Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thought for the Day
What kind of society protects its trees, small owls and insignificant minnows, but murders its children with impunity?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Let's Use Some Common Sense
It's been a while since I listened closely enough to the news to have something really tick me off. However, with the senseless events of Saturday in Tucson, and what has followed in the media and political arena, there's a lot to irritate me.
When did we become a people who started pointing fingers at those we don't like before there are any facts available? When did we start assigning blame and guilt to those who disagree with us? I can't believe this is the United States!
Tonight, I heard the absolutely stupidest thing ever, and another thing right behind it, stepping on its heels. Not only are people building careers on rhetoric which closes the barn door after the horse has galloped off, but they are also suggesting things which make absolutely NO sense whatsoever!
I've heard any number of new laws proposed which would 'prevent this kind of thing' from happening. Hello? Is anyone out there paying attention? We HAVE laws! It is illegal, completely, to shoot another person in cold blood, let alone to shoot nineteen and kill six, no matter who they are! It doesn't matter who the victims are, or who the shooter is, or what problems he has, or what his beliefs are, it's a crime!
So, Republican Peter King's proposal that we pass a law making it a crime to carry a weapon within 1000 ft. of high level officials and judges is ridiculous! Raise your hand if you thing that law would have kept this mentally unstable young man at home on Saturday. Would he have said, "Oh, no, I can't go within a thousand feet of the congresswoman with a gun! Darn!" Not bloody likely.
The thing these people always miss is that a criminal doesn't CARE what the law says. The law is for the law abiding to have recourse AFTER a crime is committed. You and I aren't going to go shooting up politicians, no matter how much we dislike them, and no matter how many guns we own, or how big the magazines are, or how fast the trigger can be pulled. We wouldn't do it if there WEREN'T a law forbidding it.
So Ms McCarthy's proposed law to limit the size of the gun magazine is equally ridiculous. Do you think this shooter would have said, "How am I going to shoot 19 people when I can only have six cartridges in my magazine?" No, of course not! He would simply have taken the same gun he took and shot the same number of people.
And I was totally disgusted when she said that lawmakers who feel the need to arm themselves should perhaps think about another line of work (not an exact quote, but close). Good grief! Even a lawmaker is an American citizen and has the right to keep and bear arms and to defend him or herself against violence directed at them.
Let's take a look at Saturday from another point of view. What if the congresswoman and all of her aides had been armed on Saturday? What if they were all crack shots? How many people would be injured and dead today if they had been capable of defending themselves and the innocents around them? Would that darling little 9-year-old girl have gone home healthy with no more than emotional trauma? Something to think about.
When did we become a people who started pointing fingers at those we don't like before there are any facts available? When did we start assigning blame and guilt to those who disagree with us? I can't believe this is the United States!
Tonight, I heard the absolutely stupidest thing ever, and another thing right behind it, stepping on its heels. Not only are people building careers on rhetoric which closes the barn door after the horse has galloped off, but they are also suggesting things which make absolutely NO sense whatsoever!
I've heard any number of new laws proposed which would 'prevent this kind of thing' from happening. Hello? Is anyone out there paying attention? We HAVE laws! It is illegal, completely, to shoot another person in cold blood, let alone to shoot nineteen and kill six, no matter who they are! It doesn't matter who the victims are, or who the shooter is, or what problems he has, or what his beliefs are, it's a crime!
So, Republican Peter King's proposal that we pass a law making it a crime to carry a weapon within 1000 ft. of high level officials and judges is ridiculous! Raise your hand if you thing that law would have kept this mentally unstable young man at home on Saturday. Would he have said, "Oh, no, I can't go within a thousand feet of the congresswoman with a gun! Darn!" Not bloody likely.
The thing these people always miss is that a criminal doesn't CARE what the law says. The law is for the law abiding to have recourse AFTER a crime is committed. You and I aren't going to go shooting up politicians, no matter how much we dislike them, and no matter how many guns we own, or how big the magazines are, or how fast the trigger can be pulled. We wouldn't do it if there WEREN'T a law forbidding it.
So Ms McCarthy's proposed law to limit the size of the gun magazine is equally ridiculous. Do you think this shooter would have said, "How am I going to shoot 19 people when I can only have six cartridges in my magazine?" No, of course not! He would simply have taken the same gun he took and shot the same number of people.
And I was totally disgusted when she said that lawmakers who feel the need to arm themselves should perhaps think about another line of work (not an exact quote, but close). Good grief! Even a lawmaker is an American citizen and has the right to keep and bear arms and to defend him or herself against violence directed at them.
Let's take a look at Saturday from another point of view. What if the congresswoman and all of her aides had been armed on Saturday? What if they were all crack shots? How many people would be injured and dead today if they had been capable of defending themselves and the innocents around them? Would that darling little 9-year-old girl have gone home healthy with no more than emotional trauma? Something to think about.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
What Are We Entitled To?
