End the War on Freedom

We drove to Boston on Thursday morning and returned yesterday afternoon. Nice vegetarian Thanksgiving Day feast prepared by my sister-in-law's sister-in-law. Strangely, we encountered no nazi check stops. Traffic slowed to a crawl after 84 merged the New York City traffic with the Mass Pike and again a few miles before the Route 128 interchange, but we moved along fine other than that. The Big Dig's new suspension bridge (opened back in March, but I hadn't been to Boston since then) is impressive.

The new Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge is the only one of its kind ever built. In addition to being the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world, the bridge is the first "hybrid" cable-stayed bridge in the United States, using both steel and concrete in its frame. The main span consists of a steel box girder and steel floor beams, while the back spans contain post-tensioned concrete.

Rick Fisk at Liberty Forum - A Study Of Government Protection - an exploration, with plenty of links and discussion, of the protection racket we call government. [libertyforum]

Michael A. Salorio at Imperial Valley Press via Liberty Forum - Police Abuse Cripples Teen - BLM JBTs permanently injured a 19-year-old boy, apparently for talking back at them about riding his ATV in an area specifically designated for that use. Unfortunately, the perps are still drawing air, though it looks likely that they will suffer legal consequences for their actions. The original version of this article is here. [libertyforum]

GLAMIS -- A 19-year-old Encinitas man remains in a wheelchair with limited mobility after suffering spinal cord injuries here Nov. 2 allegedly caused by a Bureau of Land Management ranger against whom allegations of abuse of power and use of excessive force have been raised.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's office in El Centro is investigating the incident that a third-party witness described as being "pretty tragic" and "a shame."

Brian Boyd suffered bruising to the spinal cord in the neck area as well as having vertebrae in his neck and lower back wrenched out of place, said Tom Boyd, the alleged victim's father.

Tom Boyd, 52, of Encinitas, is a commercial airline pilot who served as an aircraft carrier fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy from 1973 to 1993. He retired from military service with the rank of commander and attended the prestigious "Top Gun" fighter pilot school twice during the course of his naval aviation career.

"There seems to be a bunch of cowboys out there abusing people. ... They thought he was a punk kid they could harass. ... We truly believe that an independent investigation is needed to let people know of the abuse," said Tom Boyd.

...

The BLM rangers involved in the incident were identified by the Boyds and their attorneys as Ray Leloup and R.C. Magill. A spokeswoman with the BLM office in El Centro said Leloup is a ranger assigned to the El Centro office. The spokeswoman said Magill is not assigned to the El Centro office and information on where he is stationed was unavailable.

Michael A. Salorio at Imperial Valley Press - DA mulling charges against BLM accuser - so what does a jack-booted thug do when accused of using excessive force? Accuse the injured party of initiating the altercation, of course.

Three witnesses have stepped forward to support Boyd's contention that he was the victim of abuse of power by the two rangers and that he did not assault them. These witnesses include Boyd's mother, Roberta Boyd, and Lee and Pat Mize, an elderly couple from Granite Bay near Sacramento.

The Mizes have released an affidavit describing the incident they witnessed Nov. 2. The Mizes state it did not appear to them that Brian Boyd was a threat to the rangers and that they were sickened by what they saw.

The affidavit reads: "What I (Lee Mize) saw sickened me. ... Mr. Boyd was moving in a normal manner and it did not appear that he was attempting to run away or evade the rangers. ... One of the rangers moved toward Mr. Boyd and grabbed him around the neck in a choke hold. The force of the choke hold was extreme; it looked like the ranger could snap Mr. Boyd's neck or choke him to death."

The Mizes' affidavit goes on to say that Brian Boyd did not become combative once he was taken down by the rangers, but instead was yelling telling them he was hurt and could not feel his legs.

...

Otero said his office is only deciding the matter on whether to press the charges the BLM seeks against Boyd. Otero added it is up to the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego to decide whether to file a criminal complaint against the rangers in federal court pending the outcome of an investigation by the FBI's office in El Centro.

Michael A. Salorio at Imperial Valley Press - Rangers probed in alleged abuse - Still no assault and battery indictment. Had you or I done this, you can bet that would have happenned by over a week from the incident.

Clare Wolfe - Why that missing thing in "Return of the King" is so important - a letter from Ian Rowan on the importance of the absence from the third Lord of the Rings movie of the "Scouring of the Shire" chapter.

While I made the decision some time ago to avoid the film version solely because I don't want my own mental pictures Changed, I admit that I was tempted when my wife and friends (most of whom have read the books) said I might consider it worth my time and money. But the above has clinched it for me: The Scouring of the Shire is essential to the entire creation, because even as a young child with barely formed philosophical (or even political) opinions, I could sense that it was a tiny reflection of the larger whole; and as an anarchocapitalistic adult it is ever so much more crystalline clear. The seeming tiny evils in the Shire reflected the greater evils in the world around it, and while Sauron may have been a Hitleresque figure (to use a Godwinesque metaphor), the mean looks; the closed doors; the petty tyrants and thugs among the previously innocent hobbits once they learned of the tantalizing Greyface Government, all add up to an unmistakable picture, that anyone who has ever had a run-in with an authoritarian thug at any level will recognize:

"You're arrested for Gate-Breaking, and Tearing up of Rules, and Assaulting Gate-Keepers, and Trespassing, and Sleeping in Shire-Buildings without Leave, and Bribing Guards with Food."

"And what else?" said Frodo.

"That'll do to go on with," said the Shiriff-leader.

"I can add some more, if you'd like it," said Sam. "Calling your Chief Names, Wishing to punch his Pimply Face, and Thinking you Shirriffs look a lot of Tom-Fools."

Paco Kelly at GunBlast - The CZ-527 7.62x39mm - a very-cheap-to-shoot yet accurate bolt gun.

"Mine eyes grow older" says an old back woodsman I know. He is also describing mine. So, when I shoot a one-inch group at fifty yards using the open sights with Wolf Ammo, I know the rifle is very accurate. The only nit I can find is.... the rifle takes odd-size scope rings. It is of square bridge base design, that takes a strangely-sized tip off set of rings. If you are thinking about buying one of these rifles order the rings with it. I didn't, so I can't give 100 and 200 yard accuracy till I get it 'scoped.

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