Promoting Hate Crimes and Home Invasions

When I first read the Second Amendment Foundation e-newsletter below, I was a bit skeptical.  I mean, law-abiding gun owning citizens should be able to expect as much respect and privacy as any other citizen, right?

Apparently not.  The Gannett owned Journal News covering Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties in New York State has chosen to demonize gun owners, instill fear in county residents, and promote home invasions and hate crimes.  The method used was to publish a detailed list of permit holders, their addresses, and an interactive map (with satellite view option) showing the exact location of those residences. 

In publishing the data, the Journal News, apparently with the approval of the Gannett Corporation (see data below), has promoted crime and chaos.  Now every gun owner in that area can expect burglaries and/or home invasions by criminals seeking firearms.  Every non-gun owner in those counties can anticipate the same with the odds of the event turning deadly increased. 

  

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Connecticut Gun Owner Privacy Law

Chapter 529, Section 29-28, Paragraph (d)

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1-210 and 1-211, the name and address of a person issued a permit to sell at retail pistols and revolvers pursuant to subsection (a) of this section or a state or a temporary state permit to carry a pistol or revolver pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, or a local permit to carry pistols and revolvers issued by local authorities prior to October 1, 2001, shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, except (1) such information may be disclosed to law enforcement officials acting in the performance of their duties, (2) the issuing authority may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with a request made pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that such state or temporary state permit is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked, and the local authority may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with a request made pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that a local permit is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked, and (3) such information may be disclosed to the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to carry out the provisions of subsection (c) of section 17a-500.

Chapter 529, Section 29-36e, Paragraph (e)

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1-210 and 1-211, the name and address of a person issued an eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver under the provisions of section 29-36f shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, except (1) such information may be disclosed to law enforcement officials acting in the performance of their duties, (2) the Commissioner of Public Safety may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with a request made pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that such certificate is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked, and (3) such information may be disclosed to the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to carry out the provisions of subsection (c) of section 17a-500.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Exemptions

The aforementioned Sections 1-210 and 1-211 set forth exemptions for the FOIA.  The state’s Freedom of Information Act does not include gun permits as the permits are already considered confidential under Section 29-28 (above).  State law takes precedent and neither state nor local records cannot be made public. 

NOTE:  There was resistance to this exemption in the state legislature when the legislation was raised.  It is possible that legislation will rise in the next session to repeal the exemption. 

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Second Amendment Foundation e-newsletter 121220

BELLEVUE, WA - Hate speech directed at gun owners and firearms rights groups in the wake of the Connecticut tragedy could lead to hate crimes, the Second Amendment Foundation said today.

SAF said statements made by broadcasters including Piers Morgan and Chris Matthews, as well as comments on social media have contributed to an environment of hate directed against law-abiding Americans who are being demonized for a crime they did not commit.

This comes as President Obama has launched an effort that could culminate in an attempt to ban semiautomatic sport-utility rifles and ammunition magazines, and impose other restrictions on gun owners who are not responsible for the actions of an obviously mentally disturbed individual.

"Focusing on the instrumentality of firearms alone to the exclusion of possible other causative factors is doomed to failure and would do an injustice to the memories of the Sandy Hook victims and their families," said SAF President Joseph Tartaro. "Of course, we are pleased to see that by adopting a broad task force approach in search of solutions to prevent or reduce the kind of violence that was visited upon Newtown, CT, last week that the president has sought the expertise of several cabinet departments that deal with mental health, educational administration, pharmacology, law enforcement and cultural issues in addition to firearms."

But SAF cautioned that narrowing the focus to firearms and pushing a ban on popular semiautomatic firearms will only fuel the campaign of hate now underway on cable television and in social media. For example, Morgan called one national gun rights leader "an unbelievably stupid man," Matthews suggested gun owners are, "..people on the far-right (who) never lose their passionNormal people have other interests like their spouses, their lives, their children, and even their generalized politics isn't driven by one issue." A university professor in Rhode Island tweeted, "Looks like the National Rifle Association has murdered some children."

"The remarks become obscene after that," noted SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. "We have received some vulgar e-mails from people that want us to vanish for the sake of a civilized world'.

