September 14, 2015 - Visit our Facebook page

Volume 4
Issue 37A
September 14, 2015
Take One
It’s Free
“One Nation Under God”
Putnam Co. Edition
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. If we are to guard against ignorance and
remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.” - Thomas Jefferson
Residents and Commissioners asked what this engines are required to be replaced on a
Ever wonder about this upstart paper?
Over 650 print copies 200+ electronic weekly would do for the residents of Interlachen and ten year cycle. He states “ISO ratings”
That is said to be more than “the other papers” were told by EOC director Quin Romay and translate into fire insurance costs or
County Commissioner Karl Flagg that the new full savings making chasing for low ISO
County Commissioners know YOU READ THIS !
time employees would be able to respond to any numbers almost mandatory.
fire quickly and allow the 2 man in- 2 man out rule
Want your American Patriot News every week?
I spent over four hours trying to verify
of firefighting at the scene. The other selling point some basic building blocks of the argument
It is a color pdf version: send a “subscribe” to
of the increased tax would be a reduced
[email protected]
for more “stuff”. One of several sources,
insurance rate for homeowners due to a lowered
(On line version has more politics / national news)
www.FireServiceInfo.com provides:
ISO rating.
Residents responded with their
Where to find papers? www.ampatriotnew.com
“ISO- Insurance Service Office- This is a,
Friday was September 11th – It is hard to own concerns and some facts that were for profit, organization that provides
misrepresented by the County. According to one
realize but those 13 and 14 year old junior high
resident, the insurance company he uses would statistical information on risk. For many
school students were not alive when Bin Laden
years the "ISO Rating" had a large impact
& gang took down the towers, the Pentagon and not change the rate with the new ISO rating on most fire departments. The ISO (PPC))
wanted the White House. The radical Islamists because the insurance companies are using rating are from 10 to 1, with "1" being the
were thinking they would take down our financial different methods for evaluating fire risk now.
Another resident and fire training instructor best. At one time, almost all insurance
infrastructure then our entire nation.
Other than a number, our youth needs to Barbara Weaver suggested the County modify companies calculated rates based upon the
understand there are folk out there who want to their proposal for paid firefighters to include ALL ISO rating. ISO would come to your city
VOLUNTEERS. According to her, and others, and to assess [ask lots of questions then
hurt everyone for no specific reason.
volunteers are overlooked for retention and issue] a Public Protection Classification.
Watch the video only if you care to learn
about science and fact of 9/11 (APN Editor) upgraded equipment. The new paid positions They would then sell this data to the
would essentially be a slap in the face of insurance companies.
volunteers who have put in hundreds of hours of
But now ISO ratings might have very
training and firefighting for a meager 4-8 dollars little, if any, effect on insurance
per call if they show up on scene.
premium rates in many states. Some
According to City Commissioner Dwayne
insurance companies have discontinued
Corbin, the increased tax would amount to a 48%
purchasing ISO data and using it to
increased tax rate on properties in Interlachen. At
the current rate of .7425 the collected tax is calculate rates. Instead of using a
$36,060 and at the increased rate of 1.1 it would theoretical risk evaluation they have opted
be $53,432. He and others thought it was unfair for a system where they use the actual loss
to tax their residents for services used by others. within a zip code. (This includes all losses
The whole problem is the high turnover due to fire, flood, lightening, hail, etc.)”
“Many departments, especially rural
rate of volunteers and the increasing percentage
of missed calls. There was a grant used by EOC ones, use the structure of the ISO rating
for retention and recruitment of $360,000 that system as a way to justify resources in
netted a 6 person gain. I agree with the budget discussions.” “Fire departments
volunteers that they are not appreciated by the fear,
that
without
ISO's
influence,
staff and officers responsible for their retention. convincing cities to buy equipment, or hire
The paid firefighters would be a waste of money personnel, will be harder.”
as they could not put out a fire without the http://www.fireserviceinfo.com/iso.html
volunteers and they could not be in two places at
An extensive 2008 study by Clay
the same time.
County – just up the street from us –
A better solution is to pay the volunteers
determined there were no savings to
more money for responding to a fire. Right now
those with the highest training get $8.00 for a call homeowners for what would have been a
they show up to. If that number was increased to $434,320 investment to improve their ISO
$40.00 it would still be cheaper than employing PPC rating from 5 to 4.
12 full time employees which would not be able to http://www.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo41895.pdf
There is raging debate concerning the
respond to more than 3 fires at one time. The
volunteers who have quit might decide that the National Fire Protection Association section
increased income is worth their effort and come 1971 and other standards recommending a
back. Retention would be higher from the start. 10 year replacement schedule on bunker
This suggestion falls on deaf ears however. The gear. One such comment:
volunteers have made it clear what their problems
“The problem with the NFPA standard is
are and given staff the solution, only to be ignored it doesn't take into account the service life
as staff goes forward with their own plan is directly tied into the hours and miles of
apparently oblivious to the underlying problems. usage on the vehicle. A pumper in a city
There is always a better solution when those in dept. that runs 10,000 calls a year is
charge are truly ready to listen.
certainly going to need replacement sooner
Editor’s Note: Events reported above are part of a than a pumper from a rural vollie dept. that
larger County wide continuing drama. The
runs
150
calls
a
year.
AE911Truth.org
municipality of Crescent City has commented that
We usually get 20 - 25 years life out of
by the time a Satsuma based fire truck arrives
Interlachen Town Council
our apparatus. They are still usable at that
any structure there would be hot coals and ashes
Rejects Fire Tax Increase
as they ponder the wisdom of Mutual Service Unit point, but maintenance cost start rising and
By: Robert Bley
fire taxes. County leaders will be hard pressed to parts availability decreases. Our current
tanker is 23 years old and will be replaced
County Commissioners Karl Flagg and Larry create alternative plans if Crescent City revolts.
in the next two years.”
Harvey attended the Interlachen City Council
http://www.firehouse.com/forums/t103399/
meeting Tuesday night. The big issue on the
Fire Taxes:
YET my insurance broker reported: “ISO has
agenda was the increased fire tax proposed by
been the major player in home owner rates since
Is it simply a
the County. This was the second time the same
I’ve been working here (1981). 90 + % of the
issue had been placed on the agenda and the
Sales Job?
companies I’ve dealt with use ISO protection
second time it was rejected by City
The
Putnam class ratings to determine rates. (does not apply
Commissioners.
County
Emergency to mobile homes). ISO is the driving force behind
Karl Flagg made an impassioned plea to
Services Chief states as what we pay for insurance.
the Council to adopt these new rates so that the
fact
a
large
number
of personal “turn out The NFPA is a private non-profit group
County could pay for more paid firefighters at 3
gear”
aka
“bunker
gear”
and even fire selling books and policy. NFPA 1901
different departments around the county.
Seriously Jeopardize your Ignorance – Read, then Question
2
Continued from page 1 There remains the fact the “Better Place
Plan” penny sales tax specifically authorizes
buying “stuff” like fire trucks and personal
protective equipment.
So who is to know what is legitimate?
The BPP option seems to escape those
looking for a larger bag of coins.
