Free Republic

Prayers at Sikh Temple in New York erupt in sword fightBy Jonathan Allen Mon Apr 25, 6:51 pm ET NEW YORK (Reuters) – A leadership dispute that turned violent at a Sikh temple in New York, interrupting prayers with swinging swords and cricket bats, landed congregants in court on Monday on criminal charges, a prosecutor said. Amid screaming, yelling, punching and the swinging of weapons, followers of the two men who each claim to be the rightful president of the Baba Makhan Shah Lobana Sikh Center in Richmond Hill set upon each other on Sunday morning, according to court documents...

An Englishman who almost sliced off the ear of a home invader with an ornamental samurai sword has been acquitted of all charges after a trial. He was found not guilty of unlawful wounding. The home invader had threatened to rape his wife and kill his teenage children. He used the sword because it was the only weapon he could find. You may recall that a New Jersey college student recently killed a burglar legally with a samurai sword. The Englishman told authorities that if the first thing he had found to defend his family had been an umbrella, he...

I found Obama’s health care presentation so impressive — so much command of the issues — that it had me worried. Seriously, it’s really good to see how much he gets it. Update: So Howard Fineman was unimpressed. And Fineman knows presidential greatness when he sees it: He’s the Texas Ranger of the world, and wants everyone to know it. He’s the guy with the silver badge, issuing warnings to the cattle rustlers.

From today's you couldn't make it up if you tried file.......Obama's protectors have ordered graduating Midshipmen....and I suppose Commissioned Officers through Flag rank...to leave their swords at home. Full Dress White includes "wear sword". More to the point...those badges of office have been earned in a manner Obongo and his minions just wouldn't begin to understand. Important traditions that inspire are kind of lost on the red banner crowd, apparently. Further, ceremonial swords never seemed to bother the Secret Service for any previous President. And before World War II, the swords were not particularly "ceremonial", I've seen some of those...

Graduating midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis are being told in writing to leave at home or in their vehicles all "ceremonial swords" and anything else "that might be considered a weapon or a threat by screeners" for Friday's outdoor commencement ceremonies featuring an address by President Barack Obama.

SWORDLESS SAILORS Graduating midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis are being told in writing to leave at home or in their vehicles all "ceremonial swords" and anything else "that might be considered a weapon or a threat by screeners" for Friday's outdoor commencement ceremonies featuring an address by President Barack Obama. Inside the Beltway has obtained the academy's list of prohibited items for this year's graduation exercises, which, besides ceremonial swords, includes umbrellas. Yes, cell phones and texting are still allowed.

SWORDLESS SAILORS Graduating midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis are being told in writing to leave at home or in their vehicles all "ceremonial swords" and anything else "that might be considered a weapon or a threat by screeners" for Friday's outdoor commencement ceremonies featuring an address by President Barack Obama.

What does this have to do with conservatism? I don't know, I guess there have been conservatives that have used swords. Look, don't question it, swords are awesome, that's why. The Sword Defined:Sword weapon of offense and defense in personal combat, consisting of a blade with a sharp point and one or two cutting edges, set in a hilt with a handle protected by a metal case or cross guard. The sword may have developed from the dagger at the beginning of the Bronze Age. It was not, however, until the more durable iron sword was introduced in the early...

Two students attending suburban St. Paul, Minnesota high schools were expelled last week after purchasing souvenir swords during a spring break choir trip in the United Kingdom. The students had packed the swords in boxes and used duct tape to secure the box for the trip back home. A chaperone found the boxes after the students left the store. The students were disciplined on their return home. One of the students, a 16-year-old sophomore at Eagan High School, was kicked out of school for the remainder of the school year. He purchased a set of three samurai swords for $60....

Imitation Samurai swords are to be banned after a spate of attacks in the UK, say ministers.The Home Office has confirmed plans to outlaw the weapons in England and Wales after putting forward the idea earlier this year. Home Office minister Vernon Coaker said there was a clear danger to the public posed by easily-available swords. The proposal is expected to stop short of banning genuine Japanese swords held by collectors or genuine enthusiasts. In March 2007 the Home Office proposed banning imitation Samurai swords after representations from both MPs and the public. Ministers in Scotland had proposed a similar...