"This kind of rhetoric does not contribute to any rational discussion," he said. "Vitriol like this only promotes hate, but apparently it's okay to perpetuate bigotry so long as you are an anti-gunner, and a liberal. If anyone is harmed as a result of this hate campaign, we expect them to be prosecuted under the hate crimes laws."

"If this hate speech leads to hate crimes," Gottlieb concluded, "people like Piers Morgan and Chris Matthews will be partly responsible."

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Gannett Corporation

The company’s 82 U.S. daily newspapers, including USA TODAY, reach 11.6 million readers every weekday and 12 million readers every Sunday, providing important news and information from their customers’ neighborhoods and around the globe. USA TODAY, the nation's No. 1 newspaper in print circulation, and USATODAY.com reach a combined 6.6 million readers daily.

The Broadcasting Division’s 23 TV stations reach 21 million households, covering 18.2 percent of the U.S. population. Through its Captivate subsidiary, the Broadcasting Division delivers news, information and advertising to a highly desirable audience demographic on 9,500 video screens located in elevators of office towers and select hotel lobbies in 25 major cities across North America.

More Than One Cliff

If anyone is maintaining any quantity of foodstuffs in their pantry including dairy products like instant milk or cheese, now is the time to stock up beyond your normal inventory.  If you were not keeping a large inventory, now would be good time to start.  I expect that the Farm Bill (see below) will not pass in the Congress, we will see dairy product prices about double, and other food prices increase dramatically. 

I do not know exactly when we will see the price increases but for milk and soft cheese products, the time is probably relatively short, hard cheese products may take a bit longer.  For other products, it will probably be around mid-2013. 

The current version of the Farm Bill (2008) expires 31 December 2012.  If the 2012 adjustment version is not enacted, the law reverts to the permanent 1949 version.  The 1949 version requires accounting for inflation and that is what will drive dairy and other commodity prices skyward.  Dairy is just the first one we will see affected. 

The Senate bill is S. 3240 and it was approved.  The House version is H.R. 6083 and it has not passed.  To the best of my knowledge, there have been no joint committee meetings to resolve the differences. 

A summary of the situation is presented at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_U.S._Farm_Bill

Find information on the House bill at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.06083:

Find information on the Senate bill at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:S.3240:

I expect that the Legislative and Executive branches of our government will eventually do something but do not hold your breath.  The Secretary of Agriculture may take some mitigating action but is limited in what can be done and for how long. 

The following summarizes…

“Any government support program, such as direct payments, marketing loans, and ACRE are in effect for a commodity until the end of the current marketing year. For example, that will be June 30, 2013 for wheat and Aug. 31 for corn and soybeans. However, the dairy support program ended Sept. 30, 2012 without any replacement. Under 1949 Permanent Law, parity prices become effective Jan. 1, 2013 for any commodity for which the Permanent Law has not been suspended. (Typically, each new Farm Bill suspends the 1949 legislation, but that has not happened.) Subsequently, at the expiration of the current marketing year for a commodity, familiar commodities will have some unfamiliar prices that the USDA says producers shall be paid.”  http://nationalhogfarmer.com/business/no-farm-bill-will-trigger-production-quotas-parity-prices

What happens when prices increase?  Everybody pays more for their needs and wants.

That, of course, reduces the amount of discretionary spending money available.  Then what happens?

Everybody wants more pay from their jobs (if they have one).  That, in the end, drives prices even higher. 

Can you say hyperinflation? 

People on fixed incomes are screwed.

Weimar Republic anyone? (http://mythoughtsstuff88.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-weimar-republic-then-and-us-now.html)

Victoria Soto was Ready

A while ago, I wrote a piece titled “Are You Ready for Anything” (Link).  That article primarily addressed physical disasters such as hurricanes.  I have intended to write follow-up articles talking about how to prepare for other threats.   A friend beat me to one of the subjects I had intended to tackle and did it quite well.  So, with a slight modification to the first paragraph, here it is. 

