Showing posts with label Political Rants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Political Rants. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Stock Market Bargains.
A couple days ago, the stock market closed under 7,000. So, Jen and I bought it. Yup - we know a bargain when we see it. We had been scrimping and saving, and we were able to pony up the $7,000.00 that the entire stock market was worth. Once we finally come out of this pesky recession, we'll be super, uber rich! I'm gonna have me sooooooooo many fur coats it isn't even funny! I'm going to be hosting the greatest party in history! You are all invited, too! *singing to a tune* Rich rich rich rich riiiiich riiiiiich!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
EBR 2.0
Folks,
It looks like the wife and I are about to pick up our second Evyl Black Ryfle. H&H Gun Range hosts an annual gun expo, in which one could buy tickets to test drive a multitude of guns from over a dozen manufacturers. We attended the last one, and had great fun. We set a budget and bought a pre-determined amount of tickets. We split the tickets down the middle and acted like a couple of kids at the fair. Well, in all fairness, I acted like a kid at the fair. My darling wife acted like a man shopping for a car.
Where I ran around looking for the next amazing firearm to try out, my wife was objectively comparing variations of 1911s. When I was down to about three tickets, the S&W M&P15 caught my eye. It was so completely unlike anything I had ever considered shooting before. It was black, had a lot of plastic on it, and was supported by every mall-ninja I'd come across so far. A ticket was not much money, so I decided to give her a whirl. I. Loved. That. Gun. I produced a very tight group with the five shots that I was allowed, the action was smooth and lightning-fast, the trigger was the perfect balance between light and tight, and the user interface of the weapon was intuitive. I had to have one.
After the expo, I told Jen that I wanted one of these new-fangled 'assault weapons' that congress was trying to re-ban for no apparent reason except for appearance. I knew for a fact that she would also appreciate this gun, so I threw in as a boon and a bonus to my sales pitch that she would love it as well. So, several weeks later at the local military surplus, we stretched the family budget to purchase a brand-new Doublestar M4 carbine. This sucker is slicker than the S&W, and we were both in love. It completely clashed with our collection composed of double action revolvers, but that didn't matter. All of our family members were shocked that we would even want such an animal - until they shot it.
Fast forward five months. We have accumulated six Magpul PMags for it, many hundred rounds of ammunition, and I have fashioned a lizard-skin sling for it. No, we haven't done many upgrades to it, but I feel about upgrades to an EBR like I do about tuning jobs for a handgun - they are great, but put it off if there is a threat to further purchases in the balance. At this point, Jenni wants one of her own. She has kicked in the idea of taking the Doublestar as her own, and letting me buy my own replacement for it. I'm not sure what to think about that idea.
On the one hand, I would really really like a .357 Magnum lever-action. On that same hand, I would probably enjoy the lever more and get more use out of than the AR-15. On the other hand, I really love the AR-15, and I could get the lever later. There are a jillion of them out there, and they aren't specifically named in the new AWB. Granted, they do hold more than ten in the mag, but I still think they would be easier to get post-ban than an EBR - worst case scenario.
Anyhoo, our favorite firearm dealer just got a pallet of S&W's in. These are a combo of 'optics ready' flat-tops with no sights, or flat-tops with an a-frame front and a flip-down rear. We would naturally lean toward the sightless model to add our own sights after purchase. This gun is under the $1,100-mark. Half a year ago, I would have balked at such a price. At this point in time, it sounds like a bargain! Honestly, I don't see us not doing this. Much like my shotgun post, you can expect an EBR post that will feature both Evyl Black Ryfles after we make our purchase.
This will have to wait until I'm cleared from jury duty. I have to show up tomorrow morning for screening, or interviewing, or whatever the F they call it. I hope that it doesn't take any more than the week, and I hope that my wonderful, dear employer chooses to pay me in the interim. I don't believe that they are required to do so, and they haven't said whether or not they will. We shall see. That will determine the time frame on the purchase. If it were not for the impending jury duty, we would have bought the new rifle on Friday. As it is, we will have to see what happens before we make a move.
I still want a .357 lever-action carbine, but it will have to wait for just a little while longer. What does it say about me, anyhow, that I would rather have at my personal disposal wood-gripped double-action revolvers, a pump-action shotgun, and a lever-action carbine than a semi-automatic pistol, a semi-automatic tactical shotgun, and a black rifle? Heck, I'm getting to the point that I'd rather have a proven, 12-gauge pump and plenty of buckshot over a submachine gun, even if it weren't near impossible to get such an animal! Frankly, I can put more lead on target with my 12 than the average bear can with the sub in a given amount of time!