My friend and co-author, Brandon Alt, sent an e-mail last week asking that question. It went out to a large group of his friends, and I wish I had saved my answer, but I didn't. In my mind, the only thing God gave us was life, and the opportunity to do something with that gift. We have a country which was founded by people who believed that God granted us the right to choose for ourselves, to be free to choose for ourselves. We have a country preserved by the blood of people who agreed with them. And today we have a country where a small group of people are trying to force on the rest of us their idea of a government. That government does not allow us to choose for ourselves, does not even trust us to choose for ourselves.
In the same week, someone pointed out to me that if people made their own choices, without the government forcing things, that women would not be equal citizens, that civil rights would not have worked, and that other groups, such as the disabled, would be under-employed (whatever that means). I disagree entirely! All of those things came about, not because the government forced them, but because people stood up for themselves.
The government didn't *give* women the vote, they took it. The government didn't *give* the black people, the Indians and others, civil rights, they took them. The government didn't *give* jobs to the blacks, the disabled, and other minorities, or *give* equal pay to women for equal work. They took it. They stood up for themselves, and *then* the government passed amendments to the Constitution or laws which changed the way business was done.
I don't believe government had to pass the laws, because I believe the people standing up for themselves were changing things already. Making amendments to the Constitution - that's a fine way to change our government. It's the way the Constitution is designed to work. Passing laws on top of laws, none of which really changes society or the attitudes of society, is not the most efficient way to work. You can *force* people to do something, but you can't force them to change their attitudes and opinions, and true reform requires a change of attitude and opinion. That is not the same thing as being politically correct.
So, what do you think you are entitled to? For one side of the argument, the side with which I totally agree, see Brandon's Feb. 28 post.
In the same week, someone pointed out to me that if people made their own choices, without the government forcing things, that women would not be equal citizens, that civil rights would not have worked, and that other groups, such as the disabled, would be under-employed (whatever that means). I disagree entirely! All of those things came about, not because the government forced them, but because people stood up for themselves.
The government didn't *give* women the vote, they took it. The government didn't *give* the black people, the Indians and others, civil rights, they took them. The government didn't *give* jobs to the blacks, the disabled, and other minorities, or *give* equal pay to women for equal work. They took it. They stood up for themselves, and *then* the government passed amendments to the Constitution or laws which changed the way business was done.
I don't believe government had to pass the laws, because I believe the people standing up for themselves were changing things already. Making amendments to the Constitution - that's a fine way to change our government. It's the way the Constitution is designed to work. Passing laws on top of laws, none of which really changes society or the attitudes of society, is not the most efficient way to work. You can *force* people to do something, but you can't force them to change their attitudes and opinions, and true reform requires a change of attitude and opinion. That is not the same thing as being politically correct.
So, what do you think you are entitled to? For one side of the argument, the side with which I totally agree, see Brandon's Feb. 28 post.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Muslim Terrorist
Veteran's Day has rolled around again. This year, more than ever before, we've seen the mission of our veterans broaden to include all of their job - to defend the country against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Earlier this year, outside a recruiting station, a home-grown Muslim jihadist gunned down a fine young soldier. In this last week, another home-grown Muslim jihadist and terrorist gunned down over 40 people, 13 of whom died.
Only 60% of Americans, in one of those polls we've become so fond of, think this should be investigated as an act of terror by the US Military. 27% think it should be investigated by civilian authorities as a criminal act. 13% aren't sure. Way to take a stand. I'm in the 60%, and I don't understand how every American isn't. An officer of the US Military has gunned down his fellow soldiers, screaming the Muslim Jihadist favorite words, "Allah Akbar", and this isn't an act of both terror and treason?
When are we going to stop being politically correct? I do not care a fig if this man had a troubled childhood. Most of us do, and we aren't running around killing the soldiers who defend us. I don't care if his co-workers stressed him out. Mine always did, and I didn't shoot them. I don't care if he felt dissed as a Muslim. I get dissed as a Christian. So freakin' what? It's life. Grow up!
No, what I care about is that he killed 13 people and wounded dozens more. One of the 13 he killed was a newlywed who was two months pregnant, so in my mind, he killed 14 people. He was a jihadist, a terrorist, and he performed acts of treason. He needs to be investigated, questioned, tried and then punished. Forget alleged acts. He was caught actually committing the acts in question.
Only 60% of Americans, in one of those polls we've become so fond of, think this should be investigated as an act of terror by the US Military. 27% think it should be investigated by civilian authorities as a criminal act. 13% aren't sure. Way to take a stand. I'm in the 60%, and I don't understand how every American isn't. An officer of the US Military has gunned down his fellow soldiers, screaming the Muslim Jihadist favorite words, "Allah Akbar", and this isn't an act of both terror and treason?
