Name Calling in Emails by Rep. Etheridge

Well it seems ole Bob Etheridge has flown of the handle again. Remember this clip from a little while back????

And here is a Remix to go with the above clip.

Please support Renee Ellmers in any way you can. Send her money, sign up to make some phone calls or volunteer w/ her campaign.  She will do a much better job in DC than Bob-O!

For Renee Ellmers message, click here.

Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Twenty Sixth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.

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Internet Censorship in America

Censorship is alive and well in the good old USA

I have a favor to ask.

Go to one of the major search engines. I use either Google, Bing or Yahoo myself. I just tried to re-locate a news story that I read yesterday. I couldn’t find it. Now honestly, I did not go 3 pages deep in the search results, but the returns on the front page (Both Google & Yahoo) were to blog sites and NOT to ANY of the major news outlets.

I am pretty sure that MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and others that are supporters of George Soros and that bunch(you all know who I’m referring to) would not have the story in the 1st place. I saw the story yesterday on BOTH the Wall Street Journal AND Fox News.

Yet today…only a little over 24 hours since the story hit, you would think that a search engine WOULD provide an accurate search result?  Well, you would be INCORRECT!

I just did a search using this phrase/criteria:

“Islamic threats in Florida”

I got nothing but blog pages…. Jihadwatch returned a lot of hits but no WSJ or Fox returns from the general search. I also tried some other word combinations that were NOT the actual title of the story. Still no results other than blog pages.

Folks, this bothers me. I don’t want ANYBODY telling me what I can read and what I can NOT read! Telling me what I can view & what I CAN NOT view. And most certainly, if I know for a fact that something exists, and I tell someone to look it up, I expect them to be able to find it.  Whether it is Politically Correct or NOT!

Here comes Godwin’s Rule:

ARE WE CONTROLLED

BY NAZI’S NOW??

Here’s the 2 stories I was really looking for:

Wall Street Journal News Story from Monday 8/23/10

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703589804575445841837725272.html?KEYWORDS=Islamic+threats+in+Florida

FOX News story from Monday 8/23/10

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/22/protests-rhetoric-feed-jihadists/

Now for the Favor….. See if YOU can find either one of these stories just by doing a search. Pretend you didn’t KNOW that they were there. Let me know your results.

Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Twenty Fourth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.

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DemocRATs vs the American People

I have received the same email from several of my friends recently. This morning I received it again, but something ‘CLICKED’ this time. I’m taking the liberty to retell the story from a political viewpoint. I hope you find it both humorous and inspirational.

The Black Labrador in the following photos represents our current Local, State, and Federal  Governments. I’ll call him “Big Sam“(alias for Uncle Sam) for this tale. The 2 Squirrels represent the American people with the momma squirrel being the Conservatives (aka the TEA Party folks) and the baby squirrel being just that, the younger, naive generation. I’ll name the momma squirrel “Lady Liberty” and the baby squirrel “Dumbo“. Ok…here we go with our tale.

Dumbo is out doing their thing on any given day. It’s a pleasant day in America and Dumbo is carefree, happy as a lark, listening to his IPOD, drinking a Latte or an imported beer. Discussing what happened on American Idol the night before. Feeling sorry for poor ole Lindsey Lohan. Trusting the American Main Stream Media. He likes to watch CNN & MSNBC because his liberal teachers tell him that a FOX is EVIL and will destroy him!  Dumbo is NOT paying attention to the possible dangers that lurk in the shadows from Big Sam. (Note that all of the pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them)

All of a sudden, Big Sam makes his move.  Now, Dumbo’s life itself is threatened and little Dumbo doesn’t know how to handle this.  Dumbo thinks that it’s OK to play nice with the evil Big Sam. Big Sam says we must be tolerant of  Islam, that it is just fine to leave our borders open for any Tom, Dick or Harry to  saunter on in. In the above pic, you’ll notice Big Sam has complete control of Dumbos surroundings…completely engulfed.

Now, Lady Liberty is watching, from the sidelines so to speak. She is ‘Deeply Concerned’ about this scenario which is playing out right before her eyes. “What must I do?” she ponders

She decides that she needs to show some resistance against Big Sam. So, she makes initial contact with Big Sam by calling her representatives, writing letters, sending emails etc. This doesn’t seem to phase Big Sam though. He continues his attack on Dumbo, and Dumbo still  hasn’t realized that Big Sam is “A THREAT“. You’ll notice that if Dumbo was aware of the dangers, he would have run away  already.  But NO, Dumbo STILL thinks things are fine.

