Articles by Herschel Smith

What a mess, but a lot of things learned in the process.

First of all, the SS is utterly incompetent – or intentionally and willfully negiligent.

this BBC interview with a guy outside the security perimeter who claims he saw the shooter before he fired is absolutely wild pic.twitter.com/vJpKZTxSAe

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 13, 2024

This BBC reporter is blind, and out-reported anyone in the U.S. media on the event. Here is a similar account.

Another eye witness says that he told law officers there was a man on the roof climbing between multiple rooftops and they did absolutely nothing to stop him until it was too late! WTF!
We need an investigation into the Trump assassination attempt immediately!

“I saw a guy on… pic.twitter.com/qAvDFJpwoy

— Green Lives Matter (@Ultrafrog17) July 14, 2024

So it’s obvious that there was adequate indication that something bad was going wrong. But it gets worse.

A local police officer saw the gunman on the rooftop during former President Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally on Saturday but was unable to engage him, Butler County Sheriff Michael T. Slupe told CNN’s Pamela Brown on Sunday.

Slupe said that Butler Township officers received calls about a suspicious person outside the perimeter of the rally and went looking to find that person. The initial calls did not indicate the suspicious person had a gun, he said.

During the search for the suspicious person, officers with township police discovered that the gunman was on the roof, and one local officer hoisted another to get up to the ledge. The shooter turned around, saw the officer peering over and pointed his gun at him. The officer let go of the ledge to “take cover” and save his own life.

The title of that report was “Local officer tried to stop gunman on the roof but was unable to engage him.” Of course, that’s a lie. He didn’t try to engage the shooter, he took cover like all cowards do. Why does a man like that even have the job of police officer?

Next up, the SS has said they knew there was a shooter on the roof but couldn’t engage him.

Here’s my reporting on why the Secret Service did not shoot until AFTER the shooter engaged and some context about the House Republicans’ investigation already underway (months before Trump’s assassination attempt) into whether the agency’s DEI policies are affecting its…

— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) July 14, 2024

For the record, I don’t believe that, but they know that they must do something to answer the obvious question “If the counter sniper was able to engage the shooter so quickly, why wasn’t he able to see the shooter before he started shooting?” And the answer is yes he was able to, and he didn’t, and their excuse is ROE.

Again, I think that’s a lie. I don’t think the SS has to wait on anything at all to protect the president or presidential candidates. Prove me wrong.

UPDATE:

Just now saw a contrary report to the one linked above that said the cop who got to the top of the agricultural building climbed a ladder just like the shooter. If that’s true, there is no excuse for not engaging the shooter.

The SS agents can’t even reholster their weapons.

Absolute humiliation for this gaggle of female Secret Service Agents.

Look at the disorder:

– Can’t holster weapons
– Gear falling to the ground
– Erratic, fearful movements
– No show of force, composure

DEI Secret Service make Presidents LESS Safepic.twitter.com/o6HcHzxEUw

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 14, 2024

Finally, we’re being lampooned around the world.

Finally, I’ll point out that the guys at reddit/Firearms did the ballistics work. The local airport showed wind to be at 8 MPH. At 130 yards, the drift at that distance would have been 1.4 inches. If the shooter had brought a Kestrel and knew how to use it (as well as mounted a relatively cheap optic rather than used iron sights) and used a holdoff of about 1.5 MOA, Trump would be dead now.

This is a failure of epic proportions.

I still want to know what equipment the counter sniper was using. I suspect a nice AR-10 in 6.5CM, Seekins Precision, DD or Barrett, with Night Force, Leupold or US Optics glass, mounted on a tripod.

Not that this matters to any great degree. I’m just interested.

UPDATE #2:

It appears that the SS is claiming that they were responsible for the inner security perimeter and the state police was responsible for everything outside the security perimeter. There were four sniper teams at the rally, two SS and two state police.

Another source.

The Secret Service blamed local police for failing to secure the rooftop from which gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump, insisting it was outside of the perimeter the federal agency was tasked with protecting.

Instead, securing and patrolling the factory grounds of AGR International Inc. — located about 130 yards from the stage where Trump was speaking Saturday — was the responsibility of local Pennsylvania police, Secret Service representative Anthony Gugliemi said, according the New York Times.

