Al Qaeda Leader Advises Terrorists to Avoid Background Checks and Buy Arms at Gun Shows

Background Checks for Weapons Purchases is a hot button issue.   People on both sides of the issue are passionate about their beliefs.   And everyone seems to have an opinion.   The thing is when an Al Qaeda leader advises his terrorists groupies to buy their firearms at gun shows and avoid the background check, one has to take at least some notice.

Many have bought guns in this country as a means of defense against terrorists.  This is not the main reason people purchase firearms, but it is one of them on a long list.  So it is odd, if not contradictory, when a key terrorist leader advises his acolytes to beat the background check by purchasing firearms at gun shows.  According to a blog article on Daily Kos,  Al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn advised terrorists to buy their guns at gun shows in order to launch the type of attacks that killed so many in Mumbai, India.

According to the article, Gadahn stated,” America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms. You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle, without a background check, and most likely without having to show an identification card. So what are you waiting for?”

Okay, so now you are buying guns at gun shows to fight terrorists who have just been advised to by their weapons at gun shows.  a crazy world, indeed.

I have written various articles about background checks and gun shows, or the lack of them, detailing Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s undercover sting operation at New York gun show, where hidden video uncovered vendors and buyers alike avoiding the mandatory background check.    One such article was entitled, “Undercover Sting Shows No Background Checks at Phoenix Gun Show. ”  That was another undercover sting.

So now here we are, terrorists potentially  buying guns at gun shows because they don’t have to undergo background checks.   A curious world for sure.

Illinois To Deny Workers Comp to Those Who Fail Drug and Alcohol Testing

Illinois has decided to make Workers Compensation benefits more difficult for those  who may be inebriated on the job.  The state has passed the “Presumptive Denial Law.”  Which means if you test positive for drugs or alcohol  you are denied your workers compensation benefits.

Some might find this a bit draconian.  I don’t.     If a worker is inebriated on the job and hurts himself then why, exactly, should he be accorded workers compensation benefit.  As one who, years ago,  was head of marketing for an investigative firm who specialized in workers compensation investigations for the County of Los Angeles and various private corporate entities, there is no end to the scams employees have created in order to gain workers comp benefits.   Being stoned or drunk on the job shouldn’t be among them.

Here is the link to the article I posted on Recruiting Blogs.com

Colorado Employer Fired For Medical Marijuana

Here is a situation where conflicting interests have yet to be resolved.  Certain states have granted rights for its citizens to use medical marijuana.  These same states still allow employers to invoke a zero tolerance drug policy.    So there you have it, the employee who uses marijuana for medical reasons and the employer who will not allow employees to use marijuana, permit or not, in the workforce.

Many states are kicking this one around.  I have reported on this before, and I am sure I will be writing articles about it in the future.  One such article was entitled, “Oregon Protesters Rally Against Drug Test Background Checks.”

In a recent case, a Colorado man was fired for smoking medical marijuana.   The man had worked for Miller/Coors for about seven years.  According tot he article on  the KUSA-TV 9News.com website, the former employee may have a tough time securing unemployment benefits.  The article states the following in terms of benefits allowable for discharged employees who had been ingesting medical marijuana….

“Amendment 20 (the amendment to the Colorado Constitution that allows the use of medical marijuana on the state level) does include language that offers at least some insight here. It reads, in part, “Nothing in this section shall require any employer to accommodate the medical use of marijuana in any work place.”

That section, based upon the ICAO opinion, has now been interpreted by some to indicate that employees will be at risk for termination should they test positive for marijuana while in the workplace, even when it’s not even presumed that they’re under the influence of marijuana at the time of the test.”

There are about 125 thousand people on the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry.  There are dozens of cases where employees have been dismissed for either using medical marijuana on the job or showing up to work with medical marijuana in their systems.  It will be real interesting to see how this plays out.

Job Market Hits a Speed Bump

Just when you think the economy is recovering, we get bad news from the government.   The May Jobs Report was nothing to brag about.   While many employers have recovered from the Recession, jobs are still flagging.  Some say many employers have learned to do more with fewer employers.  Or that they are using automation to increase their bottom lines.

As an employment screening group that conducts background checks for employers around the country, we have been seeing a marked increase in employment.  I suppose that doesn’t apply to every region or every industry.

Anyway…here are some excerpts from the May Jobs Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  For the complete report, here is their link Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Nonfarm payroll employment changed little (+54,000) in May, and the unemployment

rate was essentially unchanged at 9.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported today. Job gains continued in professional and business services, health
care, and mining. Employment levels in other major private-sector industries were
little changed, and local government employment continued to decline.

Household Survey Data

The number of unemployed persons (13.9 million) and the unemployment rate (9.1
percent) were essentially unchanged in May. The labor force, at 153.7 million, was
little changed over the month. (See table A-1.)

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (8.9 percent),
adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (24.2 percent), whites (8.0 percent), blacks
(16.2 percent), and Hispanics (11.9 percent) showed little or no change in May. The
jobless rate for Asians was 7.0 percent, not seasonally adjusted. (See tables A-1,
A-2, and A-3.)

In May, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over)
increased by 361,000 to 6.2 million; their share of unemployment increased to 45.1
percent. (See table A-12.)

The civilian labor force participation rate was 64.2 percent for the fifth
consecutive month. The employment-population ratio remained at 58.4 percent in
May. (See table A-1.)

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred
to as involuntary part-time workers) was essentially unchanged in May at 8.5
million. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut
back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.