AH

Big Sam is now beginning to get irritated with Lady Liberty and starts to growl, snarl and bite back. Lady Liberty is messing with Big Sam’s agenda. Notice Dumbo is STILL hanging around. He has not fled the scene yet. He still thinks that Big Sam is alright and is not going to hurt him. Lady Liberty though, is in the fight of her life. She has the wisdom and the courage to stand up and fight. And from the look on Big Sam’s face,  he realizes that he just might have “Bitten off more than he can Chew“

There is a happy ending though…..

Lady Liberty and Dumbo will be alright. They have escaped the Tyrant Big Sam. Even though Big Sam was a lot bigger and stronger, Lady Liberty emerges with her life and Freedoms. Yes, she’s scratched up and bruised a little, but she and Dumbo will prevail.

Dumbo will receive a stern reprimand though because of his complacency and stupidity. And as Dumbo grows a little older, he will remember this day and the lesson learned.

The last picture here ALSO represents the looks on the faces of the DemocRATS on the morning of November 3, 2010 when they wake up, and they realize that they just got their asses kicked by a bunch of TEA Party Conservatives.

Morale to the Story: Even when things seems down and out, AND you’re facing a EVIL opponent….fighting for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness will always prevail!

Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Twenty Fourth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.

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Obama supports Islam and the Ground Zero Mosque

Warning: This Blog contains very Graphic Images and  the links to the Truthtube-TV clips are brutal Murders performed By Muslims. I have inserted characters only to create a buffer to prevent the viewer from seeing the upsetting photos.

I strongly urge you to view the contents of this post thoroughly. Americans need to be taught the truth about this Cultural Cancer.

Scroll down ONLY if you wish to view the Truth about Islam. Thank you.

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The Photos above are some of Islam’s work near our Southern Border w/ Mexico (click on the image for a little larger view)

Barack Hussein Obama supports the building of a new Mosque at Ground Zero. And the American people seem to believe that Islam is a peaceful religion. Here are some facts concerning the Muslim Religion.

 

 Warning: Extreme Graphics of Muslims Sawing off peoples heads. (Update on December 7, 2011 – The Truthtube videos have been blocked)

http://truthtube.tv/play.php?vid=1987

http://truthtube.tv/play.php?vid=2059

http://truthtube.tv/play.php?vid=1996

 

 Now, here’s one without all the blood & guts. Just information on Islam

 

 And a Message from a British gentleman trying to wake us up.

 

 

Please do your own homework & research on “TAQIYYA”

http://crombouke.blogspot.com/2010/01/twelve-tactics-of-taqiyya.html

 

 

 

“This ‘Holy Lying’ is known as taqiyya (sometimes spelled taqiya or taquiya)”

http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/011-taqiyya.htm

http://www.fact-index.com/t/ta/taqiyya.html

Interesting Jpg image, with text, for your review posted below.

Click image for larger view.

His Wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Pershing

Saddened to submit these videos and information, but I feel that I must make the American people aware of the horrors of Sharia Law, the deception called Taqiyya & the Islamic Culture as a whole. SilenceDogood2010 this Twenty First Day of August, in the Year of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, Two Thousand Ten.

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Iowa Flooding; Where are all the Celebrities?

Update: Sorry folks, the pictures seemed to have been removed. I’m guessing that the copy  & Paste that I did from the email has some  missing code to view them here. I have attempted to fix this on 8/23/10 at 6:20pm EDT.

Just received this email from a patriot friend. Please note that I have NOT vetted each & every one of these photos. Some of these could be photos from floods other than the one that occured on August 10, 2010.

Here’s the coverage by our award winning  Media(sarcasm implied):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38659557/

And here is a screen grab from another Patriot friend of mine just a few minutes ago. It’s of Yahoo’s home page. Notice the little ‘Pakistan Relief’ button directly underneath the YAHOO Main Logo. Why is an American company, going out of it’s way to promote the assistance to a foreign nation BEFORE supporting relief for our own countrymen?

Where are the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons asking for help in  restoring Iowa and helping the folks affected by the floods? Where is good old Michael Moore?

