things are not as they should be. So why the big change? Money. Money and the fact that many major decisions are heavily influenced or even decided by foreign sources... and foreign money.

America was the most wonderful and desirable nation on earth for nearly 250 years. Now, we are the laughing stock of the world with an illegitimate president who can rarely even complete a full, comprehensible sentence.

So far, what have we learned from this brief history lesson? What is the common denominator? Obviously, the country is steered towards feast or famine, boom or bust and good or evil by its leadership. For at least the last 40 or 50 years, the country has been consistently strongest economically, militarily and socially under Republican leadership.

But wait! There's more! 

Republicans, wipe that silly grin off your face. You have traditionally been conservative and overwhelmingly opposed to most liberal policies, but you have lost your way. You have become the other wing of the same bird, the second head of a two-headed snake. With few exceptions, your fight to preserve conservative values has no teeth. Oh yes, there's fire in your speeches against liberal policies, but your actions are ice cold. You have turned your back on us. In return, many of us are turning our backs on you in search of a better political solution.

But, sadly, too many people are loyal to nothing more than party name. Regardless of the gross deterioration of conservative values within the party, people will vote Republican simply because a candidate is Republican, stating that any Republican is better than any Democrat. While that may be true in some cases, it's not as true as it used to be. While STATED values of the party haven't changed, their actions have. There are other options, and people need to research all the candidates and vote for the best person for the job, not just the lesser of two evils. A magnificent example of that was the 2022 gubernatorial election in New Mexico. They had the perfect opportunity to reverse the wrong that has been done there by electing a native New Mexican who was a hard core, Christian, conservative with a fire in her belly that far surpassed any other option they had. But, alas, they wasted their vote on a transplanted, pretty-boy that had zero fire. Personally, I think his only purpose was to split the vote and ensure that the communist incumbent won. It worked.

People are going to continue to vote party lines, and the cabal that we have installed and allowed to run roughshod and rule over us will, in turn, continue to destroy our beautiful America. They instill fear, and largely, we are afraid of them. 

In closing, it is absolutely essential that we maintain a healthy relationship with our Creator. Without God, this country cannot and will not be saved. The absence of God and his Son, Jesus Christ, in our schools, in our court houses and city halls and capitol buildings and our daily lives, is what brought us to point that we are at today.

To this, I testify, in the name of my Savior, even Jesus Christ, amen.

"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom - go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!"

--Samuel Adams

Aim Small, Miss Small...

More Gun Gospel according to Cope. This is my .02 worth on "accuracy." An opinion that no one asked for, but it's free, so...

There are two major categories of firearm accuracy. The first is mechanical accuracy. This category has no sub-categories. The mechanical or inherent accuracy of a firearm demonstrates what a certain gun is capable of doing with a specific type of ammunition after removing all human error such as breathing, pulse, poor follow-through, inconsistent trigger break, etc. This is generally accomplished by installing the gun in a mechanical rest of some type.

The second category I'll call human accuracy, which is the degree of accuracy that any given shooter can achieve with a particular firearm, under particular conditions, with a particular type of ammunition. This will vary from shooter to shooter and will apply to long guns, hand guns and shotguns, each within their own capabilities.

Human accuracy has 4 sub-categories, each having one or more purposes or goals but all ultimately relying upon the shooter. The primary factors, among several, are the shooter's physical capability, attitude and goals. 

In some semblance of order, from best to worst, we'll start with precision accuracy. As the name implies, precise shot placement is the name of the game. Precise is not subjective. It is the best accuracy that a human can wring out of a particular gun and load without the assistance of a mechanical rest. 

Not all people, nor all guns, are capable of precision accuracy. People can be hampered by impatience, failing eyesight, poor physical condition, poor hand-to-eye coordination, physical ailments such as arthritis; bone, muscle or nerve conditions, etc.

