Tuesday Links - 30 September

William Teach at Pirate's Cove is first with Fish Wrap: Trump May Be Wiping His Hands Of The Whole Ukraine-Russia War

This is in the “news analysis” section of the NY Times, so, just one step away from the opinion section. Oh, and hey, weird how the Times and few other media outlets bother mentioning Ukraine anymore

Miguel Gonzalez - "Professional and Respectful" to be the new "Mostly Peaceful"

I hope that the official statement was done without seeing the video or actually having observed the mob behavior, but I fear that that is what’s considered the proper and polite response.

Professor Yamane at Light Over Heat - Join the Light Over Heat Virtual Book Club

Our first book of the fall is John Bainbridge Jr.’s Gun Barons: The Weapons That Transformed America and the Men Who Invented Them (St. Martin’s, 2022).

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 27 September 2025: A Edition

Meta, parent company of Facebook, has announced its new app: Vibes, an infinitely scrolling stream of AI slop. (Facebook)

Thanks, Mark.

The Other McCain - Des Moines School Superintendent Was Illegal Immigrant From Guyana

Something is clearly off in this story, but I doubt anyone at the Des Moines school board is interested in doing the kind of investigation that would discover the truth about who “Doctor Roberts” really is.

Again from Miguel Gonzalez - In order to save the world from Fascism, you must be a Fascist.

Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, is a Marxist so you should not be surprised by the shortness of brain and ignorance about the U.S. Military. He calls Trump a fascist and nazi and then goes as far as requesting US forces to “aim their rifles against the fascists” (Trump et all).

The Gateway Pundit - German State Public Radio and TV Broadcaster NDR Suppresses Explosive Documentary Exposing OCCRP Election Meddling and Secret U.S. Funding

The scandal is reverberating across the Atlantic. President Donald Trump already cut OCCRP’s lifeline by halting its funding via USAID. And now, U.S. media like Gateway Pundit and InfoWars are exposing how this so-called “investigative” network has been weaponized to manipulate elections and topple governments worldwide.

Again from William Teach - Bummer: ICE Is Arresting Illegals New York Spent Millions To Resettle

Would these be the illegals Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent to NYC and then the sanctuary city sent off to small Republican towns?

Lone Star Parson - Michaelmas

It's the Feast of St. Michael and all Angels today [Monday, September 29th], so here's a prayer:

And finally from Wombat-socho - FMJRA 2.0: Meanwhile At The Catgirl Barrel

Top linkers for the week ending September 26:

1.  EBL (12)
2.  357 Magnum (11)
3.  A View From The Beach (9)

Good Guys 2, Bad Guys 0

Texans are heavily armed. The bad guys don't seem to understand that. HPD: Homeowner shoots would-be burglar in Northeast Houston

Add in the fact that the Criminal Justice System is not on the side of the criminal, and Texas is a bad place to be a bad guy.

A homeowner notices that two guys were trying to break into his car. This was just after midnight, so though it doesn't say, I am thinking that there must be some kind of security system in place.

One of the two was shot. One was not. Both are charged with burglary.

“The DA’s office did accept charges on the suspects that were breaking into the vehicle for BMV and then they declined charges on the homeowner as he was protecting his property,” said Lt. Kham with the Houston Police Department.

Maybe I should move to Texas, where self-defense is apparently not the end of the story.

Obama Throws Biden Administration Under the Bus

Not too surprising. Barack Obama: evidence on Covid school closures was ignored - UnHerd

The evidence on whether school closures were necessary during the pandemic was ignored, Barack Obama has claimed. He added that open conversation was shut down as the debate became overly politicised.

He has said other things before, but the man loves to talk to the media.

Obama went on to say that, since many parents were still working during the pandemic, there should have been a conversation around reopening schools earlier. “Parents, they’re working all day and they need their kids at school”, he said. He added that “social consequences” had to be balanced and people must “not just assume that anybody who objects to continuing these very strict regimens is somehow crazy”.

If Obama emerges as a relatively sane voice in the Democratic Party, it will be a sure sign of End Times. Or something.

Hat tip to Clayton Cramer: Once Again, "Conspiracy Theory" Turns Out to be "Spoiler Alert"

Instant Karma for Anti-ICE Protestor as Car Sinks in Lake

She was in such a rush to scream at ICE agents, she apparently didn't put her car in park. All this happened near a lake. Woman's attempt to protest ICE arrest goes terribly wrong | Fox News

An anti-ICE protester in Massachusetts forgot to put her car in park while yelling at agents making an arrest of an illegal alien and her car rolled into a lake and sunk, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) source tells Fox News.

There is video, but it is only 11 seconds. The ICE agents were in the middle of an arrest, which is why she was screaming at them, and they didn't have time to record the complete event. But it is worth a look.

So, is being a complete idiot covered by most insurance policies?

Hat tip to Louder With Crowder: Woman rushes to yell at ICE agents, but forgets to put her car in park...by a lake

I believe it was Kierkegaard, or maybe it was John Lennon, who said, "Instant Karma is gonna get you." That's what happened to an AWFL Massachusetts resident who saw ICE agents doing what we voted for. This may shock you, but she found herself unable to calm down. So much so, she forgot to put her car in park. By a lake.

So, what is the environmental impact of sinking your car in a lake? I suppose it depends on if it runs on a battery or gasoline.

Law Enforcement Comes to Chicago

Or maybe not. From HeyJackass! - Sickness & Eradicate Weekend

And we’re back! So what did we miss? We heard about some masked individuals carrying large weapons downtown. Naturally, we assumed another “teen takeover” or a smash-and-grab, but when we saw it was Fata$$ and Mayor Panix complaining, we then knew it was law enforcement (which we all know is a sickness and needs to be eradicated).

Final numbers for noon Friday through 6 AM Monday were 5 killed, and 13 shout and wounded. While this is much better than the past couple of insane years, it is on par with 2015 or 2018.

So how many people should be murdered in Chicago over an average weekend before the state and the city decide they need more law and order?

As for the "eradicated" label, see the following from CWB Chicago: ‘Law enforcement is a sickness’ to be ‘eradicated,’ says enraged Chicago mayor

This Is Mongol

The Hu, a band out of Mongolia, made a big splash several years back, but then I lost track of them. They put out their second album in 2022, and I missed that entirely. The Wiki lists them as "folk metal," but the Wiki doesn't always know what they are talking about.