Why  is the media NOT asking the tough questions about why  the federal government hasn’t solved this problem? Asking  where the FEMA trucks and trailers and food services  are?

Why  isn’t the Federal government moving Iowa people into free hotels in Chicago and Minneapolis ?

When will Spike Lee say that the Federal Government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines ?

Where are Sean Penn, Bono, Jennifer Aniston and the Dixie Chicks?

Where  are all the looters stealing high-end tennis shoes, cases of beer and television sets?

When will we hear Governor Chet Culver say that he wants to rebuild a  ’vanilla’ Iowa …Because that’s what God wants?

Where  is the hysterical 24/7 media coverage complete with reports of  shootings at rescuers, of rapes and murder?

Where are all the people screaming that Barack Obama hates white, rural people? My God, where are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Oprah, and Ray Coniff Jr?

How come you will never hear about the Iowa flooding ever again?  Where are the government bail out vouchers? The government debit  cards?

There must be one hell of a big difference between the values of the people…

[What was that phrase that Dr. Martin Luther King used in his famous speech??? Oh yeah, I remember it now...it was to judge a person NOT  by the color of their skin, but judge them by The Content of Their Character (TCOTC)]

…of Iowa and the values & TCOTC of the people of Louisiana . Pass this information forward ….. To get Americans thinking.

Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Twentieth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.

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Tax Shredding Party on 8/21/10

What happens when you have  NC Conservative Candidates, one of which who happens to own a Chipper Shredder?

Well, you schedule a fun event! How about we put that chipper to GOOD use & shred the entire IRS Tax Code!

When:     August 21, 2010

Where:   Jim Martin Building at the NC State Fairgrounds

Schedule of events:

12:30 to 2:00 – Meet and Greet with FairTax representatives and Congressional Candidates

2:00 to 3:30  – Welcome from Michael Patton, District 4 Volunteer Director for the FairTax

Message from Senator Burr by Jennifer Cusato, Regional Political Director

Dr. Mike Beitler, Senate Candidate

Tom Rose, District 2 Candidate

Lon Cecil, District 12 Candidate

Bill Randall, District 13 Candidate

B.J. Lawson, District 4 Candidate

3:30 – Join the Congressional Candidates outside for the Shredding of the IRS Tax Code

There is still time to sponsor the event at www.ncfairtax.org

Please note that is a Public Service Announcement ONLY.

Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Twentieth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.

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A Torch with No Flame

This needs no words to describe it. Go grab your Children & Grandchildren, Nieces & Nephews, and sit them down to watch this few minutes of video. Thank you to Louisiana Gun & remember, this is the “Sacred Flame of the American Way“

Here is the link:

http://atorchwithnoflame.com/

Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Eighteenth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.

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Durham Illegal Immigration Rally

We can’t afford David Price and his policies.

Congressman David Price supports Criminals!

8/15/2010 – On Sunday afternoon, SEIU, NAACP, Democrats and plethora of other groups, held a Political Rally at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Durham, NC.  They bused in huge numbers of Hispanic folks from all over the state. These were NOT just local folks to Durham, NC.

 

Our local elected officials, Cora-Cole McFadden, and others, along with US Congressman David Price were all there to support Illegal Immigration. Nothing more! Nothing less! They are thinking that by supporting this illegal activity, it will get them VOTES! They could care less about ‘Upholding Their Sworn Oaths” to protect & defend the Constitution. I’m sure if I dug deep enough, I could find that taxpayer funds were used to support this in some ‘round about way.

Now, I have to applaud Dr. William BJ Lawson. In the midst of 1500 plus (Mostly NON-United States Citizens) he was the SOLE individual that stood up for the “Rule of Law”, The US Constitution, and what is RIGHT! Please take the time to watch this Video Clip (approx. 6 minutes) and then, PLEASE, PLEASE share either this entire blog or at a minimum, the Youtube clip.

Here is Dr. Lawson’s site. Please support him (I Do) & let’s remove David Price from Washington, DC.

http://www.lawsonforcongress.com/

SilenceDogood2010’s commentary on the issue:

Folks, our current leaders have lost their way. They are corrupt; they lie & deceive us; they make arguments that are so far out of bounds that it’s easy to get lost from the main point of the issue. They create SPIN & Buzz words to take you off the topic.  But Hispanics do the jobs Americans don’t want to do. They provide a boost to the economy. You’re trying to break up a family. You’re taking daddy away from his children. We are a country of Immigrants. Or one of MY personal favorites……You’re Racist!

