Civitas Review Online

In view of Chris’ post below, I found it interesting when I recieved another email about the commission from Senator Andrew Brock (R-Davie)

From: Sen. Andrew C. Brock

Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 2:30 PM

To: @All Exchange Users

Subject: Dismissal of commission

Speaker Joe Hackney and President Pro Tem Marc Basnight,

Hope you are staying warm as we are experiencing one of the coldest winters on record. I will add with new discoveries that information used in Global warming studies were altered for false representation of climate data.

At this time in our state’s economy it is imperative that we be wise stewards of the Taxpayers’ money.  With that being said, I call for the immediate dismissal of the Global Warming Commission.  It has not produced any reports or information during its four years of existence, only costing taxpayers an exorbitant amount of money.

Thank you,

Senator Andrew C. Brock

34th District – NC Senate

Brock is not the first to question the commission.

Despite the lack of recent media coverage of the continuing scandal known as  ACORN, America’s leading “community Organizers” are still at work.  What you don’t hear from the so-called “mainstream” media are shouts from members of Congress like Rep. Steve King of Iowa who recently told the American Spectator,

“It’s thousands of times bigger than Watergate because Watergate was only a little break-in by a couple of guys,” said King. “By the time we pull ACORN out by its roots America’s going to understand just how big this is.”

By no means, is this story over, no matter how much the Left tries to ignore it.  This Daryl Cagle cartoon says it all:

ACORN in Action

In consideration of the Copenhagen Cabal, Climategate and the current temperatures in North Carolina, I felt compelled to repost this photo (which, incidentally, was one of the most read posts on our blog the last time it ran).  Too bad for the believers of the Global Warming religion that every time they have a big get together, its bitterly cold.

Enjoy:

Local protesters angry with Global Warming Hoax

Despite the rolling up of the illegal alien welcome mat by North Carolina’s Sheriffs with the 287 (g) program, criminal activity associated with illegal immigration continues to rise in the Old North State.  Officials with the NC Department of Motor Vehicles report a 20% increase in arrests for driver’s license fraud over last year and 2009 is not over yet.

While fake ID’s used to be found mostly on college campuses, today’s ID counterfeiters have more to worry about than getting underage kids drunk.  As employers begin to use the E-Verify program in greater numbers, illegal aliens have turned increasingly to identity theft get jobs in North Carolina.

The North Carolina General Assembly has made efforts to tighten ID’s issued by the state. Last year they removed the manufacture of driver’s licenses and identifications from satellite DMV offices around the state and centralized the operation at one secure location.  Additionally, the DMV stopped accepting ID ’s issued by the Mexican government back in 2004 that resulted in long lines at the DMV before the change went into effect.

ID theft is real in North Carolina and is yet another result of becoming a magnet state for illegals.

Do you think we have seen the last of the undercover videos exposing ACORN’s true nature?  Not by a long shot.  Check out this interview from ReasonTV with Biggovernment.com editor Mike Flynn.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw-5IhF9zBI&feature=player_embedded

One of the revelations in the interview is that Biggovernment.com has several more videos that have yet to be released.  They also name their next target: the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).  Stay tuned, if the videos we have seen already are any indication of what’s coming, you can bet we’ll see some fireworks soon.

American society has really entered the post-print era.  We now live in the video age where seeing is believing.  If you don’t think so, then ask yourself one question:

Would you have believed that a group like ACORN would give advice on how to set up a child prostitution ring with illegal aliens without actually seeing the video? Nuff said.

No, get your flipcams out and go find out what is happening in your community.

Brace yourself.

There is a store in Nashville, NC that sells guns.  (I know this is hard for some people to believe but, I swear, its true.)

This same store has posters in the window featuring the main product of the store: Guns. (Again, I know its difficult to believe but, stick with me.)

These posters with guns have drawn complaints from some residents for the models holding the guns.

Now, get this.  The posters had attractive women holding various firearms.

Have you recovered yet?  Things like this just cannot be allowed to happen in a place like Nashville.  Goodness gracious, what if some deviant man sees this poster and decides to undress the model with his eye? Why the very idea!!! (BTW, the women in the posters are all fully clothed.)

The next big question for most people is a big:

SO WHAT?

Unfortunately, the gunstore’s landlord is Nash County and politicians and bureaucrats typically have to show more concern for complaints than for standing up for a law abiding businessman’s rights.

The County Manager and Assistant Manager paid a visit to the store and talked to the owner to get his mind right.

One problem.  In case you are unfamiliar with the average gun store owner, they tend not to be intimidated very easily.  Keep in mind, these guys deal with Federal agents and bureaucratic red tape on a daily basis.  A couple of fellas from the county…eh, not so much.

Owner Dennis Nielsen said what most people need to say when government leans on them: NO

The issues here are stark differences in how people view liberty.  One complainer didn’t like the image of a woman holding a gun and another was concerned that the store was located near a domestic violence shelter.

The owner of the store has a lease with the county that gives him some degree of property rights as a tenant.  The store obviously has a 2nd Amendment right, not to mention the rights of Nash County’s gun buyers. Additionally, the 1st amendment rights of a merchant to advertise are also at stake here.