Victoria Soto has been revealed as one of the heroic teachers who died in the line of fire as she saved her students in the Connecticut shooting.  The twenty seven year old was one of three teachers murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

A friend of hers posted a tribute to Miss Soto on her Tumblr account. In her tribute she wrote: "I talked to Vicki Tuesday and she told me that she loved her 16 angels and never wanted to let them go. Today when the shooting started Vicki hid all of her kids in closets and when the gunman came into her room she told them the class was in gym. She was then murdered. Not one of her students were harmed. Words can not express how heartbreaking and tragic this is. I will miss you dearly."

I know that some people thought yesterday that my post on the Sandy Hook school shooting was bad timing...and may still think that this post is "not the right time." The pain is raw and it is hard to even comprehend what has happened. I understand that. But respectfully, this is the best time to bring something like this up. I spent 14 years in law enforcement. We spent a large portion of our time preparing to handle ourselves in armed confrontations to increase our odds of survival.

Please, think about it. What would you do in a situation like this? You must plan for it. Because it's happening everywhere. If you don't want to or can't carry a gun, you still need to do something. So start thinking about it now.

Ask yourself these questions..."What if I'm in church and someone comes in and starts shooting" "What if I'm at the mall and I hear the sound of gunshots just outside the store I am in?" "What if I am at the gas station and someone robs it?" To think about what you would do in a situation like this is the first step to reacting should this ever happen to you. You are less likely to freeze up when an armed confrontation begins if you mentally prepare yourself before it happens to you.

If you don't think you need to prepare yourself for a tragedy like this one AT ALL TIMES in this day and age, you are mistaken. Waiting to become a victim is not an acceptable option. It can happen any time, any place, anywhere and with absolutely no warning. Please make yourself get in the mindset to fight back...any capable adult needs to fight for their lives. The mentality of these people who are going into the situation is the same as a "suicide bomber" or any terrorist. They KNOW going in that they won't make it out alive and they don't care. You have to change your mindset and react and fight. And THAT is not a political statement, it's a fact.

I AM NOT talking about children or people who are unable to physically defend themselves. In a perfect world, every school would have an armed security guard. Teachers should protect themselves. Not as a "vigilante" response, but when you go on lockdown and that POS comes in YOUR ROOM, try to take them out or foil their plan using whatever means possible, as Ms. Soto did. I think teachers who are CAPABLE shooters and capable of handling protecting themselves and others in a stressful situation should carry and go through a firearms stress course if they choose to carry a gun on their person. Regardless of whether school staff is armed or not, there should be mandatory training by police departments given by officers and firearms instructors to EVERY school employee on what they HAVE to do in order to best protect themselves and their students in situations such as these. This should be nationwide.

As far as the people who think that more mental health programs would completely eliminate the problem, that line of reasoning is faulty. Anyone can have a traumatic incident in their lives occur at any given time and go off the deep end. Others have mental issues that are NEVER apparent. For example, Columbine shooter Eric Harris was POPULAR, very well liked by everyone, a manager at the fast food place he worked at, his dad was a high ranking official in the Air Force, he was well spoken, and very knowledgeable in many things. He had a dark side to him that hardly anyone knew about. He and Dylan Klebold planned Columbine for a YEAR and NO ONE knew about it. A mental health assistance program would not have stopped Eric Harris.

There have been many on line arguments about what the "solution" is to stopping these heinous acts. To argue about being pro gun or anti gun is counterproductive. We are all on the same team, none of us want to see these horrific tragedies happening. So we need to stop arguing and work together. The issue is not guns or religion. It's a change of mindset. If you don't want to carry, that's fine, but be prepared to bash someone over the head with a chair and do whatever you need to do to neutralize the threat. Because you will never carry a gun doesn't mean you have to accept it, lay down, and die. Fight back. In whatever capacity you can live with. I would rather lose my life trying to save others than sit back and watch them get killed and then have to live my life with the knowledge that I got scared or froze and did nothing.

This post can be viewed in a positive light from anyone's perspective. It depends on how you choose to look at it. It's pro gun, YES, but the real MESSAGE is that everyone should prepare themselves. We can agree to disagree on some things. What I really wanted to impart on this thread was that everyone should prepare themselves to take a stand and fight back in whatever capacity you can live with. If a gun is not for you, come up with an alternate plan, take cover, start looking for a possible weapon.

