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Crime

Ex-Burglars: Newspaper’s Gun Owner Map ‘Exceptionally Stupid’, Helps Crooks

Jan. 4, 2013 5:14pm Jason Howerton

FILE

The New York newspaper that published a map of names and addresses of gun owners only made it easier for crooks to choose which houses to break into, seemingly putting unarmed residents in greater danger, former burglars told FoxNews.com. At the same time, gun owners could also become targeted by thieves who are looking to steal weapons.

TheBlaze previously reported that the Journal-News, serving Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties in New York, has come under fire for the editorial decision to make innocent Americans’ personal information public when no crimes had been committed. Reformed burglars told FoxNews.com that the information could be very beneficial to thieves in that they now know which houses are unarmed and may be easy targets as well as which houses have weapons that can be stolen.

“That was the most asinine article I’ve ever seen,” former burglar and jewel thief Walter T. Shaw said. “Having a list of who has a gun is like gold – why rob that house when you can hit the one next door, where there are no guns?”

The FBI reportedly blames Shaw, 65, for more than 3,000 break-ins that netted some $70 million in the 1960s and 1970s. In other words, his credentials as a thief are legitimate.

“What they did was insanity,” Shaw added.

Frank Abagnale seen at Advertising Week on Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012 in New York. Credit: Invision for Advertising Week

Arguably one of the most famous burglars ever, Frank Abagnale, who was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in 2002′s “Catch Me if You Can,” called the newspaper’s decision “reprehensible.” Here’s what he had to say via FoxNews.com:

“It is unbelievable that a newspaper or so called journalist would publish the names and addresses of legal gun owners, including federal agents, law enforcement officers and the like,” said Abagnale, who noted that he grew up in the suburban New York area served by the Journal-News. “This would be equivalent to publishing the names of individuals who keep substantial sums of money, jewelry and valuables in their home.”

FoxNews.com has more details:

The newspaper published the online map last month alongside an article titled, “The gun owner next door: What you don’t know about the weapons in your neighborhood.” The map included the names and addresses of pistol permit holders in Westchester and Rockland counties obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

While the paper ostensibly sought to make a point about gun proliferation in the wake of the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., the effort backfired. A blogger reacted with a map showing where key editorial staffers live and some outraged groups have called for a boycott of parent company Gannett’s national advertisers. Ironically, the newspaper has now stationed armed guards outside at least one of its offices.

“They just created an opportunity for some crimes to be committed and I think it’s exceptionally stupid,” said Bob Portenier, another former their and armed house robber turned crime prevention consultant. He added that professional burglars are always trying to gain an advantage and they read newspapers like ordinary people.

“Criminals are always looking for opportunity and words travels through the grapevine—burglars trade secrets and when you see something like that in the paper, that’s is something burglar’s are going to talk about,” Portenier explained.

Officials in Putnam County, N.Y. have refused to release gun owners’ information to the Journal-News despite the fact that pistol permit holder information is considered public in New York. County Clerk Dennis Sant said Thursday that doing so would put the public in danger.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (112)

FloridaFarmGirl
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 8:27pm
Gee, and the liberals call people like me an ignorant redneck. You just can’t make this stuff up! I think we all (those of us left in the country with any sense) knew that this would happen. Lock and load and be prepared for the evil that is coming. You just can’t fix stupid. Get ready to fight it.

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- decendentof56
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 8:56pm
  Florida farm…….
  Were we separated at birth??? I’m kidding!
  
  What I’m not kidding about is that everyone in Rockland, Putnam, and Westchester counties should not only boycott the Journal-News, but their advertisers as well. Also, stores that sell the Journal-News could be boycotted as much as possible.
  This paper is outrageous. If my name were printed, someone would be made to pay in some way.
  
  This is another case where Patriotic Americans must wake up and take action.
  
  Report this comment
- Dr Vel
  Posted on January 5, 2013 at 3:15am
  Easy way to end this madness. Every single home on the map (gun owner or not) which gets robbed file suit for negligent intentional infliction (of everything possible) against the paper. Soon the paper will not have the money to pay the janitor. No more newspaper.
  
  Report this comment
- DeOppressoLiber
  Posted on January 5, 2013 at 3:25am
  Hey Bloomberg how many HUMINT undercover types did they out.
  
