Rick Olson

Rick Olson is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University with a BA in Social Science. Rick subsequently attended Massachusetts School of Law in Andover MA. Rick takes up second amendment issues on Granite Grok, as well as issues surrounding hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife issues. Rick Olson is a former Police Officer and Deputy Sheriff. He is Past President of the New Hampshire Wildlife Federation, President of the Londonderry Fish & Game Club  Rick is a nationally certified firearms instructor and a Hunter Education Instructor. He can frequently be found teaching Urban Rifle and Defensive Pistol classes as an Instructor with Defensive Strategies in Goffstown, NH.  Rick resides in Manchester with his wife Lisa. He has four children and ten Grandchildren.

JOHN LYNCH: A STEADY LEADER…WHEN?

“Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions.” —Bo Bennett 

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In a letter to French Scientist Jean-Baptiste Le Roy in November of 1789, Benjamin Franklin quipped those ever long-enduring and famous words, “[B]ut in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes … ” It would appear Franklin had not contemplated the certainty of blow-hard political hacks and self-aggrandizing opportunists.

Upon Seeing the Union Leader Headline Tuesday, “Gov. Lynch will leave office very popular, and for good reason“, and who the author was,  predictable is the litany and diatribe that follows. And, with the whole and complete certainty of death and taxes, the “Shrill Kathy” hath delivered. In the 779-word bloviation, the “Shrill Kathy” delivered a mere 199 words extolling Lynch’s virtues and reserved the remaining 580 words for her usual and expected attack on Republicans, checkered with a contrast and comparison-like tone…Make no mistake about it…Lynch’s announcement, as with most other political events, is a mere pretext for her visera.

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Londonderry Seeks to Ban Shooting on Public Land

“A critic is someone who never actually goes to the battle, yet who afterwards comes out shooting the wounded.” —Tyne Daly

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 Londonderry Town Councilors drafted an amendment to an ordinance that already prohibits activities such as smoking on town-owned property to include a ban on target or skeet shooting, reports the Derry News.

Councilors invited public input at a meeting last night. Londonderry Police Chief Bill Hart said his department received nine complaints about shooting over the last three years.”It’s not clear whether the complaints were prompted by shooting in the Musquash or from the nearby Londonderry Fish and Game Club, which has a shooting range. Also unclear was whether the shots that generated calls were fired during target practice or hunting season. Hunting in season is permitted on town property.”

Councilor Tom Freda said, “I think the (ordinance) is well intentioned, but I don’t see this as being practical with only nine complaints of shooting over three years and there being a shooting range in the area.”

As a past President and current board member for the Londonderry Fish & Game Club, I was invited to show up and comment on the measure, so I did.  There are several aspects I shared with the council. First, the conservation commission has two members who are hostile, if not opposed, to guns and shooting in general and this is just one example of those two injecting their personal objections on the body of the town. There exists no facts that would lend itself to being a safety issue.

Second, The Londonderry Fish & Game Clubs’ 83-acre property is located in the northwest corner of the town and abuts the Musquash conservation land on three sides. Frequently, public use of the Musquash has caused encroachment on the LFGC property. We have tolerated this and not made it a town issue. We have not posted our land and have not banned outside recreational uses.  But, recently, a ATV rider approached me complaining that a, “bullet whistled by his head while riding,” yet he would not acknowledge the fact that he was riding “down range” from our rifle range and passing “No Trespassing signs” and other clear signage that states, “caution…keep out…active firing range…”

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WHY I CARRY A GUN: One Woman’s Perspective

“Gun bans disarm victims, putting them at the mercy of murderers or terrorists who think nothing of breaking the gun laws …”  —Michael Badnarik

 Rachel Chumita

Originally published in September 2006 by the Buckeye Firearms Association

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When people find out that I carry a gun most of the time, they’re often curious.  What would prompt a woman to do something like that? Because it sounds a little odd, many people conclude that an armed woman must live in constant fear.