On that note, I will wrap it up. It's about time for me to turn off Pandora, finish my whiskey, blow kisses to both of you, and head to bed. I've got to fulfill my civil duty to Oklahoma County in the morning (wish me luck in all ways) and it's not getting any earlier.
Update
It looks like the wife and I are about to pick up our second Evyl Black Ryfle. H&H Gun Range hosts an annual gun expo, in which one could buy tickets to test drive a multitude of guns from over a dozen manufacturers. We attended the last one, and had great fun. We set a budget and bought a pre-determined amount of tickets. We split the tickets down the middle and acted like a couple of kids at the fair. Well, in all fairness, I acted like a kid at the fair. My darling wife acted like a man shopping for a car.
Where I ran around looking for the next amazing firearm to try out, my wife was objectively comparing variations of 1911s. When I was down to about three tickets, the S&W M&P15 caught my eye. It was so completely unlike anything I had ever considered shooting before. It was black, had a lot of plastic on it, and was supported by every mall-ninja I'd come across so far. A ticket was not much money, so I decided to give her a whirl. I. Loved. That. Gun. I produced a very tight group with the five shots that I was allowed, the action was smooth and lightning-fast, the trigger was the perfect balance between light and tight, and the user interface of the weapon was intuitive. I had to have one.
After the expo, I told Jen that I wanted one of these new-fangled 'assault weapons' that congress was trying to re-ban for no apparent reason except for appearance. I knew for a fact that she would also appreciate this gun, so I threw in as a boon and a bonus to my sales pitch that she would love it as well. So, several weeks later at the local military surplus, we stretched the family budget to purchase a brand-new Doublestar M4 carbine. This sucker is slicker than the S&W, and we were both in love. It completely clashed with our collection composed of double action revolvers, but that didn't matter. All of our family members were shocked that we would even want such an animal - until they shot it.
Fast forward five months. We have accumulated six Magpul PMags for it, many hundred rounds of ammunition, and I have fashioned a lizard-skin sling for it. No, we haven't done many upgrades to it, but I feel about upgrades to an EBR like I do about tuning jobs for a handgun - they are great, but put it off if there is a threat to further purchases in the balance. At this point, Jenni wants one of her own. She has kicked in the idea of taking the Doublestar as her own, and letting me buy my own replacement for it. I'm not sure what to think about that idea.
On the one hand, I would really really like a .357 Magnum lever-action. On that same hand, I would probably enjoy the lever more and get more use out of than the AR-15. On the other hand, I really love the AR-15, and I could get the lever later. There are a jillion of them out there, and they aren't specifically named in the new AWB. Granted, they do hold more than ten in the mag, but I still think they would be easier to get post-ban than an EBR - worst case scenario.
Anyhoo, our favorite firearm dealer just got a pallet of S&W's in. These are a combo of 'optics ready' flat-tops with no sights, or flat-tops with an a-frame front and a flip-down rear. We would naturally lean toward the sightless model to add our own sights after purchase. This gun is under the $1,100-mark. Half a year ago, I would have balked at such a price. At this point in time, it sounds like a bargain! Honestly, I don't see us not doing this. Much like my shotgun post, you can expect an EBR post that will feature both Evyl Black Ryfles after we make our purchase.
This will have to wait until I'm cleared from jury duty. I have to show up tomorrow morning for screening, or interviewing, or whatever the F they call it. I hope that it doesn't take any more than the week, and I hope that my wonderful, dear employer chooses to pay me in the interim. I don't believe that they are required to do so, and they haven't said whether or not they will. We shall see. That will determine the time frame on the purchase. If it were not for the impending jury duty, we would have bought the new rifle on Friday. As it is, we will have to see what happens before we make a move.
I still want a .357 lever-action carbine, but it will have to wait for just a little while longer. What does it say about me, anyhow, that I would rather have at my personal disposal wood-gripped double-action revolvers, a pump-action shotgun, and a lever-action carbine than a semi-automatic pistol, a semi-automatic tactical shotgun, and a black rifle? Heck, I'm getting to the point that I'd rather have a proven, 12-gauge pump and plenty of buckshot over a submachine gun, even if it weren't near impossible to get such an animal! Frankly, I can put more lead on target with my 12 than the average bear can with the sub in a given amount of time!