This song is This Is Mongol (Warrior Souls) by The Hu featuring William DuVall of Alice In Chains. It was part of their 2023 album, the Deluxe version of the 2022 album Rumble of Thunder.

Self-Defense Is Legal in Utah

I suspected that it was. Judge rules in favor of defendant who claimed he acted in self-defense in Cedar City road rage shooting

A judge has dismissed multiple felony charges filed against a motorcyclist who allegedly shot another man during a road rage confrontation in Cedar City in June 2024, with the court ruling the defendant had discharged his handgun in self-defense.

Cedar City, Utah is about a 250 mile drive south of Salt Lake City, or roughly a 170 mile drive northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.

There are still more charges, but not aggravated assault.

And because, even in roughly rural Utah, DAs HATE self-defense.

Prosecutors are considering appealing the court’s decision, Deputy Iron County Attorney Trajan Evans told Cedar City News on Tuesday.

This is aside from the fact that there is video of the guy who got shot walking toward the defendant after there had been a punch thrown by the guy who got shot.

“At this time, Stolworthy testified he could not see out of his left eye, his nose had been ruptured, he could taste blood, and then he can hear Mabbitt coming at him and saying something like ‘you're (obscenity) dead,’” the court document states.

The judge ruled that he had a reasonable belief he faced more of the same, and so defending himself was legal.

But the DA wants to win. Why? Because DAs don't care about Justice; they care about winning.

Oh, and the guy who threw the first punch? He hasn't been charged. Maybe getting shot constitutes punishment, but isn't that battery?

For the time being, self-defense is legal in Utah.

The Law of Unintended Consequences - Illinois Edition

This isn't even really about people gaming the system, just about the system working in ways the legislators didn't foresee. Court no-shows have suburban jail bursting at the seams under cashless bail, sheriff says - CWB Chicago

A suburban county’s sheriff says Illinois’ two-year-old cashless bail system has produced the opposite of what its backers promised, with his jail population nearly doubling since the law took effect. But the increase, Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said, is not because violent offenders are being kept behind bars pending trial.

Instead, Hain says his jail is filling up with defendants who were released pretrial under the new rules but later landed back behind bars after skipping their court dates and having warrants issued.

Instead of showing up to court to get their bale money back, they are just ignoring the situation, until they can't.

I'm sure that Illinois lawmakers will amend the law to "fix" this, because throwing bad guys in jail is unfair, or something.

I Miss Living in a Civilized Society

This was not due to someone having a bad day. This is evil. Gas station clerk allegedly killed cop because he was 'having a bad day'

An “evil” gas station worker pumped 24 bullets into an off-duty Florida police officer — then blamed it “having a bad day,” authorities said as they charged him with murder.

He emptied his firearm, reloaded, and kept firing.

“When he arrived at work and saw Jewell, he used a handgun he recently purchased to shoot him multiple times at close range. He did not say anything to Jewell prior to shooting him.” [sheriff’s office statement on social media]

Edgewater, Florida, in Volusia County, is about 35 miles northeast of Orlando, though the drive will be longer than that distance.

This is not the fault of the gun. This is not the fault of the people who manufactured the gun, or the store that sold the gun. This is the fault of the monster that pulled the trigger.

Stellantis (Owner of Jeep et al) Suffers Data Breach

This is in the middle of their fight against Right-to-Repair laws, which they say would lead to data breaches. A Data Breach Reportedly Affecting 18 Million Customers Hits Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge Parent Company

The ShinyHunters cybercriminal group claimed responsibility on Monday and said that it had stolen more than 18 million Salesforce records from Stellantis.

The company has not said much, but the info is coming rom ShinyHunters. The only thing that is clear is that the data includes names and addresses.

ShinyHunters has been going after high-profile Salesforce customers since the beginning of the year by using voice phishing attacks to steal data. Google confirmed in June that ShinyHunters was responsible for a data breach affecting one of its own Salesforce databases that contained information about small and medium-sized businesses.

Their position on right-to-repair is basically, "Trust us." Yeah, not so much.

Hat tip to Louis Rossmann and his video Automaker suffers data breach during fearmongering ad campaign

Everyone Hates Disney

Disney has done something that I thought was not possible in 2025; they united both Progressives and Conservatives. Everyone Hates Disney Now - Echo Chamberlain's Substack. Disney just didn't unite them in a good way.

Conservatives hate the gender identity and the "not so secret gay agenda." Progressives are now up in arms because Disney has dialed that back, and then pulled Kimmel off the air (though that was mostly the affiliate station owners.) And I'm not sure reversing that helped.

Then there are the fans, the camp I fall into mostly when it comes to Disney. Fans of the stuff they bought, and destroyed.

Lucasfilm:

No decline has been more protracted than Lucasfilm’s. When Disney acquired Star Wars, it inherited a mythology that was, for decades, modern folklore. What followed under Kathleen Kennedy’s stewardship has been the slow, grinding commodification of that mythology into corporate paste.

The Force, once numinous and mysterious, has been flattened into an endlessly repurposed IP. Luke Skywalker: cinema’s definitive hero’s-journey protagonist, was reintroduced not as the courageous knight audiences remembered but as a bitter hermit, playing alongside Rey, an overpowered “Mary Sue” whose mastery seemed to require neither struggle nor growth.

Indiana Jones got exactly the same treatment in Dial of Dysentery. Exactly the same treatment, though Waller-Bridge was more insufferable than a Mary Sue.

Marvel:

Echo Chamberlain says that Marvel has been "rudderless" since Avengers: Endgame. I disagree. It has been carefully guided right into the iceberg, and then it sank.

The post-Endgame slate has been defined by declining quality, sagging coherence, and the creeping sense that identity politics drive more decisions than story.

Creeping sense? No. That is exactly what has been done. Deliberately. Consciously. Maliciously.

Anyway, I don't agree with everything he says, but it is an interesting take on the state of Disney, and if you take a step back, the state of Hollywood.

Domestic Violence Shooting in Georgia

Very little information has been provided, but I have seen a lot of similar stories, that I will make a guess. Domestic violence shooting in Warner Robins leaves man dead | Macon Telegraph

A 911 call came in saying that a man had been shot in Warner Robins, Georgia.