Rather the opposite, actually. The account below was written several years ago, but the sentiments in it are no less true today.  Despite the title, it really isn’t about why I started carrying a gun full-time, but about why I keep doing so.

Carrying a gun can be uncomfortable. The gun literally and figuratively gets in the way of some activities. There is a constant and slightly uncomfortable awareness that the folks around me would be unhappy with me if they knew I had a gun under my outer clothing. Nevertheless, I continue to carry almost all day, almost every day.

Last week, I went to pick up two of my children from summer

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RINO OF THE WEEK REPORT

       &nbsp  &nbsp “Remember that a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have.” ~Barry Goldwater The RINO of the week is seven-term House Representative James P. Pilliod, Belknap District 5. Rep. Pilliod’s voting record presents us with yet another rank statist consistently supporting government over the … Read more

OBAMA IS TOAST

“No science is immune to the infection of politics and the corruption of power … “ —Jacob Bronowski

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Solyndra is a California-based “green energy” company that sought more than $500 Million is loan guarantees from the Department of Energy and has now filed for bankruptcy protection.

Solyndra first sought consideration for the loan guarantee program (a that began under the Bush administration) during the last days of the GWB administration. They were denied. The Obama administration subsequently expanded the loan guarantee program via the stimulus and approved a half billion loan.

So now that Solyndra has sought bankruptcy protection, some private investors are lining up to get repaid even before the U.S. Taxpayers. the FBI’s criminal investigation is now seeking to know whether Solyndra execs knowingly and purposely misled DOE to obtain loan guarantees.

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The Republican Votes Against Senate Bill 88

Filed Under, “Drinking the Kool-Aid…” Republicans who voted Against the Senate Bill 88 Veto Override Name County District *Bolster, Peter Belknap 5 Fields, Dennis Belknap 2 Flanders, Donald Belknap 4 *Millham, Alida Belknap 5 Pilliod, James Belknap 5 Russell, David Belknap 6 Emerson, Susan Cheshire 7 Johnson, Jane Cheshire 6 Sterling, Franklin Cheshire 7 Richardson, … Read more

HOUSE JOINS SENATE, OVERRIDES SENATE BILL 88 VETO

“A moment’s reflection shows that Liberalism is entirely negative. It is not a formative force, but always and only a disintegrating force.” —Francis Parker Yockey

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The House voted today to override the Governors’ veto of Senate Bill 88 on the heels of the Senate voting to override last week. The vote was 251 to 111. It should be important to note that the Governor and his faithful went into overdrive to build support for sustaining the veto, to include a walking tour of Lincoln street area of Manchester in the vicinity of Hayward and Somerville Streets. It was there where Attorney General stated, “And we will be providing drug dealers and street gangsters with a new right to respond using more violence in public places…”

At the Governor’s press conference the morning before the house leaders’ press conference, Chief Robert Wharem, President of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, told WMUR, “Senate Bill 88 is one of the most dangerous bills we’ve had come before us in our time…” while he had roughly a dozen other police chiefs gathered around him, seeming to imply he speaks for all New Hampshire Chiefs. The difference here is many likely opted to stay home and not politicize this bill, remaining within the confines of their sworn oaths.

At the end of the day, none of their Charlatanry, pandering or demagoguing held any political water, resulting in the veto override which now means the bill is law. Now SB 88 is law. The streets will not run red with blood and responsible, law-abiding citizens will not be prosecuted for lawfully defending themselves against violent attacks.

But to be expected, whenever there is a gun crime it will be certain that the critics of the bill will point to this law as a manifestation of that crime, ignoring the fact that criminals with guns will still commit crimes. They did so before this law and will continue to do so even after this law.

