Terror time for people made intentionally defenseless

Commentary by Michael Swickard, Ph.D. The attacks in our society are driven by the media attention while we send our kids to schools are made intentionally defenseless by politicians who themselves are defended with guns. Our president talks about taking away the rights of citizens to defend themselves while he, himself, is protected by dozens of armed guards.

It is a terror time for people made intentionally defenseless. The Second Amendment is bantered about, but the core of the Constitution is about the rule of law and property rights. We own ourselves and therefore have a fundamental right to defend ourselves without any interference by government including the methods we use to defend ourselves. The founders of our country did not intend for us to be slain like fish in a barrel with no means of defense.
Winston Churchill had that great speech in World War Two where he said they would fight the Nazis on the beaches, in the streets, etc. It was a great speech but his country had taken all of the guns away from the population. The citizens were without weapons since their own government made them defenseless. Regardless of the way Churchill spoke, the citizens did not have any means to fight an invasion.
Years ago I awoke to a sound in the middle of the night and was confronted with my lack of ability to protect the ones I love. My duty was in the hallway with the intruder. I could not wait for the police because I could not let my daughter in her bedroom be defenseless. I was armed only with my determination, but no weapons. It was minutes until the police would arrive but I only had seconds.
I regularly work with my weapons. I am not enamored with guns; it is just work for me to keep proficient. Many places I go do not allow me to bring my weapons of defense into their establishment. I wonder what their defense strategy is given that no one in their business legally can have a gun. Oh, criminals can have weapons since they intend to violate the law anyway. Are these places opening up themselves to lawsuit by requiring us to be defenseless?
There comes a time when you have to defend yourself and others. Will you have a fighting chance to save yours and others lives? You can only do so if our government allows you to defend yourself adequately including the use of deadly force. Otherwise each citizen in our country is like those citizens in Mexico where guns are illegal but criminals rule. They live lives of terror because they have no way to defend themselves legally, and the criminals continue to kill innocents indiscriminately. Read full column
Share/Bookmark

Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Webcast 12/17/12

Newsbreak New Mexico 5pm Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

                                     Listen here:


State computer running again
Las Cruces prescription drug ring
Woman sentenced 10 years in license fraud
Low turnout for NM Bowl






                                              Visit spenceassetmanagment.com 
Share/Bookmark

NM jail methadone treatment in effect until February


At least until February, methadone-dependent inmates will still get their dosages at the county jail. 
The extension of the program came after the Bernalillo County Commission decided Tuesday to take the issue up at its January meeting. Jail staff announced in late November it would end the methadone program. 
Commission Chair Art De La Cruz says the program should be a matter of county policy rather than subject to staff decisions. The commission will meet a few weeks after the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center ends its contract with Recovery Services, the contractor that has given methadone to an average of 140 inmates a month at the jail since 2010. The service costs about $10,000 a month. 
The extension also comes in the middle of a weekslong audit at MDC aimed at gathering information about the methadone program’s efficacy in reducing addiction, recidivism and crime. 

Share/Bookmark

Woman sentenced to 10 years for license fraud

Ana Hernandez

A woman who claims to be a political pawn in the immigration debate has been sentenced to 10 years for forging affidavits that authorities say allowed 44 undocumented immigrants to get New Mexico driver's licenses. 
Ana Hernandez was sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty to 10 of 324 charges in an indictment that named her and 42 others last year. The 46-year-old is accused of signing affidavits that falsely said the applicants lived at her business address. 
Hernandez's attorney, Scott Mullins, says his client was singled out for overzealous prosecution "and the dangerous inference of immigration politics in the administration of justice."


Share/Bookmark

Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Webcast 12/17/12

Newsbreak New Mexico 12pm Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

                                     Listen here:


Woman sentenced 10 years in license fraud
Methadone jail treatment to continue until February
Reese family gun trial
Review of NMFA 





                                            Visit spenceassetmanagment.com 
Share/Bookmark

Reese family trial continues

Rick Reese
Attorneys for a family acquitted of charges that they sold weapons to Mexican drug cartels through their southern New Mexico gun shop say federal prosecutors violated their clients' constitutional rights. 

The Albuquerque Journal reports that defense motions filed in the case of Rick and Terri Reese and their son Ryin allege that prosecutors failed to release documents during their trial. 
A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Ken Gonzales would not comment, explaining that most of the documents related to the case are sealed. 
While the Reese family was acquitted in August of the most serious charges, Rick, Terri and Ryin were found guilty of lesser charges of making false statements on federal firearms sales forms.


Share/Bookmark

Review shows no embezzlement at the NMFA

State Auditor Hector Balderas says his review of the New Mexico Finance Authority found no evidence of embezzlement by the former controller accused of faking an audit. 

But he says the deception was able to occur because the NMFA board and executive management "were asleep at the wheel." The findings echo those earlier this month from the state Securities Division, which blamed management and oversight failures as well as a "culture of complacency" at the agency. 
Balderas's report is the first to say definitely that no money is missing. The report also makes a number of recommendations for improving controls at the authority.


Share/Bookmark

House democrats choose leaders

W. Ken Martinez
Democrats who control the New Mexico House on have nominated Majority Leader W. Ken Martinez to replace longtime Speaker Ben Lujan.

 Democrats also picked Rep. Rick Miera of Albuquerque to succeed Martinez in the majority leader post, and they chose Rep. Moe Maestas of Bernalillo as majority whip. 
The speaker nomination can't be finalized until the Legislature convenes in January. 
Lujan announced he was retiring earlier this year after he was diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer. Martinez, of Grants, has been in the House since 1999. 


Share/Bookmark

Sandy Hook shooting victim former RIo Rancho student

Emilie Parker
One of the children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting used to live in New Mexico. 

Emilie Parker, 6, was a kindergartner at Maggie Cordova Elementary School in Rio Rancho last year, according to her father, Robbie Parker. Parker is believed to have worked at Presbyterian Hospital. 
A spokesperson for Rio Rancho Schools expressed their condolences, saying, "It is a very sad day for all of us. This is a terrible situation. Our hearts go out to Emilie's family and all the families involved." 
Emilie leaves behind her parents and her two siblings, ages 3 and 2. Parker said he plans to bury his daughter in their home state of Utah. 
The Emilie Parker Fund has been set up on Facebook in Emilie's honor to help pay for funeral services. 


Share/Bookmark

Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Webcast 12/17/12

Newsbreak New Mexico 8am Newscast with Vanessa Dabovich

                                     Listen here:


Victim of Sandy Hook shooting NM connections
House Democrats select leadership
Audit finds no embezzlement at NMFA 







                                            Visit spenceassetmanagement.com 



Share/Bookmark