Should Cops Chase Criminals?

Apparently, Warren Bolton over at The State is against police officers chasing bad guys who flee - because it's just too gosh darn dangerous. His column is based on the story of a driver who fled from the Cayce police department back in December.

The basic facts are that a Cayce police officer attempted to make a nighttime traffic stop on a vehicle driving without headlights. The driver decided to flee, and a high-speed pursuit began. The pursuit ended when the suspect's vehicle crashed into an innocent person's vehicle. Unfortunately, the innocent third-party driver died as a result of the collision.

From these facts, Mr. Bolton draws the conclusion that Cayce police officers should adopt a policy of not pursuing people for "routine traffic violations".

Not all chases are wise chases; most aren’t. Frankly, there rarely is a justifiable reason for officers to engage in a high-speed chase. It’s the equivalent of playing Russian roulette with innocent bystanders’ lives.
The only time a chase is absolutely warranted is when it involves a violent suspect — a murderer on the run or someone firing shots from a car — who is clearly endangering the public.

This is a pretty restrictive rule. If this is your rule for chasing, that means a drunk guy weaving all over the road shouldn't be pursued by the police when he decides not to stop. This means that anyone with expired tags shouldn't be pursued if they decide not to stop. Speeding? Heck, they shouldn't be chasing you for that anymore, either. If you're already driving fast, just drive a little faster if you see the blue lights. As long as you're not a "violent suspect" I guess you're fine. Rob a bank? Hey, as long as you didn't shoot anyone, just keep on driving. The police won't chase you.

Now obviously, high-speed chases are dangerous. But if the suspect is already fleeing at a high rate of speed, they're already causing a dangerous situation. I'm not really concerned about the police following them because my assumption is that the police are pretty safe drivers, comparatively. They've trained for this. My guess is that if you look at the statistics about high-speed chases, it's the people fleeing who cause the problems, not the police. Yes, accidents will happen. But there's a cost-benefit analysis here. As cold as it sounds, I'm fine with the risk associated with most high-speed chases because criminals know that they can't run. Also, in this day and age, police have lots of resources at their disposal. They can call ahead to other units, use GPS, and in larger jurisdictions there are helicopters available.

Running from the cops should be like kidnapping. You just really can't get away with it anymore.

Mr. Bolton believes that not only is statewide standard is needed, but that officers now need to get permission to chase someone. That's silly.

Let’s not only establish a statewide minimum standard for police chases, but let’s require that officers be well-versed and well-trained on the policy and that they get authorization from a superior before initiating a chase.

[SCENE]

Police Officer Do-Right is driving down the street on a nice sunny Spring day. All of a sudden, a car runs a red light right in front of him going 80 miles an hour. Officer Do-Right turns on his lights/siren and turns to follow. He quickly realizes that he'll need to go faster to keep up.

Officer Do-Right: Dispatch, this is Officer Do-Right, I'm in pursuit of a black ford on Knox Abbot. Is it ok if I chase him?

Dispatch: What did the suspect do?

Officer Do-Right: He drove through a red light at 80 miles an hour right in front of me, and now he's going even faster to get away. Can I follow him? He's getting away!

Dispatch: Let me see if I can find a supervisor. Please wait.

[30 seconds go by]

Lieutenant Big-Time: Hey officer Do-Right, this is Lieutenant Big-Time, what's happening?

Officer Do-Right: I'm requesting permission to chase a guy who blew through a red light at 80 miles an hour right in front of me.

Lieutenant Big-Time: Did he have a gun? Was he a murderer?

Officer Do-Right: I don't know, he was going really fast and ran a red light, that's all I know!

Lieutenant Big-Time: Well how do we know that he's really dangerous? Did he shoot at you?

Officer Do-Right: No! He's way ahead of me now.

Lieutenant Big-Time:  Hmmmm....seems speculative.

Officer Do-Right: Oh nevermind, he's already gotten away. I don't know where he is anymore.

Lieutenant Big-Time: Ok, well...good job officer. I'm glad you called to get permission before you did something reckless like chase someone. I'm glad you called to check before you used your initiative. We can't have officers using their initiative; that wouldjust bee too dangerous. Carry on patrolling.

[SCENE]

That sounds like a great policy to me. Amirite?

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/03/13/2672643/bolton-warning-3000-pound-missile.html#storylink=cpy

As you can see from the first scene in my upcoming movie Stop....or I'll Say Stop Again, the police can't have the policy of "We won't chase you unless you're a murderer or shooting at us". That's just an invitation to disregard the police.

I would actually go the other way. If you flee from the cops, they're going to chase you down, catch you, and then you're going to be prosecuted for it. And make that sentence a tough one. We live is a society that has laws. We're either going to follow the law, or we're going to be lawless. Fleeing from the police is a crime in and of itself. I guess Mr. Bolton doesn't really care about enforcing that law, though.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/03/13/2672643/bolton-warning-3000-pound-missile.html#storylink=cpy

A Turkey Hunter's First Shot

This story is from last turkey season, but in a way, it's timeless.

Joe McCulloch Gets Breathalyzer Results Tossed

Looks like Joe McCulloch is out there keeping the system honest.

Columbia Municipal Judge Steedley Bogan issued an order Friday saying the breath test results could not be used as evidence when the case goes to trial, because the officer told the suspect to “blow hard” when he was giving instructions on the test.

