Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
For those interested, please check out https://vladtepesblog.substack.com/ as an another avenue of expression. The Substack is a different project in a sense. It is older videos that in the light of subsequent events, look different or of increased importance, Check it out now and again if you like.
Google is set to face another significant legal challenge as the Justice Department’s antitrust case against the company’s ad-tech practices heads to trial.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is facing its second federal antitrust lawsuit in less than a year, with the latest case focusing on the company’s alleged monopolistic practices in the digital advertising market. The trial, set to begin with opening statements today before U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Virginia, marks a significant escalation in the U.S. government’s efforts to rein in the tech giant’s market dominance.
https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2024/09/09/google-trial-2-0-second-antitrust-case-against-internet-giant-kicks-off/
A refugee may have been gang-raped by his fellow countrymen over a disagreement on the regime in Tehran, in an attack in a derelict brewery in a German state.
An Iranian male seeking refuge in Germany was found tied up injured by police responding to reports of screams coming from abandoned buildings in Iserlohn, Sauerland, North Rhine-Westphalia on Saturday night. It is stated the man had been subjected to a gang-rape.
A police helicopter scoured nearby woods leading to four individuals being arrested. The 30-year-old victim was taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment, but the severity of his injuries has not been announced.
Earlier reports discussed the possibility the man-on-man gang rape of a refugee may have been an act of xenophobia by the “right-wing scene”, yet new developments reveal the four arrested men who faced a judge on Monday are also migrants of Iranian heritage. The suspects aged 24, 34, 42 and 46-years-old are residents of the Netherlands and Denmark, but are not natives of Europe.
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/09/09/germany-gang-rape-may-have-been-triggered-by-disagreement-over-iranian-politics/
Tens of thousands of conservatives joined a rally in Sao Paulo on Saturday – Brazilian Independence Day – in support of former President Jair Bolsonaro and denouncing the recent Supreme Court ban on the social media outlet Twitter (X), among other issues.
Rallygoers described their event as an assembly in defense of freedom in the face of growing censorship and political repression under socialist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Brazilian supreme court, the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), was the target of many of the protesters’ objections in light of a growing list of repressive actions against conservatives. Under STF Minister (justice) Alexandre de Moraes, the STF has declared war on “fake news,” executing police raids on lawmakers, YouTube personalities, and other outspoken conservatives.
https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2024/09/09/brazil-jair-bolsonaro-leads-45000-conservatives-rallying-against-supreme-court-twitter-ban/
U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk on Monday urged voters to be wary of “strongman” politicians and personalities, especially those who “scapegoat migrants, refugees and minorities.”
The unelected official further declared the world needed to change paths to avoid a future filled military escalation, repression, disinformation deepening inequality and rampant climate change.
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/09/09/u-n-rights-chief-warns-voters-to-reject-strongman-politicians/
Catholic News Site: Gun Ownership is Immoral
By Tom Knighton | 6:30 PM | September 03, 2024
AP Photo/Philip Kamrass, File
Whether someone owns a firearm or not is a personal decision. I respect how people reach that decision just so long as it doesn’t involve trying to make my decision for me. That includes people who decide that they think owning a gun is immoral. If they confine that to themselves–saying it doesn’t fit with their view of morality, for example–then no worries. If they say that my owning one is immortal, then we have an issue.
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Most folks have the good sense not to take that position. They might think it, but they know that they’re going to stir up some hate and discontent by openly saying it.
It’s even worse when they use the worst possible examples to justify it.
And that’s just what the former president and editor-in-chief of Catholic News Service did when he decided to write a piece for a Catholic website with the headline, “Is it time to talk about the morality of gun ownership?”
It starts with this:
Imagine yourself in your house. A neighbor is banging on the front door and yelling. Or there are noises outside, a car window being smashed. What do you reach for?
Susan Lorincz reached for a gun. Embroiled in a dispute with her neighbor, Lorincz, standing behind a locked and bolted metal door, fired a bullet through the door, killing Ajika Owens, single mother of four.
Jason Lewis reached for a gun and went out at 3 a.m. to investigate when he heard noises on his street. Three teens were breaking into cars. When he yelled at the kids, he thought one of them was running toward him. He fired, killing 13-year-old Karon Desean Blake.
Lorincz is white. Lewis is black. Both victims were black. Lorincz lives in Florida, Lewis in Washington, D.C. Both were convicted in August of manslaughter and face years in prison.
The two stories are exhibits A and B in the madness that has overtaken a country in which there are more guns than people, a country which is unique among advanced countries for the number of deaths caused by guns, a country where lethal violence is considered option No.1 for self-protection of life and property.
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Of course, this is a great example of cherry-picking examples to back up your position.