This 1925 vintage clipping reads
“We need a Politics Prevention Week”
Ever Wonder if there is life behind the
County Web Page? “444 errors” (can’t find
target) are the norm; The County is still
advertising request for bids to collect trash –
that contract was issued last May.
There is not even a mention of the
new inconvenient trash rates
Lots has been said and written concerning the
death of 4 year old Braydan Trahern who was
choked to death by an 11 year old housemate just
released from Florida Dept. of Children and
Families inpatient committal that failed in attempts
to treat the deviant.
Suspect Abuse? When and WHAT TO DO
As importantly – did you know judges can /
will lock YOU up if YOU don’t report either
child or elderly abuse? Yes they can and do.
That law ought to eliminate any question about
whether we are ‘meddling’ or sticking our noses
into other people’s business – tattle tale it is not.
Probably the best of many internet pages is a
Frequently Asked Questions of the Abuse Hotline
at the Dept of Children & Families;
http://www.myflfamilies.com/serviceprograms/abuse-hotline
The FAQ is well done. There you will find
definitions of child and elder abuse, neglect or
exploitation. Ways to report include:
By Telephone 1-800-96ABUSE 800-962-2873
https://reportabuse.dcf.state.fl.us/
That page speaks of “Professionally Mandated
Reporters” – those individuals in occupations who
are required to make reports of reasonable
suspicion of child or elder abuse. Not stated is
“Everyone in Florida is a Mandatory Reporter”.
Chapter 39 section 201:
(1)(a) Any person who knows, or has reasonable
cause to suspect, that a child is abused, abandoned,
or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, caregiver,
or other person responsible for the child’s welfare, as
defined in this chapter, or that a child is in need of
supervision and care and has no parent, legal
custodian, or responsible adult relative immediately
– No banner – not even a “Frequent Asked known and available to provide supervision and care
Question”. I can’t post the rate schedule. shall report such knowledge or suspicion to the
Embarrassed? – not those folk.
department in the manner prescribed in subsection
County “convenience center”
tollgates
Larry Gast, Director of Solid waste spent
considerable time during the recent Board of
County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting trying to
explain his logic that charging everyone for
dropping of anything except recyclables at any of
the County “convenience centers” actually saves
residents money.
The centers are now charging to dump
garbage, tree trimmings & construction debris..
Mr. Gast states the BOCC approved the practice
at the time it authorized accepting trash from
outside the County.
Mr Gast has had a long running dispute with at
least one camp ground where guest refuse is
dropped off as residential waste (free) rather than
paying the commercial rate. He gripes of free
loading apartment complex units that fill the curb
every time a tenant moves out. He has followed
out of County landscapers into the County where
they dump commercial trash as if they were
homeowners. He loudly proclaims residents are
paying for weekly curb side pickup and they
should use it. Institution of fees will discourage
free loaders, save landfill space, and save costs
to every taxpayer.
However, at least Commissioner, Larry Harvey,
was not so certain the fees were authorized. He
has asked the County Administrator for a history
lesson. He wrote “Today, I hear a (pickup) truck
load of limbs are 88.00 dollars, That was a first
and what happened to commissioner Harris’ idea
of a few bags are free”?
The logic seems a lot like that of building extra
lanes on “free”ways charging variable toll rates
depending on traffic volume. The publicly stated
goal is to jack up rates to the point of pain to allow
only the wealthy, those on employer’s expense
accounts and the desperate to drive briskly. Their
nickname is ‘Lexis Lanes’.
Many citizen
taxpayers at the BOCC meeting felt the County
has installed Lexis Lanes for the dump.
Concerns whether the safety and security of
workers at remote centers was not addressed.
American Patriot News
(2).
(b) Any person who knows, or who has reasonable
cause to suspect, that a child is abused by an adult
other than a parent, legal custodian, caregiver, or
other person responsible for the child’s welfare, as
defined in this chapter, shall report such knowledge
or suspicion to the department in the manner
prescribed in subsection (2).
(c) Any person who knows, or has reasonable
cause to suspect, that a child is the victim of
childhood sexual abuse or the victim of a known or
suspected juvenile sexual offender, as defined in this
chapter, shall report such knowledge or suspicion to
the department in the manner prescribed in
subsection (2).
http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2012/39.201
That pretty well provides lots of leverage for
authorities to extract information from worthless
people who abuse or neglect. It also exposes
professionals (doctors, psychiatrists, teachers,
judges) to jail if they don’t report a matter. These
are impressive powers for protectors of the weak.
And there is need: FDLE statistics on Domestic
Abuse record ‘only’ 529 reported crimes in 2014 –
down 12.4%.. That includes 120 Aggravated
Assaults, 2 Forcible Rape, 2 Forcible fondling
cases.
To get a handle on the number, as a
percentage of the population, If we had 100,000
residents, 729.4 Putnam County residents would
have been victims – 14 of the 68 Counties had
more victims. Young Braydan was a symptom
not a singular story.
I can only hope those fine folk can read and
understand the need to ask questions.
Thursday’s meeting has been well reported by
that Palatka paper although the drama of real life
could not be conveyed. Commissioner Norwood
appeared to have been boxed into a corner to
force his name on the action to increase water
and sewer rates by 10%. The increase will cost
$6.oo a month for the average user. Under
reported were the demands – mandates – no
uncertain words that the City quit kicking the can
and begin a program to rehabilitate infrastructure.
Councilman Norwood started it off complaining
how the water plant makes high quality water but
by the time it gets to (voters) homes, it is nasty
yellow and unacceptable. He muttered out loud
how he has been attempting to get the water and
sewer pipe repair program started “probably for
fifteen years”. He succeeded, but not without
significant help from the others. Mayor Hill swung
the bat demanding they “make tough decisions
this year so we don’t have to make them next
year” advocating the rate hikes. Then the Mayor,
saying, “I’m pretty sure they’re [City Golf Course
Management] are going to be motivated” moved
not to give $50,000 to augment the Golf Course
business.
Matt Reynolds, in presenting the
proposed budget noted that, ‘as an enterprise
fund’ the Golf Course, Airport, and Water/Sewers
are supposed to be self sustaining. Needing
$133,919 for the Air Port, $171,254 for the Golf
Course, and $356,007 for the pipes creates a
huge hole in City finances.
Taking $50,000 from the Golf subsidy and
$75,000 from increased water fees for fixing the
pipes “will allow a start to the plan ahead”. (Yea)
And then there was the Cemetery Business
Reacting to individuals turning the city cemetery
into a dog walk, the City proposed to prohibit
animals.
Ms. Mary Riess, a resident and
genealogist active in helping others around the
nation gave an impassioned plea about the death
of her husband and how she takes his dog to visit
the gravesite. She noted that if pet poop is the
problem, it is a people problem. There ought to
be pooper scoopers / plastic bags or whatever to
address that issue, not ban dogs. That lit up
Alegra Kitchens who reported the problems were
pets not on leashes ‘pooping all over the place’.
The Commissioners are regrouping.
Rest
assured, they welcome any input you all may
provide.