If you're going to use breathalyzers on people, seems to reason that you've got to use them the right way. If you give an order to use the machine that is directly contrary to the operating instructions, you've got a problem.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/03/12/2672784/columbia-dui-case-may-force-police.html##storylink=cpy

Palmetto Compress Building Remains (For Now)

The big brouhaha over what to do with the Palmetto Compress Building is going to continue, since apparently, the preservationists have run the business developers away. Nice job, y'all. Way to run those Yankees off who are looking to invest money in a business here in Columbia.

For those of you who don't know, the Palmetto Compress Building is this building:

Palmetto Compress & Warehouse (Via The State)

The Compress & Warehouse sits at Devine and Pulaski, in downtown Columbia. Back in the day (the very early 1900's), it used to be a short term warehouse for bales of cotton on their way to textile mills. Once the textile mills went under, the warehouse kinda lost it's usefulness.

The real estate that this building sits on is some pretty good real estate for commercial development. It's located near the University of South Carolina's campus and is near a major thoroughfare (Blossom and Huger). The problem is that storing things in an old warehouse isn't exactly a great way to make money. I'm sure the property taxes on this real estate alone are pretty significant. Accordingly, the folks who own this building are thinking about getting out of the warehouse business and into something more profitable. As you may have guessed, that will likely require knocking down the building.

So, what's the problem? Well, there's a contingent of folks who want to preserve the warehouse. I guess they're nostalgic for the old textile mill days of Columbia, or they like brick buildings with little windows, or maybe they just like warehouses. In any event, there's a group of folks who don't want the building to go anywhere.

I kind of get that. It's a quaint old building, and it's a reminder of Columbia's past. That's cool. The other side of me thinks that it would be cool to get some new stuff in Columbia. Charleston and Greenville keep growing, expanding, renovating, and developing. What's Columbia done recently? I guess we've gotten a Whole Foods and....yeah, that's about it.

You may not have noticed, but the banks aren't exactly giving money out for speculative projects these days. And make no mistake, it would cost a boatload of money to "restore" this old building to a point where it would be fit for some sort of development if you want to keep the structure intact.

I know there are lots of people who want to save the building, but I don't see a whole lot of ideas on what do to with it. The people on the preservationist side seem stuck on the "This is a historic building so we must save it...because it is historic". argument. Look, y'all: It's an old warehouse that used to store cotton. It's not like George Washington used it as his headquarters.

Don't get me wrong. The best solution is to develop it in a way that makes money for the owners and preserves the building. However, the push to keep it because it's old isn't a very good argument. If you want to save the building, try and figure out how to make that profitable for everyone.

10 Best Shotguns Today

Neither my Browning Citori, nor my Beretta Silver Pigeon are on the list, but here's the list anyway.

Marine Corps Basic Training Graduation [PHOTOS]

Some good photos from Parris Island graduating some Marines. Good way to start the week.

Friday Open Thread

Happy Friday.

Enjoy your weekend.

Is This an Economic "Recovery"?

Everyone is talking about how great the economy is doing now. However, I see that we have a record high number of people "not in the labor force". That's not what an actual recovery looks like.

The number of Americans designated as "not in the labor force" in February was 89,304,000, a record high, up from 89,008,000 in January, according to the Department of Labor. This means that the number of Americans not in the labor force increased 296,000 between January and February.

I don't see how a record high number of people not in the labor force is a sign of a strong economy. In a strong economy (one that produces valuable goods and services) you have people participating. This seems like the opposite.

[h/t to Instapundit]

Springfield Armory XD(s) Review

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I would be doing a review of my new Springfield Armory XD(s). Someone finally reminded me that I hadn't done my review yet, so here ya go, campers.

The Springfield Armory XD(s) is a subcompact .45 ACP semi-automatic handgun. As soon as you take it out of the box, you can tell the XD(s) is clearly intended to be used as a concealed carry gun. At it's widest point, it's only one inch thick, and it fits very nicely into the palm of your hand, and it's fairly light. When you wear it on your hip and throw on a jacket, it simply disappears.

However, all of this compactness and conceal-ability requires you to make some compromises. In a similarly sized Glock 19 (ok, maybe the Glock 19 is a little bigger) you get a 15 round magazine. However, you're getting 15 rounds of 9mm in the Glock, whereas the XD(s) is giving you .45 ACP. Unfortunately, you're only going to get a magazine capacity of 5 rounds of the .45 ACP in the standard mags. Springfield does make a 7 round magazine for the Xd(s), but good luck actually finding one. I'm not sure if you've heard, but there's a little bit of a run on magazines and ammo these days.

In any event, the point is that you're going to be sacrificing magazine capacity for conceal-ability. But that's why God created spare magazines, and he said "let them be plentiful".

As for function, the little XD(s) is great. The first 50 rounds that I put through it were made in Hungary under the label "RWS". Yeah, I bought some Hungarian-made ammo. It's really hard to find ammo these days. Anyway, here's what I bought:

So, I go out to the range and put a box of this Hungarian ammo through the little XD(s). There were seven of what I would call "light-strikes". That means I pulled the trigger, and the gun went click. That's bad, because it's supposed to go BANG! 

