Saturday, July 16, 2022
Senator Hawley vs. Professor Khiara Bridges
Self-Defense Examples
There were three recent cases of apparent self-defense in which a person used deadly force to stop an attack.
One incident happened about a month ago in Des Moines, Iowa. In a Hy-Vee store for some reason which is still unclear, a woman named Kapri Lashawn Francis attacked another woman, allegedly blindsiding her and putting her in a headlock while she continued to give her what for.
Unfortunately for Ms. Francis the woman she attacked happened to be a legal concealed carry gun owner. And wouldn't you know, that lady had her gun on her. She used the gun to stop Ms. Francis.
Police said suspect Kapri Lashawn Francis, 30, attacked the woman without provocation inside a Hy-Vee grocery store at about 10 a.m. local time. The unidentified woman was legally armed and fired one shot at Francis.The suspect was shot in the leg, while a male customer was shot in the foot after the bullet ricocheted. Francis was arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury after receiving medical attention at a local hospital. Police said the victim fired her gun in self-defense after interviewing witnesses and reviewing store surveillance footage.
Movie Reviews: Memory
directed by Martin Campbell
This was an intermittently entertaining thriller which ultimately only demonstrated to me that some of my favorite actors and actresses are finally getting a little too long in the tooth to be believable in certain roles. I don't mean that as any sort of nasty or sarcastic criticism.
Another Day, Another Bison Attack
You know humans are supposedly the world's smartest animal. We have self-awareness. We can look into the universe's past. We can replace hearts. We create art. And yet for some reason we seem to be unable to understand that getting close to bison, especially bulls, and especially just before mating season starts is a bad idea. The bison apparently do not like humans getting too close to them. To show their displeasure occasionally bison will charge humans and do their best to trample them, gore them, or toss them into the air. Or sometimes all three.
You would think that humans would have figured this out by now and keep a respectful distance from a 2000lb animal that can nevertheless run significantly faster (45 mph) than humans. You would be wrong. People just seem to love doing stupid stuff around wild animals. It makes you wonder who's the real dummy here. Is it the 2000 lb male bison that just wants to eat grass in peace? Or is it the 180 lb primate with the big brain who insists on irritating the ill-tempered 2000 lb bovine?
Movie Reviews: Code 46
directed by Michael Winterbottom
This older (2003) movie shared themes with such stories as Brave New World and Gattaca among others. It resonated with current day political, sexual, and cultural tensions. It's something of a film noir. And though I didn't think the two leads had great chemistry this wasn't a bad romance story.
Saturday, July 9, 2022
New York and Supreme Court Bruen Decision
In the Bruen decision the Supreme Court rejected New York's "may issue" concealed carry gun licensing standard. The decision's text is here. New York had required concealed carry applicants to demonstrate "good character" and a "proper cause". There were no appeals. So if the local police liked you they might let you have a concealed carry permit.
But if the local police didn't like you, for any reason, good or bad, legal or not, you couldn't get a concealed carry permit.
Movie Reviews: The Whistle Blower
This is a mid 80s British spy thriller that is carried by a powerful but understated performance by Michael Caine. It is a truism that until people experience something horrible they may lack the perspective to be empathetic to previous sufferers. People often accuse their political opponents of having this trait and of thereby being, well, sinful.