The City wants out of the burial and
vault business. An ordinance was read in
seeking to extricate the City from the cemetery
business by issuing permits and selling plots
letting the undertakers do their business. Despite
the wisdom of a special committee, it was obvious
more work needed to be done so, as
Commissioner Brown said, “to put them in the
right plot, keep records, and insure there are no
piles of dirt left on other graves.”
The bottom line: Graves were “not the cash cow
we thought it would be.”
Palatka City Council Met ($ $)
City Manager Terry Suggs has had a very busy
week and a half. Despite his awareness of
deadlines of this paper not a single thing
requested has been provided concerning the
Water Taxi. Next week may be better – I gave
the Mayor and Commissioners copies of last
weeks APN with the pretty photo of their big
barge like water taxi to somewhere.
It says – Boat, Swim, Picnic, Learn about that
Damn Dam – see a real live politician too!
Next Saturday 19 Sept. RSVP to 386-972-0957
[email protected]
Next week: the October 2009 Water Taxi
“Business Plan” and all who were taken in.
Putnam County Florida
3
ON the way to the Child Abuse story I found:
California Assembly Passes Bill
Limiting Automobile Use
Crime in Florida –
Putnam County
Summary of FBI UCR Data
County 2013
Population
Total Arrests
Total Index
Offenses
Violent Rate
Property Rate
Index Rate
2014
72,605 72,523
3,327 2,776
2,970
2,566
615.7 562.6
3,475.0 2,975.6
4,090.6 3,538.2
%
Change
-0.1
-16.6
-13.6
-8.6
-14.4
-13.5
http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/
Putnam County Animal Control
By: Robert Bley
Recently I addressed the County
Commissioners about animal control issues at the
Putnam County Animal Shelter. I presented
proposals that I believe will help the shelter
become better I suggested that the county post
their kill list on Monday instead of 48 hours before
the animals are to be killed. I also asked that the
adoption fees be waived or at least reduced for
the animals on that list since they would be killed
anyway. Another suggestion was that they put
those animals at the adoption center before killing
them. I was assured by John Salmons that the
list would go out earlier from now on to help get
those animals adopted before they were killed.
Commissioner Laibl also added that they would
be moving the adoption center to a location on
hwy 17 for more exposure.
Animal control has been under a lot of
pressure this year due to a lot of factors including
poor management and numerous animal
hoarding cases which overloaded their resources.
Many citizens and groups have donated money
and time to help out. Management has been
changed and new ideas have been considered
and some implemented to try and enhance
operations and save more lives. It seems like
things are getting better slowly, but problems still
exist with staff and funding.
Volunteer ! tell your Commissioner “fix it!”
Group calls on U.S. House to
reject interstate tolling
By Land Line staff
The Alliance for Toll-Free Interstates, which includes
trucking members, is calling on the U.S. House of
Representatives to flat-out reject a proposal that
would expand states’ rights to toll interstate
highways.
The alliance says to look no further than an existing
but unpopular pilot program that allows a small
number of toll-free interstates to be converted into
toll roads.
The alliance, ATFI, issued a call to action on
Tuesday, Sept. 8, calling on members to ask their
representatives to vote no on expanding interstate
tolling in the upcoming highway bill.
“ATFI has learned that the U.S. House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which
has jurisdiction over the Interstate Highway System in
the House, is considering expanding interstate tolling
in its upcoming Highway Reauthorization Bill, likely to
be released later this week,” the group stated.
ATFI says that over the past 17 years, the existing
Interstate Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot
Program (ISRRPP) has “demonstrated the
unavailability of tolling existing interstates.”
The group says that each of the six states have
failed to make the conversion due primarily to
widespread public outcry over tolling’s negative
consequences. Some states have even fought back
with their own legislation to protect interstates from
tolls, the group adds.
The proposal in the House would make the pilot
program permanent and potentially expand the
number of slots available.
Copyright © OOIDA www.landlinemag.com/
(Soap box issue here – just ask me! Editor TimHo)
American Patriot News
The White House is reportedly very
upset after the Boston Police Union
chose to boycott President Obama’s
Labor Day address in their city.
The association’s executive director, Jerry Flynn,
explained the officers’ reasons why to the Boston
Herald.
Our members are enraged at his lack of support of law
enforcement. It’s clear that he has an agenda, and
unfortunately the police are not part of his agenda.
Let’s face it, [there have been] eight people killed in a
nine-day period, eight police officers, and his silence
up until recently has been deafening. And the real sad
part of this — and when I went to the White House in
the first term with Joe Biden — he said to me that he
would be the voice of law enforcement. Well, as much
as I love and adore Joe, his voice has been silent as
well. So it’s not an Obama problem. It’s an
administration problem.
This is a horror show. This is an epidemic of lawless
people trying to kill police officers for no apparent
reasons. Case in point is the lieutenant who was
pumping gas in Houston. Over 7,000 people were at
that church, and where was he [Obama]? Why wasn’t
he there instead of a unity breakfast?
The president, in fact, was still inferring that Ferguson
was an example of racism by Officer Darren Wilson in
March, despite his own Justice Department issuing a
report that same week disproving the “Hands Up,
Don’t Shoot” narrative. Flynn argued that the
president’s actions, or lack thereof, have actually
inflamed false anger towards police officers as
manifested by movements like Black Lives Matter:
I mean, he had the opportunity to do things then and
he didn’t, and all he’s done is escalated and allowed
these people that are hell-bent on causing problems to
do so. We can’t continue to have people who have no
intention to do anything but to be disruptive. These
aren’t good citizens. These are thugs who go out and
try to cause problems.
You can’t continue to have this kind of hatred and
animosity and the lawlessness that’s going on in this
country at the cost of police officers losing their lives.
It’s irresponsible of the president and his
administration.
Flynn advised Obama if he wished to improve
relations with the police to issue a statement of
support for the work they do. He said:
I think it would send a message to people in law
enforcement that we have a commander in chief who
actually is backing the people who are in the war on
the street. And this is a war on the street. He’s got to
come out and ask to be a unified group and to support
law enforcement.
He’s got a new attorney general. What’s her agenda?
What is her message going to be, that she’s actually
putting forth? I don’t know the answer to that
question. But certainly, what he’s doing now, what he
hasn’t done now, has been supportive of those in law
enforcement.
The White House reportedly was not happy about the
president getting shunned by Boston police
Robot mother builds and improves
its own children
Reuters Science BY MATTHEW STOCK
Scientists from the University of Cambridge have
built a mother robot that independently builds its
own children and then tests their performance to
inform the design of the next generation. By
analyzing the data it collects from observing the
child, the mother robot ensures that preferential
traits are passed down to the next iteration, while
letting weaknesses fall by the wayside.
Posted: 09 Sep 2015 www.NewsPaper.com
The freedom to get around by automobile could
be severely limited in California under legislation
that cleared the state assembly on Friday. By a
vote of 41 to 27, the lawmakers mandated a fifty
percent cut in statewide petroleum use by 2030.
The law gives the California Air Resources Board
(CARB) sweeping authority to implement rules it
believes would bring about that reduction, which
has groups like the California Driver's Alliance
concerned that the measure, if adopted by the
state Senate and signed into law, will lead to
gasoline rationing, punishing taxes at the gas
pump or the use of privacy-invading technologies
to monitor and limit individual travel.