Officers from the Warner Robins Police Department were dispatched to the scene and found a man with “several gunshot wounds,” Stella said.

Warner Robins, Georgia is about a 15 mile drive south of Macon.

My guess is that his ex-partner was in the house where he showed up, and that he was mad about the "ex" part of that statement. Only his attempt to be intimidating, backfired.

In any event, self-defense is a human right.

Electric Scooter Battery Explodes

Don't store or charge electric vehicles in your home. And don't use aftermarket crap. Explosion at Ludlow home caused by electric scooter battery, officials say

The State Fire Marshal's Office says a lithium-ion battery from an electric scooter was the cause of a large fire at a Ludlow home on Tuesday afternoon.

According to investigators, the battery was failing to charge, and the homeowner used an aftermarket charger.

So instead of paying for new battery... I'm guessing this was a kid of the family living at the house in question.

The blaze broke out just before 4 p.m. at 56 Haviland St. There were no reports of any injuries, but flames could be seen shooting from the windows, causing significant property damage.

As for the recommendations going forward... After the usual "look both ways before crossing the street" level of recommendations...

"Always use the manufacturer's recommended equipment when charging lithium-ion batteries," State Fire Marshal Davine said. "Aftermarket accessories may not be compatible with the battery and have been associated with a rising number of fires."

Like I said, I would not have one of these in my house.

The Shooter yelled 'Free Palestine'

From Fox News: New Hampshire wedding shooter yelled 'Free Palestine,' witness says

The shooter who killed a man and wounded two other adults during a wedding at a New Hampshire country club on Saturday yelled "Free Palestine" as the chaos unfolded, a witness told The Associated Press.

Tom Bartelson of Pepperell, Massachusetts, told the outlet that he was at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua, New Hampshire, for his nephew’s wedding when he heard the individual say, "The children are safe," and, "Free Palestine." Bartelson added that the shooter appeared to be targeting someone.

Investigators say two things. One makes sense. One is the usual insanity.

1. There is no known connection between the guy who died, and the shooter
2. Investigators are unable to determine a motive.

It's a mystery to the authorities. I'm going to call it terror. Maybe I'm wrong. Hat tip goes to the Gunblog Blacklist and Langley Outdoors Academy.

Illinois's Fiscal Mess Is Trump's Fault

Illinois may have reached the end of kicking the can down the road. Gov. Pritzker orders 4% cuts across state agencies, blames federal policies | FOX 32 Chicago

Because decades of bad state policies couldn't possibly be an issue.

What we know: Pritzker signed an executive order requiring agencies to outline reductions within 30 days.

The cuts could include nonessential purchases, operational expenses and nonessential travel.

What "non-essential travel are Illinois taxpayers paying for?

Hat tip to Second City Cop: Welcome to "Suddenly"

In Ernest Hemingway 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises," the character Mike Campbell was asked about his money troubles and responded with....:

“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked.

“Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.”

And those disastrous policies?

"disastrous economic policies" that have led to all time stock market highs?

Health care and nutritional assistance that are rife with corruption and grift?

Tariffs that most experts agree aren't having nearly the downside that the panic peddlers on the left were hoping for, and are actually properly re-balancing world trade?

Turns Out You Really Can't Run an Economy on Rainbows and Unicorn Farts

But what about global boiling? Frantic California Trying to Stop Oil, Gas Companies From Fleeing

California is currently trying to "fast track" drilling permits. Of course I expect the usual suspects to sue over environmental something or other.

If this isn't a sterling example of "too little, too late," then there's no such beast. This goes well beyond the energy sector, of course. California's home prices, which are approximately at geosynchronous orbit right now, are a major problem. So are their nation's highest gas prices, their punitive taxes, the rampant crime in the major cities, and the endemic homeless enclaves. What's really amazing is that anyone remains in California at all.

There is a reason that U-Haul dubbed Newsom their #1 Salesman.

Turns out you need productive citizens for an economy to function.

Click thru.

And William Teach at Pirate's Cove has a post on the same issue. Surprise: Fossil Fuels Hating PRC Trying To Keep Fossil Fuels Companies From Leaving

I still maintain the companies should stop selling their products to the state government of the People’s Republic Of California. Stopping operations in the PRC will increase the cost of energy in the state, and moving operations to other states will deny a lot of tax money.

Joanne Chesimard Dead at 78

A lifetime of exile in Cuba for murdering a state trooper in New Jersey ended Thursday. How to Become a Good Communist : The Other McCain

JoAnne Deborah Byron, a/k/a JoAnne Chesimard, a/k/a Assata Shakur was a Communist, a murderer and a terrorist. She was still a fugitive from justice when she died Thursday in Havana, Cuba.

First let's review. From the Wiki (always a questionable source):

In 1977, she was convicted in the murder of state trooper Werner Foerster during a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973. She escaped from prison in 1979 and was wanted by the FBI, with a $1 million FBI reward for information leading to her capture, and an additional $1 million reward offered by the New Jersey attorney general.

People forget how crazy things were, or they never knew.

Given the extraordinary craziness of our own era, with political violence rampant and apparently increasing, many people have forgotten how crazy things were in the 1970s. Back when I was in middle school and high school, you had all kinds of wacky radicals running around. The nation had gone through a series of crises — the drama of the Civil Rights Era, the assassination of JFK, the Vietnam War, etc. — and a lot of people couldn’t handle the stress and just lost their minds.

There is a lot more. Click Thru.

I guess the 1970s were long ago, and JoAnne Chesimard/Assata Shakur was forgotten. Otherwise I can't explain why wasn't she pardoned by the AutoPen?

Saturday Roundup of Link Roundups - 27 September

Animal Magnetism is first with Animal’s Hump Day News

Amen, and amen.
Not long.
Bill Maher keeps making sense.

The Right Way - Top of the News

All The UN Crap Going On Today - IOTW Report
“Chickens coming home” – again - The New Neo

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 09.24.25

Don Surber: Trump UN-bound
First Street Journal: Good News: 2 Million Illegals Gone In 250 Days

EBL - 4 people shot, including shooter, at Dallas ICE facility...