  Muhammed asks Ali, how come the new guy at the mosque is one of the gun owners.
  
  Big Pauly asks Little Pauly, Do you think Frankie might be a Fed because he is on the Gun Owners map.
  
  Those clowns are going to get good people killed, ruin years of undercover work.
  
  Report this comment
- SLAPTHELEFT
  Posted on January 5, 2013 at 8:27am
  Maybe a class action lawsuit is in order. Better yet how bout sicking some private investigators on the editors at the journal to obtain pictures of the editors with their mistresses. I bet they have things that they think should remain private just as the rest of us do.
  
  Report this comment
- guns-an-bibles
  Posted on January 5, 2013 at 12:42pm
  I think the paper should pay retribution for every crime committed as a result of this article. The article itself should be considered a criminal act!
  
  Report this comment
Warpath18
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 8:06pm
I wonder if any of the lefty loons on this board are willing to post their address so I can turn my gun into them when the time comes?

I doubt it, since they are cowards of the worst kind.

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- drs1969
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:02pm
  It shouldn’t be hard to find their addresses, on the net. If I was one of their victims, I already would’ve. Leave them a dead fish on their doorstep, or a flaming bag of poo.
  
  Report this comment
- Old Ogre
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 2:44pm
  Download wire shark and learn how to use it ;-) between that and building a good database you would be amazed at how much info you can “glean” about people on the net! If people knew how much info they let loose on the Internet that anyone with a little skill can find they would wet themselves!
  
  Report this comment
lylejk
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 8:04pm
Had to do some research, but finally found the link to the Carnegie-Melon/MIT study (yes; saw Megan talk about this one earlier). This study deserves it’s own thread so I will shortly submit it here. As a side note, crime in the Tennessee town area dropped but the instances for the crimes that did occur were clearly targed towards those homes that the criminals knew had no guns. :)

http://weis2010.econinfosec.org/papers/session2/weis2010_acquisti.pdf

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- rightrick
  Posted on January 6, 2013 at 3:19am
  Very nice. I love the frequency distribution charts and confidence in probability wrt to the hypothesis. Disappointing the law in NY is allowing more empirical evidence collect. End this madness and if needed collect theoretical results from a panel of criminals.
  
  Report this comment
Atrocities
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 7:05pm
Gun owners = Convicted Sex Offenders. Abortion = Women’s rights. Only a liberal can think this way. Hypocrisy is the only religion that the left believe in. They worship it with such devout devotion that they make even the most extreme Islamic fundamentalist look down right atheist by comparison.

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sinner-saint
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:28pm
Lol, incredible left wing liberal marxist communist moronic stupidity. Congradulation to Putnam County! Take the moron commies in that newspaper and line em up against a wall. What they have done is incomprehensible……….a bunch of Osama Bin Ladens. At the least, give em a good dragging down a nice gravel road. Maybe they will learn something after a good case of road rash.

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pittjoe09
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:25pm
Liberals make no distinction between law abiding gun owners and those who use guns for evil. They’re all the same in the left’s opinion. Lob em all in with eachother.

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- drs1969
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:08pm
  Only evil people want to take away honest folks’ guns. You’re better buying your gun w/o a paper trail. The left is dying to take them away, now.
  
  Report this comment
lassiegirldawn
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:16pm
This is even more reason to have unregistered guns, I am sorry that it has come to this. Do you think the thugs and little gang bangers are worried about having guns registered and having permits? Hell no they don’t and this list is just like giving the bad guys a gift, these homes ARE now at risk of having to kill someone because of the asinine decision of this so called newspaper.

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- junepug
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:32pm
  As our dear leader, the Pharaoh Obama, would have put it if the gun owners were of the afro amer genre, “the newspaper acted stupidly”.
  
  Report this comment
Harry19
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:11pm
Fight fire with FIRE. Start putting slugs in their paper boxes that jam them up. Cost them in the pocket. Cut the income till they feel your cause.. It is war. When you open the paper box to get one take them all.Pass them out freely. Do drive by’s. Throw all the papers in their personnel’s yards. Go at it and be creative and have fun.