This law protects law-abiding citizens, not Criminals. On the coattails of Senate Bill 88’s passage we will likely hear be hearing next from the Brady Bunch about the enormous social costs of gun violence.  Guy Smith, Author of Gun Facts, has undertaken a most complete compilation of data. Here are just a few examples:

Myth: The social cost of gun violence is enormous

Fact: Because guns are used an estimated 2.5 million times per year to prevent crimes, the cost savings in personal losses, police work, and court and prison expenses vastly outweighs the cost of criminal gun violence and gun accidents. The net savings, under a worst-case scenario, is about $3.5 billion a year.257

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UBIQUITOUS (AND SNEAKY) FORMS OF THE MANCHESTER SCHOOL DISTRICT

“Bureaucracy is a giant mechanism operated by pygmies“—Honoré de Balzac, French novelist and playwright 1799 –1850

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The beginning of the School year, brings the plethora of forms home from school with the kids for parents to fill out and return. A physical health form must be signed by the family physician. Conversely, I find such forms to be intrusive, asking for health insurance provider information, group numbers, policy numbers and a bunch of other information generally outside my personal comfort zone for the submission to local government bureaucrats. When I ask about it, my kid responds, “we must have this information in by (date certain) or else we’ll get into trouble…” Get into “trouble?” When bureaucrats say, “do this or else!” it is part of my personality to ask, “or else what?” What kind of bureaucracy punishes kids because of what the parent ‘might not’ do? What if a parent is English challenged? What if the parent is on crack?

I fully understand why educrats ask for such information. However,  I question what happens to the information beyond the stated purpose. Often times other uses come into play, never intended. Seems to me only physicians and health care providers need insurance information, not the school.  The educrats require a medical permission slip for just about everything to include a plastic back-scratcher, so given that layer, why must they have the insurance information? I assert, they don’t…

Next is the free or reduced lunch program. My family does not even come close to being eligible. Yet the educrats send home a form for us to fill out, directing the disclosure of our income and earnings. don’t think so! Summarily, I just put one red line through the whole stinking form and wrote on it that we do not meet the current eligibility requirements and I initialed it. If they don’t like it, SCREW EM! They’ll get over it with time and counseling.

Then today, we get this Middle School opt out form. There is a disclosure at the top which reads as follows:

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A RANGE WITH A PICTURESQUE VIEW

“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” ~Abraham Lincoln My good friend (former Ward 12 Alderman and State Rep) Keith Hirschmann called me and asked me to tag along over to Henniker for some Saturday … Read more

JOE BRIGGS ON JOB CORPS CENTER

“The two pillars of ‘political correctness’ are: a) willful ignorance; and,  b) a steadfast refusal to face the truth” —George MacDonald “Reform school” was a euphemistic term used to characterize what amounted to a penal institutions for teenagers, most often boys. Social reformers of America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries decried the … Read more

DEAR REPUBLICANS…

“There is hardly a political question in the United States which does not sooner or later turn into a judicial one.” ~Alexis de Tocqueville The Senate has now voted to override the Governor’s veto of Senate Bill 88. The Bill next will come to the full house for concurrence, allowing “Stand your Ground” to become … Read more

RINO OF THE WEEK REPORT

     &nbsp  &nbsp “Remember that a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have.” ~Barry Goldwater This Week’s RINO of the Week is Representative-elect Kevin Janvrin of Seabrook, Rockingham  District 14. Janvrin was not even on the radar screen until he spoke to WMUR’s James Pindell, … Read more

SUPPORTING ABORTION THROUGH ARBITRARY USE OF FEDERAL POWER

“The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.” ~Margaret Sanger, founder, Planned Parenthood How corrupt is a private organization that will literally stop at nothing to get its own way? Such is the case with Planned Parenthood of New England. When PPNNE failed to prevail on … Read more

VETO OVERRIDDEN: SENATE BILL 88 NOW GOES TO THE HOUSE!

“Self-defense is the clearest of all laws, and for this reason: lawyers didn’t make it” ~Douglas William Jerrold

Despite the efforts of Governor Lynch, his Attorney General and a hand full of unelected Police Chiefs around the state, The New Hampshire Senate voted this afternoon to self%20defense%20femaile.jpg
override the Governor’s veto on a vote of 17 to 7. The Bill now goes to the House where it will become law upon concurrence with the Senate Veto override.

