Monday Musings...
A pretty much "all-crime" Monday post that begins by begging the universal question:
WHY?
~An IPFW student was found stabbed to death in her dorm Friday, and that's been the big story over the weekend. Fort Wayne now has THIRTEEN homicides (for those keeping count). A woman was found in possession of the student's car in Indy (with New Mexico tags - great place to "hide out" with THOSE plates, stupid), and after turning herself into police,she was extradited back to Ft. Wayne. Turns out she was the room mate's mother.
Tina Lorraine Morris (36, Ft. Wayne) was arrested Saturday on the preliminary charges of murder and auto theft. This is the FIRST homicide that has been solved this year.
I do find it odd that the other TWELVE murders have not, in spite of the "people of interest", and despite that someone definitely KNOWS what went down.
And I'm NOT down on the FWPD on this. I would like to smack down all the people that DO know something about the other homicides and never come forward, for whatever lame-ass excuse, because the way I see it, there simply is NO REASON to NOT be forthcoming with information that could lead to an arrest, so these killers don't make someone else their next victim. I'm sure the families of all the slain would echo my sentiments.
~ Over 120 POUNDS of marijuana was found in a GMC truck travelling from Indy to Ft. Wayne (big surprise there). ISP officers stopped the vehicle after it exhibited erratic driving and speeding. Both of the occupants of the truck appeared "intoxicated" (never toke while you're "muling", dipshits). The driver (Kevin L. Walker of Indianapolis), and his passenger (Laquentin Harden, who has a Ft. Wayne address and probably lives within a mile of my house) are now the guests of the Huntington County jail pending their respective court hearings. That's some good police work there!
~A Ft. Wayne police officer was injured when answering a call this weekend. With lights AND siren on, he was following other police cars travelling through an intersection along S. Anthony Blvd., when he swerved to avoid being t-boned by a driver entering the intersection, hitting another car. Several passengers in those cars were also injured in the 3 car crash, but none of the injuries were severe. I would have run the names of the others involved "just in case"...you might find some active "14s" in the mix, especially down here.
~ Last year ISP dismantled 820 meth labs compared to 766 in 2006, and that counters the past two years when we've seen drops in those numbers. Still, it's LOWER than the record number set back in 2004 (1115 labs). The increasing mobility of these labs is getting to a point where an old Gatorade bottle can be utilized...and that's JUST what we want tossed from some car onto an area where a child could possibly find it. Not to mention that it becomes one helluva bottle bomb if NOT handled properly.
~The balance of today's post is not related to "crime" per se, although it does involve things that could be construed as being criminal to some degree, depending on your POV.
~The venerable Colt army rifle (called the M-16 and now the M-4 carbine) is back under fire (no pun intended) from a senator from Oklahoma (Tom Coburn, R). Seems the senator is concerned about Colt's fat government contract and the profits they are making from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
First off, let's face one glaring fact: ANY war is going to make SOMEONE richer than all get out. War is (always) good for someone's bottom line. Always has been...always will be. NO getting around that.
The senator claims that the rifle (at $1500) is overpriced. I tend to agree with him on that point. The price "could" be lower. He goes on to state that the weapon is prone to jamming in sandy environments and requires more maintenance than other comparable rifles. I sort of agree with that assessment, provisionally speaking.
In Vietnam, the main problem with the M-16 was that it was very prone to jamming. Well, in a climate replete with humidity out the ass, rainy seasons where nothing is dry for months, and all that mud, very few weapons will function for long. The AK-47 is a perfect example of the exception to that rule.
And there's a damn good reason.
The tolerances for the AK are less than on the M-16. Parts on the AK have "more room to maneuver", so sand and dirt won't jam it. You can go longer without cleaning it. Add to that the fact that in 'Nam, it was a bitch to keep ANYTHING clean (or dry for that matter) for long, especially your rifle. Because the ammo powder initially issued caused frequent fouling, it was subsequently reformulated back to standard ball ammo powder (you lost some distance, but at least it wasn't jamming every other clip). The manufacturer (Colt) and the inventor of the original Ar-15 (Eugene Stoner) also chromed the receiving bolt, which lends itself to a lot less jamming, as particle buildup wouldn't stick to the bolt. Add those improvements together, and you had a rifle that worked a helluva lot better, AND a lot more often (which is highly desirable when you're in combat).
But the problems initially caused (what I believe to be) more than our share of casualties in 'Nam.
Still, with a weapon that has redeemed itself very well over the decades, I have to take exception to the good senator's comments. EVERY weapon is never going to perform 100% of the time in EVERY climactic condition, for however long you wish it to work. You simply cannot "rock and roll" and never think of keeping the weapon cleaned and lubricated. Would you buy a car, own it for 3-5 years, and NEVER wash it , vacuum it, or change the oil?
I didn't think so.
And when you depend on something that will save your life, you tend to be a bit more "particular" about it's condition. The alternative is a body bag, a flag for the family, and a free ride home to the cemetery of your choice.
Are there better rifles out there? Perhaps.
Should our troops have the best? Definitely.
Currently, the military is testing several replacement rifles for the M-16. And some of the stuff they have out there is pretty damn cool. Expect the newer rifles to trade up to a slightly larger round, as the 5.56mm is getting long in the tooth when going against an AK with the 7.65mm round. But above all the bells, whistles, and hype, it will always come down to two things:
1-Will it kill the enemy?
2-Will it work when the soldier NEEDS it to work?
And the ones that know that the best are in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD (as well as other rifle manufacturers around the world) who are finding out.
Have a safe week...and keep 'em in the 10 ring!