Instapundit: PJ Media: What we know about the shooter, Media Depravity, and Dem rhetoric fueling violence
Legal Insurrection: Dallas Shooting: Anti-ICE message

The Glibertarians - Wednesday Morning Links

Girl Shot in the Head in Minneapolis Church Attack Is Making ‘Miraculous’ Progress, Family Says
Pregnant Liberal Women Post Videos Downing Tylenol to Own Trump

Political Hat - Quick Takes – Pushed To Die: Coercion In Canada; By Proscription In Oregon; Hastening Death For ALS

Increasingly in Canada, people are agreeing to euthanasia because dying they are vulnerable people driven to death by legally sanctioned killers.

Small Dead Animals - Wednesday On Turtle Island

The Democratic Party’s America: Charlie Kirk and Islam. Jimmy Kimmel is back. VDH – Morality.
Stories You Won’t Find At Carney’s CBC: People with ovaries.

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 09.25.25

Matt Taibbi: No, Things Aren’t Worse Now On Speech – It’s Not Even Close
Outkick: Auburn AD John Cohen Slams SEC For Referee Screwup In Oklahoma Game

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 26 September 2025: Steak And Kidney Tau Edition

Meanwhile over at Beelink's online store, the Me Mini is selling at one third off MSRP - cut from $329 to just $209. (Beelink)
Since I was already considering one when supply reached Australia

Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog - LinkSwarm For September 26, 2025

“Democrats cast 58 “noes” on simple vote to honor Charlie Kirk’s life, condemn his assassination.” They couldn’t even do that.
Here’s the list of shame.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 9/24/2025

Gunman Opens Fire on Secretive Air Force Base Home to Area 51
A gunman opened fire outside of an Air Force base in Nevada linked to Area 51, according to police.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 09.26.25

Victory Girls: Democrats Cozy Up To Hamas Collaborators At Dearborn Hate Fest
Watts Up With That: Pouring Money Down The CO2 Drain

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Big Jim Comey Indicted

From Twitchy, Catherine Herridge Thinks THIS Is the (Alleged) Lie That Triggered James Comey’s Indictment and Kash Patel's Statement In the Wake of James Comey's Indictment Is Going to Rattle a LOT of Nerves.

Flopping Aces - The Week in Radical Leftism – 09/26/2025 – Back to The Nation!

Yes. Can we get The Radical Left to stop threatening us Normals?
The NFL Is Trump’s America—and It’s Invading Ireland

Vlad Tepes - John Carpay piece on the CBC, Dearborn is pretty much captured, ANTIFA getting arrested, more: Links 1 for Sept. 26, 2025

1. This is a truly seminal piece of video. A mayor wanting to celebrate a resident leaving the city because the resident, the citizen, objected to naming a street after an Islamic terrorist.

Maggie's Farm - Wednesday morning links

US's Poorest State Is Only $2K Yr From Overtaking Germany's Yearly Per Capita
Why Marco Rubio Obliterated ABC News' George Stephanopoulos

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 9/25/25

The left is the party of violence. Now has blood of even illegal aliens its hands.
Anti-ICE protester murders two illegal aliens in Dallas

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 09/24/2025

Google on Tuesday promised to restore YouTube accounts that have been banned for political speech, admitting that the Biden administration pressured it to censor Americans that did not violate the company’s terms of service

I leave you with Wednesday's gifs from Wirecutter, Midweek Memes from Granite Grok, Quick Hits Of Wisdom, Knowledge And Snark #2985 from 90 Miles From Tyranny, and Let's Hear It For Libturd Thursday ~ PM from Woodsterman.

The "Professional Journalist" Wants You To Feel Sorry for the Felon

I'm sorry for his family, but maybe they should have tried to raise him differently. 15-year-old fatally shot during "robbery gone bad," Detroit police say; 2 in custody - CBS Detroit

That 15-year-old kid was the robber.

A 15-year-old was attempting to rob a man in his 20s, who has a concealed pistol license and was armed, when the teen was fatally shot, officials said.

Officers found the teen around four blocks from where they initially responded.

It is a hard lesson, but if you try to rob people, you might run into someone who is also armed.

Transit Violence Around the Nation

They want to force people (they call it "encourage") to ride transit, but it isn't safe. Transit violence surges across US cities with deadly attacks nationwide | Fox News

The killing of a commuter aboard a North Carolina train is the latest act of violence affecting the United States’ public transit systems, as reports of other attacks continue to alarm riders.

While the death of Iryna Zarutska shined a light on the state of transit, it isn't the first incident.

Things were so bad in New York City that Governor Hochul sent the National Guard into the subway in March of last year. They are still there. That was a good thing. A Democrat using the National Guard for law enforcement in crime-ridden, blue city. When Trump did it in Washington DC that was bad, because reasons.

A New York City subway rider was killed after being set on fire while sleeping on a train in Brooklyn last year.

Debrina Kawam, 57, was asleep on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station when a man, later identified as Sebastian Zapeta, 33, allegedly approached her before pulling out a lighter and setting her clothes on fire. Surveillance video of the attack shows Kawam standing up while engulfed in flames.

There are more incidents from Daniel Penny and Jordan Neely, to an incident in Chicago. Click thru.

I miss living in a civilized society.

Coyote

If you know Mark Knopfler it is from his work with Dire Straits. I would have assumed that everyone knows Dire Straits a few years back, but it has been pointed out that the younger generations are genuinely surprised we had music back in the dark ages before Google.

But even those who know Dire Straits might not be familiar with his solo work. I willing to bet not many know of the country music he created with his band the Notting Hillbillies.

This song is "Coyote" by Mark Knopfler from his 2002 album The Ragpicker's Dream. A bit of Folk Rock should go down nicely while we wait for the coffee to take hold.

Media Spin and the Comey Indictment

The Other McCain asks ‘Revenge for What, Brian?’

The coverage on CNN — and all the other mainstream media — frames the story the same way: Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted by a grand jury because of “Trump’s revenge.” The context of what Comey actually did is an afterthought, if mentioned at all, and the accusation of perjury and obstruction is treated as if were just commonplace for senior government officials to lie under oath and attempt to conceal evidence.

Click thru for the meme, if nothing else.

There are times when memes are the best weapons.

They seem to forget that the shoe was on the other foot just a few years ago, and they went wild indicting people, for nothing in a lot of cases.

