RECCE ROOM

A reader writes in: "Have you received any responses or feedback from the Open Letter to Pastors article?" Yes. Quite a bit, in fact. So let's dig into what would be my opinion on how to grade your pastor.  FAILURE If your pastor did not even mention the assassination, he/she gets an "F" - and this is not negotiable. This "pastor" is a coward. Do not follow cowards, they are not leaders.  MARGINAL If your pastor made some vague allusion to "violence," "murder," or some-such, but did not mention Charlie Kirk by name; this earns a "D." This pastor is a coward, still.  ACCEPTABLE If your pastor said the words "Charlie Kirk" or "Assassination," or something like "Charlie Kirk was murdered;" then the letter grade for this is a "C." Still led by fear, but not a total coward.  GOOD If your pastor clearly said that "Charlie Kirk was assassinated," then this is good. That is exa...

Exactly one week ago to the moment, a martyr was made. Charlie Kirk was shot for his beliefs in Christ and in the Conservative way of life. This news has dominated the headlines for the past week, and rightly so. Charlie was a man of conviction. He was bold enough to debate, yet stay civil. And while there is most certainly a time and a place for a precise shot from a marksman, this was not it. The assassin was a coward, plain and simple.  By "cutting out Charlie's tongue," the assassin did not prove Charlie a liar. He proved that he feared what Charlie had to say. I got to meet Charlie, and have some interaction with him. And when someone I love and/or admire passes, I like to think about the good things. The fun memories. And that is what this is: a fun memory.  On Sunday, October 25, 2020, Charlie came to my hometown and spoke at my church at the time. It's funny in retrospect: the Facebook event states that 450 or so people responded to the event on that platform...

Gaslighting.  verb Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation and abuse in which the abuser, the "gaslighter," makes a victim doubt their own reality, memory, and perception of events, often to gain control. This abusive behavior undermines the victim's self-confidence, self-esteem, and ability to trust themselves, leading to confusion, anxiety, and dependence on the abuser. Right now, many leftwing outlets are saying that Charlie Kirk's assassin (this blog will give no credence to the name of that scum) is a Right Wing person.  Some of the gaslighting, with the assassin's name removed from the text: Text, because Blogger deletes pictures sometimes without warning or reason: "The revelation that [REDACTED], the coward who killed Charlie Kirk, is a right-wing Groyper extremist from a family of Trump supporters in Utah has broken the already fragile minds of MAGA nuts. They're desperately trying to turn him into a leftist with a trans lover." ...

The Problem Every encounter with law enforcement carries a hidden incentive: do whatever it takes to hit the numbers, meet the quotas, or look good on the plaque. When officers break the law, skirt the Constitution, or manipulate facts, the consequences are minimal — far less than what an ordinary citizen would face for the same offense. This isn’t an occasional “bad apple.” It’s baked into the system. And that is why I call it the Super Pussy Pass: immunity not earned, accountability nearly nonexistent, and the law applied selectively. Understanding the "Pussy Pass" The term "pussy pass" is a derogatory slang used to describe situations where women receive lighter criminal sentences or are held to a lesser standard of personal accountability than men. It's often invoked to criticize perceived leniency in the justice system based on gender. While the term is offensive and reinforces negative stereotypes, it highlights a real concern about unequal treatment under...

Dear pastors in America and worldwide, Today, Sunday, September 14, 2025; you face a fork in the road. From everything being said on social media, today is shaping up to be the largest influx of people into the church in recent memory. The reason: a man was martyred for his belief in Christ. And that action has motivated people on a scale not seen in possibly my entire lifetime of 50 years. And whether these new congregants stay in church rests entirely upon a choice you are about to make. On one hand, you can preach the same safe sermon you’ve always preached. And this will get the same results you’ve been getting all along: it will continue to drive people away from the church. People do not want to hear your watered down, weak, timid, cautious, risk-averse message. Your being afraid to say the truth is what has chased people from the church. On the other hand, you can deliver a powerful sermon, inspired by an All-Powerful divine Jesus Christ. You know, the savior from Matthew 10:34 ...

From social media:  Folks on Reddit (read: Leftists) are apoplectic that they will be held accountable for their speech. This screen shot to show their absolute horror and outrage at the people who are getting fired for celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk.  Of course, they will cry for "free speech!"  They will neglect to give credence to the fact that free speech is speech that is not regulated by government.  Free speech is NOT free platform Free speech is NOT freedom from social consequences. Free speech is NOT freedom to speak anytime, anywhere (almost the same as free platform above). Free speech is NOT freedom from criticism.  Free speech is NOT freedom to incite violence, commit fraud, defame, or commit other crimes on fellow citizens.  ALSO (and perhaps most importantly):  WELCOME TO WHAT IT HAS BEEN LIKE TO BE ON THE RIGHT SINCE 2008!!! What say you?   