At the request of Governor Jerry Brown (D),
state Senator Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles)
introduced Senate Bill 350 in the name of fighting
global warming. De Leon insists that his bill will
cut costs for Californians since cars will go twice
as far on a gallon of gas once it is in effect. His
legislation also orders CARB to conduct feasibility
studies for boosting subsidies for electric car
buyers so that low-income residents can own a
Tesla Model S, Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt.
Currently there are 100,000 electric vehicles in
the state. For the policy to work from switching to
an electric fleet, that ownership number would
have to jump to 13 million in just fifteen years.
What if YOU were the parents PAYING
for your daughter at Vanderbilt Women’s
College …. No You would NOT!
Ashley Rae Goldenberg | August 31, 2015
Vanderbilt University’s Women’s Center will be
hosting a week-long event dedicated to lecturing
men about what it means to have “healthy
masculinity.”
The “Healthy Masculinities Week” is sponsored
by Vanderbilt’s Margaret Cuninggim Women’s
Center, which claims to be devoted to
“Celebrating Women” while “Empowering All.”
The mission of the Women’s Center is to affirm
a “space for all members of the Vanderbilt
community that acknowledges and actively
resists sexism, racism, homophobia, and all
forms of oppression while advocating for positive
social change.”
The “core values” of the Women’s Center
includes the idea that, “progress toward gender
equality calls all of us to be champions for
change” while simultaneously claiming to
“celebrate the unique differences among all
persons and work to build community in
diversity.”
“Healthy Masculinities Week” hopes to
encourage men to “[e]xplore healthy masculinity
through various lenses,” such as “American
society, the gay and bisexual community,
fraternities, and more.”
The first event as part of the “Healthy
Masculinities Week” is called, “The Macho
Paradox: Why some men hurt and how all men
can help.” The title is a reference to a book by
Jackson Katz, who is a self-proclaimed “antisexist activist” and the speaker for the event.
The full title for Katz’s book is, “The Macho
Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How
All Men Can Help.” It is unclear why the word
“Women” was removed from Vanderbilt’s event
listing.
Other events as part of “Healthy Masculinities
Week” include “Maintaining ‘Bro’ Status:
Fraternity men discuss masculinity and mental
health,” “Masc 4 Masc: Policing masculinity in
the gay and bi communities,” “Masculinity XXL?
The portrayal of manhood in Magic Mike,” and a
screening and discussion of the film, “The Mask
You Live In.”
The advertisement for “Healthy Masculinities
Week,” which was emailed to members of the
student body, includes a portrayal man with a
thought bubble, thinking, “Don’t cry,” “Have
sex,” “Major in business,” “Play sports,” and
“Man up.” Allegedly, these are examples of
unhealthy masculinity.
Macho Man Scheduled to run from Sept. 10-1
Putnam County Florida
4
Extra! Extra!
After all the watching our
“representatives of the people”,
recording their actions and inactions
several matters arose that deserve all
citizen attention and consideration.
The first stories suggest the need for
serious questions about ‘yellow
journalism’ by the Palatka paper and
more serious concern for accountability
of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
“Shooting Victim’s Family
Thanks PSCO”
In actuality, we had been residing in the area for
nearly four months and during that time had been
the recipients of a number of harassing
conversations and actions resulting in several
responses by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Shooting victim's family thanks PCSO - After
These episodes of harassment increased in
Saturday’s shooting death of Keith Gravitz 29 in...
frequency and intensity during the weeks prior to
After Saturday’s shooting death of Keith Gravitz, 29, in the shooting.
The second series of stories is as
Florahome, authorities from the Putnam County...
damning. If comments made are fact,
palatkadailynews.com
and statements made are first hand
accounts. The logical question is
whether the animal control department is
kidnapping animals then holding them
for ransom. It is hard to stomach such
thoughts giving reason for questions that
need answers.
Homicide or Self Defense?
The Sheriff’s Press Release
Possible Road Rage Incident Turns
Deadly
Sep 6, 2015
Florahome, Florida: Putnam County Detectives
are currently investigating a shooting death in the
area of Hillsborough Avenue and Holly Lane in
Florahome. On Saturday, September 5, 2015 at
about 10:00 pm, Putnam County Deputies
responded to a 911 hangup. Once the
Communications Officer re-established the
connection, the caller related that there was an
argument that escalated into fight about some
vehicles driving recklessly in the area.
The fight turned deadly when one of the
participants pulled a gun, shooting Keith Gravitz,
35 of Alachua County. A neighbor, who was not
involved, also called in reporting they could hear a
disturbance followed by a gunshot. Another
neighbor put Gravitz in a car and drove to the
emergency room at Putnam Community Medical
Center. The car was intercepted by a Deputy
Sheriff, who began CPR. Rescue arrived,
continued CPR and transported Gravitz to the
emergency room, where he was pronounced dead.
Gravitz’s remains will be transported to the
Medical Examiner’s Office for a post-mortem
examination.
Detectives have identified the shooter and are
working the State Attorney’s Office to determine
if charges will be filed in this case.
Sept. 9, 2015
Local “News” Reporting
Roxanne Weeks, September 9 at 7:35am ·
Amazing they'll protect the shooter, when his
identity is well known, yet have so little to say
about the victim, a husband, father, brother and
friend to many.
Shooting Victim’s Family
not happy with Headlines
nor Sheriff’s Non-Response
Baron Jones Sr.
This status is being reposted with the permission
of Amy Gravitz who is the wife of Mr. Gravitz
shot and killed in Florahome:
September 9, 2015
American Patriot News
There were several reports of reckless driving
during the month of August that responding
deputies determined were unfounded. It should be
noted that all of these calls were placed by the
same individuals and appear to have been
targeting our family.
In the days and weeks prior to the shooting,
myself and others made several calls to the
Sheriff’s Office asking for guidance. Several
phone calls were answered with “someone will
call you back,” which never happened. One call
for help was made by me on Monday August 31
involving a dispute with the same neighbors that
been causing the previous problems. We were told
deputies were on the way, but they never showed
up. I found out much later (days after the
shooting) that there had been a higher priority call
for help that the deputies responded to. We
understand that, but still someone should have
come out or at least called us back rather than
forgetting about us in our time of need.
On September 4th, the day before the shooting,
PCSO Lt. Scott Surrency traveled to our home and
spoke with me about the numerous calls and
complaints involving us. Lt. Surrency observed
the situation and agreed with all of us that there
appeared that there was no wrongdoing. Lt.
Surrency even made contact with neighbors that
Friday, including the residence where the eventual
shooting occurred.
The quote in the Palatka Daily News was
accurate, “the family is extremely pleased with the
response of the Sheriff’s Office, especially Deputy
Butts.” However that was for that specific
response that Saturday evening. Deputy Kagen
Butts performed CPR on my husband as he lay
Dear Editor Bryan and PDN staff,
dying waiting for the ambulance. Other deputies
who arrived showed great empathy and
I wanted to take a moment to comment and clarify compassion. For that, we are very grateful.
on the article “Shooting victim’s family thanks
PCSO” published in the September 9th edition of However, to have a headline that offers thanks to
the Palatka Daily News.
the Sheriff’s Office creates an illusion that we are
To the Editor Scott J. Bryan, et all
Palatka Daily News
1825 St. Johns Ave.
Palatka, FL 32177
As the widow and now single mother, it falls upon
me to be the voice of a family that is suffering a
tremendous loss following the violent death of
Keith Gravitz in the George’s Lake community on
Saturday, September 5th.