When are we going to stop being politically correct? I do not care a fig if this man had a troubled childhood. Most of us do, and we aren't running around killing the soldiers who defend us. I don't care if his co-workers stressed him out. Mine always did, and I didn't shoot them. I don't care if he felt dissed as a Muslim. I get dissed as a Christian. So freakin' what? It's life. Grow up!
No, what I care about is that he killed 13 people and wounded dozens more. One of the 13 he killed was a newlywed who was two months pregnant, so in my mind, he killed 14 people. He was a jihadist, a terrorist, and he performed acts of treason. He needs to be investigated, questioned, tried and then punished. Forget alleged acts. He was caught actually committing the acts in question.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Copenhagen CO2 Treaty
Yes, folks, negotiations going on to make America pay reparations to the rest of the world, based on the fact that we are causing global warming.
Lord Christopher Monckton, an expert in this area, pointed out today that right now, we have 30 billion tons of CO2 emissions world-wide now, per year. 2 parts per million, makes 15 billion ppm per year.
With me so far?
When you do the math for the predictions for the next 100 years, according to those working on the treaty, we will be looking at 7 trillion tons per year in 100 years. Their math is wrong, but they say that equates to 7 F. degrees warmer. (Lord Monckton showed that the true number would be only 1 F. warmer, and nothing to concern ourselves with, if the globe warms at all.)
In order to reduce that result by 1 trillion tons and 1 degree, the entire world would have to spend 33 years with no electricity, no cars, nothing at all that gives off CO2 emissions. So after 33 years of *no* energy, we reduce 1 of the 7 degrees predicted.
What is wrong with us? Are we so stupid we will take Al Gore's word for anything if he makes enough noise and ignores all opposition? And when did we begin to apologize for everything we've ever accomplished, and feel that we need to pay *reparations* to those who haven't bothered to build the life that they envy? When did we begin to help our enemies dismantle our lives brick by brick?
DO THE MATH!
Lord Christopher Monckton, an expert in this area, pointed out today that right now, we have 30 billion tons of CO2 emissions world-wide now, per year. 2 parts per million, makes 15 billion ppm per year.
With me so far?
When you do the math for the predictions for the next 100 years, according to those working on the treaty, we will be looking at 7 trillion tons per year in 100 years. Their math is wrong, but they say that equates to 7 F. degrees warmer. (Lord Monckton showed that the true number would be only 1 F. warmer, and nothing to concern ourselves with, if the globe warms at all.)
In order to reduce that result by 1 trillion tons and 1 degree, the entire world would have to spend 33 years with no electricity, no cars, nothing at all that gives off CO2 emissions. So after 33 years of *no* energy, we reduce 1 of the 7 degrees predicted.
What is wrong with us? Are we so stupid we will take Al Gore's word for anything if he makes enough noise and ignores all opposition? And when did we begin to apologize for everything we've ever accomplished, and feel that we need to pay *reparations* to those who haven't bothered to build the life that they envy? When did we begin to help our enemies dismantle our lives brick by brick?
DO THE MATH!
Monday, October 19, 2009
My Forehead is Sore
Yes, I've been pounding my head against the wall. I had an ah-ha moment this afternoon during Glenn Beck. I've known for some time that the progressives in Washington were working on more than "health care reform." Otherwise, why would they keep submitting bill after bill that covers so much more than health care?
Today, Glenn talked about the new health studies being done about the health care issues involved in *gun ownership*. What? As near as I can tell, it should be an obvious benefit - less stress if you own one and can defend yourself against both domestic criminals and the government.
It suddenly dawned on me why the "health care reform" is so important to the progressives. If they don't get it, they can't keep pushing us and pushing us on issues like gun ownership, smoking, and other things the government wants and the people don't. The health care bill is an umbrella disguise for Sunstein and other progressives to "nudge" us into the progressive lifestyle we conservatives don't want.
If not so, then why is the original excuse of covering all Americans now down to a bill that still leaves almost 20,000,000 Americans uninsured?
Today, Glenn talked about the new health studies being done about the health care issues involved in *gun ownership*. What? As near as I can tell, it should be an obvious benefit - less stress if you own one and can defend yourself against both domestic criminals and the government.
It suddenly dawned on me why the "health care reform" is so important to the progressives. If they don't get it, they can't keep pushing us and pushing us on issues like gun ownership, smoking, and other things the government wants and the people don't. The health care bill is an umbrella disguise for Sunstein and other progressives to "nudge" us into the progressive lifestyle we conservatives don't want.
If not so, then why is the original excuse of covering all Americans now down to a bill that still leaves almost 20,000,000 Americans uninsured?
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