 

The main point here is that “Law Breakers” are demanding a free pass to avoid the current laws. PERIOD!

 

• Should we NOT prosecute a ‘Shoplifter’ just because he says he is Hungry?

• Should we NOT prosecute a ‘Burglar’ because he said he needs to have a TV to be alerted about Storms & other pending dangers?

My point is, we have laws in this country. We may not all agree on the details of the law, but needless to say….It’s still THE LAW. Our current Officials MUST uphold our Laws. PERIOD!

 

Illegal Immigrants are bringing a lot of things with them. Diseases,  Illegal weapons, Gang violence (MS13 just one example). These are putting an Overwhelming Burden on our local communities & hospitals….been to the ER lately????? How do like those 4, 5, up to 14  hour wait times to get few stitches? How would like to have your child diagnosed with Polio or Bubonic Plague or Typhoid, just because they were exposed to an individual that wasn’t vaccinated?

 

Our current immigration laws are supposed to protect us from these potential threats. If they are NOT enforced, then we might as well do away with all of our laws.

Here is the Lame Stream Media’s version of this event;

WRAL TV 5 Raleigh CBS Affiliate (View the comments too)

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/8139589/

Herald Sun Newspaper Durham, N.C. (Please view the comments below the story too)

http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/9156212/article-Latinos–delegates-call-for-reform?instance=homesecondleft

I  have included the text of the H-S Story because the H-S only leaves stories posted for a couple of days. After that, you MUST be a Paying Subscriber to view the archives.

—Begin H-S Text—

BY DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN      dvaughan@heraldsun.com; 419-6563

DURHAM — More than 1,500 people from across North Carolina called for comprehensive immigration reform Sunday at a delegates assembly at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church sponsored by the North Carolina Latino Coalition.

Speakers at the bilingual event included representatives from government, labor, faith and business. During a roll call, the tally of 1,505 included those who came by the handful and the hundreds. Families and community leaders packed the pews, filled the overflow space and lined the walls of the church sanctuary.

Speakers were frequently followed by chants of “Si se puede!” which translates in English as “Yes we can.”

The five points of immigration reform supported at the rally are:

- Family reunification — reducing the backlog of visa petitions that can take several years and implementing a more efficient process.

- Workers protection — setting up rules to protect wages and working conditions of those admitted legally to fill available jobs.

- Restore the rule of law and enhance security — realistic law enforcement that targets terrorists, smugglers and lawbreaking employers.

- Allocate sufficient visas to close unlawful migration channels — set the level of legal immigration by labor market needs.

- A rational and humane approach to the undocumented population — address the 12 million undocumented immigrants by creating a registration process that includes background checks, a fine, taxes and studying English and leads to permanent residency and citizenship.

All state and federal North Carolina politicians were invited to the assembly. U.S. Rep. David Price came to show his support for the proposed immigration reform. Also attending were Libertarian candidates — Senate candidate Mike Beitler as well as House candidates in the 2nd, 8th and 12th districts.

B.J. Lawson, who is running against Price for Congress, held up a “NO” sign when the candidates were asked if they supported reform. Lawson said that he sees amnesty for undocumented immigrants as a cutting in line.

Local politicians who attended the assembly in support of reform include N.C. Rep. Larry Hall, Durham Mayor Pro Tem Cora Cole-McFadden and City Councilman Mike Woodard.

Forty groups participated in the assembly, including several Catholic churches, Durham CAN, Farmworkers Ministry, El Centro Hispano, El Pueblo, Faith Action, Accion NC and Ministerio Jesus. Leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, Catholic Diocese of Raleigh and General Baptist State Convention also shared their support for reform.

Pastor Maudia Melendez, president of Ministerio Jesus, said the current immigration system is broken and the only way to find a solution is through public dialogue. She said that a comprehensive overhaul will make laws more realistic.

The Rev. William Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP, said those opposed to immigration reform conveniently forget their immigrant past.

The Rev. Gregory Moss Sr., president of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, said he came to “show solidarity and express support as you seek inclusion and fair treatment.”

Price said the government cannot enforce its way out of the challenge of immigration. He thanked the North Carolina Latino Coalition for all it is doing.