I ejected the round (after waiting the safe time) and looked at it. The bottom of the round (where the striker hits the cartridge to ignite the primer) had a small dimple in it, like it's supposed to. However, it didn't go off. Strange, right? I put the same round back in the chamber and then fired it again. Every time the round fired on the second attempt. Very strange.

At first, I chalked it up to the Hungarian ammo. I mean, what do they know about making ammo in Hungary, right? However, I did a little research and it turns out that Springfield ships the XD(s) in a condition where they are not really ready-to-go out of the box. They put a bunch of grease and stuff down in the channel where the striker is, and it kind of gums up the works. So, I did a detail strip of the gun, pulled the striker out and examined it. There was more gunk and grease on there than I would have expected, so I cleaned it off real well, cleaned the whole gun, and lubricated all the rails and other areas that needed to be lubed.

After that, I've put about 250 rounds through it of various types of ammo, and it's been 100%. I haven't had any failures of any kind whatsoever. All I can tell you is that if you're thinking about getting an XD(s), don't  be scared of the stories you hear about the "light strikes". The gun just needs to have a little cleaning before you take it shooting. It also likes to be well lubricated because all the parts fit together so tightly. (That's what she said.)

Overall, it's a great gun. I'm not as accurate with it as I am with a full-size 1911, but that's not totally unexpected. The overall length is only 6.3", so you're not dealing with much. (That's what she said.)

However, probably my biggest flaw in my shooting technique is my tendency to pull the trigger too hard. This causes my shots to go low and left about five inches at 10 yards. With the XD(s) being such a small gun, this error shows up very clearly. With a larger, heavier 1911, my same problem is lessened by the fact that the 1911 is heavier and bigger, so I'm not moving the gun as much. I still have the same flaw, but it's more obvious with the XD(s). However, in a critical self-defense situation at 10 yards being off by five inches isn't going to make me miss center mass. Having said that, I'm going to work on my shooting technique.

Other Features: There's no thumb-safety on the XD(s). However, there is a grip-safety, in the same style of the 1911. You can see the grip safety in the picture above. It's that little tab on the back of the grip. To me, the XD(s) seems like the folks at Springfield Armory tried to make their version of the Glock. It has that same safe-trigger deal like a Glock, and it's simple - like a Glock. Take down is actually easier (to me) than with a Glock. The sight picture is nice, and Springfield even gives you options for changing out the front sight if you don't like the red bead.

Overall, theXD(s) is a great carry gun if you want something chambered in .45 ACP. If you're looking for a range gun to just do precision paper shooting, this isn't your gun. This gun is intended to be carried all the time, and to pack a punch when you need it to. Although I'm a fan of 9mm, you really can't go wrong with .45 ACP.

 

Take care of lubricating and cleaning this little gun, and it will take care of you. Permanent Press officially endorses the Springfield Armory XD(s).

Bloomberg Focuses on Ear Buds

First they came for the salt, and I said nothing. Next they came for the big gulp, and I said nothing, and then they came for the ear buds on my iPod, and I said nothing. (I don't live in New York, so it's not really my place to say.)

Seriously, he's concerned that New Yorkers are listening to loud music via little ear buds.

It's like the mayor of New York City has never walked the streets of New York City. It seems like over half of the people wear ear buds as they go from place to place. I'm going to be extremely amused if NYC becomes the first city to outlaw ear buds.

If you outlaw ear buds, only outlaws will have ear buds!

You can have my ear buds when you pry them from my cold, dead ears!

Guy's Night

Mrs. Permanent Press is going to the ATL for the next 24 hours. Looks like Permanent Press, Jr. and I will be on our own. That means it's time to relax and have a guy's night.

 

The ladies are gone? Good, I'm going to take a nap.

Clemson Sets Sights on BCS Title

“Our goal is to compete for the national championship,” Swinney said.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/03/05/2661984/swinney-sets-sights-on-bcs-title.html#storylink=omni_popular#wgt=pop#storylink=cpy

Limitations. A man's got to know them.

White House Cancels Tours - Blames Sequester

The peasants will no longer be allowed to tour the king's castle. Why? Apparently sequester has forced "staffing reductions" to the White House.

Oh, you would like a list of the people who were let go? No problem. They are:

That's the complete list we have so far.

SC Considers Repeal of CWP Law

Happy Tuesday.

So of course right after I take my CWP class, the SC legislature is considering the repeal of the CWP law and allowing concealed carry without a permit and/or open carry.

If you know me, you know that I'm about as pro-gun as it gets. However, I'm not sure that I am in favor of repealing the CWP law and going to to Constitutional Carry. The main element of the current CWP law is the training requirement.

The way that I see it, the training requirement is kind of a gatekeeper for people. If you feel strongly about carrying, you'll take the class and get your permit. However, if you just wake up one day and causally want to carry and don't really know much about guns, the CWP training requirement stops you.

In essence, it separates the people who really want to carry from the people who want to do it on a whim. Now, that may or may not be a legal basis to do so, but I like the idea that you have to commit at least eight hours of your life before you walk around with lethal force on your hip.

Latest Video from the "Golf Boys" - 2.Oh

I tweeted this out earlier today, but this video is too good not to be it's own independent post. So this is for all y'all who don't follow me on Twitter (You can fix that by clicking on the button to the right).

The best line is clearly: "Kevin Naaaaa".

NCAA Baseball to Change Baseballs?