During his walking parade through some of the meaner streets of Manchester, several demagoguery cards were used falsely implying SB 88’s becoming law would empower gang members…Which I find rather bizarre since Local Law Enforcement here will tell you we don’t have a significant gang problem.

During his many rants, Governor Lynch challenged the need for this law, claiming supporters of the SB88, “have not been able to identify a single case in New Hampshire where someone has been wrongly prosecuted for using deadly force to protect themselves or others. In fact, current law puts the burden on the state to disprove beyond reasonable doubt claims of self-defense.”

Well Thanks to Attorney Penny Dean of Concord, who provided reference and source materials, the challenge is accepted….

STATE V. JOSEPH BROWN
Superior Court, Carroll County No. 05-S-358

Joseph Gleason, an over six-foot tall and 200-pound burley fellow with a criminal record for violence, pursued Brown off of a highway, characterized as a fit of “road rage.” The five-foot, four-inch 140-pound Brown (with no prior criminal record) now found himself trapped at a traffic light behind other vehicles, with no route of escape from Gleason, as the 280-pound Gleason exited his vehicle and began screaming, yelling, swearing and pounding on Brown’s vehicle punching on the windows of Brown’s Buick.

With no way to escape, and fearing for his safety, Joseph Brown produced a handgun, merely showing it, but never pointing it at Gleason. Brown was subsequently arrested, charged and forced to stand trial. After considerable legal expense the case was noll prosequied.

During Joseph Brown’s arrest, N.H. State Trooper Beth Keyes asserted, “Your right to self defense is your right to call 911…”.

STATE V. PHILLIP TUFANO
Superior Court, Merrimack County 2008

Tufano of Londonderry was charged with threatening Paul DeFilippo with a handgun in August of 2008 following a road rage incident on Route 93. Tufano charged after he held up his “still-holstered” gun in an effort to diffuse the situation when DeFilippo ran him off the roadway, causing him to fear for his life.

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IGNORING THE U.S CONSTITUTION

 “Congress seems to want to cure every ill known to man except unconstitutional government and high taxes.” ~Charley Reese

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 BillofRightsVOid.jpgFriday, August 19, The Federal Election Commission released two draft advisory opinions indicating that it might allow a naturalized, Guyana-born American citizen to file papers and raise funds for run a Presidential run in 2012.

New York City lawyer Abdul Hassan, under this ruling, could conceivably be permitted to go through the initial steps to run for president. Hassan was born in the South American country of Guyana in 1974, and asked the FEC in July whether he could legally raise funds for his presidential candidacy.

Faced with the possibility of deciding a substantial question of a constitutional nature, one would think the FEC would simply tell him to, “get lost” and petition the judicial branch for such a substantial pivotal answer. Do you think they did that? No. . The hacks at FEC readily and willingly stepped up and responded, “although the Commission can respond to the questions asked in [his] advisory opinion, the Commission cannot make any determination as to whether [Hassan] can, as a naturalized citizen, serve as President.”

FEC told Hassan in a July 18 e-mail response that he could be a candidate, may solicit funds and would be required to file disclosure reports. But opinions differ on whether he may receive federal matching funds.  In the FEC’s first draft opinion, they advise Hassan that he would not be able to receive matching funds citing the constitutional provision. Yet, in the second draft opinion, they dodge the question entirely, characterizing it as a, “hypothetical question.”

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WILL LIVING OFF THE GRID BE ILLEGAL SOON?

“Doesn’t the fight for survival also justify swindle and theft? In self defence, anything goes.” ~Imelda Marcos USA Today reported back in April 2006, that 180,000 families were living “off the grid” Moreover, USA Today in that same story reported that that rate has jumped to upwards of 33% a year for a decade according … Read more

SB88 Opposition: Same Crowd, Same Tired Untruths

“Self-defense is the clearest of all laws, and for this reason: lawyers didn’t make it” ~Douglas William Jerrold Is the average citizen really not all that smart? Is the average citizen not capable of making competent decisions about self-defense? That is what seems to be conveyed in this latest political campaign of untruths from unelected … Read more

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