Precision accuracy is not totally reliant on the shooter's abilities, there are certain factors concerning the firearm itself that play a huge part in it as well. Things like the condition and quality of the barrel and its crown, the relationship between the barrel and the stock, the trigger, lock time, sights and the rigidity of the action. There are also outside factors that can affect either the gun or the bullet in flight or both. These things include wind, humidity, temperature, direct sunlight on the barrel and, in extreme cases, even the curvature of the earth.

Precision accuracy is also somewhat dependent upon the shooter's patience and determination. 

The 2nd sub-category of human accuracy is target accuracy. Target accuracy is similar to and related to hunting accuracy. The only difference is one involves one of God's creations and a poor shot can cause suffering and an inhumane kill. Target accuracy will include both competition shooting, hunting and informal, recreational target shooting. Target accuracy will vary from shooter to shooter. The long-range varmint hunter will demand precision accuracy while the southern whitetail hunter may be happy with being able to hit a paper plate at 100 yards

Unlike precision accuracy, target/hunting accuracy is subjective. It depends on the size of the target, the distance to the target and the desired results. In this type of accuracy, a shot somewhere in the kill-zone of an animal or a group of shots within the confines of the bullseye that may vary in size, is "good enough." Good enough to bring home the bacon or good enough to win the contest. A 2" group inside a 3" bullseye, at whatever range, is good shooting. Good enough.

Our next sub-category of human accuracy is referred to as combat accuracy. Combat accuracy is also subjective. On occasion, it may require some degree of precision and other times, hitting an 8" circle will suffice but in almost all cases, speed and adequate accuracy must be combined to achieve the desired results. Excessive stress and fear will likely play a part in the success of the shot placement. Oftentimes, rapid successive shots may be required, also with acceptable accuracy. 

This brings us to our 4th and final sub-category of human accuracy... Hallucinatory. Hallucinatory  accuracy is achieved only by the Wannabe marksman. The Wannabe considers himself good enough to bring out the intrinsic accuracy of a gun without the use of mechanical aids. 

The Wannabe achieves precision accuracy with his M44 Mosin-Nagant while leaning over the hood of his pickup, using his lunchbox for a rest. If he misses, and he will, he will blame it on the wind, his rest, he must have bumped his scope, the sun was in his eyes, he grabbed the wrong ammo, he has a lot on his mind, he hasn't shot this gun since last year... ad nauseum.

The Wannabe will lead you to believe that, whatever the outcome, it was intentional. Wherever the bullet hit, that's what he was aiming at. In all seriousness, the Wannabe is frequently unsafe and should probably not even have access to firearms. 

So, there you have it. My explanation of accuracy to the up-and-coming gun owner. Maybe it will help a few folks figure out just what is meant when that term comes up in conversation at the barbershop. 

"Seek to Gain Knowledge"

I'm sure you've noticed that a lot of my posts are centered around self-preservation, to include1st aid information. I'm not a doctor and I'm not qualified to teach it but I know quite a bit about it because I have "seeked to gain knowledge" on the subject. I saved my baby girl's life once back in '99 or 2000. I've doctored up several family members and myself quite a number of times when most people would have gone to Urgent Care or the Emergency Room. 

I don't mind saying that the following story brought a tear to my eye. That fact that this little girl died was bad enough, but the real tragedies here were; number one, like many accidents, it was 100% avoidable! It was caused by carelessness and negligence. Number two, she died because there was no one there to provide IMMEDIATE medical care. However many minutes it took to get her to the marina was too long.

Now, just think for a minute. How would YOU feel, if your 6 yo daughter (or spouse or sibling or best friend) died in your arms because of something that was your fault to begin with, and you didn't have knowledge and equipment to prevent it...

If they had only had a tourniquet and the knowledge to properly apply it, I'm 99.7% sure that little girl would have survived. So sad...

Here's a clip from the story linked below.

http://opr.news/3b47eb25211028en_us?link=1&client=news

It's NOT All About Shot Placement!

If you're a shooter, particularly a hunter or one who studies or trains for self-defense, at some point you have heard this exact phrase, "It's all about shot placement."