Did you know that the baseball used in NCAA is not the same type of baseball used in Major League Baseball? I knew the bats were different, but I just figured that all baseballs are the same.

Apparently, not. Although there may be a push to have the NCAA go with the same ball that the pros use.

Leggett has an idea that he believes could find a happy medium for the game. Leggett is pushing for a change in the ball that is used in the college game. He wants to switch to the ball used in professional baseball.

Did you have any idea the ball was different?

“They’re not going to change the bats,” Leggett said, “so I think going to the minor-league baseball, a little bit harder ball with lower seams and a little bit more carry on the ball, you’ve got a more exciting game.”

I think that Leggett actually has a good idea here. The more you can make the NCAA game like the MLB game, it will be easier for the the players to try and make the jump to the minor leagues (and hopefully) the majors.

Clemson. They actually have a good idea.

Readmore here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/03/03/2659065/leggett-wants-to-throw-colleges.html#storylink=omni_popular#wgt=pop#storylink=cpy

Weekend Thread - Charleston, SC

I'll be in Charleston this weekend. Y'all behave in my absence.

Happy Friday - Don't Believe Everything You Hear

I have a particular set of skills.

Not much happening today, other than the ZOMG, end of the world, apocalypse now, 2.3% budget cuts that will force us to stop vaccinating children, inspecting meat, checking for bombs on airplanes, having firefighters, or any matching socks for our military troops.

I have a particular set of skills when it comes to all that: I don't believe all the bullshit I hear from politicians.

I suggest you do likewise.

Ninth Circuit: Sea Shepard's Actions are "Piracy"

Have you heard of the TV show Whale Wars? If not, it's a reality show on the Animal Planet channel that follows a group of hard-line environmentalists who are engaged in stopping whaling. These environmentalists have a ship called the "Sea Shepherd" and they go around making life difficult for Japanese whaling vessels.

When I say "making life difficult", I mean: they ram the whaler's ships with their own ship, they throw nets in front of the whalers to ensnare/damage their propellers, and they throw glass jars of acid at the whalers. You gotta admit, that's some pretty serious stuff.

So, obviously, the Japanese whalers aren't exactly thrilled with what's going on. Accordingly, the Japanese folks have sued the Sea Shepherd folks in federal district court, claiming that the acts of the Sea Shepherd and its crew amount to piracy, and are seeking an injunction.

The district court dismissed the piracy claim, and the Japanese appealed to the Ninth Circuit, who reversed the trial court. Here's how Judge Kozinski begins his opinion:

You don’t need a peg leg or an eye patch. When you ram ships; hurl glass containers of acid; drag metal-reinforced ropes in the water to damage propellers and rudders; launch smoke bombs and flares with hooks; and point high-powered lasers at other ships, you are, without a doubt, a pirate, no matter how high-minded you believe your purpose to be.

You can read the full opinion here. I love it, and he's exactly right. Just because you believe that you're acting in a principled manner and that you're on the side of the angels doesn't mean you get to throw acid at other ships and ram them. There's no exception for subjectively believing you have good intentions. If you do these thinigs, you're a pirate. Maybe you're not a very hard-core pirate, but you're still attacking another ship on the high seas.

Also, you know what didn't help the Sea Shepherd's lawyer? It's kind of hard to argue that your client isn't a pirate when this is their flag:

Seriously, counselor? That's your client's flag? And you're gonna sit there and tell me that your client isn't a pirate? Right.

Here's the thing: if you're going to go to the point where you throw acid at other ships, ram them, and intentionally try to damage their propulsion and steering capabilities with nets, why not go all in? If you're going to be a pirate - own it. Get some cannons, some torpedoes, and be serious about it. Or don't do it at all.

The only thing worse than a pirate is a half-assed pirate.

Sasha Volokh to Speak in Greenville Tomorrow

If you're in Greenville, SC tomorrow (and you're a law-dork), you should go check out Sasha Volokh, who will be speaking at the local Federalist Society Chapter. The event will be at Womble Carlyle's office in Greenville. Sasha is smart as a whip. You should definitely get to hear him speak if you can.

He'll be discussing Minneci v. Pollard and constitutional torts.

Jon Stewart Mocks the Sequester DOOM!

If Obama has lost Jon Stewart, he's in trouble.

Understanding the Sequester (Pie Chart)

http://www.investors.com/editorial-cartoons/michael-ramirez/645725

You know, to hear some people tell you about the sequester, we're DOOMED! March 1 will be here soon. What do you think will happen?

I think this pie chart really puts the cuts in perspective. They're not really that big. To put it another way, this year, the cuts are $85 billion, leaving the government with a nearly $3.6 trillion budget.

In fact, under the sequester the government will spend about $60 billion more than it did in 2008 just on what are called domestic discretionary programs — like education, law enforcement, highways and the environment. That's an increase of more than 10%.

I understand that the sequester is going to cut across the board. Good programs that don't waste money will lose funding along with the wasteful, useless, bloated programs. But the government will spend more the year after. The spending is set to increase at the same rate as always. We're just having a one-time cut, then we'll continue to spend more each year.

We're driving towards a cliff, and instead of accelerating at full speed, we're just going to tap the brakes for a second, then accelerate at full speed again. Maybe we are DOOMED. Just not the way people are saying.