Today we remember perhaps the most horrific day to have happened to America in my lifetime. My kids learned of these events in school. I learned of them in real time: watching tv and reading the paper.  Yesterday was one of the more horrific days in my lifetime. An absolute icon of America First ideology was senselessly murdered by an assassin. Charlie Kirk was a man to be admired for his faith, his intelligence, and his adherence to principles both sides of the political aisle claim, but rarely demonstrate. Both of my children really enjoyed listening to Charlie Kirk and consuming his material.  Additionally, a great many of my children's friends also followed Charlie. After his murder, I cannot count how many of those youthful friends' social media accounts had posts of tribute.  It truly was a Turning Point.  Here, in memoriam, is a picture of Charlie with me, from October 25, 2020. I was running security on him during a visit he made to my town. I got to speak wi...

On this post , the question came up of whether something constituted a "quota."  Specifically, the statement was:  "Maybe not quotas as such, but that plaque for Most DUI arrests looks good for promotions." First - Definitions So, let's define quota, and see if the "shoe fits."  From Cambridge ,  "a fixed limit on the amount of something that someone is allowed to have or is expected to do." Let's rewrite here for clarity: "a fixed limit on the amount of something that someone is expected to do."  Second - The phrase itself "...that plaque for most DUI arrests looks good for promotions."  Is "performing an activity for the purpose of a promotion" the same as an "amount of something that someone is expected to do?" This author says "yes."  Third - The Law itself.  Tennessee Code annotated on the legality of police quotas: (a) A political subdivision or any agency of this state may not esta...

Friday's post has me thinking about a funny story. Way, way back, when I taught my first Tennessee Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit (EHCP) class in 2020, there was a funny happening. This is that story.  CONTEXT Setting: because there were several things converging that applied pressure on me at that time, let's list them here, as it gives context to the story.  It was the first EHCP class I had ever taught.  There were at least three other carry permit instructors observing, as they wanted to see how I taught it. Reminder: it was the first time I had taught that class.  The EHCP class material comes from the State of Tennessee, and must be taught in accordance to their standards.  The State Inspector for that area had asked to audit the class. It was my first class.  The only method of delivery of the power point was a projector. Yes, old school. The survey for instructors included "did the instructor answer all my questions?" The problem here was my concern...

A Tennessee State Trooper has arrested (at least) 8 SOBER people for DUI.  Here is a YouTube video on the false arrest.  Here is a video on the issue by Steve Lehto.  There are several questions that come to mind here.  1. How many more people were falsely arrested by this trooper? 2. How many people have been falsely arrested by other troopers in a similar manner?  3. Why has the Tennessee Highway Patrol not already fired this trooper, and made a public statement distancing themselves from this practice? 4. Why does Governor Lee refuse to acknowledge the problem? Is he simply unaware?  5. Was it just this trooper and just his ego?  6. Were quotas at the root of this problem?  That last question is the one I am most curious about.  Of course, someone will invariably come along and make the claim that since Tennessee has banned quotas by law enforcement departments, that there are simply no quotas being enforced. That, of course, would be a...

Recently received an email from another reader asking about haters: "Do you get many online haters? I see many in gun forums and social media and [onling] with other schools and classes and stuff. Wondered if you saw them too. What makes people do that? "  (Author's note - I read that to mean "online.")  Good question, and one that has been dealt with before on this blog.  Now, for Patriot Training? We have a place where screen shots make history in the Alumni chat.  For this blog? It started with an observation in 2012 . That is 13 years ago. The observation is still 100% true.  I've dealt with passive-aggressive tactics from some.  We even reviewed the same thing three years later.  This direct discussion on the Critic was also blogged about.  WHY Now, as for why? There are several theories...  1. Projection (noticeably not participation). Folks who actually train know how hard it is, how humbling it is, and how much work goes into even...

From a reader: "Just came across your blog a few days ago. Was reading a lot of the older stuff. Came across several posts on Calvinism and other religious things. Are you just not religious any more, or what?"  Fair question.  The truth is, Calvinism simply doesn't interest me in the least. It is heretical teaching, brought to us by St. Augustine, very likely from his Manichaean roots. John Calvin was, in modern terms, nothing more than a glorified griefer (who was willing to kill others to make them have grief). Not ironically, virtually every Calvinist I've ever met was similarly a griefer. They side-eye you because they know they are weird, and they don't want you to know that they are weird. That let's you know... that they are weird.  Also, someone that has to do a second conversion on a Christian... again, weird.  So, I will call out those things that deviate from norms, and are illogical. Calvinism is still exactly that.  Funny aside, in a similar vein...