How often do you think a potential rapist, bank robber, or murderer saunters into a gun store, picks out a semi-automatic pistol, produces identification, pays for the gun, takes a required gun safety course and test, waits 3 to 10 days to receive the gun, and then goes out to commit the crime?
The fact is that the day-to-day already illegal use of guns does not involve legally owned guns. Guns are stolen, or traded back and forth between individuals, gangs, and territories so that they can’t be readily traced back to the criminal.
I do agree that many crimes committed by juveniles involve guns that come out of the homes of parents. But, the proper answer to this issue is that the parent did not exercise proper control of the weapon and the parent deserves some legal repercussions.
How often do you hear of an armed citizen, carrying a concealed weapon with a permit to carry that concealed weapon, committing a crime? Never. On the other hand, how often do you hear about such an individual stopping a crime, aiding law enforcement, or in other ways displaying a positive role in an emergency situation? Frequently.
I know of no single legitimate gun collector in this country who has taken an AK-47 and gone on a shooting and killing spree. But, I do hear, almost every day, about some hood or gang member who used an AK-47 to shoot and kill people. Reasonably, you know that the thug with the AK-47 does not own it legally. So, if you make the possession of an AK-47 illegal, do you think the thug is going to turn his in?
I live near a major highway. I am sure that criminals, armed with guns, travel up and down the highway everyday. You could reasonably expect that one of those guys is going to end up in my yard someday, looking for a telephone, or to steal my car because the one he’s driving broke down; there are many possible scenarios. I have several guns in my house, all loaded and ready to shoot. And, I do shoot them. On a regular basis, I take them to the range and fire them.
In my lifetime, there have been several times when I reached for a gun and was prepared to use it in self defense. Thankfully, I have never had to show a gun and I’ve never had to fire it at someone. But, if I had not been able to talk an ugly situation into a better situation, I was prepared to defend myself.
There are many reasons that legal gun owners have those guns. Some hunt, some shoot for sport in sanctioned gun competitions, some collect like others collect cars or baseball caps, and some keep them close by for defensive purposes. But, we are not the ones to blame for the gang shootings in the streets, the wild kid in a school, or the bank robber. On the other hand…. If you take away our legal guns, those guys will still have their illegal guns.
And, God help the stupid s.o.b. who tries to come and take away my legal guns because, when I shoot, I don’t miss.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
TALKING HEADS AKIN TO RABID DOGS
It's been all but over for days now, ever since the White House flew, round trip and at taxpayer's expense, it's fair-haired Ohio Senate puppet back to Washington in the middle of the night to vote "yes" on the passage of the "stimulus" bill. The only thing left to do in the official enactment of the bill into law was to send it over to the President for him to sign, which he did on Tuesday in Denver.
So, it was all over except the shouting, but the talking heads at all of the major networks just could not help themselves; they continued, ad infinitum, to dissect, analyze, forecast and babble about the pros and cons, just as they had been doing for weeks. It's becoming to be nauseating. But, they're still going at it. Yak, yak, yakkity yak.... Just like bobbing heads in the back window of a beat-up old car.
Hey! What's going on in Afghanistan that Obama, the anti-war President, wants to send another 17,000 troops over there? Would you like to hear something about that? What's going on in Israel these days? IS THERE NO OTHER NEWS?
So, the stock market dropped. We all expected it to drop. Smart money is reacting to the passage of the dumb bill. Get over it; the market will drop more and may, in fact, dip below 7,000 by the end of the week. That could trigger a mass dumping of stock on the market and we could see 6,500 by March 1st.
As expected, the auto makers are going to have major layoffs and there will be some more banking problems and major retailers closing their doors in the immediate future. Because we know that is all going to happen, the bad news may not have as big an impact on the economy as we expect it to; it won't be a shocker to our system. Nevertheless, we Americans are very likely to hang on to our extra $13 a week in tax savings, proving, (in their feeble minds), their prophecy that cash to the citizens is not the answer.
But, why belabor these points? Maybe, if we quit getting reminded every minute that Congress and the President have passed the worst legislation in the history of mankind, we can somehow get past this and move on to what could hopefully be bigger and better things when the $800 billion actually starts to get spent next year sometime. That is, if the Chinese decide not to file a lien on Fort Knox in order to secure their loans, which I doubt they will do. Who wants to own a bunch of empty vaults?
So, it was all over except the shouting, but the talking heads at all of the major networks just could not help themselves; they continued, ad infinitum, to dissect, analyze, forecast and babble about the pros and cons, just as they had been doing for weeks. It's becoming to be nauseating. But, they're still going at it. Yak, yak, yakkity yak.... Just like bobbing heads in the back window of a beat-up old car.
Hey! What's going on in Afghanistan that Obama, the anti-war President, wants to send another 17,000 troops over there? Would you like to hear something about that? What's going on in Israel these days? IS THERE NO OTHER NEWS?
So, the stock market dropped. We all expected it to drop. Smart money is reacting to the passage of the dumb bill. Get over it; the market will drop more and may, in fact, dip below 7,000 by the end of the week. That could trigger a mass dumping of stock on the market and we could see 6,500 by March 1st.