Meat, Murder, and Morrissey

I kind of vaguely remember Morrissey from back in the day, but I'm not really sure I can think of any of his songs. In any event, this guy Morrissey is upset that he has to share the world with people who have different views from his.

Life is tough when you're an aging rock star that no one really remembers, and you don't eat meat. So, after bering invited on the Jimmy Kimmel, Morrissey decides that he can't agree to go on the show until his demands are met. These demands? Oh nothing, just disinvite some of the other scheduled guests.

The former Smiths frontman and outspoken vegetarian/animal-rights activist has announced that he won't be appearing on Jimmy Kimmel LIve on Tuesday because he doesn't want to share the stage with the animal-stalking crew of the reality TV series "Duck Dynasty."

In explaining his decision, Morrissey, never one to withhold an opinion, referred to the show's stars as "animal serial killers."

"As far as my reputation is concerned, I can't take the risk of being on a show alongside people who, in effect, amount to animal serial killers," the singer said in a statement posted online. "If Jimmy cannot dump 'Duck Dynasty,' then we must step away."

Wait, what? The guys from Duck Dynasty are so evil that a rock star can't be on stage in the same show with them? These guys make duck calls and go duck hunting. That's it. They're not part of Hitler's lost SS Battalion, they aren't in a Satanic cult, and they aren't lawyers.

They're just country folks who hunt. Really. That's it. And they're "animal serial killers". Well, I guess I'm in the "serial killer" club as well. I guess everyone who's in Ducks Unlimited, hunts deer, or even fishes, is now part of the ol' serial killer club. Do we get any perks? Are there any badges or anything?

These militant vegans are seriously crazy. The funny part is that they are the most intolerant people you'll meet. I used to know one. In college, a militant vegan was housemates with a friend of mine. This militant vegan was extreme, which is her choice. The odd part was that her cats (yes she had animal companions) were forced to partake in her vegan lifestyle. Whenever I would visit, I would ultimately end up getting in debates about eating meat and such. I'm sure you'll be shocked to know that we never really ended up convincing the other person. Basically, I was the antithesis of everything good to her - a white, southern male who killed animals and ate meat. Yep, an animal serial killer.

I noticed that whenever I would come over that her cats would always come into the kitchen when I would cook, as I was cooking meat, and they were forced to eat seaweed or something equally icky and vegan. I knew that because she disliked all my meat eating, if I could get her cats to love me, it would really annoy her.

It's amazing how rubbing a little chicken grease on your shoelaces keeps cats sitting at your feet and licking your shoes your all night long.

Remember to Get Your Rest

No blog from me today. There's not much going on in the world worth discussing. Get your rest.

People are counting on you.

How Republicans Can Be Cool

Is this possible? The drinking age is an interesting idea. I think that returning drug policy to the state level would be a better idea.

Best Pimento Cheeseburger in Columbia

Have no fear, the intrepid writers at Garden and Gun have done all the tough research for you, and they've come up with the list of the best places in Columbia, SC to get a pimento cheeseburger. For what it's worth, Permanent Press officially endorses the Kingsman and its pimento cheeseburger when you're looking to slip into dreamlike a food coma on a Friday afternoon.

Now, if you want to do hard work of checking each spot out...I won't try to talk you out of it.

2-21-13 Morning Thread

Good morning, campers....this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby. There's not much news today, but here you go:

WHY CALIFORNIA IS GOING BROKE: Last year, 572 San Francisco city workers made more than the Governor of California.

DALLAS TEACHER SAYS WRITE ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT: Unless you write about something she don't personally like. In that case, you'll fail.

Downton Abbey Raises Money for PBS

Courtesy of @AshleyKutz, who brought this to my attention, it has finally been revealed how PBS intends on making money even if the federal funding is eliminated.

Yes, I'll admit it. I'm watching.

News Roundup 2-20-13

1. Alan Wilson Has a Good Idea: Whenever someone is adjudicated mentally ill by an SC Court, SLED is put in the loop on that. Ummmm...we weren't doing that before?
2. Gas Prices are Going Up: The price of gasoline is going up, and The State is blaming "speculators".
3. Columbia City Water Prices Going up 8%: So water will cost more. Funny, I wonder why they aren't blaming the evil "water speculators". Also, it doesn't appear that we'll be getting 8% more water.

I'm not in an especially charitable mood today, so this is your blog for the day. If you have any problem with that: Judge Smails has my response.

My CWP Class Experience

On Saturday, I sat through my CWP (concealed weapons permit) instruction. The instruction is required to be a minimum of eight hours, which includes both classroom time and range time.

There were eight total people in the class, which made it an average-sized class, according to Paul Peters, the instructor. If you pay attention to South Carolina gun law news, Paul Peters recently was in the news, for his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the issue of modifying the concealed carry laws to allow for concealed carry into establishments that serve alcohol for on-premises consumption. Here's a photo of Paul from the classroom portion:

Paul Peters is grading our tests at this point.

Paul has a great background for teaching the CWP class. He’s a former police officer, former Lexington County Councilman, and he helped write the existing CWP law. In addition to being a certified instructor for the CWP class, he’s also a certified instructor for teaching other instructors.