Friday Links - 26 September

Miguel Gonzalez starts things off with a stark warning for conservatives. Just a quick note.

The Left is doubling down demanding our demise.

Our side is still trying to “debate” because that is what rational people do. [SNIP]

Stop being polite.

Clayton Cramer - Finally Back in the Shop. Hit the big yellow button to support his work.

I spent a couple weeks writing rebuttals to 16 expert declarations for May v. Bonta. A little background: California had no choice after Bruen but to go shall-issue on concealed weapon permits. So, like other states in this conundrum, they declared a big part of the state "sensitive places," where CCWs would not be valid.

Doug Ross - The Illustrated Spygate Scandal - Part XVI

John Brennan's order to include false reporting in the Intelligence Community Assessment over CIA officers' objections was the smoking gun that proved the Obama administration was manufacturing rather than assessing intelligence. Brennan was forcing analysts to support political narratives.

William Teach at Pirate's Cove - Good News: 2 Million Illegals Gone In 250 Days

I was told that the only thing that could be done was pass a law that would have shut *wink wink* the border down when daily encounters exceeded 4,000 a day.

Again from Clayton Cramer - If Everyone You Disagree With is Hitler, Then This Makes Perfect Sense

Did Mr. Anti-ICE kill some "undocumented immigrants?" Yes.

Again from William Teach - NY Times: US Isolation On Display During UN Climate Week Or Something

Weirdly, the Paper Of Record forgot to mention all the long fossil fueled trip, mostly on private jets, world leaders took to NYC

The Other McCain - J.D. Vance on Shooting at Dallas ICE Facility: ‘It Is Time to Stop the Rhetorical Assault on Law Enforcement’

A 29-year-old lunatic named Joshua Jahn — a criminal, a drug addict and, perhaps not coincidentally, a Democratic primary voter — opened fire on an ICE facility in Dallas early Wednesday morning. The attack killed two immigrant detainees and wounded a third; Jahn committed suicide before he could be apprehended.

Irons in the Fire - "If you conservatives do something, the left might hit you back in the future!"

Ever notice how many of their threats are "Don't make us do it to you again!" ?

Don Surber - Tylenol agreed with Trump

On March 7, 2017, Tylenol tweeted, “We actually don’t recommend using any of our products while pregnant. Thank you for taking the time to voice your concerns today.”

That was 8 years ago.

Again from The Other McCain - Dallas ICE Shooter’s Motive: ‘Terror’

He’s dead, but his motive is no longer in doubt:

Another Failure of the Victim-Selection Process

If you break into homes, you will eventually find an armed homeowner. Gwinnett County homeowner kills man accused of breaking into residence, police say - CBS Atlanta

The suspect, police said, entered through the rear of the house and was immediately confronted by the residents inside. A 911 call was made, and when officers arrived, they surrounded the home before entering the residence to arrest the suspect.

They couldn't arrest him, because he was already dead.

Detectives believe the homeowner had already shot the man accused of burglarizing the residence. Crime scene investigators are speaking with witnesses and collecting evidence.

Gwinnett County, Georgia is part of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, with the county line being about 13 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, though it would be a slightly longer drive.

Cops don't make the determination of who is charged, and the investigation is just beginning, but they didn't arrest anyone.

The High Cost of Insuring Electric Vehicles

There is a myth propagated by the EV industry, and its hangers-on that EVs are simple compared to ICE or Internal Combustion Engines. New data uncover another hidden cost of EV ownership: high insurance premiums

That idea that EVs are "simple" is popular with people who can barely change a light bulb, and have no clue about things like amperage, resistance, chemistry of battery technology, what actually goes in to regenerative breaking systems, and the like. It's a battery and an electric motor.

In truth, what electric cars have become is disposable items, like your old cellphone. Use it until the battery is no good, and then chuck it in a drawer or take it to recycle. And like your iPhone, if there is any damage, it really difficult to repair.

The insurance premiums on electric vehicles are, on average, a whopping 49% higher than those for gas-powered cars, according to new data from the digital insurance platform Insurify.

The article does go into the financial considerations about paying those premiums, and how the ongoing costs ARE a factor. But eventually they get to the real issue.

Battery-powered cars cost more to insure because they have higher sticker prices, are more easily damaged and require specific parts for repairs, Taliesin said. A fender bender that would be a simple fix on a traditional vehicle could require an expensive and lengthy repair on an EV to mend the battery and recalibrate the car and its sensors.

If the car is not just written off for the price of the battery.

This started with a story from the UK. Inability to repair EV batteries could cause insurance to spike.

EV drivers told premiums will rise until battery repairs are more feasible

Again. The idea that EVs are less complicated than internal combustion engines is a fairy tale. In particular, the batteries are a bomb, waiting to happen. It is hard to repair a bomb. And it is an expensive bit of kit to replace.

This is because the component is worth up to 55% of the value of a new EV – and more as the vehicle ages and depreciates. As a result, some EVs that sustain damage to their battery in an accident are being written off.

If a fender bender results in any damage to the battery case, it needs to be replaced in most cases.

When I first moved back to Ohio in 2011 or 2012, I hit an unexpected bump and bottomed out the car I was driving on some railroad tracks, damaging the transmission cover and gasket. It was then leaking transmission oil all over the place. The repair was, if memory serves, somewhere around a thousand bucks, for a new pan, gasket, oil, and installation. It took a day. It was not worth going through insurance because it was about my deductible, plus I never go through insurance if I can avoid it. There was no long-term harm done to the vehicle, which I drove for a few more years before I upgraded to a really big, four-wheel-drive SUV.

That interaction with an electric vehicle would likely have turned the battery into a dangerous fire hazard. Well, they are dangerous fire hazards, but it would have increased the danger, causing the battery to need replacement.

The hat tip for that UK insurance story goes to MGUY Australia and his video 💰💰Why INSURANCE costs for EVs will continue to INCREASE 💰💰.

A Civil Conversation about Guns

A long-ish video from Professor David Yamane. Guns in America: A Civil Conversation in Uncivil Times

The San Luis Obispo Chapter of the California Rifle and Pistol Association hosted Professor Yamane early in the summer. It is a 45 minute presentation by the Professor. So plan accordingly.