However, he doesn’t acknowledge the people who have used firearms to defend themselves; people who would be dead had they been unarmed. It happens more times than the alternative he presents here.
But with this as the initial framing of his piece, writer Greg Erlandson adds:
If guns weren’t involved, if fear wasn’t a factor, if the nightmare threat scripts that run in our minds hadn’t kicked in, Owens and Blake would be alive today. Instead of a gun, Lewis might have picked up a phone. Instead of a gun, Lorincz might have called 911.
The truth is that we’ve become the monsters in our own nightmares. We buy guns for security, yet feel ever more insecure. We buy guns because we feel threatened, yet we become the threats, not just to others, but to ourselves. More than half of all gun deaths in the United States are suicides. Guns are highly efficient at one thing: projecting a bullet into a neighbor, into a kid, into one’s own head.
No one feels secure: not us, not our neighbors, not our police. So, we buy still more guns. We play out Hollywood tropes, cop show scenarios in our minds. And every now and then, innocents die.
Lorincz and Lewis never planned to kill. They never planned to spend a decade or two in prison for taking someone else’s life. But the gun became the crutch, the protection that they leaned on instead of calling the police or relying on one’s neighbors. The gun is one more symbol of our isolation masquerading as self-reliance.
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So clearly, Erlandson’s position is that gun ownership is, in fact, immoral. It’s immoral. He argues that lawful gun ownership is fueling our insecurities, which leads to more people buying guns, creating a vicious cycle.
Yet he ignores the fact that as gun ownership increased year after year for decades–and guns aren’t consumables that wear out quickly, so every gun purchase generally puts more guns in law-abiding hands, often new ones–the homicide rate decreased.
Taking the life of someone who represents no harm to you is immoral. No one argues otherwise.
But I fail to see there being any inherent morality to being a victim, either. There’s no moral superiority in lying dead in a puddle of your own blood simply because you refused to have the means to defend yourself.
Including a couple of examples of manslaughter doesn’t negate the legions out there who have successfully defended themselves with a firearm and done so when their lives were legitimately on the line. Of the two examples Erlandson gives, only one of them was potentially ambiguous enough to actually be applicable to his point.
“But you can call the police.”
The police often show up just in time to draw a chalk outline around your body when someone is threatening your life.
Yes, when someone is stealing from your car, call the cops. When they’re yelling outside and you’re scared, call the police.
When they’re trying to come into your home, knowing you’re there, things are different. Would Erlander have preferred this Texas family be slaughtered by a guy with a machete as they waited for the police to arrive? That’s just one of a legion of armed citizen stories we’ve covered here at Bearing Arms since the site first launched. These are people who fall outside of Erlandson’s ideas of morality, as do I and most of you.
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Frankly, I don’t care.
The right to keep and bear arms has nothing at all to do with morality–you have a right to do all kinds of immoral things, after all–but being able to protect my home and my family is the moral thing for me to do as a father and a husband. Calling the police and just praying they show up in time to do something when I could have taken the steps to protect them isn’t.
https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2024/09/03/catholic-news-site-gun-ownership-is-immoral-n1226122#google_vignette
Four Hours, Four Shootings in Gun-Controlled Oakland
By Cam Edwards | 9:31 AM | September 09, 2024
AP Photo/Ben Margot, File
If gun control were all it took to prevent shootings, armed robberies, and other violent crimes, Oakland, California would be one of the safest cities in the country. California residents are subject to an almost never-ending litany of infringements on their Second Amendment rights, including a 10-day waiting period, background checks on all firearm transfers and sales of ammunition, and a ban on “assault weapons” and “large capacity” magazines.
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Despite all of those restrictions on lawful gun ownership, criminals in California don’t seem to have a hard time getting ahold of a firearm through illicit means. The failures of the Golden State’s anti-gun regime were evident in Oakland on Saturday night, when four separate shootings were reported over a period of four hours.
Oakland and the East Bay erupted in violence on Saturday night, starting with two deadly shootings and ending with the Bay Bridge shut down by sideshow spectators around 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
In the span of four hours, four people were shot in Oakland, and three of them died.
Two were killed and another injured at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 23rd Street around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday Then, one more person was killed around 8 p.m. in East Oakland on E Street.
Around 1 a.m. on Sunday, sideshows started in the East Bay. The group stopped in San Pablo, where hundreds watched, some even climbed freeway signs and nearby trucks.
They also stopped in Richmond, where police said they were able to deploy stop sticks to deflate tires and intercept three cars. Those vehicles were impounded for 30 days and the drivers were cited for reckless driving and released.
