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Open Thread, Wednesday 12 June 2013
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For God, Family, and Country 
STANTON, Calif. (AP) — A 72-year-old Southern California grandmother who shot at — and narrowly missed — a man trying to break into her home said Tuesday she was shocked at the attention her action was getting but does not regret defending herself and her husband, an 85-year-old World War II veteran who uses a wheelchair.
Jan Cooper, of Anaheim, fired one shot from her .357-magnum Smith & Wesson revolver around 12:30 a.m. Sunday as a man attempted to break into her home. During a 911 call during the incident, Cooper can be heard begging with the dispatcher to send deputies and warns that she has a gun at the ready as her Rottweiler barks furiously in the background.
Minutes later, a breathless Cooper says the man has come to the back porch and is trying to get in the house through a sliding door. Through the vertical blinds, Cooper saw his silhouette just inches away through the glass as he began to slide open the door.
“I’m firing!” Cooper shouts to the dispatcher as a loud band goes off.
Cooper then curses at the suspect, shouting at him to “back up.”
“You’d better get the police here. I don’t know whether I hit him or not. I’m not sure. He’s standing at my door, my back door. He’s in my yard,” she said.
The suspect, 31-year-old Brandon Alexander Perez, was not hit and was arrested a short while later by responding deputies, who heard the gunshot, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Perez has pleaded not guilty to a burglary charge and has a court date later this month. The Associated Press was unable to leave an after-hours message for his attorney.
Perez had a rap sheet that included other burglary and narcotics charges and was on parole and staying at a halfway house not far from the Coopers’ address, Amormino said.
Cooper’s gun, which she has owned for about 20 years, was legally purchased and properly registered, he said.
“Even though that dog was barking, he still was desperate to get in. So who knows what may have happened if she didn’t fire that round,” Amormino said.
On Tuesday, Cooper was soft-spoken and composed, with her gray hair pulled back neatly in a hairband and her husband at her side during a news conference at a sheriff’s substation.
Cooper said she is amazed by the anger in her voice — and the curse word she let fly — after she fired the shot.
“I am a Christian woman and I’m very proud of it and I don’t curse, but after I shot, rage took hold and I just blasted away,” she said. “And, in fact, afterwards my husband said, ‘I’ve never heard you talk like that!’”
The stunned intruder apologized to Cooper after she fired, she recalled, telling her, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m leaving. Please don’t shoot.”
The grandmother of a 15-year-old grandson said she doesn’t regret firing her weapon, although she has considered how she would have reacted if she had hit or killed the man. Deputies have told her that, based on his height and the bullet hole, the shot that she fired through a narrow gap in the sliding door passed within inches of his left cheek.
“I don’t mean to shoot anybody,” said Cooper, a self-described tomboy who has also tried archery and knife-throwing and has owned guns since her teens. “But whatever’s necessary to literally stop them — he was not going to come into my home.”
Her husband, Bob Cooper, chuckled when asked if his wife had learned her aggression from him and his military service. Cooper worked gathering intelligence in Italy and France in the buildup to D-Day and spent years going to the shooting range with his wife after the war, he said.
“I’m not surprised at all, not one bit,” he said. “I know her capabilities and what she can do if she has to.”
Wow.
Great story! Really shows how critical it is to keep your family ready for the unexpected.
Does anyone else find it disturbing that she was asked if she “had learned her aggression” from her husband and his military service? Defending oneself from an aggressor is now being aggressive?
The question and the use of that word are both disturbing, yes. I guess we really are a nation of potted plants in the eyes of some. Based on the comments surrounding recent gun control legislation, it seems that many people do not regard the right, or the ability, of self-defense to be important or even desirable. Strange world.
And also tying being aggressive to military service. Very ominous mindset.
Exactly. And not just the mindset that aggressive=military, but also the Obama-approved mindset that the tools of self-defense belong only with the “professionals.” Like when he said “the weapons of war have no place on our streets.” He was stating that ordinary citizens have no business possessing effective self-defense weapons but, of course, he completely disregards his own statements when it comes to putting his own executive branch pseudo-military thugs on American streets with tanks and machine guns and body armor and helicopters doing urban training in violation of 200 years of convention. And nobody seems to care.
Part and parcel with this administration. They’re grasping at straws to accumulate a list of “conditions” they would like to consider psychological impairment. These would render you unfit to own a firearm. Here they’re attempting to equate military training with uncontrollable aggression. I guess all vets could bring a class action suit against the government for permanent emotional illness. Would the police and other law enforcement agencies (including the Secret Service) some how be deemed immune? I remember a sci-fi show or movie where all soldiers were exiled to a penal colony in space once they won the war. They were considered too dangerous to live in the society they saved.