How a liberal college professor, native to deep blue California, became a gun owner, in North Carolina, and how he tries to bring some sanity to the often insane screaming around gun rights and gun control. You should be reading his work, and watching his videos. And that includes his book, Gun Curious: A Liberal Professor’s Surprising Journey Inside America’s Gun Culture.

This is the video GUNS IN AMERICA: A CIVIL CONVERSATION IN UNCIVIL TIMES (Light Over Heat #136). I think it is worth your time, if you can find the time.

Concealed Carry in Chicago Stops Domestic Violence

This does not sound like a nice man. CCL holder shoots, kills man trying to break into West Side apartment

He showed up at an apartment and tried to break in by kicking in the back door. The woman, who was home with her two kids, called the police and a relative who was armed. The relative got there before police did.

The man allegedly continued trying to get into the apartment, breaking a bedroom window and threatening to kill the family inside, sources told WGN-TV. The 28-year-old relative, who has a valid CCL, fired toward the man, hitting him multiple times.

The guy who got shot did not survive.

Of course they had to interview a neighbor, who had absolutely no information on the incident, but could be the generic "shocked neighbor." It has to be in the Professional Journalist Playbook, or something. It never ads anything to the story.

As for the guy who got shot...

According to arrest records, the 33-year-old has been arrested 64 times in Chicago since 2009 and has 11 convictions stemming from those cases. Close to two dozen of those arrests were for domestic battery and violation of an order of protection.

This was always going to end with either him dead, or the woman and her kids dead.

And how is that Criminal Justice Reform working out? He was arrested on August 23rd, for domestic battery, and held. But another judge granted him release on August 31st. This is the completely predictable outcome of events.

This being Chicago, the Professional Journalist™ is surprised, or seems to be, that no charges were announced against the woman who shot this monster. But concealed carry and self-defense is relatively new to Chicago, and completely alien to the media and the Left, but I repeat myself.

You can find the WGN broadcast story on YouTube at this link. Hat tip goes to USA Carry.

Self-defense is a human right.

Journalists Have No Clue About Firearms

Oh no. The gun is older than you thought. From Miguel Gonzalez: A World War I Ghost Gun has been discovered!

The gun the assassin who killed Charlie Kirk used is described as "Grandpa's gun" in several of his messages. It is a Mauser bolt action rifle that was designed sometime before the First World War, in the days before serial numbers were required. That has the media and the Left, but I repeat myself, in hysterics. Why? Because it cannot be traced.

My question is: the gun was used by Asshole [REDACTED] whose father recognized from the photos published by the authorities and it was the rifle that belonged' to the grandfather. What more tracing/tracking do you need?

This isn't about tracing a particular firearm. This is about controlling all firearms, knowing where they are, so they can be confiscated, and the journalists, and the Left (but I repeat myself) have discovered a whole class of firearms that don't fit their preconception.

Forget caliber, forget ballistics, forget accuracy and even forget the ability of the shooter. It is the lack of serial numbers that makes a bolt action rifle super duper deadly compared to the ones that sport a number. That is the same ATF logic (or lack thereof) that tells everybody that a rifle with a 16 inch barrel is perfectly safe in the hands of civilians, but a rifle with a 15 and 7/8 inch rifle is so dangerous, the safety of the nation hangs by a thread and can murder millions of nuns and orphans with a pull of the trigger.

It's as if the media doesn't know the first thing about firearms, and can't be bothered to learn.

As one of the commenters to the post linked above pointed out... Serial numbers were not required by law until the 1960s, and so the government has no way to trace anything before then. But the rifle probably has a serial number. This was manufactured by the Germans after all. US arms from the WWI are serialized. The M1911 pistol (developed in 1911) were all serialized for the US military. That doesn't mean you can trace them. You can determine - usually - where they were made, and how much they are worth.

Another 3D Printed Gun

Again from Impro Guns, we get an example of a homemade firearm. 3D Printed Submachine Gun (Brazil)

This one seems to be a variation on the Professor Parabellum open-bolt submachine gun. It resembles the venerable Grease Gun from WWII. Click thru for the photo.

Not all of the gun is 3D Printed. The barrels of these guns are typically made from hydraulic tube. The breach and bolt from round bar stock, or steel bolts, and so forth.

This example appears to be 9mm, with a folding stock and a vertical foregrip. It also sports a red dot site on a Picatinny rail.

The Professor Parabellum firearms are not new, even if 3D printing is. Most of them can be constructed by your average shade tree mechanic, with a few of them requiring one or two machined parts, usually lathe-turned parts. Most require nothing more elaborate than a drill press.

One of the things 3D printing has produced is a way to rifle a barrel by way of electrochemical machining. Even if building a sine bar rifling machine is also with the capability of most weekend mechanics. Sine bar rifling produces better results, or it can anyway.

Wednesday Link Roundup - 24 September

William Teach at Pirate's Cove starts us off with Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

1. Liberty’s Torch: A Brilliant Explication
2. Moonbattery: Vagina Museum Suspends Sales to USA

Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 09.22.25

Cedar Sanderson: I’m A Quitter
Stoic Observations: Idolatry & Fear also, Blazkowicz – Nazi Killer

EBL - MAGA: Charlie Kirk Memorial ☀️

RedState: Update on suspicious man taken into custody
Legal Insurrection: Watch Charlie Kirk Memorial

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 23 September 2025: Steamed Hams Edition

Have you already scratched your hugely expensive iPhone 17 Pro Max. Yes. Yes you have. (The Verge)
Meanwhile my $120 Moto G14 is in pristine condition.

Small Dead Animals - Monday On Turtle Island

The Democratic Party’s America: Free Palestine. Somalis get busted. Dems reject Charlie Kirk.
Conman Carney’s Canada: Dying to get out. Queer Calgary. Mohammad Carney rewards Hamas.