First and foremost, my family and I want to
express their deepest appreciation to the
outpouring of support from the community
following this senseless tragedy. Keith was a
loving husband, dedicated father & uncle, a hard
worker and a true family man. Each treated each
day as a chance to work hard to provide for his
family and make life better for those around him.
Sheriff's office investigates Florahome shooting FLORAHOME — Putnam County Sheriff’s Office...
FLORAHOME — Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
officials are investigating a fatal shooting Saturday
night....
palatkadailynews.com
To that end, there are a few portions of the article
that the family feels should be clarified. Captain
Gator DeLoach was quoted in the article as
saying, “I believe Mr. Gravitz had only been here
a short time,” indicating that he was not aware of
any discourse between the two men.
The loss of any life has profound impact on the
survivors, a death resulting from gun violence
compounds these issues. Perhaps the only thing
that could make matters worse is a family reading
inaccurate information in a news publication so
soon after the event.
satisfied with the entire situation. We are not. It is
not fair for anyone to live in fear of neighbors
who feel they are above the law, who discharge
weapons out in the open, whose wanton disregard
for others is apparent by the way they act towards
others and treat animals. We are concerned with
the process. We are worried about our safety,
which is why we have not returned to the home so
long as a suspect remains free in the
neighborhood.
In spite of these concerns, we are hopeful and
optimistic that Putnam County, the State
Attorney’s Office and our legal system will
successfully prosecute and convict this murderer
so we can move on with our lives.
Amy Gravitz
Putnam County Florida
5
What the Heck is going on with
Animal Control?
Catnapping? Dognapping?
Goatnapping?
comment on the post appears to confirm her story,
"This is what Brian Hammons said he would do.
Said it at an Animal Services Board meeting to
my face. An Animal Services board stacked with
anti cat people."
From FaceBook: and APN interviews:
Another post on the Putnam County Rescue page
on Facebook claims that one dog, Sugar, "was
euthanized because she wouldn't get out of the
animal control truck ...she was so scared and
didn't want to get out of the truck so she was
killed." And according to another post on that
page, the killing is not pretty.
a person posting on Facebook explains how animal
control trucks cruise the neighborhoods looking for
pets to steal. They confronted the driver attempting
to trespass on their property and coax their friendly
cat out of the yard. The next morning the cat was
gone and no way to see if it was picked up by Animal
Control till Monday.
"...corners are cut, and we (the county) don’t
spend our funds to tranquilize the animal before
injecting them with the lethal drug, we just put the
burning lethal drug in their vein and let them
suffer until dead. If it were not a business for
profit, we’d do it humanely and hire a licensed vet
do this procedure. That way, the animal would be
sedated or tranquilized and THEN euthanized. But
Reputations?
to do this procedure correctly would only cost
Digital Tales Travel
more money…so we don’t necessarily do what is
right for the animal, we do what’s expedient so we
can continue to make a buck! Shelters do not have
Dogs killed at shelter in spite of many to have a vet perform their euthanasia procedures.
Oftentimes, they are untrained personnel
dogs rescued; they were on the list
administering lethal injections. So… that
By: Pamela Kramer, Chicago Pets Examiner for
employee may take 50 pokes with a needle and
Examiner.com
three hours to get inside the vein."
Ambino Brehm, So. Putnam County animal control
was randomly rolling thru my neighborhood, just
looking for animals to snatch!!! Today, I had to stop a
man from literally coming into MY YARD to snatch up
one of my two cats!!!! Thank God I was by my window
or my cat would have gone right to him!!! My cats are
fixed, have their shots, and stay on MY PROPERTY!! I
want heads to roll over this! And I assure you, if they
come back and try again... They will be on the wrong
end of something extremely unpleasant!! You don't
STEAL peoples pets from THEIR property!!! I am so
mad right now I am shaking!!! My cats don't bother
anyone!!! Half the cats in this neighborhood aren't
fixed, don't have shots, and come on our property to
pick fights with my cats! Yet, you try to take my
cats??? Ohhhhh no!! Dirty, underhanded, jerks!!! September 11, 2015 8:55 PM MST
Come on my property again. I promise, we'll have
some serious problems! My babies mean everything
to me!! Mess with them and see what happens!!!
Who do I call to complain about this? Someone that
will actually follow thru and DO SOMETHING about it!
It HAS to be illegal for them to just drive thru
neighborhoods and go on people’s private property to
try to lure animals into captivity!! Right??
Ambino Brehm: I just want my baby back... If he dies
over the weekend over this I will sue for everything I
can! He will not live... And I have this post dated
yesterday to at least show there was a confrontation
and a problem! I may not have proof it happened, but
if my cat is there now, knowing this happened
yesterday, and he does pass away over the weekend...
There's gonna be some SERIOUS problems! He NEVER
runs away. He gets treats that we put his pills in and
loves med time cause of the treats. If I call, or shake
the container his treats are in, he comes running and
is rubbing my legs and meowing within seconds. Chris
said that he did not show up this morning when our
black lab was taken for her morning walk. He's never
missed a walk with them... Ever! He's been missing all
day! Chris has been calling him, driving around the
neighborhood, and knocking on doors since 10 am!
He's nowhere to be found! Nowhere! This is totally
not like him. He will go to anyone that calls him. He's
extremely friendly, and will literally talk to you if you
talk to him. He will answer anything you say to him
with different meows. He's extremely smart! He also
sits, gives high fives, and will fetch!! I'm just totally
not okay right now. Not at all. This happened
yesterday, and for the first time in 5 years, he's
missing. I don't think this is a coincidence at all!!!
Other people have stated that their dogs were taken
by animal control out of their yard and when the
chipped and spayed/neutered animals showed up at
animal control they were notified it would cost them
over $200 to get their animal back. The same animal
could be adopted out for $10 to someone else. Am I
the only one who sees a scam here?
American Patriot News
courtesy of Canine Rescue Putnam County
And after the painful and sometimes prolonged
death? "In the end, your pet’s corpse will be
stacked like firewood in a large freezer, usually in
the back of the building with all of the other
animals that were killed. There they will sit until
being picked up like garbage."
To be clear, others are claiming that dogs are
sedated before the lethal injection. But another
person wrote in a PM that: "They do not always
sedate. Kittens especially neonates they cannot
find a vein - they let them starve to death."
There is a petition online demanding changes to
Putnam County Animal Services. It appears that
changes are needed. Dogs should not be hidden in
quarantine just because they look like a bully
breed. Under no circumstances should dogs be
killed when there are empty cages. And yesterday,
a volunteer who has saved hundreds of dogs from
death and spent six days a week at the shelter
walking dogs, feeding dogs, playing with them,
helping photograph and network them, was told
that she may no longer volunteer there. In fact, she
was told that if she steps foot on the shelter
property, she will be arrested.
