by Bob Barr | Nov 2, 2020 | Daily Caller Article |
Daily CallerLike most every teenage boy in the early 1960s — and perhaps more so than most since I had grown up with my family moving from country to country every couple of years (my Dad was a civil engineer) – I had never heard of Scottish actor Sean Connery until Dr. No hit the big screen in 1962, while I was living with my family in Lima, Peru. But my perception of “cool” thereafter always would be linked to the dashing actor who portrayed James Bond, aka “Agent Double-O-Seven,” in that movie (which I paid to see more than once).After watching the movie, I became an avid fan of Ian Fleming’s novels recounting the exciting if not-so-realistic life of a Cold War-era spy (several years later, I found myself employed by the CIA, but as an analyst and lawyer with no “license to kill”).At the time I was enthralled to watch Dr. No, I had never worn a tuxedo, but on Connery, especially with a Walther PPK tucked neatly thereunder in a discrete shoulder holster, the deep black formalwear possessed an unmistakable panache. Whether in swimming trunks, a three-piece suit, or a cardigan leaning against one of the many exotic sports cars he drove in those movies, Sean Connery on film exuded an enduring, timeless style. His allure, however, was far deeper and broader than the James Bond character he portrayed in seven film versions of Ian Fleming’s British special agent.Connery’s acting career was extremely diverse. His on-screen portrayals varied from the sexy and debonaire 007 character to which he always will be linked, to a 19th Century Irish coal miner in...
by Bob Barr | Oct 26, 2020 | Daily Caller Article |
Daily CallerFrom 2017 to 2019, America averaged 11 mass shootings per year; nearly double the rate of the three prior years. Although still a statistical rarity when it comes to crime, the uptick in mass shootings was cause for concern and attention by those on the right and the left. Yet, in 2020 America has endured only one such tragedy, not only running counter to the supposedly grim “new normal” painted by Democrats as a way to shame Second Amendment supporters, but shattering the data trends altogether.For the self-proclaimed “Party of Science,” the facts this year – a record number of gun sales and a historically low number of mass shootings — should prompt at least a brief reflection on the party’s anti-gun platform, which holds that guns are always and inherently dangerous. Democrats’ take on “science,” however, is just as bad as their understanding of the Second Amendment. When it comes to actual facts about firearms, they cannot close their eyes and ears fast enough.The simple, obvious truth is that if gun ownership rose to an all-time high and mass shooting incidents fell dramatically during the same period, gun ownership is not the cause of mass shootings. This should have been obvious long before 2020, but for all of their histrionics about conservatives not wanting to talk about gun violence in the wake of mass shootings, Democrats continue their refusal to talk about anything other than banning guns as the solution to violent crime (including shootings in cities with the most stringent gun control laws already on the books).For real scientists, the effects of 2020, and in particular that of COVID-19 on mass shootings,...
by Bob Barr | Oct 19, 2020 | Daily Caller Article |
Daily CallerCongress rarely deserves praise for acting swiftly to exercise its oversight responsibility, but the quick response by the Senate Judiciary Committee to Twitter’s outrageous election interference last week in support of Democrat nominee Joe Biden is to be commended.Shortly after the news broke that Twitter blocked users from sharing a New York Post story critical of Biden, Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) scheduled a hearing (to be held tomorrow), at which time the committee will vote on subpoenaing Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to appear before Congress later this week to explain himself.Dorsey has a lot of questions to answer. Over the years, he repeatedly has assured government decision-makers and the general public that his popular social media platform does not discriminate against any political viewpoints. What Twitter did in response to the Post story illustrated the hollowness of those assurances.The Judiciary Committee needs to stand up for the First Amendment and demand answers. But beyond securing the explanation the American people deserve, the Committee also needs to actively consider avenues to address the platform’s continued assaults on free speech, without itself running afoul of the Constitution.To his credit, Dorsey himself has apologized for “straight blocking” the news story. This, coupled with his past vocal support for regulating Big Tech, provides at least a glimmer of hope that Congress can come to terms with Twitter on a solution.Investigations by the Department of Justice and state attorneys general are important, and in some instances appropriate, but they are excruciatingly time-consuming. We have witnessed this tedious, intricate process unfold with the current governmental investigations into Google’s alleged monopoly on search and advertising, which are still not complete despite having been initiated years ago.The...
by Bob Barr | Oct 13, 2020 | Daily Caller Article |
Daily Caller The arrest late last week of more than a dozen self-styled “Wolverine Watchmen,” and the subsequent war of words between Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the apparent target of their conspiracy, and President Trump, who Whitmer charged was “complicit” in the plot, illustrates once again the truly strange world in which we are living as we approach the November 3 election.The federal criminal complaint that provided the basis for the arrests of the conspirators confirms a rule that became apparent to me shortly after I was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia in 1986, and which remains as accurate today, 34 years later. Simply stated, the rule holds that one of the best and most useful tools a prosecutor wields is the stupidity of the criminal element. The affidavit in the Wolverine Watchmen case, executed by an FBI special agent working the investigation, paints a picture of the conspirators as not real bright, to put it most kindly.To be sure, the conspirators’ goal was deadly serious — to kidnap or kill the Michigan Governor, along with other individuals. Thankfully, the strategy they hatched as a roadmap to achieve their goal was about as artless and unsophisticated as a cable TV “reality show.”The conspirators apparently had been planning their deed since at least early this year, when federal law enforcement were alerted to their plans after the disgruntled Brainiacs discussed the “violent overthrow” of the government on not-so-secret “social media.” At some point thereafter, and before a June 6, 2020 meeting of the plotters in Ohio, the FBI was able to do what...