The Secret Service was only tasked with covering the grounds where Trump’s rally took place, with local police being recruited to assist with those efforts and secure the area outside of the rally.

But neighbors living near Butler Farm Show Grounds told The Post they were never visited by any law enforcement agencies — local or federal — in the days before or during the rally.

You should fully expect the SS to testify that way before Congress. They will point the finger of blame at the state police, and the state police will point the finger of blame at the SS for failing to communicate rules of engagement sufficient to stop the threat.

This is a bit off the beaten path, but that’s why you come here, right?

What’s the first thing tyrants do when they want to control people? I think you know. If you don’t want to watch the entire video, both of which are interesting, fast forward to 11 (eleven) minutes for both of them.

Prior: ISIS and Gun Confiscation

This is an awful exchange. First of all, the VA shouldn’t be in the position of removing of God-given rights.

Second, their refusal to obey congressional acts is treasonous.

Third, the entire thing has been misapplied. Having someone else do your finances for you includes deploying overseas and having no access to your bank accounts, thus the need to name someone in charge of fiduciary responsibilities.

It’s worth noting that much of this comes from the administration, not just the VA.

The VA doesn’t care about veterans. But you already knew that.

reddit/Firearms

The Reload.

In its first official platform since 2016, the Grand Old Party (GOP) slashed all mention of its gun policy positions.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) Platform Committee voted 84-to-18 on Monday to adopt the new 2024 platform language after skipping the process entirely in 2020. The finalized document leans into former President Donald Trump’s “America First” outlook and parrots many of his stances on issues ranging from immigration to trade. However, it also minimized the party’s emphasis on gun policy compared to its previous platform.

The entire platform discusses gun rights just once, in a preamble statement about the party’s dedication to defending “our fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms.” The final product omits any discussion of tangible gun policy ideas.

The Republican Party platform’s downplaying of Second Amendment issues comes as the gun-rights movement finds itself in a precarious position politically. As guns have become increasingly polarized along party lines, gun-rights supporters have found themselves reliant on Republicans for political support. President Joe Biden has made gun control a fixture of his tenure in office and is already campaigning on even more sweeping proposals, including a ban on sales of the popular AR-15, in a potential second term. At the same time, while the GOP’s current standard-bearer has continued to seek the support of the National Rifle Association and make promises in speeches to the group, he has been fickle on gun policy at times. His felony convictions also mean he can no longer legally own or possess firearms.

The 2024 platform’s cursory discussion of gun policy priorities marks a significant departure from the party’s 2016 platform. The party previously dedicated an entire section to the Second Amendment. In it, the GOP listed specific pro-gun policies it wanted to enact, as well as gun-control measures it opposed.

“We support firearm reciprocity legislation to recognize the right of law-abiding Americans to carry firearms to protect themselves and their families in all 50 states,” the 2016 document reads. “We support constitutional carry statutes and salute the states that have passed them.”

“We oppose ill-conceived laws that would restrict magazine capacity or ban the sale of the most popular and common modern rifle,” the section continues. “We also oppose any effort to deprive individuals of their right to keep and bear arms without due process of law. We condemn frivolous lawsuits against gun manufacturers and the current Administration’s illegal harassment of firearm dealers. We oppose federal licensing or registration of law-abiding gun owners, registration of ammunition, and restoration of the ill-fated Clinton gun ban.”

[ … ]

The Trump campaign celebrated the final draft of the platform and emphasized the former President’s personal influence on its contents.

This is excellent reporting and a very informed writeup at The Reload.

They’ve also dropped their vocal support of pro-life policies.

I’m not making this up. It’s in the platform. Of all the people the GOP cannot afford to lose, gun owners are at the top of the list. But this is a “win at all costs” platform focused on soccer moms in the suburbs.

Combine that with support for the bump stock ban, red flag laws, alignment with the ill-fated and obscene NRA, and the GOP has miles to go before they can make up for this failure.

Of course, it’s not as if Cornyn or Tillis paid any attention to the last platform.

I like it that S&W is in the lever gun market now. Frankly I just don’t like the polymer furniture. But they do sell a walnut gun that is beautiful.

One commenter observes that it would be nice for S&W to come out with more calibers, and specifically, the 460 S&W mag and 500 S&W mag. After all, they are S&W cartridges.

That would provide some nice competition with the 45-70.