The day was broken into three segments: a classroom portion, a range portion (actual shooting), and then further classroom time. Finally, we took a written exam. After the exam, Paul gave us the added service of fingerprinting us. He didn’t have to do that, but since he is a former police officer, he knows how to do it, and has all the equipment. That saved everyone a trip to the police station.

After taking the class I have a couple of thoughts. [NONE OF THIS IS LEGAL ADVICE] First, it is absolutely necessary to take the CWP course given the amount of laws regulating where you can carry, the practicalities you need to consider, the problems you will encounter, and specifically, when you can use deadly force, and how you go about it.

Going into the class, one of the main questions I wanted to discuss was how to handle a traffic stop while legally carrying. For the most part, I observe the speed limit, but I have been known from time to time to daydream while driving, and when that happens I end up going a little faster than the posted speed limit. I wanted to know what I should do in the situation I end up confronted by John Q. Law in a routine traffic stop.

Paul went into that scenario in detail, and he had the advantage of discussing the situation from both the points of view. For the police officer, a traffic stop is a dangerous part of the job. You’re approaching a person that you don’t know anything about, it could be dark, it could in an isolated place. They could be a normal person who happened to be speeding, or they could be a drug dealer who has a bunch of drugs in the trunk. As the officer, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.

As the person stopped, you don’t know what kind of police officer has just stopped you. It could be an old veteran who is wise and knows how to handle things, or it could be a scared young rookie making his first solo traffic stop, and he’s a little jittery.

As the person who has been stopped, it is your goal to put the officer at ease. You don’t want to do anything that will make him nervous, or afraid, because that’s how you end up getting shot. If it’s daytime, you will want to pull over somewhere safe, and if it’s nighttime, you will want to pull over somewhere as well-lit as possible. That way everyone can see. If you’re still in a dark place, put your dome light on. That way the police officer can see you more clearly. Remember, he doesn’t know what you’re doing in the car.

You should roll down the windows, put the car in park, turn it off, and then sit there calmly with your hands on the wheel. Don’t start reaching for your license; don’t start looking in the glove box for your registration and proof of insurance. Just sit there. The officer hasn’t asked for those yet. He will, but this isn’t the time to anticipate his questions. Just sit there quietly.

When the officer gets to your car, you’ll get the ol’ “Do you know why I pulled you over?’ question. How you answer that is up to you. The part that concealed carry folks want to remember is that when the officer asks for your driver’s license, you have to give him your CWP license, and inform him that you are legally carrying at that time. Don’t start reaching for your gun, don’t do anything else. As soon as you tell the officer this, you’re going to be entering territory where the officer realizes there is another firearm (other than his) present.

Personally, I’m going to handle the situation as follows:

Police Officer:           May I see your license and registration?

Me: [Hands SCDL, registration, and CWP license to officer] Officer, I am a CWP holder, and I am currently carrying a concealed weapon on my person. How would you like to proceed?

This has put the officer on notice that I have a gun. I’m not reaching for it, I’m keeping my hands on the wheel, and I’m not doing anything that could threaten him. If he’s a veteran cop, he may just do nothing and proceed with the traffic stop. If he wants to remove the gun from me for the duration of the traffic stop, I would tell him that I would prefer not to handle my gun in his presence, and I would prefer that I step out of the car, and he can remove it from me himself. That way, there is no way that I am doing anything that could threaten him.

Going through that scenario in the class was only a fraction of what we learned. I’m sure everyone is familiar with these signs:

Did you know that for that sign to be legally enforceable, it has to be an exact size? (8" x 12") If it’s smaller, it’s of no legal effect. If it’s larger it’s of no legal effect. That blows my mind. It has to be posted between 40" and 60" high, and it has to be a certain proximity from the door. (Side note, the signs at Regal Cinemas are at the ticket box office, not the door. So guess what? They're not legally enforceable.) Also, if the sign has to be posted at every entrance to the building, or the building isn’t covered. Here’s another one: if the words “NO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ALLOWED” aren’t in ALL CAPS, it’s not a legal sign. If you start looking at most places, the signs aren’t in compliance. Interesting huh?

Paul also let us know that this course was not the time for us to learn to shoot our guns, and this course was not the sum total of the training we should receive. He told us that we should continue to train and shoot at least once a month to stay proficient. He also recommended several other defensive handgun courses.

Over the whole course, Paul was the consummate professional, and he is extremely knowledgeable. He answered all of our questions in a discussion type format. With only eight students, it was very much like an upper level college course at my college. He asked us questions about hypothetical situations and we discussed them at length. We went through how handguns work in detail. We exhaustively went through handgun safety. During the entire class, safety was paramount. In fact, Paul started the class by saying “I don’t care if all you flunk this class, but we’re going to be safe today.”

Overall, the course was absolutely necessary. I cannot imagine the State of South Carolina just saying Go ahead and carry – good luck with figuring everything out.

For instance, let’s say you have a handgun in your car (you’re not a CWP holder, just a regular joe). In South Carolina, it’s perfectly legal to do that. However, in South Carolina you have to have it in the glove box, the center console, or the luggage compartment. If you get stopped by the police, it has to be in one of those three places. But then let’s assume you’re driving to Charlotte to go to the mall. As soon as you cross into North Carolina, the law changes. If you get stopped by the police in North Carolina the handgun has to be in plain view. That means you need to take the handgun out of the glove box and put it on the seat next to you before the officer approaches the car. Personally, I think that is a horrible law, but that’s the North Carolina law.