On that note, I will wrap it up. It's about time for me to turn off Pandora, finish my whiskey, blow kisses to both of you, and head to bed. I've got to fulfill my civil duty to Oklahoma County in the morning (wish me luck in all ways) and it's not getting any earlier.
Update
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Natural Born Citizen?
My wife sent me this link today. Honestly, I thought this silliness had stopped after our president was sworn in. For those of you that aren't familiar, and don't feel like reading the linked article, this is an ongoing whine-fest from the right-wingers that claim that the Hawaiian birth certificate proving our president was born there is a fake. They refuse to accept the reality that they lost the election fair and square, and they are grasping at straws at this point.
The fact of the matter is that lots of people were born in Hawaii in 1961. As a matter of fact, most people don't know that I was actually born at the same hospital at the same time, while my parents, Bob and Luan were on vacation in 1961. See, here's my Hawaiian birth certificate to prove it:
Hopefully, the conservatives will quit their whining and accept the loss!
The fact of the matter is that lots of people were born in Hawaii in 1961. As a matter of fact, most people don't know that I was actually born at the same hospital at the same time, while my parents, Bob and Luan were on vacation in 1961. See, here's my Hawaiian birth certificate to prove it:
Hopefully, the conservatives will quit their whining and accept the loss!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
The Brady's Twisted View of OK
Link
Below, I have copied the text on their breakdown from the above page, following each section with my rebuttal.
The very term "assault weapon" is deliberately misleading. The fact of the matter is that the reason that military-style semi-autos are as easy to get as hunting rifles or target rifles is simply that they are hunting and plinking rifles! I wouldn't use my AR-15 on another human being if my .357 Mag or my 12-gauge were within reach! The reason you would need 30-round magazines for these things is that it takes that much .223 to put a person down (or a deer, or a pig, or any number of other, non-human, tasty animals). I like my AR-15 because it's FUN TO SHOOT! It's fun to shoot it at paper, at cans, fruit, vegetables, and any number of other targets! Why would you vilify such a thing?
So, if my state did require ballistic fingerprinting (usually done on the brass), and the bad-guy went on a murderous spree with a stolen gun (which statistically they do), then it would help the police trace the gun to the rightful owner of the gun, who had it stolen from them. Many guns to not automatically eject their brass. Why would the bad guy empty the spent brass from his revolver at the murder scene prior to splitting? 'Oh boy! I love the part where we plant extra, convenient evidence! Hyuck, huck!' No.
Ballistic fingerprinting is one of those things that sounds like a great idea on the first thought. It doesn't take much creativity to tear apart its usefulness.
I've got a couple of points to make here. Firstly, kids are smart, and they get into stuff. No amount of locking up, hiding, dismantling, burying, and/or use of secret passages and bank-vault quality locks is going to keep them out of stuff that they are curious about. You know what will? Education. Parenting. Our son knows exactly where the guns are. He knows exactly where the ammunition is. He also knows exactly what the combination of those will do, because he has seen .223, 9mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .45 ACP, 20-Gauge, and 12-Gauge rip through hard squash like an egg without a shell. He has shot most of those (with help from Dad, of course) and he has some understanding of the power. He doesn't really want any of that. Beyond that, we know exactly where he is at all times. He doesn't feel like we are looming over him, ready to slap his hand or anything like that, but there is some accountability there.
Secondly, I'd like the Brady's to tell that to the D. A. I'm pretty sure that if this went to court, they could easily get the parents/grandparents - whoever - on negligence. It's a common-sense issue. There doesn't need to be a specific law about it. A jury of twelve Okies would find them guilty of negligence if the evidence was there. We're a pretty smart community, and we don't need nanny laws, thank you very much!
I call B. S. on this one. I have never bought a new handgun, and not gotten a lock with it. When I've asked about it, the seller has told me that they are required, under state law, to provide one with the purchase. Do your research, Brady's. Now, this may not apply to long-guns, but with your average goose-gun weighing in at seven or eight pounds, in excess of four feet long, explain to me how a young child is going to pick it up and operate it, much less shoot themselves!