For those of you who HAVE gun control in your country, this information still applies to you!!! There was a series of uncoordinated mass stabbings, hammer attacks, and cleaver attacks in the People's Republic of China which began in March 2010. This series of attacks left at least 21 dead and some 90 injured. If you think that because there are "no guns allowed in the UK" that you don't have to think about this, you are mistaken. This information can still be helpful....anything can be used as a weapon. Tim McVeigh used fertilizer. 9-11 terrorists used box cutters and planes. It can still happen. Just be vigilant and think ahead.

Help will take time to get there. The only person capable of saving you is YOU. If you are not armed, use whatever means you have at your disposal to FIGHT BACK. And for the people saying "today is not the day" to talk about this topic, how long should I wait? A day? Two? Three? On Tuesday, two innocent people were killed when a gunman open fire at a mall in Oregon. That was just a few days ago. Just think of a plan of action and ask yourself what you would do in a situation like this EVERYWHERE YOU GO. This post was motivated out of care and concern. Something like this should never happen and it is up to us to take care of ourselves, and each other.

No greater sacrifice can anyone give, than to sacrifice all so others may live. God bless all of the innocent victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings and the victims of the mall shooting in Happy Valley, Oregon. Prayers for their families in this difficult time. R.I.P. angels.

The Beginning of the USSA

Forgive me if this missive is somewhat disjointed, there are many thoughts running through my head. 

I did not sleep well last night.  I went to bed about 2200 after I saw the writing on the wall, but awoke about 0130 hoping for a miracle but there was not one.  I slept through two alarm clocks this morning. 

The re-election of Obama is an unmitigated disaster for our nation.  I have many thoughts about what he and the democrat Senate will do and when.  They only thing I am sure of is that last night we saw the beginning of the United States of Socialist America last night. 

Obama’s acceptance speech contained the usual lies and platitudes aimed at pacifying the misguided masses while he initiates his plan.  Do you remember his comment to the president of Russia about being more flexible after the election?  Standby, here it comes.  

Thank the Supreme Being that the Republicans held the House.  My analogous mind immediately thought of the Alamo.  The only problem with that is there is nothing that equates to the Army of Texas or Sam Houston. 

I cannot guess exactly which of our liberties will go first, probably the First and Second Amendments.  I suspect our rights will go quickly and possibly in bunches.  The Bill of Rights will suffer heavily.  I have great fears for the First and Second Amendments not to mention the Tenth Amendment and possibly the Fourth through the Seventh Amendments after the First and Second Amendments go away.   In fact, I am concerned about all 27 amendments of the Bill of Rights. 

Expect an executive order effectively canceling the Second Amendment by criminalizing, with a death sentence as punishment, the possession, sale, or transfer of all weapons of calibers larger than 22 that are semi-automatic and/or have a detachable magazine of capacity greater than 10 rounds.  The same will go for crossbows and similar devices.   

Just so you know the extent of the pending damage, here are the amendments that comprised the initial Bill of Rights.  They are linked to their texts so you can read about that which we are about to lose. 

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression

Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms

Amendment 3 - Quartering of Soldiers

Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure

Amendment 5 - Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings

Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses

Amendment 7 - Trial by Jury in Civil Cases

Amendment 8 - Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Amendment 9 - Construction of Constitution

Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People

You can read the Constitution and all the amendments at http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html. 

I saw an article the day before yesterday claiming that Obama would be elected to a third term in 2016.  That would go contrary to the 22nd amendment.  I laughed at the article.  I am no longer laughing.

I do not know what machinations the democrats could use to get around it but, fortunately, the Constitution makes it difficult to change that document.  There are, however, two ways to do it. 

Look at Article 5 - Amendment.  In essence, that article says Congress must call a constitutional convention when two-thirds of the state legislatures petition the Congress for a convention.  Some read this to imply that the legislatures must sponsor a specific amendment.  Since Article 5 says, "shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments" (note the plural "Amendments"), I read this to mean that two-thirds of the state legislatures (34 or more, currently) must request a convention to consider all proposed amendments. 