Ruben Campillo said that two-thirds of Hispanics in North Carolina are either naturalized citizens or legal residents.

“We are here and we are not going anywhere,” he said. Campillo said the strongest voice is the voice of the vote, and urged Latinos to vote this fall. Outside the meeting, volunteers were ready with information about voter registration.

—End of H-S Text—

Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Sixteenth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.

 

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2nd ARTC Rally in Greensboro, NC

Update on Monday 8/16/2010: News blurb from Time Warner News 14 Carolina.

http://triangle.news14.com/content/local_news/triad/629287/group-rallies-to–restore-the-constitution-

—end of update—

2nd Armed Restore The Constitution Rally held on August 14, 2010 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

This Patriot made a little trek on Saturday morning. I went from the ‘Triangle Area’ of North Carolina to the ‘Triad Area’ of North Carolina. The trip is only about 60 miles each way but it was necessary. Why you might ask? Well, HISTORY was taking place & you know Patriots and History.

The Event: The 2^nd Armed Restore the Constitution Rally (the 1^st ARTC rally was held just outside of our Nations Capital on April 19, 2010. I couldn’t make that one.)

The Location: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park in Greensboro, NC. This was the site of a Revolutionary War Battle.

Here’s the sites website:

http://www.nps.gov/guco/index.htm

Here’s the Video of the Opening Prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, & the National Anthem. Note to all the Hip-Hop, Rock-N-Roll, & Country Music celebs; Take notes from Julie! This is HOW the National Anthem MUST be sung. NO individual interpretation. Strictly how F. S. Key & J.S. Smith wrote it. Great job Julie!

Bubba’s speech.

 

 

Bill Randall’s Speech

I had posted this event earlier too. We had, according to the National Park Service folks, between 300 – 400 attendees throughout the afternoon. Pretty neat I thought. To have that many ARMED Citizens, in one location, with roughly 50 Law Enforcement BOTG-“Boots On The Ground”- keeping an eye on things. That’s not to mention the satellite surveillance either.

More to follow as our ‘VP’s (Video Patriots) get the 1’s & 0’s uploaded. For you NON- Technical folks, all DIGITAL media is binary, meaning it’s really just a bunch of ONE’s or ZERO’s.

Here’s a few other random pics from the event. Click on the pics for  a larger image.

Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Fifteenth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.

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NC SBI Ballistic Lab

A news story this morning in Raleigh’s News & Observer focuses on the forensic science of ballistics. I found it interesting that the photo shows Hundreds of guns stored irresponsibly. Not a single Trigger Lock to be seen! Of course, this is the NC SBI Lab in Garner, NC.

Click on the pic for a larger image

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/08/14/628340/sbi-relies-on-bullet-analysis.html

What if some child were to get in there? This is TOTALLY  irresponsible storage of Firearms. If any Honest, Law Abiding Citizen were to store THEIR weapons in this fashion….. boy ole boy I can hear the liberals now. Not to mention the Lame Stream Media. (note sarcasm in this comment)

And here’s just a part of the story:

A News & Observer investigation of the SBI has revealed more than a dozen instances in which agents cheated or bent the rules to secure an answer prosecutors sought. At the crime lab, examiners have bypassed accepted techniques, despite pushback in the wider scientific community. Even when their bosses learn of missteps, they often do nothing.

Attorney General Roy Cooper has asked his new director, Greg McLeod, to review the work of the firearms identification unit, citing concerns raised by The N&O this summer. Cooper, a Democrat, removed previous director Robin Pendergraft, who in an N&O interview struggled to explain flawed lab work.

And here is the FULL text of this story. ….Just in case it gets pulled. Wink Wink!

SBI relies on bullet analysis that critics deride as unreliable

Last of four parts

Beth Desmond looked through a microscope at two mangled bullets.

It was the start of a 2006 murder trial in Pitt County, and prosecutors needed her help to fix a potentially crippling weakness in their case. They asked Desmond, an SBI firearms analyst, to determine whether the two bullet fragments had passed through the same gun, a Hi-Point 9 mm she had already linked to a cluster of casings at the crime scene.

Desmond’s answer was quick, sure and pleasing to the prosecution. But her work in the case has threatened the integrity of yet another unit of the State Bureau of Investigation.