And the reason here, folks, is because this is pure, unadulterated, science fiction. The Brady's are watching way too many movies. There are no such guns that recognize their rightful owner and will not operate in the hands of someone 'not authorized'. To use this as criteria for a frowny list like this is absurd. It would be like me saying that your car isn't safe because it isn't equipped with a force-field generator, or an anti-grav cabin. Besides that, if there were such guns, I wouldn't want them anyway. That would be a pain in the ass when I took friends to the range and wanted them to try out my Zaygon STX Firedragon rifle chambered in .657 Doom! (Hey, if we're being dramatic about this, I may as well run with it, right?)
Damned straight! Should one be required to buy a license from a slow-moving government in order to get personal/home protection? Not just no, but HELL NO! Do some guns slip through the cracks? Undoubtedly. Would exterminating the existence of such devices squelch crime to some degree? It's possible, but I doubt it. If it weren't for guns, these people would be going after our swords and spears, if those didn't exist, they would be trying to take our clubs and rocks. The bottom line is that these people want to DISARM us. They want the GOOD people to be defenseless. Licensure for gun purchasing disarms the victims. Period. If nobody could legally get guns, could the criminals still get them? No question.
The bottom line to my ranting here is this: Which is better, that nobody be armed, or that everybody be armed? I would say everyone, but I can see how some would say that it's a toss. If you make it illegal to get guns, will the good guys have guns? Will the bad guys? So, if letting the law-abiding, generally good citizens arm themselves means that some criminals, with bad intent will also arm themselves, I say so be it. At least we have means to defend ourselves against them. They are going to get them anyway. Why is it that the anti-gunners are also the people who use this same argument about passing out condoms in schools? That's pretty screwed up right there.
In our sue-happy society, we can sue McDonald's if the coffee is too hot. We can sue an airline if we survived the crash with a bloody nose. When are we going to stand up for responsibility where it belongs? The mentality of the above point is what has led Ruger to put ugly warnings all over their guns, and led Smith & Wesson to put the so-called 'Hillary hole' on theirs. This has got to stop somewhere! Look, the bad guys are bad. The good guys are good. The good guys sometimes do bad things and should be reprimanded for it. The bad guys sometimes come around, and we should show them a little mercy and grace. That's really not so complicated. If you come to my house, and you go to ring the doorbell, but it shocks you and you are emotionally damaged because of it, tough! If you are walking down the sidewalk in front of my house, and the emergency brake fails at that very moment, and the car rolls over you and you die, I'm very sorry. That's quite unfortunate, and I'll probably have some kind words for your family. If you were at my house and some crazed maniac attacked us all with a chainsaw and diced us up, would somebody sue Briggs & Stratton? I sure as hell hope not! Cook the bad guy, for Pete's sake, but the maker of the equipment cannot be held liable for how it is used! Period! Granted, if someone made a product that was truly defective, then they ought to be held accountable. But, RG is out of business, and there are no more Saturday Night Specials that are being sold today. Any gun available on the market is probably safe enough for its purpose. My personal preferences may run a scosche higher than some, but that's not saying that the lesser guns on the modern market are not worthy of shooting.
This point is so very misleading, since it's actually more than one point, some true and good, and others complete lies. The original question is a direct mis-truth. Background checks are required at gun shows, and the 'gun show loophole' is nothing more than a myth that suits the agenda.
They cite a 'Brady criminal background check'. What is required and practiced is an Insta-Check criminal background check. If someone is caught dealing guns without an FFL or running background checks, it is a felony. Sarah Brady, have you ever been pounded by Bubba? F E L O N Y. To cite their background check is like me saying that your driver's license isn't really valid since you didn't get an Evyl Robot Michael Driver's License. Who gives a crap, right? How can I proclaim myself the highest authority in the land, and how can the Brady's, for that matter?
Then, they talk about 'no records kept' on gun sales. That sounds like registration - which sounds like a good thing, but I'll get to that soon...
False. Employers are required only to let employees leave their guns in their car in the parking lot. They are not, by any stretch of definition, required to let unwanted arms into the workplace. Say I have to drive through the ghetto, and there's a high likelihood that I could get car-jacked at a red light on my way to work. So, I arm myself, and if someone shatters the window and puts a gun to my head, I grab the attacker's gun with my left hand, pull my own gun with my right hand, and introduce the bastard to his maker. If my boss can tell me that I can't have a gun at work at all, what am I supposed to do? I can't take it into work with me. I can't leave it in the car. What am I supposed to do? What The Brady Bunch is arguing is that I should not have any rights as an individual, and that the company that I work for should completely dictate my safety, at and away from the workplace. That sucks.
