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More when non-disclosure agreements time out. 

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Yesterday marked the half-century anniversary of the mass murder by a crazed ex-Marine at the Texas Tower.

Few remember the role armed citizens played in pinning him down and cutting short the death toll.

Fortunately, the Washington Post DOES remember.

Thanks to the Evil Princess for reminding me.

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In the 7/13/16 edition of the Alaska Dispatch News, the Sports & Outdoor section had a column by Alli Harvey titled “Outdoors serves as an elixir to stressful news.”  Amen to that!

In Alaska to teach, the Evil Princess and I spent Tuesday with friends on Prince William Sound doing a glacier tour.  The majesty of The Last Frontier is breath-taking in the depths of winter, as I learned my first three frozen-butt times in the 49^th state, but last year and this I’ve learned to love it in the summer.  I’m looking forward to very pleasant days on the range.

It gets your mind off a strong sense that there are people who would like to see a race war in this country, and seem to be doing their damndest to ignite it.  It gets your mind off the DOJ saying Hillary Clinton is not culpable because she didn’t have the necessary intent (known as mens rea, which translates to “the guilty mind”) because while she was extremely careless she did not have intent to commit a crime.  This sticks in the throat of those of us who were taught by the criminal justice system that mens rea can be created by specific intent or by culpable negligence, of which “extreme carelessness” is a classic example. My favorite Chicago columnist, John Kass, makes some good points here.

In hopes of getting your mind off the news too, let me share some soothing sights:

Whittier, Alaska

Bald Eagle

Blackstone Glacier

Kittiwake

Baskin’ Alaskan

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Last March, we mentioned here that my old friend Walt Rauch had suffered a stroke. Thanks to the many of you who passed along best wishes and prayers to Walt and his family.

I’ve learned that this past Thursday night, Walt passed away peacefully in his sleep. Our mutual friend Michael Bane mourns for him here.

As noted in the above links, Walt was the author of two valuable books. His years on the Philadelphia Warrant Squad, and with Secret Service before that, had given him a strong handle on survival tactics.  Involved early on in IPSC (the International Practical Shooting Confederation) whose American arm is USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association, Walt was also a co-founder of the National Tactical Invitational a quarter of a century ago, along with Hershel Davis and Skip Gochenauer. Twenty years ago, Walt was one of the prime movers in the founding of IDPA, the (International Defensive Pistol Association).

Walt Rauch, Jim Cirillo and Mas Ayoob

Walt and I had been friends for about 35 years. We met at the Bianchi Cup. Walt was one of the gurus, and though he sometimes came across as a curmudgeon, he was always happy to give advice to cops or armed citizens who asked. About 30 years ago when Ray Chapman and I were going around the country doing Advanced Officer Survival seminars for the Police Marksman Association, we invited Walt to be a guest speaker at the one sponsored by the Philadelphia Police Department.  His advice on subtleties of real world tactics captivated our audience of streetwise coppers from in and around Philly.

It has been a bad year for losing some of our finest gun experts.  Deepest condolences to Walt’s family and many friends.  We have all lost a tremendous resource.

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Did anyone doubt that the Orlando atrocity would trigger a wave of gun-banning sentiment? Dancing in the blood of the innocent is what those people do.

We have some Democrats screaming for Prohibitionistic legislation already. And, according to Breitbart, some Republicans willing to negotiate away the rights of law-abiding citizens.

On the other hand, a few media sources are reaching out to both sides and doing some research.

The prohibitionists are gonna ride this thing at a gallop. Remember how they ramrodded the egregious SAFE Act through the NY State Legislature in a fevered over-reaction to the atrocity at Sandy Hook Elementary School? Picture the same in much larger scope.  Might be a good time to remind your elected representatives where you stand.

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