A News & Observer investigation of the SBI has revealed more than a dozen instances in which agents cheated or bent the rules to secure an answer prosecutors sought. At the crime lab, examiners have bypassed accepted techniques, despite pushback in the wider scientific community. Even when their bosses learn of missteps, they often do nothing.

Attorney General Roy Cooper has asked his new director, Greg McLeod, to review the work of the firearms identification unit, citing concerns raised by The N&O this summer. Cooper, a Democrat, removed previous director Robin Pendergraft, who in an N&O interview struggled to explain flawed lab work.

With Desmond’s Pitt County assignment, the stakes were high. A 10-year-old boy had caught a bullet during a street fight between two groups of rival teens. His death rocked the small town of Ayden. Her analysis would make or break the case against Jemaul Green, the man they believed accidentally killed Christopher Foggs.

Desmond would turn to firearms and toolmark identification, one of the oldest and most controversial disciplines of forensic science, to harness these clues into proof that Green was the only gunman. Green had insisted from the start that another man had fired first and that he shot back in self defense. The gun — or guns — had vanished, leaving only a smattering of casings and bullet fragments.

Desmond examined a bullet found in the eaves of a nearby house; the other was collected from the yard near where Christopher collapsed.

The day after getting the request from prosecutors, she testified that she was absolutely certain both bullets were fired from a Hi-Point 9 mm Model C handgun, the same type she had matched to casings scattered about the ground where Green stood that day. Her report eliminated doubt about another shooter.

But what Desmond actually saw when she looked at the bullets through a microscope that day in 2006 is a mystery and a growing controversy. Desmond took no photographs. She scribbled down the measurements of the lands and grooves – the raised portions between the lands – on each bullet.

Desmond’s examination gnawed at David Sutton, a Greenville lawyer who represented Green’s girlfriend in charges stemming from Christopher’s death.

Sutton wanted to see what Desmond saw. This spring, Sutton asked a former FBI crime lab analyst to photograph the bullets under a microscope.

Butt to butt, amplified seven times, the bullets look starkly different.

Independent firearms experts who have studied the photographs question whether Desmond knows anything about the discipline. Worse, some suspect she falsified the evidence to offer prosecutors the answer they wanted. They said it is vital that the bullets be examined independently under a microscope.

“This is a big red flag for the whole unit,” said WilliamTobin, former chief metallurgist for the FBI, who has testified about potential problems in firearms analysis. “This is as bad as it can be. It raises the question of whether she did an analysis at all.”

In an interview, Desmond said she is absolutely confident of her findings and that the photos don’t reflect what she saw under the microscope when she examined them in 2006.

“I take great offense to the fact that someone [is] saying I did something that was not straightforward or accusing me of anything,” Desmond said. “I am very proud of my work.”

Green has spent four years locked away in state prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. The possibility that an SBI agent’s faulty work may have put him there with a 23-year sentence is more than he can fathom.

“It’s one thing to make a mistake,” Green, 24, said during an interview at Eastern Correctional Institution in Maury. “What dog do they have in this fight? They don’t even know me.”

Shaky science

As forensic science goes, firearm and toolmark analysis stands on shaky legs. It’s built on the idea that every tool leaves a unique mark.

Unlike with DNA, there is no statistical foundation. Experts, therefore, can’t provide probability of error. Every bullet identification boils down to a subjective evaluation by an analyst.

“The scientific knowledge base for toolmark and firearm analysis is fairly limited,” according to a landmark study issued last year by the National Academies, the nation’s leading advisory group on science, medicine and engineering.

In recent years, judges in some federal courts and a military court have forbidden analysts to draw such strong conclusions about firearms analysis, saying the science isn’t strong enough. One federal judge has ruled that without photographs of the bullets, he won’t allow any testimony.

Some labs have adopted policies forbidding analysts from performing comparisons between bullets or casings when the gun hasn’t been recovered, experts say. Every bullet fired from the same make and model will have the same number of lands and grooves. Experts say they can use smaller markings on a bullet to pinpoint a particular gun.

The use of those finer markings can be inexact, too. One study suggests that up to 20 percent of guns of the same model produce identical markings on fired bullets. In other words, assuring a jury of a match is risky.

“Alarm bells are going off in our associations,” said Liam Hendrikse, an independent firearms analyst in Toronto. “The chances of a gun not matching a bullet recovered from the crime scene when it involves an American gun is highly likely. Our days of speaking with such certainty should be over.”