Obviously, the owner of the shop has accomplished his advertising goal with the posters, but the reaction of the government in this case showed a complete lack of regard for the proper role of government and how liberty really works.

Maybe he should have used this poster instead:

Not as many complaints with this one?

So, the North Carolina State Board of Elections is set to hold hearings on former Governor Mike Easley’s campaign finance irregularities that mostly relate to his use of private planes owned by big time donors.

Talk around Raleigh has it that that the US Attorney already has the goods on the former Guv and will be taking care of business shortly.  So,  why would the NCSBoE need to have hearings if the Feds are already on the case?

Maybe Board Chairman Larry Leake, an Easley contributor would like the chance to have a little coverage before questions are asked about why his watchdog agency didn’t catch Easley to begin with.

Good luck with that, Larry.  Does anybody have that picture of Easley’s helicopter landing in Leake’s yard for a fundraiser?

A new group has formed to inform the public of what the costs of Obama’s climate change (what happened to global warming?) legislation. The Cost of Energy Information Project (CEIP) is being formed with the help of Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour.

If you want to see how much you energy bills will rise after Cap & Tax, check out their website here.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWhsF9I9lOc

A video hit youtube on Saturday, October 17th that shows an incident from Greensboro that involved abortion, guns, your rights and how the police interpret them.  26 year old small business owner, James Penn noticed a group of Christians being questioned by a Greensboro officer.  The Christians had gathered near an abortion mill off of Randleman Road near I- 85.  Penn became concerned for the constitutional rights of the Christians when he saw a second officer arrive who began to threaten them with arrest for trespassing.

An avid videographer, Penn took out his cell phone and began to approach the group while recording.  The officer’s first words to him were foreboding: “Put the phone up.”  His response was firm: “No ma’am.”  Then, the second officer noticed that Penn was carrying a pistol on his belt, unconcealed.

What happened next was unbelievable save for the video footage that captured it.

The officer repeatedly insisted that Penn provide identification while Penn continually asked why?  Since North Carolina is an open carry state that allows the carrying of unconcealed firearms without a permit, Penn questioned the officer’s reason to demand ID from him.  The officer asked if Penn had a permit to carry, which is only required if the weapon is concealed.

After going round and round, the officer returned to his car and consulted the higher ups.  Penn left the area when no further questions were asked by police.

I interviewed Penn after viewing the video and learned some key points about the incident.  Penn says he has been openly carrying a firearm for months and it “is a lifestyle choice,” to use the freedoms guaranteed by the constitution.  He did not approach the group in order to brandish a firearm but rather to simply record the interaction between a group of Christians armed with bibles and the Gospel confronting abortion and being confronted themselves by the police.

Penn says that he later learned the Christians knew where they were allowed to demonstrate since they had had encounters with the police in the past and even had maps of the property to verify their location. The first officer to arrive (the female in the video) had invoked the authoritarian tactic of intimidation when she told the Christians to move, “Because I said so.”

Penn later learned that after debating the law for some 45 minutes with a third officer and a detective,  the officers came back to the group of Christians and demanded to know who Penn was and how to contact him.   On Monday, an investigator from the GPD knocked on the door of two of the Christians and again demanded to know who Penn was and they declined to give the information but told the officer they let would Penn know the police wanted to talk to him.  The investigator then warned them that they could be charged as an accessory to whatever crime the police decide Penn is suspected of violating.

NC statutes prohibit the carrying of arms in a couple of situations.  Citizens are prohibited from possessing firearms on school property, at an event for which there is a fee, at an establishment that serves alcohol, state buildings and at demonstrations on public property.  From the video, Penn was in the driveway of a Japanese restaurant and  really on private property.

Many questions remain.

• So, why is the Greensboro Police Department wasting time and resources to investigate a legally armed man?
• Could it be that the officers are unfamiliar with what the laws of our state really say?
• Is race a factor since Penn is an African American?
• Do all college graduates in Greensboro who are black have to seek permission from the law to exercise their constitutional rights in public?

Unlawful orders barked by police have no value and harm the public at large.  Back during the summer, a group of  activists with Americans for Prosperity-NC were threatened with arrest in the State Capitol building by State Capitol Police for bringing cameras with them.

It will be interesting to see how this case plays out in the next few days. Stay tuned.

When the district you represent contains a huge military base, you tend to focus your attention on  the Marines and Sailors that are stationed there.  Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC3) has an interesting interview on the Marine’s V-22 Osprey aircraft on the Naval Institute’s blog.

The interview delves into Jones’ attempt to exonerate the records of two marine aviators that were killed in an early Osprey crash and why it has been important to him.

Jones has been criticized by conservatives in his district for his stances on the war in Iraq and when he breaks ranks with the GOP. Conservatives cannot, however, question his concern for the troops.

Best exchange of the piece:

“Do you ever worry that the publicity that surrounds your work to expunge the records of these two Marines will overshadow the less heralded—but quite worthy—work you’ve done for soldiers, sailors and veterans?

I do not. Issues dealing with specific individuals are very different than other legislative efforts. I am very passionate about our service members and their families and never regret bringing their courageous stories to the nation’s attention. In fact, these stories often provide the basis for legislative actions that I pursue.

In my opinion, Congress can often become too focused on programs and policies that it forgets about the people who are affected by those same programs and policies.”