Another method is for a bill to pass both houses of the legislature, by a two-thirds majority in each.  Once the bill has passed both houses, it goes on to the states.  This was the route taken by all the current amendments.  Because of some long outstanding amendments, such as the 27th, Congress will normally put a time limit (typically seven years) for approval of the bill as an amendment. 

Once an amendment is proposed, it does not become part of the Constitution until ratified by three-quarters of the states (38) either by their legislatures or via state conventions (referendums?).

The successful execution of those processes by the democrats is highly unlikely in my opinion however the possibility does exist (Connecticut would participate I am sure). 

Next, the economy needs consideration.  Our nation is over $16 trillion dollars in debt.  That debt is increasing by at least $1 trillion dollars each year.  I guess it will be $20 trillion by 2015.  One of two things will happen although both are possible.  First, the government either will effectively print more money (“Quantitative Easing”) so the interest on the debt is paid.  Second, the country will default on the debt. 

Either are of those are a disaster, together they are catastrophic.  Think about $15 a gallon gasoline (assuming there is any), $25 a pound for hamburger (assuming the store has any this week), and $8 to $10 for a loaf of bread; or electricity rates of $1 or more per kilowatt-hour. 

The “sequestration” alone is a disaster that is about to happen, Harry Reid will make sure of that.  I know only a little about the fiscal reductions it mandates and I comprehend only a few of the ramifications.   I do know it would effectively disembowel the major defense industries and the military.  I shudder to think about the ripple effect on the economy let alone national security.  Think about the effect on the unemployment rate, how about somewhere around 10% or more? 

I wrote “Are You Ready for Anything” a couple of months ago with natural disasters as the primary focus but with mention of economic problems.  I am going to have to revisit that thought stream to focus on both.  I know that I am only partially ready for constitutional and economic meltdowns. 

Please God bless and protect all of us. 

Almost Too Much

I have enjoyed about as much as I can stand of this election cycle.  On the average, I am getting one political “robo-call” every day.  I am tired of the democrat attack advertisements that contain such blatant lies and attempts at character assassination of anyone that is moderate or anywhere to the right of center.   

What worries me is that the majority of democrats seem hell bent, intentionally or not, on destroying our country.  Should we wind up with a democrat president, House of Representatives, and Senate, I have great fears for the First and Second Amendments not to mention the Tenth Amendment and possibly the Fourth through the Seventh Amendments when the First and Second Amendments are neutralized. 

The outrageous national debt and continuous deficit spending scare the hell out of me.  The constant denial by the federal government of high inflation to avoid cost of living adjustments, the government effectively printing money for “Quantitative Easing” of the economy, and the pending “sequestration” is a recipe for disaster. 

The “sequestration” alone is a disaster waiting to happen.  I know only a little about the fiscal reductions it mandates and I comprehend only a few of the ramifications.  I do know it would effectively disembowel the major defense industries and the military.  I shudder to think about the ripple effect on the economy let alone national security. 

My fears extend to our state.  We have seen what a blue administration and legislature have done to our local economy.  We have seen the misleading propaganda, obfuscation, and outright falsehoods regarding tax revenue as well as grossly expensive projects that benefit only the central and western portions of the state with complete disregard for the state debt, deficit, and the economy.  The continuing attacks on the rights provided by the state and federal constitutions are sickening. 

It is almost too much. 

The situation may not be too far gone to fix.  I have some recommendations that might help. 

For president, I recommend Mitt Romney.

For the United States Senate, I recommend Linda McMahon.  For the House of Representatives, I recommend Paul Formica.

For the Connecticut House of Representatives, I recommend Tony Siraguse (District 38 – Montville/Waterford), Andrew Lavery (District 40 - Groton/Ledyard), Harry Watson (District 41 – Groton), Mike France (District 42 – Montville/Ledyard/Preston), and Kevin Ryan (District 139 – Montville/Bozrah/Norwich).

For the Connecticut Senate, I recommend Christopher Coutu (District 19 – Montville/Bozrah/the Lymes/New London/Salem) and Mike Doyle (District 20 – Ledyard/Norwich/Franklin/Sprague/Lisbon).  For District 18 (southeast corner of the state including Groton), I recommend Theresa Madonna.  

