Bits and Pieces #19: You Can't Make This Stuff Up

In the final scene in the classic movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai, British officer, Major Clipton, looks over the carnage of the destroyed train and the dead bodies lying about and utters the immortal line, “Madness. Madness.” Well, it looks like we too are approaching the closing scene in our own movie. I look at many of the things going on around this country and all I can utter is, “Madness.” Let’s look at some of the things that should cause each of us to pause and think about who we elect to run this country.

1. Senate Bill S. 3589: Look it up. This bill introduced by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), no surprise there, is titled “Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act of 2024.” At first glance, one might suppose this makes total sense. The idea of paramilitary groups running amok inside the country is a possible reason for concern. The long title of this bill is “Prohibition of Unauthorized Private Paramilitary Activity.”

This bill goes on to define things like ammunition, armed forces, dangerous weapons, firearms, large capacity ammunition feeding device and others. It then defines a private paramilitary organization as “any group of three or more persons associating under a command structure for the purpose of functioning in public or training to function in public as a combat support, law enforcement, or security services unit.”

Section 2742 says, “it shall be unlawful to knowingly, in a circumstance described in subsection (b), while acting as part of or on behalf of a private paramilitary organization and armed with a firearm, explosive or incendiary device, or other dangerous weapon. There is much more to this bill to include some exceptions to the overall rules. But if you ask me what my point might be, I will tell you that when you look at this bill, there is one group of people who are placed squarely in the crosshairs of this bill - - Church security teams.

When you read the bill in its entirety, church security teams fit this broad definition of being paramilitary organizations 100%. Simple. Did Senator Markey intend for this to be the case? Who knows but he is a progressive lib so we can guess where his head is situated. If you read through the bill it gets worse. The definitions are so broad that many people, even those who simply want to train together, can now be classified as paramilitary organizations. And if you happen to train with people (i.e. go to the gun range together) and happen to violate this bill, under section (d), you can be fined, imprisoned for not more than one year or both. If damage to property occurs the fine still applies but jail time can go up to two years. Bodily injury will get you up to five years while killing another person can result in possibly life in prison.

So, here is the scenario. Like in Joel Osteen’s church last month, a shooter comes into the church and starts shooting. You step in and do the right thing, killing the bad guy/ girl. Under this bill, since you are technically a member of a paramilitary organization, you get to go to jail. What about a knife-wielding attacker who has just raped a little kid in the nursery and is holding another one at knife point. Boom. Off to hell the bad guy goes and then off to jail you go. Again, according to Markey, church security teams are a paramilitary organization, a threat to the nation and this country doesn’t need people like them.

Fortunately, there are several exceptions listed. Unfortunately, not one of them would even come close to covering a church security team acting to save the lives of its people. And to be honest, folks, there are shootings or other acts of violence committed in churches nearly every week. The only exceptions to this bill are the armed forces of the US, National Guard or militia called up by the state, a group of individuals “who associate for the purpose of historical reenactment or parade in public as a “bona fide” veterans organization,” “students in an educational institution authorized by the Federal Government or a State that teaches military science” and lastly, “members of an organization that is authorized under federal or state law to provide paramilitary, law enforcement, or security services training or to engage in paramilitary activity, law enforcement, or security services when performing the functions authorized by law and, in the case of paramilitary activity and law enforcement functions, when under the direction and control of a governmental authority.” As you can see, your local church security team is not covered.

Why would a progressive, liberal democrat want to hinder American’s rights and the opportunity to save innocent lives? Well, because he is a liberal, progressive democrat and it seems as though many progressives cannot help thinking outside of their own doctrinal blindness. In all fairness, both sides can be guilty of this. But like I said previously, I have no idea whether the senator intended to include church security teams in his bill. But whether Markey intended this or not, yet here we are. And yes, this bill would likely be used against law abiding citizens. So, if you ask yourself, “Would it ever be used in this way?” Think red flag laws as used in some states for example and the answer becomes, “Absolutely.” If this bill was ever passed, my suggestion would be to “dismantle” your security team and simply act as an individual citizen acting in self-defense. If it just so happened that there were six of you there exercising your Second Amendment rights individually, oh well.

I am sure that if I asked the Senator about his intent, he would probably say that my perspective (and others) was not his goal. Then I would say, “Then change the wording of this piece of garbage. If you are not smart enough to deduce second and third order effects of what you are doing, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it. If this was your intent, however, build a time machine and go back to 1930s Nazi Germany and live a happy life. You would fit right in.” More on this to come. Madness!

2. Chuck Schumer : Once again, the lifelong politician has decided to speak against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In his most recent speech, the Senator from New York said, “I believe in his heart, his highest priority is the security of Israel. However, I also believe Prime Minister Netanyahu has lost his way by allowing his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel.” Schumer has a lot of gall talking about somebody else trying to ensure political survival. It seems clear that Senator Schumer has taken up the mantel of the most radical side of his anti-Israel party in condemning Netanyahu. Here is a hint for Schumer. Shut up and stay in your lane. Who in the heck are you to call for the removal of another nation’s leader? Especially the leader of arguably the only true ally we have in the region. It is not up to you to choose this. It is not up to you to try and force this. And for all the other anti-Israel people out there, you have no right to demand an Israeli cease fire. You have no right to demand concessions from Israel. That is for them and Hamas to figure out. If Hamas, Iran and the people that surround Israel continually call for their destruction, Israel has every right to ensure that doesn’t happen. Deal with it. Remember who started this war. I am sure if Tik Tok existed in 1945, there would be hundreds of idiots marching in the streets and calling for us to stop bombing the poor innocent Germans. As long as they kept fighting, they got everything they deserved. Likewise, if Hamas continues threatening to kill Jews and destroy Israel, they have the right to protect themselves.

This has nothing to do with anything here but as I was looking up Senator Schumer, did you know his net worth is between $70-81 million. For a man who never had a real job outside of politics (passed the bar but never went into law), we can clearly see why so many people want to get in politics and why although our lawmakers found it necessary to put term limits on the presidency but still adamantly refuse to put similar limits on themselves. Madness!

3. Whaaaat? On 8 March, US District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman decided against a federal ban for an illegal immigrant, Heriberto Carbajal-Flores, to own a firearm. The court had noted that Flores had never been convicted of a felony, violent crime or crime involving a weapon. He said he bought it for self-defense so the judge decided, “Yup, have at it. Although you broke the law coming here and you are breaking the law by staying here, you can keep your gun.”

Remember the Markey bill mentioned above. At a time when lawmakers are happy to restrict law abiding American citizens from possessing weapons (red flag and other attempts) and as the Markey bill tries to prevent us from protecting ourselves, there are those in positions of authority who see absolutely nothing wrong with illegal aliens owning weapons. How does an illegal alien (a criminal) pass a criminal background check anyway? Madness!

4. Ice Cream: The federal government has had enough. The ice cream machines at McDonalds must be fixed at once. Yes, that is what is important to this administration. http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/federal-government-wants-mcdonalds-broken-down-ice-cream-machines-fixed/ar-BB1jYE4s. My friend Combat Bob said it best. “…Biden is going after McDonald’s ice cream machines… planning federal action to make them easier to repair so they won’t be broken all the time… what the &%$@!!! …We’re on the cusp of WWIII on three fronts, the American people are being ground between the millstones of inflation and high interest rates, and we’re being invaded from the South. But by God, he’s going to do something about those ice cream machines…” Madness!