They got this one right. One of the biggest problems with gun laws in the Great State of Oklahoma is the fact that there are not laws protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens to have guns on school campus. This is a flaw in the system, as it makes us vulnerable to Virginia Tech-style attacks. If I was in a classroom environment, and someone burst in and started shooting, I would shoot him. I didn't say that I would try to shoot him, I said that I would shoot him. If I was forced to be defenseless, I would not have the option. I would probably have to pretend to be dead and hope for the best. I would never forgive myself either. I hope we can get rid of the School Massacre Bait Laws, to give our talented, ambitious youth a chance to live. I don't think I should have to disarm to walk into the elementary school to get my son in the afternoon. I don't think that a college student should be forced to be defenseless. I believe that every teacher and professor should be well-armed and trained even better. If I owned my own private school, it would be a requirement.
To the Brady's: Prove it. Show me a situation where Junior bought a gun from the creepy old man down the street. Provide a reference that has ever happened in the State of Oklahoma, in which this has occurred and not resulted in Dad kicking creepy old man's creepy old butt. Because, I'm telling you now that some things don't need to be legislated, and this is one of them. Should we pass a law that makes it illegal for you to feed your kids only candy? No, because it's a self-correcting problem. Should we pass a law that says that you have to inflate an inter tube to play with it at the lake? No, because it's common sense. The point is moot. There are no laws saying that you can't serve raw, rotten meat to guests, even though it could result in someone being harmed. If I tried that, the injury would be mine, as one of my guests would surely be insulted.
So? I'm serious. What's the point? '...can fire 30, 50 or even 75 rounds of ammunition without reloading.' Say it ain't so! Oh, my gosh! To fire so many rounds without so much as reloading is... ...well... ...it's... ...what is it? Honestly, I'm not sure what they're getting at here. We could all switch to single-shots, but that would be a pain in the butt. It's fun and convenient to shoot 30, 50, or even 75 rounds without reloading. For that matter, I wouldn't mind getting one of those 100-round drums for my AR-15. If they weren't so expensive, I would so get one of those for plinking. I don't necessarily want to shoot 100-rounds all at once, but to not have to worry about loading another mag, or even changing it for a range session, would be great. For defensive purposes, I'm thinking that five shots at a time is about minimum between reloads, and thirty is about the maximum that I would want to manage in one string. This again comes down to, why is a hi-cap mag a bad thing? Because you say so? What makes you the authority?
I think it's funny on this list how they keep recycling their points. Refer to the 'Gun Dealer Regulations' section above, because this is just a restatement of that to try to add a little glimpse-meat to their point here, since they lack any real argument for their agenda. Purchasing licensure is a pro-rape mantra to make sure that the victims stay victims and the criminals stay more powerful than them.
First, I will refer back to my point that some guns will slip through the cracks and wind up in the wrong hands - you can't regulate that out of reality. My second point will be, why should I be limited on the hardware that I'm allowed to buy? I don't believe that it is any business of the government's what I buy, or how much of it I buy. I don't think that felons should be allowed to legally arm themselves, but that is about where I believe 'common sense' gun legislation ends.
Mostly true, and proud of it. The age limit is actually 21, not 23. Explain how this could possibly be a bad thing. We don't work for them, and they aren't there to babysit us. They work for us. The police are there to serve and protect. Have you ever heard the phrase used? Did you ever wonder what it means, Sarah Brady? With rare exception, if you can legally buy a handgun, you shall get the license to carry it, loaded and concealed, if you will only jump through the hoops - guaranteed. The only reason that you could not legally buy a handgun is if you are a criminal. Therefore, if you aren't a criminal, and you have jumped through the hoops, you get the license.
This point is kind of a permutation of the 'BALLISTIC FINGERPRINTING' and 'CHILDPROOF HANDGUNS'. Like I said, they tend to recycle some points in this thing, true or false, to support their otherwise unfounded argument. This proposition would easily triple the price of firearms. A law like this would not be about helping to solve crimes. Rather, it would serve to make sure that low-income households could not afford defense. The idea of putting an extra zero at the end of the price tag of every firearm is not about crime prevention so much as it is about racism and bigotry. It is specifically targeted at low-income families to prevent them from protecting themselves, to assure that they can become victims of criminal violence. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Those Brady's are a bunch of stand up people, aren't they?