Here We Go

OK folks, here we go.  We will get sucked into Syria and we do not have the resources to support it.  More wasted lives and money.  Another excursion with no exit strategy and probably a timeline to allow the bad guys to plan their worst. 

Panetta: US sends forces to Jordan

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and PAULINE JELINEK | Associated Press  1130-121010

Excerpt from the article http://news.yahoo.com/panetta-us-sends-forces-jordan-131927741.html

BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States has sent military troops to the Jordan-Syria border to bolster that country's military capabilities in the event that violence escalates along its border with Syria, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday.

Speaking at a NATO conference of defense ministers in Brussels, Panetta said the U.S. has been working with Jordan to monitor chemical and biological weapons sites in Syria and to help Jordan deal with refugees pouring over the border from Syria. The troops are also building a headquarters for themselves.

But the revelation of U.S. military personnel so close to the 19-month-old Syrian conflict suggests an escalation in the U.S. military involvement in the conflict, even as Washington pushes back on any suggestion of a direct intervention in Syria.

It also follows several days of shelling between Turkey and Syria, an indication that the civil war could spill across Syria's borders and become a regional conflict.

"We have a group of our forces there working to help build a headquarters there and to insure that we make the relationship between the United States and Jordan a strong one so that we can deal with all the possible consequences of what's happening in Syria," Panetta said.

The development comes with the U.S. presidential election less than a month away, and at a time when former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, has been criticizing President Barack Obama's foreign policy, accusing the administration of embracing too passive a stance in the convulsive Mideast region.

The defense secretary and other administration officials have expressed concern about Syrian President Bashar Assad's arsenal of chemical weapons. Panetta said last week that the United Statesbelieves that while the weapons are still secure, intelligence suggests the regime might have moved the weapons to protect them. The Obama administration has said that Assad's use of chemical weapons would be a "red line" that would change the U.S. policy of providing only non-lethal aid to the rebels seeking to topple him.

Pentagon press secretary George Little, traveling with Panetta, said the U.S. and Jordan agreed that "increased cooperation and more detailed planning are necessary in order to respond to the severe consequences of the Assad regime's brutality."

He said the U.S. has provided medical kits, water tanks, and other forms of humanitarian aid to help Jordanians assist Syrian refugees fleeing into their country.

Little said the military personnel were there to help Jordan with the flood of Syrian refugees over its borders and the security of Syria's stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons.

"As we've said before, we have been planning for various contingencies, both unilaterally and with our regional partners," Little said in a written statement. "There are various scenarios in which the Assad regime's reprehensible actions could affect our partners in the region. For this reason and many others, we are always working on our contingency planning, for which we consult with our friends."

A U.S. defense official in Washington said the forces are made up of 100 military planners and other personnel who stayed on in Jordan after attending an annual exercise in May, and several dozen more have flown in since, operating from a joint U.S.-Jordanian military center north of Amman that Americans have used for years.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the mission on the record.

In Jordan, the biggest problem for now seems to be the strain put on the country's meager resources by the estimated 200,000 Syrian refugees who have flooded across the border — the largest fleeing to any country.

Several dozen refugees in Jordan rioted in their desert border camp of Zaatari early this month, destroying tents and medicine and leaving scores of refugee families out in the night cold.

Jordanian men also are moving the other way across the border — joining what intelligence officials have estimated to be around 2,000 foreigners fighting alongside Syrian rebels trying to topple Assad. A Jordanian border guard was wounded after armed men — believed trying to go fight — exchanged gunfire at the northern frontier.

Isn’t it Amazing?

Is it not amazing that the unemployment rate falls 0.3% and below the 8.0% "benchmark" just after the first debate and 31 days before the election?  One has to consider the origin of the data and the source of the news. 

You also must consider the fact that the data does not include the underemployed people, part-time employees, and those that have given up looking.

***USATODAY.com Breaking News***

0840-121005

With 114,000 non-farm jobs added, Wall Street and the presidential candidates focused on the unemployment rate, which edged lower to 7.8% from August's 8.1%.

For more on this story, go to http://usat.ly/iimQp4.