SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:34 P.M. ET: 

VALUE OF PERSONAL DEFENSE – FROM BREITBART:   The 28th Annual National Survey of Police Chiefs shows that “76 percent” of respondents believe armed citizens reduce violent crime.  An even higher percentage–nearly 88–stated their conviction that “any vetted citizen” should be able to purchase a gun “for sport or self-defense.”  According to the survey, nearly “87 percent” of police chiefs support national reciprocity of concealed carry permits. National reciprocity would treat concealed carry permits like a driver’s license, making the concealed carry permit of any state valid in every state. This would do away with the headaches law-abiding citizens get by trying to remember which states recognize their permit and which do not. It would also make life easier for patrol officers during a traffic stop by giving them a more unified set of permit rules to remember.  Some common sense from the chiefs.  There should, of course, be impartial studies of the effects of carry permits.  I'll bet they actually reduce crime.

THE NATURE OF OUR ENEMY – FROM AFP:   Muzaffarabad (Pakistan) (AFP) - A Pakistani social media celebrity whose selfies polarised the deeply conservative Muslim country has been murdered by her brother in a suspected honour killing, officials said Saturday, prompting shock and revulsion.  Qandeel Baloch, praised by many of the country's youth for her willingness to break social taboos but condemned by conservatives, was strangled near the city of Multan, police said.  "Qandeel Baloch has been killed, she was strangled to death by her brother. Apparently it was an incident of honour killing," Sultan Azam, senior police officer in Multan, told AFP.  But who are we to question another culture?  Right?  I mean, don't all cultures have validity?  No, they really don't.

THE LEVEL OF THE DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN – FROM THE HILL:   Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Saturday turned her fire on the newly minted GOP presidential ticket, calling Donald Trump and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence “two small, insecure, weak men.”  She said Pence “is famous for trying to control women’s bodies,” and that the two Republicans’ “sexism” is “in line with the party platform.”  Warren’s tweetstorm came just minutes ahead of the scheduled joint appearance where Trump will introduce Pence as his running mate.  Warren is reportedly on the shortlist to be Hillary Clinton's running mate. Warren met with the presumptive Democratic nominee at her DC home Friday amid reports that Clinton is closing in on choosing a running mate.  Real class.  And the Dems accuse Donald Trump of running a crude campaign.

July 16, 2016