Not that far from the current “reality,” if you can call it that.
Five years ago today on my personal blog…
And where are we today?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3ZRfe13E7s
Amazing that we still don’t have the minimum on this: a Congressional review of his eligibility, like McCain had to go through. And now a legendary retired professor at Columbia states flatly that Obama never attended any classes there. His records are sealed, though, so we’ll never know.
There are multiple things that prove, without any doubt at all, that the PDF linked at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/04/27/president-obamas-long-form-birth-certificate is an absolute FORGERY.
Just one example: The Registrar’s stamp, which is one of the key elements to give the “document” it’s authenticity, is all by itself in it’s own layer, linked in from a separate document, and ROTATED 90 DEGREES. There is absolutely NO WAY at all that that could happen if the PDF were created from a scan of a legitimate document.
The PDF was assembled on a computer and then printed out to briefly show the press. It is NOT a mere scan of an authentic document.
This is a Big F’ing Deal.
Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Cold Case Posse Lead Investigator Mike Zullo is preparing to bring to Congress all of the evidence the Posse has gathered in their 21-month investigation.
When Zullo brings his evidence, Congress better pay attention and investigate.
Naked Vancouver hiker may have become bear appetizer.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/12/search-suspended-for-naked-teen-on-spiritual-quest-in-washington-state-forest
Insensitive but Hilarious Art by the Earl of Taint.
Please send up prayers for people losing their homes (possibly lives) in the Black Forest fires near Colorado Springs. These are just a few miles northeast of last summer’s devastation from the Waldo Canyon fire.
Amen to that. The haze from the fire is thick up here, and you can smell the smoke. It’s gotta be pretty bad down there. The heat was really oppressive yesterday and today, and the wind just won’t calm down. Not a good mix.
Stay safe Grunt!
Thanks! But so far, I think it’s the folks in the Colorado Springs and Black Forest areas that are facing the real danger. I think Harv is down there somewhere, too. Hopefully, Michelle Malkin won’t have to be evacuated again!
We are not in the area of these fires. We do live in a wildfire risk area; I have been going through the house today doing a photo inventory. We keep a “grab and go” stack set aside, just in case
Well, I hope it’s not necessary. When I was looking at the radar, it showed a strong plume right over Cripple Creek. Is that the Canon City fire they’re talking about? It looked too far north, but that could still be it. It’s certainly close enough to threaten Divide and Woodland Park, too, but it doesn’t look very big yet.
If you’re in a bad mood, this behind-the-scenes video about the making of the Ibis Hotels ad will help. Just don’t let your dog or cat watch it. It will not have the same effect on them. 🙂
Oh man! Weeeeerrreeee havin waaaabbbiiitttttt toniiiiightttttt! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Black Forest Fire:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/12/colorado-wildfire-burns-through-homes-and-structures
Well, crap! I guess I was wrong about it not being much of a threat for us. Turns out as you can see from the last radar image,
the Canon City fire isn’t looking too bad, but the BF fire east of Monument is exploding and billowing northward under wind gusts out of the south around 30mph. That puts it on a direct course for us up near Castle Rock and Parker. Guess I better go water the house…
TIME FOR SOME EYE CLEANSING BEAUTY.
AAAAHHHHHHHHH. I took that one myself with my better half. 🙂
Nice Pacific eye-candy there! 🙂 Makes me want to go fishing!
Makes me wanna be sitting on the beach with a extra-large adult beverage. That’s purdy!
I don’t know if my body would know what to make of all that fresh air.
Have cigar then. 🙂
And generate some gunpowder smoke while you’re at it!
Now that guy’s got style!
I KNEW you’d appreciate that photo. 😉
Suit & hat + M1921 Thompson = class
For those of you who don’t “do” Facebook, here’s an inside peek at what you’re missing. 😉
http://mashable.com/2012/08/14/facebook-annoying/
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/12/the-special-ops-community-has-a-stealthy-new-motorcycle-that-is-nearly-soundless-find-out-how/
Where they gonna recharge them?