Another “sideshow” took place on the Bay Bridge, with hundreds of cars stopping traffic until police showed up. The California Highway Patrol told Oakland TV station KTVU that no arrests were made after officers stopped pursuing some of the vehicles involved over safety concerns.
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“At one point there were two helicopters up, an airplane up, multiple perimeters were set up because activities were taking place in this city, and people should not be living in this condition. I mean we’re under siege by criminals,” said Sgt. Huy Nguyen, president of the Oakland Police Officers Association.
With many officers diverted to deal with the street takeovers, Nguyen says the Oakland PD simply lacks the resources to deal with the growing number of emboldened criminals.
There were also multiple burglaries and a TV news crew was robbed at gunpoint. Their guard’s gun was taken, as well as the camera and their belongings.
“Everybody looks at our city like that’s the city that we do not want to be like, and that’s something that we have to get away from,” said Nguyen.
He said there needs to be more police officers, but instead, the city is telling the department to work harder with less.
“We went from over 800 officers to 712, currently we have 690 and pushing for 678. That’s not the pattern that we should be pushing for,” said Nguyen.
“More laws, less law enforcement” is a terrible strategy to fight crime, especially when many of those laws are non-violent, possessory offenses that are aimed at folks who are merely trying to exercise their right to keep and bear arms. But it’s fully in line with the gun control activists and anti-gun politicians who regularly proclaim that “police violence is gun violence”.
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The truth is, it’s far easier to illegally acquire a gun in California than it is for someone to legally obtain a gun for a lawful purpose like self-defense. The state’s draconian gun control regime has priced some folks out of exercising their Second Amendment rights, while subjecting every lawful gun owner to needless delays and a maze of red tape to navigate. And what’s the result? A city “under seige by criminals” where even the reporters protected by armed guards aren’t safe or secure.
We may very well hear Kamala Harris tout California as an example for other states and the federal government to follow during Tuesday night’s debate with Donald Trump, but it’ll be up to Trump to talk about the reality on the streets of Oakland and the repeated failures of California’s gun control regime when it comes to keeping residents safe… or allowing them to protect themselves.
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2024/09/09/four-hours-four-shootings-in-gun-controlled-oakland-n1226157
Chicago Woman Shoots Man Climbing Through Daughter’s Window
By Cam Edwards | 11:31 AM | September 09, 2024
AP Photo/Teresa Crawford
A Chicago woman is being praised by her neighbors after fending off a would-be intruder trying to enter her home through her daughter’s window.
Police were initially called to the home on a report of a shooting around 10:45 Saturday evening, and found a man with a gunshot wound to his leg. It didn’t take long for officers to learn that the man wasn’t an innocent victim, but had been shot after allegedly trying to make his way inside the home.
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“I’m just super shaken up. I’m a single mom. I live here with my children, so that’s the last thing I expect, for someone to try and come in on my daughter,” the woman, who did not want to be identified, told WGN News. “It’s just like a nightmare that came true.”
The woman told WGN News she had come home from celebrating her birthday with her family. Not long after, everything took a turn for the worst as her daughter was in the bathroom. “
While she was showering, a guy like put his hand through the window and she ran out, ‘Mom, somebody’s coming through my room, coming through my window,’” said the woman. “I just went into action and when I actually saw the guy, he was still hanging on her window and he just looked at me and I said, ‘I’ve got a gun, I’m going to shoot.’ I just fired a shot. I didn’t even know he was hit ’til the police came.”
The armed citizen told WGN that this was the first time she’s had to use her gun in defense of herself or her kids, but wasn’t about to stand idly by while her daughter was at risk.
The woman said she did not know the suspect and the entire incident has left her shaken up. Some neighbors in the area also expressed their concern after learning of what happened.
“This is something I’ve never seen before in my life,” said Gideon Charles, who’s lived in the neighborhood for about 12 years. “This is a shock to me because this is a very quiet neighborhood.”
“You hear about it all the time, but it’s somewhere else, but when it’s right in front of you it’s pretty concerning,” said Ron Miller, who has called the neighborhood home for close to 10 years. “It’s Chicago and we’re not under siege or anything like that, but it all concerns me. I certainly prefer for us to have a harmonious community.”
…
Neighbors praised the alleged actions of the mom who took steps to protect her children.
“Good for them,” said Miller.
“I, as a card holder myself, have to be very careful as to what’s taking place in this neighborhood,” said Charles. “I can assure you that if I was in the same predicament, I would have done the exact same thing.”