Nine dogs died a few weeks ago in Putnam
County, Florida, because their names (or
numbers) were written on a "kill" list. But the
story is much, much more complex (and horrible)
than a simple list and the killing of nine dogs.
Putnam County Animal Services has around 60
cages available for dogs. Only 30 are used,
according to those who have been at the shelter,
and when more dogs come in, others are killed for
space -- even though, according to volunteers, half
This is in spite of the fact that people have first
the cages are empty.
amendment rights to free speech (read articles at
the links in this sentence). Appellate courts have
And the nine dogs? By any reasonable, humane
ruled that a public shelter may not ban volunteers
standard they shouldn't have been killed. The
for speaking out about the shelter. When she
volunteers got the list of 20 dogs that were
asked what the legal grounds would be for her
scheduled to be killed, and they got to work. They
arrest, she was not given an answer. There does
found rescues to take 22 dogs -- two more than the
not appear to be any legal reason that she could be
number due to be killed. But those in charge at the
arrested for going onto a public property. Putnam
shelter didn't care that they now had two fewer
County seems to have some things to answer for.
dogs than planned. Nine of the dogs on the kill list
were still at the shelter, and in spite of the many
empty cages (22 more cages, in addition to the 30 More to come about the volunteer who has been
cages that are never used), those nine dogs were banned from the shelter. The county official
responsible for the shelter seems to be carefully
killed.
screening his calls. He would not come to the
phone, and the receptionist wanted to know what
A volunteer claims that one of the dogs killed had
the call was regarding. We will see if the call is
been tagged for rescue. The rescue had called,
returned.
talked to the shelter, and placed a rescue hold on
the dog. But according to the volunteers, that
dog was callously killed before the rescue could Follow the Chicago Pets Examiner on Twitter and
get there. There are also allegations that Putnam Facebook.
County Animal Services tried to take two cats
from a resident's yard. According to the Facebook
post, she had to run out and chase them away. A
Putnam County Florida
6
Iran's Supreme Leader Says,
“Israel Will not Exist in 25 Years”
-By Thomas Erdbrink, NYTimes.com
America every bit as much as bin Laden did,” more
than $100 billion as a result of the deal.
“Let me be clear: If you vote to send billions of dollars
to jihadists who’ve pledged to murder Americans, then
you bear direct responsibility for the murders carried
out with the dollars you have given them,” Cruz said.
“You cannot wash your hands of that blood.”
Hillary Clinton May Go to Prison
By Joel B. Pollak, BreitbartNews.com
TEHRAN -- Iran's supreme leader predicted
Wednesday that Israel would not exist in 25 years, and
ruled out any new negotiations with the "Satan," the
United States, beyond the recently completed nuclear
accord.
In remarks published Wednesday on his personal
website and in posts on Twitter, the supreme leader,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, responded to what he said
were claims that Israel would be safe for that period
under the nuclear agreement reached in July.
"After nuclear negotiations, the Zionist regime said
that they will not be worried about Iran in the next 25
years," Ayatollah Khamenei wrote. "I am telling you,
first, you will not be around in 25 years' time, and God
willing, there will be no Zionist regime in 25 years.
Second, during this period, the spirit of fighting,
heroism and jihad will keep you worried every
moment."
Ayatollah Khamenei also emphasized, as he had in
past months, that he would not allow any new
negotiations with the United States. Politically
moderate government officials, including the foreign
minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, have raised the
possibility of discussing a solution for the war in Syria
with the United States and its allies.
Iranians must not forget that the United States is the
"Great Satan," Ayatollah Khamenei warned, criticizing
those calling for better relations. "Some want to show
this Satan as an angel, but the Iranian nation has
pushed this Satan out," he said. "We should not allow
it to sneak back in through the window."
A day earlier, President Obama secured enough
support in Congress to prevent a vote on the nuclear
agreement. Ayatollah Khamenei ordered Iran's
Parliament last week to review the deal in a similar
manner.
In recent weeks, Ayatollah Khamenei, who tends to
keep his political options open, has cautiously
endorsed the deal but has also reached out to the hardliners who oppose it. On Wednesday, he criticized
government officials for not respecting the
conservatives' position, saying, "Officials of the
country must respect the revolutionary young people
and stop degrading them, saying they are
extremist."[*]
This is not the first time Ayatollah Khamenei has
warned against broadening relations with the United
States. Last week he described further negotiations as
"a way of imposing new demands."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, a
strong opponent of the nuclear deal, seized on the
ayatollah’s comments to continue his criticism.
"Khamenei doesn't even leave any room for the
supporters of the agreement to fantasize in," Mr.
Netanyahu said upon landing in London, where he was
to meet Thursday with his British counterpart, David
Cameron.
Jodi Rudoren contributed reporting from Jerusalem. A
version of this article appears in print on September
10, 2015, on page A14 of the New York edition with
the headline: Grim Forecast on Israel from Tehran.
Ted Cruz: ‘People Will Die’ if Iran Deal
Passes - By Erica Ritz, TheBlaze.com
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz flatly
warned Wednesday that, ”people will die” if the Iran
deal passes.
“People will die,” Cruz said during a rally against the
deal on Capitol Hill. “Americans will die. Israelis will
die. Europeans will die. Osama bin Laden never had
$100 billion. He was filled with bilious hatred and,
using rudimentary tools, murdered 3,000 Americans.”
But Cruz said the deal grants Iran’s Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, “a theocratical homicidal maniac who hates
American Patriot News
in favor of the deal, will vote to put America and
America’s security above party loyalty.”
The lawn, when all departed, after 4:30 or so (began
at 1 p.m.), was spotless. Everyone had GI’ed the area
— you could not tell thousands had been there all
afternoon: Tea Party consideration and courtesy.
There weren’t even garbage bins in the vicinity, and
the ones afar were not full.
Whether the rally impacts on the deal or not, meeting
knowledgeable, aligned folks from Florida,
Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Oregon, Ohio, and
Colorado exchanging views and talk with people who
share one’s appetites and values was nourishing.
ISIS Smuggler: “We will use refugee
crisis to infiltrate the west”
By Leo Hohmann, WND.com
Hillary Clinton is going to prison–or would be, if
she were an ordinary person. The FBI has reportedly
taken possession of the emails on her home computer
server, according to U.S. officials cited by the
Associated Press.
According to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), at least
two of the emails contained “Top Secret, Sensitive
Compartmented Information.”
An ordinary person–or even a well-known leader like
General David Petraeus–would be prosecuted for
moving classified information onto a private system.
And that is just the beginning of her legal problems.
Clinton not only allegedly exchanged classified
information via private e-mail, but also destroyed her
emails before handing them over to the State
Department before the government could determine for
itself which were personal and which were job-related.
That could constitute a felony, with a three-year prison
sentence attached. And that is just the beginning of
what is known.
It is worth noting, too, that much of the information
emerging on Hillary Clinton first emerged from three
sources: the Benghazi select committee, which the left
attempted to dismiss; the independent Judicial Watch
organization, which submitted key Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) requests; and the
thorough research of Peter Schweizer, who
documented Clinton’s alleged conflicts of interests.
This time, the Clinton magic may not be able to save
her.