The sheer intricacies of the law are one thing; the sheer logistics are another; and the decision on when to use lethal force is another idea that needs time to be considered and developed. Paul made it clear that when you are carrying lethal force with you, you need to have planned ahead for situations, so you’re not trying to make important decisions under pressure. Safety, planning, training, and thoughtfulness were the hallmarks of his class.

If you’re looking to take a CWP class, I could not recommend him any more highly. If you’re against carrying concealed, I would recommend you take his class to educate yourself on the mindset of the people on the other side of the debate. There’s no requirement that you carry concealed after taking the class. Heck, you don’t have to even apply to SLED for the permit. It’s simply a great education on the laws in South Carolina.

I enjoyed the range time. We had a nice little bit of a break in between the rain for the shooting portion. Here's all eight of our targets before the shooting.

One target for each student.

Here's my target after the shooting, which has been scored 100 out of 100.

My target after Paul graded it. As you can see, a perfect score, but certainly room for improvement.

Here's Paul scoring anther student's target. As you can see, he went through each target with a little piece of chalk and made sure of each student's score personally.

Paul verifying a shooter's score.

After completing the written test, I received my certificate. I did not receive a perfect score. Paul took off .5 of a point because he didn't like the exact way I worded one of my answers to the written portion. So I ended up with 99.5% on the written test. However, a double 100% would sure look nice on the certificate.

Police Dog in UK Writes Report

The best thing I saw over the weekend (while on my deathbed with a stomach flu) was the police report filled out by a police K-9 named "PC Peach".

My favorite part of the report is "He tasty". Apparently, though, the higher-ups at the police department don't have a sense of humor. They're actually conducting an investigation into this matter. I actually think it's an excellent report. No fluff, no unnecessary background stuff. Just the facts. Sergeant Joe Friday would be proud.

The Making of Pulp Fiction

THE MAKING OF PULP FICTION. Great article. It's long, but worth it.

CWP Class Tomorrow

Sorry for the no-blog today. I was stuck in a deposition. Tomorrow is a big day for me, as I'll be taking a CWP class out at Mid-Carolina Rifle Club. Hopefully, the weather will not be too cold.

I've been shooting off and on since I was about 14, but I've never gotten my CWP (concealed weapons permit). I've been meaning to get my CWP for some time now, but I've always been putting it off for one reason or another. Well, no more. Finally doing the CWP course was one of my 2013 New Year's Resolutions. Tomorrow, I'll cross it off the list.

I'll try to get a few pictures, and maybe I'll do a blog post on the class for all y'all who are on the fence about getting your CWP.

Hey, did any of y'all see this story about the disabled cruise ship? This makes me never want to take a cruise. Ever.

Happy Valentine's Day to Mrs. Permanent Press!

Thanks for being the the best wife ever!

Also, don't worry about dinner tonight; I've got it covered.

SC Senate Proposes Common Sense Gun Laws

Currently, a CWP holder is not allowed to legally carry into a business that sells alcoholic liquors, beers or wines for on premises consumption (SC Code 16-23-465). However, a bill is pending in the SC Senate to remove that restriction

Concealed weapons permit holders would be allowed to carry firearms into restaurants and bars if a state Senate bill that advanced Wednesday becomes law.

So there's the removal of the restriction. However, you can't drink while carrying, and the proposed new law would allow any business serving alcohol to ban possession of firearms.

However, permit holders would not be allowed to drink alcohol while carrying their guns, and bar and restaurant owners could choose to prohibit firearms by posting signs that ban them. They also could ask anyone carrying a firearm to leave the premises.

This makes perfect sense to me. Currently, you can't even go into an Olive Garden if your legally carrying with your CWP, even if you're not drinking. That makes no sense. If the business is OK with people having concealed weapons, and the people with the concealed weapons are required to abstain, then I don't see a problem.

Who could argue with these "common sense" gun restrictions?

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/02/14/2631614/sc-senate-proposal-to-allow-guns.html#storylink=cpy

Southeastern Wildlife Exposition

If you're down in Charleston this weekend, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (or SEWE) is a must-see for any good Southerner.

Still looking for perfect Valentine's Day plans? Tomorrow night (Valentine's Day) they will be having their preview Gala with a live auction. What better way to have some Southern romance?

It will be in Charleston this weekend (February 15-17) and will have everything from duck decoys, to art, to  conservation programs, to sporting dog competitions. Yes, that's right, you can watch dogs compete in an olympic-style long jump competition into a tank of water. That's worth the price of admission right there.

Westminster Dog Show? Forget that. We have flying dogs.

If you're in Charleston this weekend, I highly encourage you to attend.

SC Attorney General Contemplates Fee Changes for Attorneys

Interesting article (or is it a column?) in today's State, if you're a big-time Plaintiff's lawyer. I'm certainly not a big-time anything, but I find it interesting nonetheless.

No time for a detailed analysis, I have to head to the Court of Appeals for oral arguments later.

State of the Union History

Tonight, the President will deliver his State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress. And although it seems like the State of the Union speech is one of our oldest traditions, that's not entirely true.

You would think that since Article II, Section 3 of the US Constitution requires the President to "from time to time give the Congress Information of the State of the Union" that US Presidents have been giving speeches to Congress since George Washington. Well...not exactly.