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It’s pretty amazing that a little more than a decade ago there were no Chicago residents with a concealed carry license, and now it’s not unheard of to have multiple CCL holders living in the same block. The state of Illinois was one of the last in the nation to recognize the right to carry, and lawmakers refused to do so until the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s ruling that the state’s ban on both open and concealed carry violated the Second Amendment. Gun control activists pleaded with state officials to take the loss instead of appealing to the Supreme Court, hoping to stave off a declaration from the High Court that the Second Amendment protects the right to both keep and bear arms.
Illinois lawmakers granted their wish and crafted a “shall issue” carry law that, while still onerous in terms of training standards, at least affords Illinois residents the ability to exercise their right to carry in self-defense and in defense of others. A carry license isn’t needed to keep a gun in your home, of course, so it’s largely irrelevant (at least from a legal perspective) that the armed mom who protected her daughter also possesses a carry permit. But it’s also a sign that more Chicagoans are embracing their Second Amendment rights, even as city officials and lawmakers in Springfield continue to take aim at the right to keep and bear arms.
https://bearingarms.com/camedwards/2024/09/09/chicago-woman-shoots-man-climbing-through-daughters-window-n1226161
Armed Citizen Saves Woman And Child During Carjacking And Sexual Assault
By
Darwin Nercesian –
September 8, 2024 52
defensive gun use
A woman’s screams caught the attention of an unnamed hero on August 30th in Tazewell County, Virginia. Armed with a 9mm handgun, the Good Samaritan moved swiftly toward danger, putting himself in harm’s way to protect the life of a stranger and her child. Unknowingly coming face to face with a suspect already wanted on two outstanding warrants, the harrowing confrontation unfolded.
Moments earlier at a Lee’s Kar-Go convenience store, the suspect, 30-year-old Cody Dailey, forcefully attempted to seize control of a truck, assaulting the female driver and terrifying the woman’s child, saying, “I’m going to rape your mommy.” Before the heinous threat or worse could be carried out, with a sense of duty, obligation and clarity that organizations like Brady United, Everytown and March for Our Lives could never understand, the courageous Good Samaritan’s voice rang out, confronting the attacker and ordering him to stop immediately.
Hearing the commands, the suspect responded by turning his aggression on the Good Samaritan, charging and shoving him to the ground despite the presence of a firearm. In an act of unrelenting criminal and “Walking Dead” zombie-like disposition, Dailey continued to advance upon the armed citizen, who finally decided, not today Satan. While our Good Samaritan had exercised restraint until this point, electing to attempt de-escalation before violence, the suspect overruled him, compelling the citizen to discharge his firearm one time, providing a complimentary body modification procedure upon Dailey’s chest.
Hearing the gunshot, law enforcement officers in the vicinity, responded and quickly arrived on the scene. Dailey received a taxpayer-funded airlift to nearby Roanoke for medical treatment, where he is reported to be in stable condition. In light of the attempted carjacking, assault, and terrorizing of an innocent child, Roanoke authorities and detectives are seeking additional charges against Dailey including abduction, carjacking and assault and battery.
Sheriff Brian Hieatt expressed gratitude to the citizen hero for his courageous actions that day.
“Thank goodness for the Good Samaritans that came to the victim’s aid during her time of need. We are grateful for their desire to intercede on her behalf. Had they not acted, this could have been a very different outcome,” the sheriff told WDBJ news.
This incident, and many others like it are shining examples of the critical importance of responsible gun ownership and the lifesaving role that firearms play when in the hands of good human beings. Bravery, quick thinking and being equipped to confront evil ruled the day here, preventing tragedy from befalling a woman and her young child.
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/armed-citizen-saves-woman-and-child-during-carjacking-and-sexual-assault/
Attention, Childless Cat Ladies: Illegals are coming for your pets
By Monica Showalter
In Springfield, Ohio, there are reports that Haitian migrants, including illegals, are out eating people’s pet cats.
And dogs. And seagulls. And ducks in ponds. And geese in public parks. And horses.
And that’s starting to bother the locals:
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/09/attention_childless_cat_ladies_illegals_are_coming_for_your_pets.html
Note: There has been a lot of talk about this lately, Haitian migrants are camping out on people’s front lawns and threatening them if they protest, etc. etc. etc. – and now this.
Recapping some of the most erroneous ‘climate change’ predictions
By Jack Hellner
“Experts” have been making dire predictions on the climate for over one hundred years, and their solution is always for the government to control our lives. They always falsely claim that the predictions and solutions are based on science, but science has nothing to do with it. It is always about taking more money and power for the government, or $cience.
One hundred and two years ago, the AP predicted that the ice caps would soon be gone, coastal cities would soon be underwater, and claimed the oceans were dying; instead, the globe went into a cooling period from 1940 to 1975. The dire predictions were 100% wrong, because they were simply fabricated.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/09/recapping_some_of_the_most_erroneous_climate_change_predictions.html