AMERICA STRIKES BACK: Tea
Party Gathered with Trump, Cruz,
Palin, Duck Dynasty and More on
Capitol Hill Against Iran Deal
By Mathew Boyle, BreitbartNews.com
Americans are standing up to President Barack
Obama’s nuclear arms deal with the Islamic Republic
of Iran on Wednesday, as hundreds—perhaps
thousands—of them are expected to descend on
Capitol Hill for a Tea Party rally against the deal.
“We’re excited we’re going to be able to let
Congress know the majority of Americans think this
Iran deal is bad for America,” Jenny Beth Martin of
Tea Party Patriots told Breitbart News on Tuesday
evening, the night before the event. “We hope that
Congress, especially the senators who have come out
As the migrant-train standoff entered its second day
in Hungary, with thousands of mostly Syrian refugees
seeking passage to Germany, it’s time the West
recognized this shift in Muslim populations for what it
is, say American activists who have been warning of a
“fifth column” for years.
Author Robert Spencer wrote Sept. 4 in Front Page
Magazine, “This is no longer just a ‘refugee crisis.’
This is a hijrah.” Hijrah is the Islamic doctrine of
migration, which is a form of stealth jihad. “To
emigrate in the cause of Allah – that is, to move to a
new land in order to bring Islam there, is considered in
Islam to be a highly meritorious act,” Spencer wrote.
He cited the following Quranic text:
“And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will
find on the earth many locations and abundance,” says
the Quran. “And whoever leaves his home as an
emigrant to Allah and His Messenger and then death
overtakes him; his reward has already become
incumbent upon Allah, and Allah is ever Forgiving and
Merciful” (Quran 4:100).
And now, looking at Europe and America, a
migration invasion of a much greater magnitude is
underway.
Evidence of that invasion came in February when an
ISIS operative confirmed what many already suspected
– the Islamic State is using the refugee crisis to form a
fifth column of Muslim fighters inside Western
nations.
The Syrian operative claimed more than 4,000
trained ISIS gunmen have already been smuggled into
Europe – hidden among innocent refugees, reported
the Express, a British newspaper.
Hungary’s Prime Minister, Victor Orban, was
lampooned in the European media Thursday for
writing an op-ed in which he stated Hungary was
blocking the Muslim migrants to preserve its Christian
heritage.
But more European leaders should be as astute as
Orban, says Clare Lopez, a senior Middle East analyst
for the Center for Security Policy.
“Today, it is the nation-state system and any concept
of national sovereignty that is under concerted attack
by the forces of the global jihad movement,” Lopez
told WND. “Jihad is not only a violent phenomenon
but can be pursued by many other means, including
hijra.”
The ISIS smuggler, in his 30s with a neatly trimmed
black beard, revealed to BuzzFeed that the ongoing
clandestine operation has been a “complete success.
Just wait,” he smiled. “It’s our dream that there should
be a caliphate not only in Syria but in all the world and
we will have it soon, God willing. They are going like
refugees,” he explained. “Others just go to Europe to
be ready.”
The Islamic State operative spoke exclusively to
BuzzFeed on the condition of anonymity and is
believed to be the first to confirm plans to infiltrate
Western countries, although similar statements have
been made through unconfirmed ISIS Twitter
accounts.
ISIS is believed to be actively smuggling covert
gunmen across the 565-mile Turkish border and on to
……….….Continued Page 7 …………….
Putnam County Florida
…………Continued from Page 6 …………
wealthier European nations, the smuggler told
BuzzFeed. He said ISIS now has more than 4,000
fighters “ready” throughout the European Union.
ISIS operatives are taking advantage of Western
nations’ generosity toward refugees to infiltrate
Europe, he said.
The ISIS fighters use local smugglers to blend in and
travel within the ranks of a tidal wave of illegal
migrants flooding into Europe, both by boat from
North Africa and on land through Hungary and Austria
into Germany, Belgium and Sweden.
Persecuted Christians stay behind. Read the rest of
the story at: www.wnd.com/2015/09/isis-smuggler-wewill-use-refugee-crisis-to-infiltrate-west/
The "FSU Game Day Plan 2015 - New Info"
publication goes on to flout the laws of Florida by
stating that:
"Weapons are prohibited on the Florida State
University Campus at all times including football
games. Fan may not store firearms or other weapons in
their vehicles parked on campus while attending the
game. Possession of a firearm or weapon on the FSU
campus constitutes a felony and violators are subject to
arrest pursuant to Florida Statute 790.115."
The FSU Student Code of Conduct also attempts to
enforce these illegal policies by prohibiting all "Oncampus possession or use of firearms..." without an
exception for firearm possession in a private vehicle
and even "Off-campus... or unauthorized possession or
use of firearms..."
Donald Trump Calls Obama “Very
https://dos.fsu.edu/srr/_localDocuments/studentconduct-code.pdf
Stupid” And “Incompetent”
"It has a chilling effect on the right to bear arms
By Javier Manjarres, SharkTank.com
when law abiding gun owners are lied to by public
Billionaire Republican presidential candidate
officials, especially ones who control their own Police
Donald Trump braved the scorching Washington, D.C. Forces, and are told that they will be breaking a law by
weather, as he joined Sen. Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin, and the legal possession of their firearms," Said Sean
Mark Levin, in headlining the Tea Party Patriots’
Caranna, Executive Director of Florida Carry, Inc.
protest rally against President Obama’s Iran nuclear
"These publications are a blatant attempt by FSU
deal.
President Thrasher, and his anti-Second Amendment
As expected, Trump wowed the crowd of about
employees, to enforce illegal gun control with the
2,000+, guaranteeing them that if he is elected
threat of throwing good people in jail for the lawful
president, he would bring back the four Americans
exercise of their right to bear arms. We demand that
being held prisoners in Iran.
public officials follow the law and will stand for
“If I win the presidency, I guarantee you that those
nothing less."
four prisoners are back in our country before I ever
take office. I guarantee you.”-Donald Trump
Democrats’ Victimization Playbook:
Trump then took another jab at President Obama,
Exploit Black Rage, White Guilt
saying that the American people were being “led by
By David L. Hunter, AmericanThinker.com
very, very stupid people.”
The Donald didn’t stop there with his berating of
Democrats- A bunch of rich people convincing poor
Obama, saying that ” with incompetent leadership we
people to vote for the rich people by telling the poor
have right now, Israel will not survive,” this as the
people that rich people are the reason they’re poor.
“Supreme Leader” of Iran, as Obama refers to him as,
Regardless of one’s melanin levels, the simple truth
stated that “Israel would not exist in 25 years.”
is
that anyone with the wrong mind-set can raise a
The one-liners kept coming from Trump, as he joked
hand
in violence or wield a firearm to commit
that under his administration, American would win all
homicide.