I can say with some degree of certainty that shot placement and bullet performance are two of the most misunderstood aspects of shooting. Even amongst some of the more experienced shooters and most assuredly amongst novices and non-shooters. It's a science and not something that can be explained properly in a casual conversation at the barbershop. 

I've seen astonishing successes with smaller, slower, weaker calibers and dismal failures with larger, high-velocity, powerful calibers. Is it always about shot placement? No, it's not. Sometimes it's more about bullet construction and sometimes it's a combination of the two. 

Just because I killed a bear once with a .22 magnum doesn't make the

.22 magnum a bear gun. I don't recommend it and don't condone it but the situation was urgent and that's what was handy. I fired a single, perfect shot at about 50 yards, he trotted about 3 steps and tipped over. Deader than a hammer.

Over the course of a couple of years, I had to kill 3 German Shepherds. I'm not going to explain why. Just suffice it to say that it was necessary and legal. One was feral, the other 2 were livestock chasers. The feral dog was 65 yards away, sitting by a bush. I fired one shot from my Glock 23, loaded with home-grown 165 gr. JHP's. The dog didn't even stand up. He dropped like a rock. A couple years later, a big male German Shepherd was on our land chasing horses. I whistled and he stopped briefly and turned to look my direction from maybe 100 yds away. I touched off a round from my .30-'06 loaded with 165 gr. BTSP's. Again, like a rock. However, a couple weeks later, his brother showed up and wormed his way under the fence and into our chicken pen. I hollered at him and he scooted back under the fence and offered a broadside shot. I shot him right behind the left shoulder but a tad higher than I wanted, with the same .30'06, same load. He yelped and ran about 3-400 yards to his house. The owner took him to the vet and got him patched up and he was running around again in a few days.

What was the difference? The first dog was shot a JHP handgun round designed for self-defense. Even at that range, the relatively slow handgun bullet expanded fairly well and left an exit wound the size of a grapefruit. A generic JHP probably would not likely have done so well and a FN-FMJ most definitely would have resulted in a wounded dog.

What about the other two dogs, shot with same gun and bullet?

Well, the first one was hit roughly at the point of shoulder and the bullet immediately encountered bone which shattered and sent fragments into the vitals, then traveled diagonally through the body and exited near the opposite side hip. Pretty dramatic. He was dead before he hit the ground. Different story with other dog. He was perfectly square, broadside to me. The bullet both entered and exited between ribs and traversed the body from left to right, just above the heart and through the top of the lungs. The bullet, being designed for big game, failed to expand and basically left a .30 caliber hole on both sides. Had that bullet hit the shoulder, or maybe even a rib, the results would have been different. If the bullet had been, say, a 130 grain JHP, it would have almost certainly cut the dog in half.

As many other hunters have, I've seen nearly every species of mammal in North America shot with everything from .22 LR to .30-30 to a dozen different types of magnums with results ranging from predictable to puzzling. Performance factors involved include velocity, bullet weight and diameter, bullet construction, bullet style and precise shot placement. Success may also be determined by the tenacity of the animal. See how much lead a badger, porcupine or opossum can soak up compared to a cottontail. Or a big bull elk compared to a bull moose.

So, I could go on and on about this but hopefully,  my point has been made. Choose your bullet AND your shot carefully!

The War on Christians

Most of us agree that there has been an ongoing war on Christians for quite awhile. There have been exceptions, but for the most part, it has been relatively non-violent. Christians have been denied certain services or entry into establishments or groups. Anti-Christian graffiti is becoming more frequent and at times, churches have been vandalized. Unfortunately, this war is taking a turn for the worst.

If you attend church, and you should, it would be highly advisable that you take whatever precautions that you deem necessary to ensure the safety of yourself and your family, not just now but always. If you are a member of the clergy of your church, your congregation's safety is your responsibility. Implement building security measures as necessary. 

This not going to just disappear.

Trannies had declared 1 April as their "Day of Vengeance", which come and gone without major incident but watch this video...

https://www.bitchute.com/video/un7FzRjuESIO/