Although George Washington did give the State of the Union as a Speech, Thomas Jefferson discontinued the practice of giving the report as a live speech, because he felt that it seemed too much like a king addressing the country. Consequently, Thomas Jefferson simply delivered the State of the Union to Congress as a written document and had a clerk read it. Thereafter, US Presidents followed Jefferson's example and had the message delivered to Congress in written form only until 1912. Think about that. Just to name a few Presidents who never gave the State of the Union Speech: Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt.

In 1912, Woodrow Wilson revived the live speech, and since then, the state of the union has pretty much always been a live speech. With the media world we live in now, it would almost be unthinkable for the President to pass up an opportunity to get over an hour of exposure on television, so I don't imagine that any President will ever revive the Jeffersonian practice, but it would be a nice throwback.

I agree with Jefferson in that there is something "Kingly" about the nature of the President's entry and reception into the House. Although it will never happen, I'd like to see a President invoke Jefferson and just mail it in.

The Pope Is Quitting (Good for him)

The Pope has announced that he's quitting. Frankly, I don't really blame him. He's 85 years old, and being the Pope probably doesn't allow you to just relax. All that traveling can really wear you out.

Maybe the Cardinals should think about getting a really young guy (maybe mid 50s) to be Pope. It's a big job, an important job, and if you're not feeling up to it, then you probably have an obligation to step aside.

Let's all cut the Pope some slack.

How To Drink Like a Southerner

To drink like a Southerner one must drink with relish, rather than drab connoisseurship; with a sense of semi-forbidden delight, as when breaking curfew for the first time; with garrulous abandon...

Read the whole thing.

Southern Foods May Raise Stroke Risk

Shocking news from the world of medicine and health: Eating tons of fried and fatty foods may be bad for you. In related news, I'm getting late breaking report that water is wet.

Moderation is the key.

Finally Got My Springfield XD(s)

It took a little while to get here (and I was delayed one day because I had to work late) but I finally took possession of my brand-new Springfield Armory XD(s). Range review eventually forthcoming. Until then, you'll just have to enjoy the still photo.

I can't wait to put some rounds downrange.

Monopoly Game To Lose a Token

Apparently, the guys in charge of Monopoly have been sitting around thinking of something to do. They have a classic board game, and they've decided that being classic and traditional sucks. I guess the marketing guys are trying to figure out a way to justify their salaries.

They're going to be new, edgy, and give up a traditional token in favor of a new token. And they want your vote! Swine. This is classic marketing/advertising crap.

Hasbro came up with a list of potential replacements, conducted an internal vote and narrowed the field to five finalists: a robot, diamond ring, cat, helicopter and guitar. The classic token with the fewest number of votes will be replaced by the new token with the highest number. The winner is to be announced on Wednesday.

A robot, a diamond ring, a cat, a helicopter, and a guitar? What the hell? Why not have a little iPad  token while you're at it? Maybe we could change all the tax rates while we're at it. Income tax of 15%? We should be so freaking lucky. One of the best parts of Monopoly is the fact that it hasn't changed. The same game that my parents played, is the same game that I played, but that's it. Now they're going to get rid of part of the original game. Awesome idea y'all. Find a great product that people want and then change it. Oh, and if you go to their website, part of the marketing is Buy a game now before we change it!

Morons.

My Post Super Bowl Thoughts

So the SuperBowl was yesterday. I hear that it was a blowout at the beginning, Beyonce was awesome in the middle, energy efficient in the third quarter, and close at the end. I didn't actually watch one moment of the game. Yeah, I know, it's The Superbowl! You gotta watch it. I didn't. Wasn't interested. Not even a little.  Don't worry, I'm not one of those smug jerks who loves to show off how out of the mainstream they are. I wasn't reading Jack Kerouac.

I watched a marathon of Game of Thrones because I had never seen it. It's awesome, by the way.

The thing is, I only have so much sports in me, and I really follow the college football season and baseball closely. If I started watching NFL football, it would be like a late-night booty call. I just show up for the playoffs after not having watched a game? That feels kind of cheap and trashy to me.

Mrs. Permanent Press likes to say that the time from the end of the college football season until the beginning of baseball is "the romance time". Ever seen Fever Pitch? Conveniently, Valentine's Day falls at just the right time.

However, the Superbowl is one of those shared experiences that everyone has. Reading through my Twitter feed (from last night) during lunch today, I felt a twinge of remorse for not being "part of it" and enjoying the same thing the rest of my friends (and most of the world) was enjoying. That wouldn't have really been possible just a few years ago. Social media has brought us together for these shared experiences in a new way.

I did see most of the big commercials, courtesy of YouTube, and I have to say that I wasn't that impressed by most. The Budweiser Clydesdales was probably the best, because it's almost a traditional commercial now. Check out this link; it's got some great old Bud commercials.

When You Gotta Go...

Ok, which one of you did this?

Joe Biden Accidentally Tells the Truth

God love 'em.

“Nothing we’re going to do is going to fundamentally alter or eliminate the possibility of another mass shooting or guarantee that we will bring gun deaths down to a thousand a year from what we’re at now”. -Joe Biden

But remember, something must be done. For the children.

Unemployment Up .1%

7.9%

Hey, don't complain. This is what y'all voted for. I'm sure the President is focused on jobs though.