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. --A high school senior who posed in chain mail with a prop sword for his official yearbook picture is suing -- after the school rejected the photo saying it has a "zero tolerance" policy for weapons. The A-C-L-U filed the suit against the Portsmouth school committee on behalf of Patrick Agin. Agin is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, which promotes research and reenactments of medieval history. The A-C-L-U points out that the school principal offered to allow the photo in the yearbook if Agin paid to put it in the advertising section. It also says...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The fate of the four Westerners held hostage is Iraq is still unknown. Today marks the deadline set by the hostage takers to kill the men, who were kidnapped two weeks ago. The hostages include two Canadians, an American and a British citizen. Iraqi authorities say they haven't had any contact with the group known as the Swords of Righteousness Brigade. The hostage takers want U.S. and Iraqi authorities to release all prisoners being held in Iraq. A television station in Iraq says about 240 detainees held by multinational forces have been released today. But such...

(Video at link) The Baghdad by Swords of Righteousness Brigade released a second video of hostages Auckland University student, Canadian and New Zealand resident, Harmeet Sooden (32); Canadian James Loney (41); American Tom Fox (54); and Briton Norman Kember (74). The men were seized on November 26 2005. This video was released December 5-6 2005.

Scotland has long been thought of as a wild land, peopled by independent-minded warriors, herdsmen and farmers. For centuries, its remoteness has fostered the spirit of self-sufficiency and independence that brooked little interference from the outside world. Scots fought many wars to safeguard their freedom. Who can forget Mel Gibson’s William Wallace shouting out the word "freedom" as he was being tortured to death in the closing scene of the movie, "Braveheart"? Modern Scots, however, are seeing that spirit of freedom legislated away in favor of more state control of their lives. Many Americans are aware of the strict gun-control...

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. -- The rain is turning to snow on a blustery January morning, and all the men gathered in a parking lot here surely would prefer to be inside. But the weather couldn't matter less to the robotic sharpshooter they are here to watch as it splashes through puddles, the barrel of its machine gun pointing the way like Pinocchio's nose. The Army is preparing to send 18 of these remote-controlled robotic warriors to fight in Iraq beginning in March or April. Made by a small Massachusetts company, the SWORDS, short for Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems,...

The United States military recently unveiled its latest weapon for use in Iraq at the recent 24th Army Science Conference in Orlando, Florida. It may seem like something out of a science fiction movie, but the armed/weaponized Talon robot, dubbed Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection System (SWORDS), is very real, and will soon be battle tested in Iraq. The concept for the mechanical soldier is really the next logical step for the Talon robot -- a robot developed by Massachusetts engineering firm Foster-Miller, Inc. The Talon first saw service in Bosnia in 2000 and has been used in both Afghanistan...

The rain is turning to snow on a blustery January morning, and all the men gathered in a parking lot here surely would prefer to be inside. But the weather couldn't matter less to the robotic sharpshooter they are here to watch as it splashes through puddles, the barrel of its machine gun pointing the way like Pinocchio's nose. The Army is preparing to send 18 of these remote-controlled robotic warriors to fight in Iraq beginning in March or April. Made by a small Massachusetts company, the SWORDS, short for Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems, will be the first...

Swords will become prohibited weapons from July 1, carrying penalties of up to $12,000 or six months in prison for illegal use or possession, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Andre Haermeyer said today. Mr Haermeyer announced new sword regulations today, saying they would assist Victoria Police to crack down on incidents involving swords. "The Bracks Government is implementing these new regulations to help Victoria Police overcome this culture of young people arming themselves with swords," Mr Haermeyer said. "From July 1, swords will be made prohibited weapons, making it illegal to use, possess or carry a sword." Mr...

Supporters of al-Qa'eda offer welcome of swords and poison By David Blair (Filed: 29/06/2004) Puppets, sell-outs and traitors are the insults that al-Qa'eda's propagandists routinely hurl at any Arab willing to work with the West. Osama bin Laden's followers will be preparing their full repertoire of blood-curdling denunciation for Iyad Allawi, the new Iraqi prime minister, and his colleagues in the interim government. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the suspected al-Qa'eda leader in Iraq, has already promised him "poison and a sure sword". The formal handover of sovereignty in Iraq will not make a shred of difference to his resolve to wage...

Article published Wednesday, March 24, 2004, at The Australian. AUSTRALIANS are a dangerous lot. Weapons that would hardly cause a second thought in the hands of a citizen in another country generate concern when held by an Australian. Fortunately, some Australian state governments have understood the dangers of letting ordinary Australians get access to weapons such as laser pointers, a popular device for making business and academic presentations in countries such as the US. Americans may feel safe when an academic addresses a conference using a laser pointer. In the hands of an Australian, however, there is understandable fear that...