As expected, the auto makers are going to have major layoffs and there will be some more banking problems and major retailers closing their doors in the immediate future. Because we know that is all going to happen, the bad news may not have as big an impact on the economy as we expect it to; it won't be a shocker to our system. Nevertheless, we Americans are very likely to hang on to our extra $13 a week in tax savings, proving, (in their feeble minds), their prophecy that cash to the citizens is not the answer.
But, why belabor these points? Maybe, if we quit getting reminded every minute that Congress and the President have passed the worst legislation in the history of mankind, we can somehow get past this and move on to what could hopefully be bigger and better things when the $800 billion actually starts to get spent next year sometime. That is, if the Chinese decide not to file a lien on Fort Knox in order to secure their loans, which I doubt they will do. Who wants to own a bunch of empty vaults?
Saturday, February 14, 2009
HOW TO PLAY THE CONGRESSIONAL BLAME GAME
SPECIAL POST
This is how Congress thinks: We all know that they did not read their coveted "Stimulus" Bill before they voted for it. By this method, they are protected if the wheels come off, as they surely will. I can hear them now.... "Don't blame ME! It was such a rush to get the Bill passed that I didn't have a chance to read it!"
It's too damned bad...there ARE some good provisions in the Bill and the Republicans had a few good ideas to add, and surely more good ideas would evolve if they had been a little more deliberate. They COULD have enacted the good parts and deliberated on the rest, but they chose to shove it to us.
The plain fact is that Congress has NEVER passed rushed legislation that turned out to be good or to accomplish what it was intended to. Unfortunately, they've used the same excuse over and over again...."It was so urgent, I didn't have a chance to read it before the vote."
This is how Congress thinks: We all know that they did not read their coveted "Stimulus" Bill before they voted for it. By this method, they are protected if the wheels come off, as they surely will. I can hear them now.... "Don't blame ME! It was such a rush to get the Bill passed that I didn't have a chance to read it!"
It's too damned bad...there ARE some good provisions in the Bill and the Republicans had a few good ideas to add, and surely more good ideas would evolve if they had been a little more deliberate. They COULD have enacted the good parts and deliberated on the rest, but they chose to shove it to us.
The plain fact is that Congress has NEVER passed rushed legislation that turned out to be good or to accomplish what it was intended to. Unfortunately, they've used the same excuse over and over again...."It was so urgent, I didn't have a chance to read it before the vote."
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
WE'RE NOT TO BLAME FOR THE PACKAGED DECEIT AND FRAUD OF THE STIMULUS PACKAGE
Would it interest you to know that they included, as part of the "economic stimulus," funding for the new health plan that has not been presented to us or debated in the halls of Congress yet? Check it out. All health information on EVERYBODY in the country will be entered into a national health computerized data base administered by the U.S. Government. Additionally, the new national health plan will require that all health providers check that database before prescribing you anything or diagnosing you with anything. So, the patient died in the operating room because the national computer is down?
And, what if I don't WANT my damned health history in a government operated database?
Would it interest you to know that Mr. Tom Daschle, who was going to be the national health Czar, urged the Senate and the President to include this health provision in the stimulus plan so that we Americans would never have the opportunity to voice our opinions about it, lest the proposal be headed off? That was the reason that the Prez was so hot to trot to get Daschle confirmed.
This is just for openers. Wait until we, the ignorant public, find out what else is in this "economic stimulus" bill, soon to be signed by the Prez.
And, what if I don't WANT my damned health history in a government operated database?
Would it interest you to know that Mr. Tom Daschle, who was going to be the national health Czar, urged the Senate and the President to include this health provision in the stimulus plan so that we Americans would never have the opportunity to voice our opinions about it, lest the proposal be headed off? That was the reason that the Prez was so hot to trot to get Daschle confirmed.
This is just for openers. Wait until we, the ignorant public, find out what else is in this "economic stimulus" bill, soon to be signed by the Prez.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
CONGRESS PLAYS AMERICANS FOR PATSIES
SPECIAL POST
I'm going to say it exactly as I feel it in my heart. The bastards are really sticking it to us, and we are letting them do it. This piece of legislation is absolutely the worst thing to strike this country since 911 or Pearl Harbor; the manner in which this is being accomplished is nothing better than thinly disguised domestic terrorism.
They have totally ignored the will of the people and the advice of the country's best economists. They are blatant opportunists who are using our world-wide economic crisis as a vehicle to pass legislation that will do nothing but line their own pockets and stick it to the taxpayers. They are the worst kind of assholes ever created.
I'm going to say it exactly as I feel it in my heart. The bastards are really sticking it to us, and we are letting them do it. This piece of legislation is absolutely the worst thing to strike this country since 911 or Pearl Harbor; the manner in which this is being accomplished is nothing better than thinly disguised domestic terrorism.
