When you are enjoying your freedom on you 3 day weekend…

Grilling burgers and dogs and watching the races or attending parties with friends, or whatever you do on Memorial Day weekend.

Take a few moments and remember the reason for the holiday (not just so that Government workers can have a 3 day weekend, really): Remember those who Memorial Day is meant to honor.

Raise a glass to their spirits.

Say ‘Thank You” ……it’s all that they would ask.

Remember them, honor their memory, and their sacrifice.

Because of them, you have the freedom to celebrate.

(And please understand, I am waiting like the rest of you to find out what the official story is/will be/evolves into regarding the “shootout” at the Twin Peaks in Waco….First it was no cops doing the shooting, and as of this posting they are admitting that 4 of the deaths were from Police firearms as well as several of the injuries….)

Now, I wasn’t there, and likely neither were you. I’m not willing to pass any judgement on what happened…..we don’t know, and likely never really will know just how it went down.

But I do know this. All of the members of the Bandidos and the Cossacks (and likely the rest of the Clubs there) were white or appeared to be white …maybe somewhat Hispanic.

None were black.

Had this been a group of black people, there would already be rioting and crimes and looting. Because “Black”.

While I really doubt that the members of the motorcycle clubs deserved to be shot at and killed by the police in Waco, they weren’t choir boys either……

Oddly,  I don’t see any white folks rioting…. Nor looting. Nor sympathy riots or marches in other cities….

(Although I hear that the Bandidos other member clubs are gathering to demonstrate their displeasure to the Waco police, but that is personal).

Dude goes walking. While open carrying. With his dog and wife.

A Pants Shitting Hysterical person calls the police.

Cop arrives.

Overreacts.  Threatens, Handcuffs
Arrests  (for “Inducing a Panic” ….  (then  Detains) Mr. Open Carry.

Finally cites him for “failing to disclose personal information” and lets him go after a few hours.

Dude sues. Illegal arrest and detainment.

Courts agree to hear argument that the police, at least in this case, have no “Qualified Immunity”. 

In this case, they are likely right.

I do believe that a police officer should have a partial shield of immunity if he is doing his job in a reasonable manner and simply makes a mistake. But there has to be limits, which, up until very recently, there have not been.

Good to see the courts are willing to reexamine the concept of blanket “‘Cause I’m a cop and I can get away with it” shield that some police officers use to hide behind for their bad or stupid (or often vindictive) behavior.

Cue Murph in 3…2…

That Brian Williams will be giving us a live report of what he remembers from the Shooting at the Waco Twin Peaks last week……Apparently he was there and witnessed the entire thing.

Philim at 11.

Seems that the Bardstown Ky. police have used their firearms (GLOCK 23’s) enough that the frames are cracking.  (and no, this isn’t a slam on GLOCK pistols)

I honestly didn’t think many police officers actually, you know, *fired* enough rounds for this to happen. I have no idea of the round count, but I bet it is a lot, for this to happen…..

I mean, it took 15 years, but still…

How all the “Biker Gang Members” pictured in the articles about the Waco shindig all appear to be wearing brand new patches on their colors?

I’ve never seen so many bikers wearing brand new, clean, colors…on vests that have no apparent wear.

I mean, I know a lot of bikers, and a lot that are 1%, and I have never seen anyone with colors that are brand new like that, unless they lost ’em in a fire or an accident. Never the whole gang.

Odd.

of my readers who don’t read Borepatch every day (you should, he’s over there, linked on my sidebar:)

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Or somehow missed his link to this article.

You Rilly Rilly need top read THIS. (beverage alert!)

I mean, the level of snark here is huge, and it is weapons grade and overwhelming.

I laughed. And I spilled my drink…. through my nose.

That the people of this country don’t want the Police to be militarized…..

Obama announces restrictions on distribution of military-style equipment to police.

Not only is the idea of the police being equipped with military weapons scary to a lot of people, but in many cases they have no training on how to use that same equipment.

Plus, when they dress and act like jack booted thugs stormtroopers, they get treated like they are stormtroopers….

Really, how does an MRAP  aid in door to door searches (likely illegal anyway) for a bombing suspect, or for that mater any police activity? Why do the police need Grenade Launchers? Camouflage uniforms? While thre is some (very small) overlap in the tools that soldiers use and that which police use, it is very small. THe mission of policing is NOT that of soldiers occupying a country or region. The mission of a soldier is to break things that the enemy has until they surrender. The mission of the police is to keep the peace and protect the citizens from crime.

Different missions, different job. Different tools. Just because the DOD has a surplus doesn’t mean that they should be given to the police….

I think the police departments that have armed themselves with MRAPs, M2 machine guns and Grenade Launchers have lost sight of their missions, are afraid of the populations they police, or are wannabe soldiers.

I think Barry got this one right.

By the agents who initiated the theft forfeiture, their supervisors, and their supervisors, and anyone up the chain who had knowledge of the incident and allowed this theft to continue.

Man will get his $107K(+) taken by Feds against policy. 

Every single IRS agent who was involved in this should get their pay docked and/or THEIR assets seized until all legal fees (and interest) is paid to Mr. McLellan.

Not the IRS as such, that (ultimately) is You and I. But rather, the agents who seized the money with no proof of wrongdoing.

Investigate? Yes, Absolutely.
But to seize the money before there was evidence of a crime being committed, that is on the agents and their superiors….They should pay the legal fees and any interest owed Mr. McLellan. Not the taxpayers.

Might make ’em a bit more careful next time they exercise their not inconsiderable power against the citizens that pay their salary.

Young man flies the POW/MIA flag and the American Flag on his pickup truck.

Principal at the school says “No way”, orders him to take it down, and SENDS PEOPLE TO UNBOLT THE FLAGS THAT VERY SAME DAY.

The rest of his fellow students quietly come to school the next day flying American Flags from their vehicles.

Somehow, the Principal has a change of heart. What an ass.

Dude should be fired. Right there, right now: Pack your shit and leave. Your services are no longer needed, sir. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, friend. Are you still here? Why?