The SBI’s job description underscores the ambiguity of firearms analysis. The description says the analyst must “solve unknowns for which no set procedures are in place.”

Yet firearms analysts such as Desmond often testify with absolute certainty.

SBI undeterred

SBI examiners have not been deterred by the national pushback. They draw conclusions about bullets collected in uncertain situations, records show.

Jerry Richardson, head of the crime laboratory, expressed confidence in firearms and toolmark analysis, saying it was based on sound research.

“Firearms is one that is pretty much an exact science,” Richardson said in an interview. Desmond, too, said she has great faith in the accuracy of firearms identification.

SBI examiners routinely match bullets to a single gun even when the gun is missing. They have analyzed rusted guns fished out of rivers and test-fired bullets to draw a match with those recovered at a crime scene. They have used corroded bullets pulled from victims’ bodies to make comparisons.

The SBI lab has chosen not to purchase cameras for their microscopes to record the images analysts see. “I just feel that pictures are not truly representative of what we do,” Desmond said in an interview. She said that she had the advantage of viewing the bullets under a microscope, not just in a photograph.

Richardson said the bureau is considering getting cameras. At several thousand dollars each, they would cost much less than other equipment in the lab.

Analysts such as Desmond ask the court for its trust, saying they reached their conclusions because of training and experience.

At the SBI lab, training is often minimal. In July, a judge in Wilson County forbade analyst Ron Bakis from being qualified as an expert during a murder trial after a defense attorney argued he wasn’t experienced enough. Two days later, the judge also blocked testimony from his supervisor after questioning the supervisor’s knowledge of the case.

Bakis, who has an economics degree and no science background, testified during the July hearing that he is still in training as a firearms examiner, according to a transcript. Bakis told the judge that his training had consisted of studying a manual at his own pace over two years. Visiting a gun manufacturer is part of the training; Bakis said his trip to a manufacturer was scheduled for later.

The accused man was acquitted last month.

When Desmond, 45, testified in 2006, she was a novice examiner. And she had come to the field through a peculiar route.

She had been an accomplished ballerina, so distinguished that she earned a degree at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City in 1986. She traveled the world with a dance company for nearly a decade before heading back to school in 1995 to earn a degree in forensic science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

She worked for a county crime lab before taking a job with the SBI in 2002, according to her résumé.

For two years, she worked under veteran toolmark and firearm examiners at the SBI. In April 2005, she had performed well enough on proficiency exams and moot court evaluations to begin comparing guns and projectiles on her own.

That was little more than a year before she was asked to make sense of a bunch of bullets and casings from Ayden.

Certainty in court

Desmond reported to Pitt County Superior Court twice more in related cases afterJemaul Green’s trial to deliver her analysis about the Ayden shooting. Each time, she spoke with certainty, even as defense counsel tried to bar her from testifying.

Desmond spoke more surely in the witness box than she did in her lab reports.

Desmond had hedged in her lab report on the bullets, saying that the bullets were “consistent” with those fired from a Hi-Point 9 mm Model C handgun. In her report, she advised prosecutors to not rule out any other type of gun should police recover the weapon used that day. A supervisor in the firearms unit signed off on her written reports.

In court, however, Desmond concluded with “absolute certainty” that they were fired from the same kind of gun. Desmond said this month that she meant to say she was absolutely certain that the bullets were consistent with a Hi-Point 9 mm.

To make either determination, Desmond had to conclude that the bullets had the same number of lands and grooves, a series of depressions and flat surfaces created when a bullet is gripped and propelled through a gun’s barrel.

When a bullet is mangled, like the ones found in the Pitt County case, Desmond is forced to measure a single land and groove. She then plugs those measurements into a formula to determine the total number of lands and grooves, according to the SBI manual.

It’s one of the most basic steps in firearms analysis, and it must be done before all others. If the number of lands and grooves on the bullets being compared is different, examiners figure they can’t be fired from the same gun.

It is Desmond’s measurements that befuddle independent analysts asked to evaluate the photographs of the two bullets. She determined the two bullets had the same number of lands and grooves. The independent analysts say the widths of the lands and grooves on the two bullets are starkly different, which would make it impossible to have the same number.

“You don’t even need to measure to see this doesn’t add up,” said Hendrikse, the firearms analyst from Toronto. “It’s so basic to our work. The only benefit I can extend is that she accidentally measured the same bullet twice.”

