theDrahos

Last summer’s Ferguson, Missouri, disturbances revealed that while blacks were 67 percent of its population, only three members of its 53-officer police force were black. Some might conclude that such a statistic is evidence of hiring discrimination. That’s a possibility, but we might ask what percentage of blacks met hiring qualifications on the civil service examination. Are there hundreds of blacks in Ferguson and elsewhere who achieve passing scores on civil service examinations who are then refused employment? There is no evidence suggesting an affirmative answer to that question. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, sometimes called the … Continue reading →

In the United States, free speechers and anti-free speechers have long been at odds. But lately, the battle has been getting more and more intense — and the anti-free speechers appear to be winning. But why is free speech such a big deal anyway? Answer: because it’s supposed to be a safeguard against tyrannical government. So as the anti-free speechers gain momentum, tyrannical government also wins. In theory, the way free speech is supposed to work is this: If every citizen of America were of one opinion and a single individual had another opinion, the majority would have no more … Continue reading →

The NCAA recently presented the latest findings in the University of North Carolina’s unfolding athletics scandal. A large number of students, mostly football and basketball players, were given course credit for phony “paper” courses that had no instructor, never met, and had no requirements other than a written paper, many of which were themselves phony. According to various investigations and reports, these phony courses were offered for almost 20 years, their existence was well known to athletic department personnel, and the arrangement was tacitly accepted by university officials. (All the relevant head coaches, athletic directors, etc. have denied all knowledge of the issue.) Many commentators … Continue reading →

Global travel is quicker, smarter and cheaper than ever before. We’ve come a long way since the days of zeppelins or four week long transatlantic sea crossings. While many elements of getting around have streamlined our lives, some aspects of golden age travel have sadly disappeared – others we should be pleased to see that back of. With that in mind, here’s a quick look at how flights, cruises and train journeys have moved with the times. Men-Only Flights  Incredibly, this was actually a thing. According to the website Boarding Area, United Airlines ran not one but two men-only routes … Continue reading →

Shooting drills are a pistol instructors’ greatest ally. Often undervalued, these simple exercises strengthen students understanding of concealed carry concepts as well as basic shooting principles. Over the course of teaching concealed carry and pistol classes, I’ve tested out my fair share of drills. While some fell short of expectations, six drills in particular always make their way into my curriculum. When conducting these exercises, observe all gun safety rules. 1. Grip: Water Bottle drill Though we teach grip in introductory courses, it is the one area I see consistently overlooked. As it is the one aspect of shooting we can … Continue reading →

We’re told it’s not safe to text while drive because that’s a distraction. But how about all these buzzers and flashing lights and (yes, it’s true) suddenly vibrating seats and steering wheels? Many new cars comes equipped with some – or all – of the following: Blind Spot Detection Lane Change Assist Lane Departure Warning Cross Traffic Alert Brake Assist/Collision Mitigation Park Assist Drowsy Driver Warning Pedestrian Detection Warning Plus air bag sensors so sensitive they sense a “person” in the passenger seat when all you’ve got riding shotgun is a footlong from Subway. Each with a buzzer/beeper and light show. … Continue reading →

“Until they become conscious, they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled, they cannot become conscious.”—George Orwell The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s a shell game intended to keep us focused on and distracted by all of the politically expedient things that are being said—about militarized police, surveillance, and government corruption—while the government continues to frogmarch us down the road toward outright tyranny. Unarmed citizens are still getting shot by militarized police trained to view them as the enemy and treated as if we have no rights. Despite President Obama’s warning that the … Continue reading →

The G7 Summit in Elmau, Bavaria — already being called the “Biergarten Summit” — was dominated by Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, the “G2,” who met separately before the gathering and pushed it into moves to confront and “isolate” Russia.
That Russi…

The G7 Summit in Elmau, Bavaria — already being called the “Biergarten Summit” — was dominated by Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, the “G2,” who met separately before the gathering and pushed it into moves to confront and “isolate” Russia.
That Russi…

The G7 Summit in Elmau, Bavaria — already being called the “Biergarten Summit” — was dominated by Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, the “G2,” who met separately before the gathering and pushed it into moves to confront and “isolate” Russia.
That Russi…

The G7 Summit in Elmau, Bavaria — already being called the “Biergarten Summit” — was dominated by Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, the “G2,” who met separately before the gathering and pushed it into moves to confront and “isolate” Russia.
That Russi…

The G7 Summit in Elmau, Bavaria — already being called the “Biergarten Summit” — was dominated by Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, the “G2,” who met separately before the gathering and pushed it into moves to confront and “isolate” Russia.
That Russi…

Again challenging German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s agreement to ban Russia from the G7 Summit in Bavaria, 96-year-old former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt gave an interview to the June 7 Bild am Sonntag, headlined, “We Need Russia at the G7 Summit!” Schmi…

Again challenging German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s agreement to ban Russia from the G7 Summit in Bavaria, 96-year-old former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt gave an interview to the June 7 Bild am Sonntag, headlined, “We Need Russia at the G7 Summit!” Schmi…