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- junepug
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:35pm
  All you would be doing is hurting the independent newspaper distributor. They must pay for each paper that is missing from the box. The best thing is to cancel any subscriptions and advertising.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 7:41pm
  I am with junepug. It is safe (legal), moral & more satisfying.
  
  I bet the journal news lost conservative readers but picked up some liberal readers. But liberal readers can only subscribe to so many liberal pubs. There is competition even among liberal so some liberal rag is going to lose out. After the initial wave is sympathy for the Journal news i think it will be bankrupt in 2 years.
  
  I might shed a tear as a celebrate by drinking a beer.
  
  Report this comment
- MajorMolly
  Posted on January 5, 2013 at 9:30am
  I immediately cancelled my home delivery of my local paper that is owned by Gannett. It was long overdue as I’ve been disgusted by their liberal views for years. They have contacted me 4 times already trying to convince me to resubscribe but tell them no due to the actions of the Gannett owned paper in NY. The $ I save helps to offset the tax increase.
  
  Report this comment
- guns-an-bibles
  Posted on January 5, 2013 at 12:53pm
  Walkabout
  That would be discrimination against whiskey, so have a couple of shots of that, too.
  
  Report this comment
Thornyrose13
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:09pm
Kudos to Putnam county officials for resisting this insanity. Meantime, these worms of “journalists” will have to bear responsibility for any loss of life or property that results from their actions.

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rs9
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:06pm
I love it when the local news paper or New York Times calls soliciting subscriptions. I loudly call out to my wife “Honey are we out of toilet paper?” when she answers “no” I tell the telemarketer I guess we don’t need you’re lousy news paper then

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wisehiney
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:57pm
Our girl, Ann Coulter:

“Why aren’t we getting the names of recently paroled criminals? People with gun permits, by definition, do not have criminal records,” she said. “Why can’t we get the criminal records? No, we can’t get that. Why can’t we get a record of women who have had abortions? They get money from Planned Parenthood. They get money from Medicare, from Medicaid. Much of this is tax subsidies. Mothers want to know if other women on their street might be willing to murder a child.”

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- whatthecrazy
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:08pm
  When she said that part about women willing to murder a child i had to laugh because she hit the nail on the head,very clever indeed.
  
  Report this comment
- Wolfgang the Gray
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:10pm
  I think the paper should be sued heavily for any person that gets their home broken into & the criminal says they used the gun map to determine the target home. Bust the paper so hard that they bounce!
  
  Report this comment
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:57pm
.
There are things flush with a higher IQ than most journalist everyday before 9am……

I myself flushed a Nobel Prize winner around 6:30…..

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- ron2win
  Posted on January 5, 2013 at 7:00am
  I myself had two opportunities this am. I was fortunate enough to be able to vacate a rhodes scholar and a pulitzer whiner, must be my lucky day ey?
  
  Report this comment
writebetterplease
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:53pm
“that’s is something burglar’s are going to talk about”

C’mon guys, we can proofread better than this at The Blaze, can’t we?

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- qpwillie
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:01pm
  @writebetterplease
  I don’t know what you’re saying. I thought that’s WAS something burglar’s are going to talk about.
  Is you telling me they’s doesn’t talk about things likes that?
  
  Report this comment
athiest-infedel
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:51pm
They WANT gun violence to increase to further their agenda, my gov’t truley scares me today. I never belived I would have to fight in the second american civil war thats coming if these people push this.

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- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:00pm
  Absolutely, as the criminals go after unarmed households, the pressure will mount for more gun control and Obama and the left will ensure it happens.
  
  Report this comment
- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:02pm
  Here is more that ties into the assault on our freedoms as well…
  
  Cynthia Chase of New Hampshire is wanting legislation to take away the rights of all conservatives in her legislative area…
  http://facethepolitics.com/tag/cynthia-chase/
  
  Report this comment
- Balpit
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:05pm
  Instead of “never let a crisis go to waste”, create one. Then don’t let it go to waste.
  
  Report this comment
- drs1969
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:19pm
  Since it was only ‘takers’ that voted for Hussein, it makes perfect sense that his comrades, at the papers, are now assaulting gun owners. It’s awfully hard to ‘take’ from an armed citizen. They’re quickly running out of borrowed money that’s not coming from the FED. If Boehner shows a backbone-haha- regarding the debt limit, they could need your things in the next few months!
  