Political Hat - News of the Week (September 21st, 2025)

Anti-Gunners Cheer as California Glock Ban Heads to Newsom’s Desk
It’s only been a couple of months since California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared he’s not anti-gun during an interview with podcaster Shawn Ryan

Vlad Tepes - Ezra on Carney’s unilateral recognition of ‘Palestine’, Pat Condell asks for a Christian response to Islam and more: Links 1 for Sept. 21, 2025

4. Fred Hahn, a high-ranking official in the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), earns a salary of $211,000 annually, which contrasts sharply with his public stance against capitalism and income inequality

Wombat-socho again - In The Mailbox: 09.23.25 (Afternoon Edition)

CDR Salamander: Japan’s Ship Classification Gets Too Clever By Half – And I Like It
Dana Loesch: For Charlie

A View from the Beach - Flotsam and Jetsam - Kirk Still Dead, Kimmel is Back Sort Of, Trump RFK Claim Acetaminophen Linked to Autism

From Twitchy, USDA Atty. Ashley Jamieson Fired for Cheering Charlie Kirk's Death, Not Her Pity Party Excuses. From the College Fix, UF law professor’s emeritus status yanked over post about Trump, Charlie Kirk.

Don Surber - Highlights of the Week

ITEM 10: Hot Air reported, “Crime is Still Down in Washington, DC.”
Democrats are down too.

The Glibertarians - Sunday Morning Wonderful World of Color Links

This story got buried quickly. And the “Free Palestine” part may be a hint as to why.
This has to be parody.
For the UN, this is a feature not a bug.

Gates of Vienna - News Feed 9/20/2025

Gun That Killed Charlie Kirk is WWI-Era Rifle That May be Untraceable
The gun Tyler Robinson allegedly used to assassinate Charlie Kirk was so old that it predated serial number mandates — making the weapon impossible to track.

Again from Wombat-socho - In The Mailbox: 09.23.25 (Evening Edition)

Don Surber: Food stamp cheating states
First Street Journal: Youts Sue Federal Government Over Hotcoldwetdry

Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog - Democrats Successfully Resupply Dien Bien Phu For Another Month

Nexstar and Sinclair have confirmed that Jimmy Kimmel Live will not be returning to the air on their affiliates after Kimmel’s lies about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, so all Disney/ABC will do by bringing it back is to temporarily mollify outraged leftists while losing even more money.

Maggie's Farm - Monday morning links

“Law Enforcement is a Sickness” Says Chicago Mayor With Over 1,500 Shootings
Was Kirk ‘Divisive’—or Did He Simply Say What Millions Believe?
Far-Left Protesters Will Not Be Satisfied Until France Collapses

J.J. Sefton at Ace of Spades HQ - The Morning Report — 9/22/25

Victor Davis Hanson: When merit is replaced with ideology, fires rage unchecked, killers walk free, and fragile systems collapse—leaving lives and cities in ruin.
Why Our Systems Collapse

Doug Ross - Larwyn’s Linx: Report: Soros Funneled $80m To Groups Praising Violent Protests

• 'Western' Countries Blasted for Rewarding Hamas Terrorism Katie Pavlich
• We Can’t Debate Our Way Out of This Daniel Greenfield

Anonymous Conservative - News Briefs – 09/23/2025

White House Spox Says Biden’s Weaponized FBI Tried to Entrap Tom Homan With Bribe; ‘He Never Took the $50,000.’ Presumably Kash has checked the files, to be sure Homan has not bullshitted Trump.

I leave you with The Week In Pictures: Party of Peace Edition from Power Line, Fucking Mondays..... gifdump from Wirecutter, Monday Memes from Granite Grok, and Monday Memes … from MaddMedic.

Bear Killed in Florida Home

Fall is when bears are searching for food. 'Pure fear for me': Bear shot dead in bathroom after causing chaos in Central Florida home

How it started:

A quiet rural neighborhood off Ponderosa Avenue turned into a scene of chaos Friday when a bear broke into a home and was shot dead inside the bathroom.

Zeke Clark says it all started when a bear wandered through his garage door, which then automatically shut behind it, trapping the animal inside.

"You can tell the bear freaked out," Clark said. "There was a bunch of damage in here because he could not get out."

From there the bear ended up in a bathroom, and the homeowner closed the door. As the bear was trying to get out of the bathroom, he shot it. It is more complicated than that. Click thru for details.

Lake County, Florida is north and west of Orlando. The county actually wraps around Orange County a bit. Orlando is in Orange County. If you drive about 15 miles north from downtown Orlando, you will be in Lake County. Also if you drive a similar distance west of downtown Orlando, you will find yourself in Lake County.

The homeowner is upgrading all of his security in hopes this doesn't happen again.

The Florida Wildlife Commission put the following into an email:

FWC Law Enforcement documented evidence of damage to the exterior doors consistent with entry by a bear," said the FWC spokesperson. FWC Bear Management staff will canvass the community for awareness and education, as well as monitor the area for additional bear activity of concern.

There are recommendations for dealing with the active bears. Click thru.

Larry Correia and the Old Rules

Miguel Gonzalez reads F*c*book, so we don't have to. Larry Correia: We Had Rules

From a F*c*book post by Larry Correia, author of the Monster Hunter International series of books, and so much more.

We had rules.

We lived by the rules.

The left did not.

The left changed the rules.

We tried to stop them from changing the rules.

We warned them not to change the rules.

They changed the rules anyway.

They got people fired for stupid stuff, because they offended some blue-hair on the Left. They called everyone, not just Trump, but starting with Trump, a Fascist because they didn't agree with them. Look at what they did to Far-Leftist J.K. Rowling over 1 disagreement reguarding Leftist doctrine.

So spare me the mealy mouthed moral equivalence crap. Because these motherfuckers got Mexicans fired for making the OK sign as white supremacy. They did nonsensical shit like that for a decade, they can fucking suffer for a few days for promoting murder.

There is a lot more. Click thru.

Reference Point

Acoustic Alchemy isn't a band I go searching for, but it does turn up from time to time on the various music streaming services I use. I do like their music. I'm not sure why I have never really pursued their music.

This song is "Reference Point" by Acoustic Alchemy from their 1996 album Arcanum.

An Anniversary

This is what I had to say 21 years ago. Thursday, September 23, 2004

The end of the so-called Assault Weapons Ban has seen more spin coming out of the left, than you can shake a stick at. The media has been bemoaning the fact that we will soon see automatic weapons everywhere. Of course, the Clinton gun ban didn't touch on automatic weapons at all. These are covered (present tense) by the National Firearms Act of 1934 - which is still in place.

I hope this will be a blogging clearing house for the real deal about this and other lies of the left.

Zendo Deb - 357 Magnum owner

In the days before F*c*book was available to anyone on the internet. Google was still a reasonable way to get information off the internet. Before the first iPhone was released. Was it a more civilized time? Not sure.