I think these spec ops dune buggies were super quiet too.
http://www.americanspecialops.com/vehicles/dpv/
I seem to remember Pauly Shore using one in “In the Army Now” – funny movie BTW
🙂 🙂 🙂 5*’s for tha5 one
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Isaiah 40:3
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 3:1
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias [Isaiah], saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Matthew 3:3
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Mark 1:3
As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias [Isaiah] the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Luke 3:4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISKhtlg9R6I
Sidebar: I don’t know for sure, but I think that picture was taken on the roof of the World Trade Center… the towers were completed in 1970 and 1971, and the movie was released in 1973…
Good to see you RP and thanks for the Scripture quotes!
I believe you are correct as well regarding the album photo. Looks like the Empire State Building center background so the view is north.
Thanks, Barn. The perspective does appear to be higher than the Empire State Building (which I think only the WTC was higher than the ESB), but the only thing that didn’t look right to me was that this appears closer to center (from an East-West perspective) than I would have expected from the top of the WTC… since they were closer to the Hudson River than to the East-West centerline of Manhattan. I went to the roof of WTC2 in the late 1980’s, but it’s been a long time…
I don’t like that the memorial has falling water at the footprints of WTC1 and WTC2… to me it evokes a feeling that the towers are constantly and continually falling…
I’ve seen photos of the memorial. They have accurately been described as perpetually crying eyes. No tribute to the heroic actions of the day and nothing of the enemy that attacked us… just sorrow and defeat. Can’t think of a single reason to visit there.
What I meant was you can see the Empire State building in the center background behind the actors. The actors were on the yet unfinished WTC w/camera facing north. This pic. is facing south. The cameras would have been behind the actors as you see them here.
Thanks, Barn.
I didn’t write these exact words in my previous comment, but I was thinking them… that the continually falling water emotionally feels like both continually falling buildings (falling into the pit of their foundations) and continually falling tears.
I also recognized the ESB from the beginning, and agree with your analysis that the camera is looking North, I was just surprised that the camera seemed to be more centered (from and East-West perspective) than I would have expected, because I thought the WTC towers were closer to the Hudson River than to the East-West center of Manhattan. I haven’t actually seen the movie version of Godspell, but I’ve seen the play in more than one venue, including off-broadway in the late 1980’s. Did the movie include scenes atop the WTC?
Your posted picture gives me a bit of vertigo because it creates the optical illusion that the surface they are standing on looks tilted towards the edge!
The WTC being so far downtown is not far from either Hudson of East rivers. Manhattan island comes to a sort of point at the south end (like a bm ). That gave the camera the ability to sow both rivers in the album photo (Hudson is barely visible on the left).
I never saw the movie or the show. Back then I was avoiding anything that even hinted at being hippy style plus… I wasn’t a Christian back then.
Yes. I think this view from the South tower confirms that the view above is from the North tower…
…the line of sight from the WTC to the ESB looks very similar, and I don’t think there is any other building in lower Manhattan that would have been tall enough to give that perspective of being higher than the ESB.
As to Godspell, I was only nominally a Christian at the time I saw the show off-Broadway. I was born again at a later date, so the Gospel means a lot more to me now than it did then.
The only similar building in the city is the Chrysler Building. You can see it to the left of the Empire State building in you latest pic (much more detail!). (about 1.5″ over on my screen) The Chrysler Building is, IMHO, a more esthetic structure. Especially up close where you can see the deco detailing. I was once up in the tower where you see those triangular cut outs. From the street the sky was solid clouds. From up there you looked down on the clouds and had the sun above.
I agree about the Chrysler building. More artful and pleasing than the ESB, I think.
I haven’t been to the memorial, but one of the names carved in stone there is my friend.
I can’t say I had any close friends die during 9-11 but definitely was aware of missing familiar faces on the train ride in the days following (and since). The Vietnam memorial wall was bad enough in it’s design. The WTC seems worse. Both seem to be all about grief and not about honor. I guess the powers that be didn’t want to make the moslems angry.
Very true.
I think that there are Muslim influences in many areas of the government. Just look at the design of the Flight 93 memorial… it strongly resembles a mirhab, indicating the qibla direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays toward Mecca.
I’ve never liked the VietNam memorial…and I’ve got a stack of friends’ names on that wall.
It’s always seemed to me that it appears as though they (the powers that be) wanted to hide our monument away…and make it as non-heroic as they could.
Scroom all!!
👿
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9X7OHAMs0
The opening few seconds of that begin zoomed in on the Empire State Building, then zoom out to the actors on the rooftop.
I’ve not seen the movie, but now I want to go find it…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtaAi5TGle0
Gee, FEMA denies funds to Texas. Big surprise. 👿
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/13/fema-denies-aid-to-texas-town-where-fertilizer-plant-exploded/