  Report this comment
Balpit
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:51pm
“gun owners could also become targeted by thieves who are looking to steal weapons.”
I’m sure Journals News is proud of this little byproduct.

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FISH_BONE
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:49pm
Typical progressive response: Knee jerk reaction based on high emotions rather than actually thinking out the consequences of the act. Progressives / Liberals / Democrats (whatever they like to be called these days) are as stupid as dirt.

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- PATTY HENRY
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:57pm
  DUH DEPT 101: A bad guy sees name/address of gun owner but is not after guns. Bad guy shows up Saturday Morning or whenever he sees kids out and says: Hi, your daddy JOHN JONES, asked me to take you down to his office or to the mall… with the name, address they can do so many bad things.
  
  How dare they? Let’s see if the hot-shots who now occupy the House and the Senate have any clue about what to do on this. I expect -0- from any of them for 4 years, and hope to be pleasantly surprised. THEY DID NOT BREAK ANY LAW (as in : involved in an accident etc) to deserve their name/address published and any one in that town that still subscribes to that rag deserves what they get.
  
  Report this comment
- athiest-infedel
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:57pm
  Wrong, very wrong, don’t think them stupid, never underestimate your enemy, and these would be the domestic enemies the constitution tells us to defend against.
  
  Report this comment
- FISH_BONE
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:13pm
  ATHEIST: I understand your point. However, the everyday, off the street liberal is stupid as a post. Their leaders are evil power thugs bent on destroying freedom and liberty, but the simple minded followers are just plain stupid.
  
  Report this comment
MisterSarcastic
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:48pm
OK. Who needed confirmation?

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- qpwillie
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:57pm
  @MisterSarcastic
  Goodness, I had no idea that could be the result of them posting people’s names and addresses on a map in a newspaper. Geez, you just never know, do you?
  
  Report this comment
Think It Thru
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:46pm
Class action lawsuit for harassment or invasion of privacy, child endangerment, something. How many single or abused women, or divorcees who didn’t want to be made public were shown?
20K people suing would be awesome, even if the case had no merit, it would cause pain to the “Journal”.

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- stumpy68
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 10:53pm
  there shouldn’t be 20k suing however everyone who suffers theft of belongings or
  a home invasions in the areas posted by the paper should
  
  Report this comment
Tri-ox
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:36pm
obama’s liberals and state-run media don’t care who they hurt – their goal, obama’s goal, is to destroy America.

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- barber2
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:48pm
  Media character assassination is their favorite tool.
  
  Report this comment
- WildschweinJager
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:55pm
  @TRI-OX
  
  Liberals being exceptionally stupid? Who doesn’t know that?
  Of the stupid Democrats, Sen Diane Feinstein is the most stupid of them all.
  
  Report this comment
- drs1969
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 11:37pm
  Their goal is a total communist takeover, they’ve wanted it since the 60′s. Now that the RINO’s in Congress have been proven to be totally impotent, it’s time to focus on the general population. How do make the sheeple impotent? If you can’t brainwash them by calling them racist every time they open their mouths, then you need to take their guns. These commies are getting long in the tooth and impatient. My guns are mine til the day I die. Live free or die.
  
  Report this comment
Keatonc33
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:34pm
Considering about every criminal who breaks and enters waits until there is no one home, really all this map did was to notify criminals of where they can steal guns

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- DEFCON4
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:45pm
  keaton, Curious, have you ever heard the term, ‘Home-Invasion’ ?
  
  Report this comment
- barber2
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:47pm
  How do you know so much about what ” every criminal who breaks and enters ” does ? Odd. Are you in law enforcement ? Oh, let me guess…
  
  Report this comment
- Keatonc33
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:48pm
  yes. and they are pretty rare and normally accidental.
  
  Report this comment
- FISH_BONE
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:56pm
  “all this map did was to notify criminals of where they can steal guns”
  
  And that’s a good idea?
  
  Report this comment
- HOOT_OWL
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:58pm
  Hey Keaton… I guess you never heard of ‘RAPIST’
  
  Report this comment
- DEFCON4
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:02pm
  keaton, Here’s a quick f.y.i. According to the Us dept of justice:
  38% of assaults & 60% of rapes occur during home-
  invasions. Of which, average 289,200 annually.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:26pm
  Keatonc33
  
  No just had a home invasion near where I lived. The usual drugs, gangbangers & the usual liberal paraphanalia. Plus there was the homicide & the woundings.
  