I was living on my boat in Florida. (That photo isn't MY boat; it is the photo from the brochure for the production year, or the year before.) Sailing vessel Zendo. It was fun while it lasted.

More Calls to Violence By Antifa

From Andy Ngo at Ngo Comment we get the following news from the Tolerant Left™. 'Kill Andy Ngo': In the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination, Antifa have been calling for me to be next

A Portland Antifa member with a history of violent extremism has posted a threatening video of himself shooting up photos of me and Charlie Kirk.

Andy Ngo has been beaten by Antifa twice, and finally moved out of the country because he no longer believes that it is safe for him to live in America. That is the world the Left has created.

Since Charlie Kirk’s assassination on Sept. 10, the atmosphere has turned more violent on the left. Conservative figures — including myself — have been targeted with a new wave of death threats from those emboldened by the murder. Antifa Ireland posted: “Ngo next?”

There is more; click thru.

This has got to stop.

Tuesday Links - 23 September

Meep at STUMP is first up with the latest bad news from Chicago. Chicago Pension Squeeze: Fire Pensions Get a Loan as Tax Revenue Delayed; Pritzker Warned Against Signing Sweetener Bill, Signed Anyway

Some of this is both misleading and accurate. It’s not a crisis, by the way (yet), but it is a function of the Chicago fire pensions being deeply underfunded.

William Teach at Pirate's Cove - Buffalo Is Not Sure It Can Be A Climate Doom Refuge Or Something

They’re serious. No, really. They are seriously discussing this claptrap. Loony tunes. Buffalo could not survive without fossil fuels.

The Other McCain - Collective Grievance, Collective Guilt, Collective Rage: A Case Study

Just doing my part to stoke grassroots discontent and demoralization. Anyway . . .

Professor David Yamane at Light Over Heat - Does Self-Defense Insurance Promote Gun Violence?

The proposition is ridiculous on its face.

Like owning guns for self-defense, having self-defense insurance is akin to Pascal’s Wager: It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Firearms News - Democrats' Attack on Civilian Marksmanship Expansion Plays on Fears with Lies

Left Wingers in Congress Equate Marksmanship Training with Gang Banging

Andy Ngo at Ngo Comment - Antifa Made a Board Game Modeled on Their Real-Life Violent Tactics

Antifa: The Game lets players roleplay as militants with butcher knives, hackers and vandals. It sold out in France.

Wombat-socho - FMJRA 2.0: Draft Delays

Tax season is just a few months away and I really need to buckle down and take care of my continuing education.

Jews Can Shoot - Charlie Kirk’s Second Amendment Legacy: Defending the Right to Bear Arms

Charlie Kirk, the late founder of Turning Point USA, never minced words about the Second Amendment. To him, it wasn’t a hobbyist’s amendment, nor a negotiable clause to be whittled away by lawmakers. It was the bedrock of American liberty, the one right that ensures all others. “There is no 1st without the 2nd,” he often declared — and he meant it.

Again from William Teach - NY Times: Being An Un-Funny Comic Is Dangerous Today Or Something

Maybe they were tanked because they aren’t funny and turned their shows into political shows, where every guest is bashing Trump and half the country, where there is no light-hearted late night entertainment, and the shows lose lots of money? Where advertisers in smaller markets saw no monetary value to having the shows on? Someone show me the humor. Was it the insane pro-COVID dance skit that Colbert did?

Pixy Misa at Ambient Irony - Daily News Stuff 21 September 2025: Inexpensive Edition

There isn't an AI bubble. There are three separate and distinct AI bubbles all happening at the same time. (Fast Company)

As the article explains, there's an asset bubble, an infrastructure bubble, and a hype bubble, and while they all interact and reinforce each othe

Miguel Gonzalez - Embarrassing Clown Show

I have no idea who thought this was a smart thing to do. I will tell you that none of the ammo-less weapons remained in the hands of the “milicianos” after the clown show was over.

Meep at STUMP - The Week in Meep: The Mortality Thief, St. Matthew the Apostle, Some Walks in the Park

Bottomline (and we finance folks are all about the bottomline): while there are actuarial/finance/risk-related details in the novel, it’s a thriller set in the heart of London.

Pushing People Past the Tipping Point

Da Techguy's (no longer backup) Blog has some thoughts on the Leftist insanity of the past decade, and what might happen if you push people who just want to be left alone. “And Then They Will Fear You”

The Left have had their way for a long time. Changing the rules of civilization. Changing the rules of language. Most people just wanted to be left alone.

For the last 10 to 15 years or even more the woke mind virus has held ordinary Americans in fear of saying the wrong thing, or expressing an approved opinion. We had not reached the point of England where people were getting arrested but the fear was palatable and most of all those who perpetuated this fear to control us kept pushing in order to give the illusion, backed up by media and culture, that they were the overwhelming majority.

It could be something as simple as not putting out a Trump sign because you didn’t want your car keyed or your house egged, or keeping your mouth shut while a leftist ranted on at work about Trump being a Nazi.

It is easier to go along to get along. Until it isn't.

It’s generally a bad idea to push a well armed population beyond their endurance, because people eventually decide they’ve had enough and once you push a person who only wants to be left alone past that point bad things tend to happen.

And that brings us to the aftermath of the murder of Charlie Kirk.

But after a decade or more of tuning violent criminals and/or crazy psychopaths loose to murder women like Iryna Zarutska, and after the murder of Charlie Kirk, you have to realize that the rules you are living under no longer meet your definition of civilization.

Now mind you, they have a perfect right to hate Charlie Kirk, they have a perfect right to say they’re glad he’s dead, either at home or in private or public conversations, they even have the right to post what they did. It’s not a criminal offense and I would object to anyone being prosecuted for such a thing.

We also have rights, and when you go on a public platform, and appear in the public square and in our workspaces or in a place where our children are being taught and publicly celebrate assassination, not because they’re a terrorist or that we’re at war with an enemy or because a person is a gangster or mafia guy to whom such a thing is an occupational hazard, but because you disagree with the person’s political opinions and dared to openly and effectively debate others, then we have the right to very publicly call you out.

I hope it stops at "the calling you out" stage. I don't think it will.