They have totally ignored the will of the people and the advice of the country's best economists. They are blatant opportunists who are using our world-wide economic crisis as a vehicle to pass legislation that will do nothing but line their own pockets and stick it to the taxpayers. They are the worst kind of assholes ever created.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
FOLLOW UP: STIMULUS BILL MORPHS INTO RAW SEWAGE
Special Post
President Obama is "on the muscle." He is practically demanding that the "Economic Stimulus Bill" be passed, and passed immediately. In doing so, he is making it plain that he does not care what a growing number of Americans think about the pork-laden bill, and he doesn't care that the price tag is ballooning, either.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has joined the President by saying that he will not tolerate the new group of 17 Senators who are trying to change the Bill into something that is more responsible to America.
The "Gang of Three," Reid, Pelosi and the President, are now threatening Americans that this Bill had better pass, and pass now, or something BAAAAAD is going to happen.
They want it passed by tonight.
If we Americans are going to let them get away with this, we deserve what we are going to get and we need to bend over on the well-known freeway, pronto. We need to call, email, fax, telegram all of them; get them off their bar stools and let them know what we are thinking: This bill, in its present form, is pure, unadulterated el toro poo poo. We're not arguing the need for some kind of action, but this kind of action and cavalier treatment of we Americans by them is not acceptable. Repeat...NOT acceptable.
President Obama is "on the muscle." He is practically demanding that the "Economic Stimulus Bill" be passed, and passed immediately. In doing so, he is making it plain that he does not care what a growing number of Americans think about the pork-laden bill, and he doesn't care that the price tag is ballooning, either.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has joined the President by saying that he will not tolerate the new group of 17 Senators who are trying to change the Bill into something that is more responsible to America.
The "Gang of Three," Reid, Pelosi and the President, are now threatening Americans that this Bill had better pass, and pass now, or something BAAAAAD is going to happen.
They want it passed by tonight.
If we Americans are going to let them get away with this, we deserve what we are going to get and we need to bend over on the well-known freeway, pronto. We need to call, email, fax, telegram all of them; get them off their bar stools and let them know what we are thinking: This bill, in its present form, is pure, unadulterated el toro poo poo. We're not arguing the need for some kind of action, but this kind of action and cavalier treatment of we Americans by them is not acceptable. Repeat...NOT acceptable.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
PRESIDENTIAL "CRAM DOWN" ANNOUNCED
First of all, I would like to congratulate President Obama and making a statement that too few Presidents have made. It was in regards to the botched nominations of Daschle and what's-her-face. He took full responsibility for the mistakes in the "vetting" process; he didn't duck the fact that the buck did stop at his desk on that one, so that's a point in his favor this morning, as far as I'm concerned.
Standing by his side, ironically, was Tim Geithner, the new Secretary of the Treasury who had his own tax problems and managed to get confirmed. No further comment on this irony.
Obama went on to suggest that the current economic crisis was the fault of the business executives who were busy in their self-serving ways. Well, I certainly would not disagree that they have some culpability in this mess, but the real people responsible are FRAP, (Frankfarter, Reid and Pelosi), and the House Financial Oversight Committee of which Frankfarter is Chairman. Although that is well-established fact, I think the Prez was trying to justify his capping of executive wages at $500,000 for those firms who accept government money.
Right away, FOX News concluded that other major and successful companies will be out there trying to hire away those execs frozen at the $500,000 level. I don't think that will happen. If you were the Chairman or on the Board of a successful corporation that didn't need government handouts to operate, why would you hire some President-CEO of a company that was in financial trouble to replace your own successful President? Actually, I don't disagree with the Prez on this one; I think it sends a good and strong message.
So far in this post, he's batting two for three. But now, however, he steps into real doo doo.
He's been saying, as he's been pushing his economic stimulus package, that he wants Congress to review it and pull out the stuff that's not really "stimulus." Today, however, he reversed himself and told Congress flat out to quit playing games with it and to get it passed by next week. Obviously, he wants it passed in its current $900 billion form, pork and all and including the probability that ACORN will get up to $5 billion of it.
Now, how does THAT grab your buttocks?
Standing by his side, ironically, was Tim Geithner, the new Secretary of the Treasury who had his own tax problems and managed to get confirmed. No further comment on this irony.
Obama went on to suggest that the current economic crisis was the fault of the business executives who were busy in their self-serving ways. Well, I certainly would not disagree that they have some culpability in this mess, but the real people responsible are FRAP, (Frankfarter, Reid and Pelosi), and the House Financial Oversight Committee of which Frankfarter is Chairman. Although that is well-established fact, I think the Prez was trying to justify his capping of executive wages at $500,000 for those firms who accept government money.
Right away, FOX News concluded that other major and successful companies will be out there trying to hire away those execs frozen at the $500,000 level. I don't think that will happen. If you were the Chairman or on the Board of a successful corporation that didn't need government handouts to operate, why would you hire some President-CEO of a company that was in financial trouble to replace your own successful President? Actually, I don't disagree with the Prez on this one; I think it sends a good and strong message.
So far in this post, he's batting two for three. But now, however, he steps into real doo doo.
He's been saying, as he's been pushing his economic stimulus package, that he wants Congress to review it and pull out the stuff that's not really "stimulus." Today, however, he reversed himself and told Congress flat out to quit playing games with it and to get it passed by next week. Obviously, he wants it passed in its current $900 billion form, pork and all and including the probability that ACORN will get up to $5 billion of it.
Now, how does THAT grab your buttocks?
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