  Report this comment
- Walkabout
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:33pm
  “really all this map did was to notify criminals of where they can steal guns”
  ***
  No it did more than that.
  1) The New York newspaper that published a map of names and addresses of gun owners only made it easier for crooks to choose which houses to break into, seemingly putting unarmed residents in greater danger, former burglars told FoxNews.com.
  2) At the same time, gun owners could also become targeted by thieves who are looking to steal weapons
  
  3) It pissed people off to no end. IRL for you to say what you say would be extremely unpopular, which is an understatement. Also, the Journal, News & Gannett will see their subscriptions decrease & they will go out of business just like the AARP. AARP is being challenged by AMEC. AARP will be cut by 1/2 if not more. Gannett? Well Gannett will file for bankruptcy.
  
  Have a nice life :)
  
  Report this comment
MBA
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:34pm
Yep, that would be the liberals in this country–exceptionally stupid.

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- Keatonc33
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:41pm
  ….. and WINNING!
  
  Report this comment
- FISH_BONE
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:06pm
  Please help me understand your reasoning KEATON: In a group of 100 people, 52 (a majority) are stupid. Does the fact that there are more stupid people in the group make them any less stupid? Since you are obviously a part of the majority, I’m hoping you have special insight into the answer.
  
  Report this comment
THX-1138
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:32pm
I say we publish them for everyone in the entire country. Or, even better, pass a law that says you have to label your house like the Semi Trailers with hazardous chemicals, you know, for the public safety. Then every home would have to have stickers indicating whether there are guns present, and maybe peanuts and cigarettes too!

Why would any sane person want this? Because the gun owners would never give them up and once the unarmed citizens began to get robbed every other day then *THEY* would get guns.

Unintended consequences indeed!

Pass this law and buy stock in Smith and Wesson.

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- Wolfgang the Gray
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:17pm
  This is yet another violation of the 4th Amendment.
  
  The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
  
  Also don’t forget that the new defense spending bill that was just signed has a clause that allows the military to arrest & detain indefinitely any US citizen without due process (charge, lawyer, judge, or jury). In this regard, we have become the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) where citizens could be snatched away at all hours of the day & maybe they return home & maybe they don’t.
  
  I hope everyone that voted for Obama loves what their vote has done to this country.
  
  Report this comment
HOOT_OWL
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:28pm
RIGHT HERE..! Maps..MAPS…! Get your MAPS HERE..!!

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temple62
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:25pm
If the Journal News is an example of “news” by the standards of the “New Norm”, I’ll cancel my subscription!

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RJJinGadsden
Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:18pm
Hmmm, although not quite my exact words regarding the original story here, but I said virtually the same thing then.
Hey ENCINOM, how is it to know that your cronies have endangered even more innocents who are unarmed? Just as I have pointed out earlier, you idiots are acting like the torch bearing mobs in the Frankenstein movies.

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- GoodCook
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:30pm
  Typical of the actions of the radical extremist Democrat party and their intolerant thug supporters
  
  Report this comment
- barber2
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:42pm
  GOOD: Agree. You are describing the Democrat Party’s base. The New Democrat Party : The Chicago radicals a la Bill Ayers anti-American / anti- capitalist / anti-military crowd is stupid. Also unpatriotic. Lacking in common sense. Angry. Dysfunctional. In serious need of counseling. Did I forget anything ?
  
  Report this comment
- barber2
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:44pm
  We can always count on ” 33 ” to provide mature, insightful solutions ! Am sure his/her economic remedies would be just as laser focused. Maybe a Biden relative !
  
  Report this comment
- sparkyrules
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:58pm
  I love the old Frankenstein movies.Especially the one Nancy Pelosi co-starred in,The Bride of Frankenstein.Oh wait.That was Elsa Lanchester.From the same progressive mold as Pelosi though.
  
  Report this comment
- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 6:04pm
  That is what they want to have occur, more crime and more victims so they can have an upsurge in the cries to control guns more and more. It is a cycle of fear being generated to cause events to occur to bring about more and more control over the masses.
  
  Report this comment

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