I had never heard of this animal before. It’s loose in Colorado, probably a former pet. Video at the link.

Um, what? It’s difficult to tell how big these crabs are with no backdrop for compare and contrast, but they look huge. When you are in the ocean, you’re at the bottom of the food chain.

These are strange friends.

If you’re chased by a feral boar, just run. Or better yet, shoot it with a large bore handgun.

I love eagles, but this child narrowly escaped being taken by one. If you have small children or small dogs, it’s best to keep positive control over them while they’re not in the home. They can be taken by eagles, hawks or owls. I was in the back yard at another home years ago with Heidi, my 90 pound Doberman, and an Owl swooped in within feet of her at dusk. A very, very large bird indeed. I think it finally gained perspective on just how large Heidi was and did a 180 in mid air, within feet of me. I felt the air off the wings of that bird. Of course, Heidi was standing on her hind legs jumping at it. That night, the owl was lucky to escape with its life. It had made a very bad decision.

At Ammoland.

We have found 9 cases where .45 acp pistols were used to defend against bears. 6 against black bears, 3 against brown bears. All were successful.

I’d call that an overall good success rate. I’d still say carry 450 SMC with a 22# spring.

Source.

An unassuming gift of nine deer from India to the Hawaiian islands in 1867 has spiraled into a modern-day ecological nightmare.

On the island of Maui, the axis deer population has ballooned to about 65,000 and could grow to 225,000, devastating pastoral forage land and vegetation already scarce due to ongoing drought conditions.

But Jake Muise, CEO/Co-founder of Maui Nui Venison, is offering an unconventional solution to help balance the axis deer’s rampant spread: sustainable harvesting methods approved by the USDA that combat overpopulation while protecting the land and helping the locals.

“We knew that by balancing populations in the areas, we could help benefit food systems, ecosystems, communities, customers, and others,” Muise says. “Along the way, we discovered that this animal is also one of the most nutritious on the planet.”

Muise shares the unique story of his company’s mission on the latest episode of One Day with Jon Bier. Listen to the entire episode below and read on for key takeaways from the conversation.

Nobody could have imagined that the axis deer gifted by India in the 19th Century would explode in population over the years. But Muise explains it as a perfect storm of a favorable place and a unique species.

“What makes the axis deer so prolific as an invasive species is they’re one of the only deer species in the world whose sperm is viable year-round,” he says. “For the vast majority of other deer species, when their antlers fall off every year, testosterone levels drop. But axis deer are capable of breeding year-round, which puts their annual growth rates at 33% a year.”

Add to that an environment with perfect weather, abundant feed, and no natural predators, and you have a recipe for population explosion.

Muise explains that having so many deer in such an isolated area has wreaked havoc on the environment. Water is a precious commodity in Hawaii, “but when the deer become established in our watersheds, they’ll reduce the amount of water collected by 50 percent.”

The deer eat much of the farmland, destroy crops, and impact the food systems of other important animals, such as cows. They also pose a danger on the roadways. Muise says in Maui there is an accident involving a deer every single night.

About 15 years ago, Muise and some colleagues began to develop a sustainable business solution to the deer problem that would benefit the community and the customers who wanted to support it.

Teams harvest the deer humanely, tracking their movement using drones and sophisticated infrared technology. They then sell the venison commercially across the country.

“We were always just trying to solve a problem. We didn’t actually realize this was gonna be the healthiest red meat on earth,” says Muise. “Our venison has some of the best nutrient density testing in the world.”

I see no problem here. I recall from my one visit to Hawaii hearing about the great deer hunting and it had never occurred to me to look into it. But this is a wonderful opportunity to get into deer hunting year around for Hawaii residents.

I’d take advantage of it if I lived in Hawaii.

Here is a brief review.

A multi-reticle system with NV overlay where you can use it day or night. Very nice. Count me as very impressed with the design and features, and a bit disappointed in the price point of $1176.46.

Here is his blog. It isn’t really a blog. He has no email address and you can’t leave comments. And he is a liar. After his deputies acted the fool with the poor old man, his words ring hollow because he defends his department. He is a putz.

As I’ve long told you, a man who has no email address so you can reach him for feedback is a coward.

A better idea would have been to strip all deputies involved in this naked, flog them in the town square, and then fire them. And then ask that his deputies do that to him.