Desmond said that the other analysts must be confused about where the lands and grooves are on the bullets.

A fight, a child killed

Christopher Foggs had been visiting relatives when a fight broke out between two rival groups of young women.

They fussed and cussed and stepped into the street, inviting their foes to a fight.Jemaul Green dated one of the women, Vonzeil Adams; he said that he had been asked to drive her and several friends to Sixth Street in Ayden, where the other girls loitered.

Soon, the words faded behind a clatter of gunshots. Green said he fired after a slim man hidden in the shadows between two houses shot in his direction. Green returned fire, saying he shot into the air to warn the other shooter that he, too, was armed.

As the shots rang out, Christopher ran from a neighbor’s porch back to his relative’s house. A bullet punched through the front left corner of his chest, piercing his heart before it exited from his upper back.

Christopher’s brother,Taybron Raheem, rushed closer to cradle him as he gasped for air, said District Attorney Clark Everett. Less than 10 minutes later, Raheem stood in Adams’ house, pointing a gun at her and saying she would pay for his brother’s life, according to police reports.

Green is convinced it was Raheem, shooting from the other side of the road, who accidentally shot Christopher during the melee.

Raheem could not be found for comment. Esther Bruce Taft, mother of Christopher and Raheem, denied that her oldest son was even there the day Christopher died.

The jury that convicted Green of second-degree murder never heard about Raheem and his visit to Adams’ house. Superior Court Judge Clifton Everett blocked attempts to introduce evidence that Raheem could have been a second shooter.

Desmond had convinced the judge: Nothing but bullets and casings from a Hi-Point 9 mm Model C had been recovered there.

‘Monkey business’

David Sutton, the Greenville lawyer, often ruffles the feathers of judges and prosecutors. He says he cannot let the matter go.

This spring, at the trial for Adams, Green’s girlfriend, Sutton tried to block Desmond’s testimony. He had flown in an expert from New York ready to testify that Desmond shouldn’t be so certain about the bullets matching because of the fallibility of firearms analysis.

At every turn, Sutton failed. Everett, the judge, called Sutton’s efforts “monkey business.” Judge Everett ordered that Sutton’s expert could not testify before the jury.

Still, Desmond’s analysis bothered Sutton.

“They want you to trust them because they work for the SBI,” said Sutton. “I’ll trust them when I see that the evidence actually shows what they say it does.”

As Adams’ trial wound to an end, Sutton called a colleague: Fred Whitehurst, a Pitt County lawyer who formerly worked at the FBI’s crime lab. Whitehurst had a microscope and a camera at home and promised to bring them to court.

After all the evidence had been submitted, the judge allowed Whitehurst to put his equipment to use. A prosecutor and a court clerk followed Whitehurst into a private room and watched him set up his microscope.

Whitehurst took a look, shook his head, then looked again.

“It didn’t take a lot of analysis to see there was something really off here,” Whitehurst said.

Sutton filed a motion asking for a mistrial based on the new information. It was denied.

Adams was also sent to prison. Her crime was built on his: aiding and abetting manslaughter. The jury concluded she had lured a killer into Christopher’s path that day.

SBI: No second look

Whitehurst called Richardson at the crime lab in July to alert him of his concerns. Desmond said the SBI declined Whitehurst’s request to analyze the bullets again.

“We said no because we’re confident in our work,” Desmond said.

Sutton asked for permission to send the bullets away for independent testing. District Attorney Clark Everett consented, but the bullets have not yet been sent.

“If there’s a problem and we have another shooter out there, we want to know,” Everett said.

Everett has been here before. The SBI botched a capital case he prosecuted in 2007 against Leslie Lincoln. An analyst in the DNA section swapped the samples from the victim and the suspect and erroneously concluded a bloodstain at the crime scene belonged to the suspect.

Everett lost that case, and he has since tried to maintain his confidence in the work of the SBI.

“Mistakes get made, and we’ll do our best to correct it. I’d hope the SBI would see that, too,” Everett said. “If they don’t, we have a major problem.”

News researcher Brooke Cain and database editor David Raynor contributed to this report.

mandy.locke@newsobserver.com or 919-829-8927

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Respectfully submitted by SilenceDogood2010 this Fourteenth Day of August in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Ten.

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