As guns and bullets are neutral, inanimate
the time, adding that “we will have so much winning,
objects
—
color blind and without self-directing
you will get bored of winning.”
intention
—
it is foolhardy on a practical level, but
Watch this clip from Trump’s speech at:
often
politically
expedient as a black-white wedge
www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVbN2yCvBdw&spfrelo
issue to, in essence, “blame the gun.” That is precisely
ad=10
why vote-pandering Democrats — bankrupt of fresh
ideas and pragmatic solutions — focus on de facto gun
New Florida Carry lawsuit against
(despite Second Amendment protections)
Florida State University, President, and restriction
through governmental bureaucracy (read: District of
Police Chief
Columbia). In other words, make compliance standards
so high as a virtually guarantee of the impossibility of
FSU President John Thrasher
legal gun ownership.
and Police Chief David Perry
Just last May 19th, reality-challenged Democratic
violate state law to trample
Mayor Muriel Bowser claimed “Today, DC is safer
Second Amendment rights by
than it has been in years and we will not retreat from
threatening to arrest law abiding
that progress” in defense of the DC Council’s courtgun owners.
overturned restrictive policies on concealed carry
weapons in the district. In effect since May 9th, fast
Tallahassee, Florida - In 2014 then
forward 17 weeks and the current rate of homicides
Senator Thrasher admonished
has already matched 2014’s yearly figure of 105 (with
Florida Carry during a legislative
three months still remaining in 2015). Through August
committee hearing for supporting a pro-Second
29, per the Metropolitan Police Department Firearms
Amendment bill that corrected an unconstitutional
Registration Section, for a city of approximately
infringement on the right to bear arms rather than
600,000 residents, 281 applications have been received
going to the courts and bringing a lawsuit.
and 42 licenses granted or 6.7 percent. That’s four
Today Florida Carry is taking his advice. Florida
months of work: “Big Brother” government service at
Carry, Inc. joins FSU Graduate Student Bekah
its finest.
Hargrove of Florida Students for Concealed Carry in
When punitive, bureaucratic incompetence doesn’t
filing Florida Carry v. Thrasher today seeking an
completely discourage what emerges is a related,
emergency injunction against John Thrasher, now
scripted, shrieking, Democratic strategy: more laws,
President of Florida State University, the university,
stronger restrictions and double down on the same
and FSU Police Chief David Perry.
background checks that didn’t work the first time!
In 2013 the Florida First District Court of Appeals
Articulated like an empty-headed Pavlovian response,
made it crystal clear, in the case of Florida Carry v.
current Governor of Virginia (and Clinton fund-raising
UNF, that Universities have no authority to regulate
bagman) Terry McAuliffe — laughably advocated this
the lawful possession of firearms that are properly
nonsensical policy with a straight-face — in response
stored in private vehicles on campus. Despite the fact
that FSU, Chief Perry, and President Thrasher are well to legal gun owner, Vester L. Flanagan II: the clearly
aware of the law and the binding decision of the court, unhinged former reporter who murdered local Roanoke
reporter Alison Parker and her cameraman Adam
they have chosen to continue illegally prohibiting the
Ward. Indeed, when the perpetrator is black and the
possession of firearms in people's private vehicles.
They even go so far as to use their own police force to victim white (or in the case of Kathryn Steinle, a
resident of sanctuary city San Francisco murdered by
publicly threaten criminal enforcement of their
an illegal alien, Francisco Sanchez) it doesn’t fit the
unlawful regulations.
false Democratic narrative of the white, racist
A recent release published by the FSU Police
bogeyman (read: Republican) out to get black people.
Department instructs that: "Weapons and/or
firearms are not permitted to be stored in a vehicle Hence, another unintended consequence of Democratic
governance they are free to exploit for their own
on the FSU campus at any time, including game
divisive political ends — a destructive, domestic
days."
American Patriot News
7
calcification better known as the ‘Black Lives Matter’
movement.
Naturally, Democratic leaders gloss over the
statistical reality that perpetrators of gun violence
particularly in Democrat-controlled urban centers (like
Mr. Obama’s Chicago hometown — a black-on-black
killing field — more dangerous to a young black male
than Middle East war zones) most often don’t get their
weapons legally and therefore completely make
irrelevant background checks. Progressive Democrats
like Obama are all about the political optics of
“appearing (superficially) to do something” such as,
for example, focusing upon the minutia of regulating
how many projectiles in a magazine rather than
addressing the fundamental issue of personal
responsibility for one’s behavior which is antithetical
to the Democrat’s vote-garnering politics of
victimization (which translates into always blaming
your neighbor’s biological or economic difference for
your lesser lot in life.) In the same vein, the historically
pro-slavery Democratic Party preys on the residue of
generational white guilt related to slavery in America.
Ironically, Republicans, the party of freedom-loving
abolitionists (and perhaps the greatest American
president Abraham Lincoln who ended that inhuman
practice with the passage of the 13th Amendment and
held the United States together with the end of the
Civil War (both in 1865) are systematically and
outrageously demonized by Democrats and the MSM
as anti-minority, anti-immigrant and anti-woman.
Orwellian fictions one-and-all, fomenting black rage
and white blame to shore up voting blocs to ensure
Hillary’s ascension to the presidency in 2016.
Democrats like Ms. Clinton don’t care one whit for
“black lives:” she proudly defends the Nazi-style
barbarity of Planned Parenthood and admires its
founder, the outspoken racist and eugenicist Margaret
Sanger; named for the award she received from that
organization in 2009. She spews divisive hate speech,
intentionally whips up a storm of frenzied emotions
(and the underlying Democratic political machinations
and manipulations of pitting one minority group
against another á la the Obama Administration’s
modus operandi over the last 6.5 years). Therefore, the
truth of the actual cause of the majority of gun-related
homicides in the black community (and the deplorable
state of the black community in general) are almost
wholly obscured. Specifically, this dynamic accounts
for the 2013 FBI crime statistics which indicate that
black-on-black murder accounts for 90% of murders in
the Afro-American community to which its members
and leaders turn a blind eye.
Democrats play the whack-a-mole “blame” game
which always points away from the fundamental
aspect of any real leader: accountability. They racebait and foster chaos precisely because it divides the
electorate against itself in order to achieve and
maintain their real goal: personal and perpetual
political power. Unfortunately, Democrats are
unchecked by the modern press that ignores the glaring
loopholes and unintended real life consequences of
their anti-gun policies: with white hat elements in our
society restricted by cumbersome legal gun
procurement procedures (which do not curtail
criminals’ access to illegally obtained firearms) a
power-imbalance favoring the wrong hands exists.
Therefore, it is not the law-abiding, but his opposite
that is emboldened to act out surrounded by a disarmed
populace: wolves among sheep. Likewise, Democrats
do further societal damage due to their blatant
disregard for the Constitution, intrinsic disdain for the
military and law enforcement, and the distracting
deluge of MSM-transmitted lies, big and small in our
endless 24 hour news cycle.
The wholesale blaming of any group for the
nefarious acts of a select few is wrongheaded delusion.
Plain and simple. In this instance, that holds true for
white people in general and white police, in specific.
In any case, neither group deserves to be the target of
generalized, lawless rage. Democrat U.S. President
Harry Truman was famous for the motto, “The Buck
Stops Here.” Well, the same holds true for the black
hands that point guns and do violence in their
communities — Democrats like Obama and Hillary
who exploit those tragic circumstances for political
gain — and the propaganda-carrying MSM that
exacerbates the problem by dutifully carrying
progressive’s buckets of swill.
Putnam County Florida
8
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