The gun laws in Illinois are not so obstructive to free citizens, but the City of Chicago has hideous, draconian gun laws that in turn produce one of the higher concentrations of crime on the continent. Tell me I'm wrong. That is what the Brady campaign is proposing here. I know that my hometown will put a citation for a code violation on my front door when I've pulled a wheel off the car in the driveway to take it to the tire shop to have the tire changed. I don't really want them in the business of my gun ownership status. No.
This, friends, is yet another recycled point, wrapped in a mis-truth. As I previously stated, there is no gun registry in The State of Oklahoma. Does that mean that gun purchases are completely hidden from law enforcement? No. Investigators may look into the records that FFL holders are required to keep, for the purpose of an investigation, with a court-issued warrant. I think that's fair enough. Gun registry sounds like a good thing at first. I'm sure it sounded like a good thing to the Jews when the Nazis put it into effect in Germany too. I'm really not going to go any further with this point. If you need further clarification as to why gun registry is a bad thing, please request it in my comment section. If you wish to remain anonymous, please say so in your comment, and I will not release your comment from moderation.
You would think that they would at least put a contrasting point between copied points. But, this one proves that common sense is not working with the Brady's. Alright, I'll take a stab at their recycled point. "Oooooh, it makes it harder for laaaaaw enforcement, since they have to figure out stuff." I'm sorry, but the cops shouldn't know everything about me. Earlier, I made the point that they work for us, we do not work for them. I would not let my employees watch me make love to my wife, and similarly it is not the PD's business how many and/or what type of weapons I have at my disposal until I do something stupid with them.
I wanted to say that this is not correct, but I honestly can't back that up. I was under the impression that we must report lost or stolen guns within 72-hours, but I can't find a reference on that. If I find anything else, I will post it as an update.
The State Attorney General is not necessarily qualified to establish handgun safety standards. Beyond that, none of the information in this point is anything that I have not previously addressed in this post already. The Brady Campaign could cut out their repeats and condense this sucker by half at least!
The mention of snub-nosed handguns is a red herring here. I'm sorry, but it's hard not to love a snubby once you get to know them. Prior to that, I've already made my point that 'junk' handgun laws are racist and elitist. They are intended to keep low-income households at the bottom of the totem pole. Period.
When a young lady is forced to the ground in a dark alley by a man with a knife, wearing a mask and no pants, and he pulls up her skirt; when she shoots him dead with her concealed handgun, how is that 'bypassing our entire justice system'? Why is is necessary for her to go ahead and take the rape, and possibly the subsequent murder, so that the perp can hopefully be arrested by an officer, prosecuted, tried before a judge and jury (oddly omitted by the Brady's), to then be led to the executioner? You know, I don't see any problem with her taking care of the situation right then and there. I have no objection to someone taking on their own destiny, and doing serious bodily harm to someone who is maliciously attempting serious bodily harm to them. Is that wrong of me?
They very conveniently threw in the word 'all'. The spirit of the law is this: That you may not transfer ownership of a firearm to someone that you do not know has a clean background. Does Grandpa have to run a background check on me to legally give me his mom's shotgun? No, and that is going to have to be another post, I didn't really pull the example out of thin air. Now, the guys at the gun range know me, but do they know me? They have to run the background check every time. It doesn't matter that they know who we are, that they have met our families and friends, that they know full well that we have valid CCW permits and that they have cleared background checks on us for prior purchases. They MUST run that background check again. Period. So, if I'm going to sell you a gun, personally, face-to-face, it would do me well to make darn tooting sure that you are eligible to own a firearm, or I could be convicted of a straw purchase. Go ahead and hit the link - It refutes a bunch of the Brady points, and shows exactly how petty these people are.
Once again, I'm going to call B. S. and ask for evidence on this one. All the waiting period does is make people anxious to get the new gun that they are so excited about. Then, they get frustrated and want to shoot a Brady - or so I've heard. We don't have a waiting period here, so I wouldn't know about that. (I'm so sorry, Instinct. My heart goes out to you. At least they can't keep you separated from your new shotgun forever.)
Italicized commentary edited in by yours truly, as if you couldn't tell.
What a bunch of crap heads! I'm out.
Below, I have copied the text on their breakdown from the above page, following each section with my rebuttal.
ASSAULT WEAPONS
Are there limitations on assault weapons? No
Oklahoma - No state restriction on the sale or possession of military-style semiautomatic assault weapons. Assault weapons are as easy to buy as hunting rifles. Congress and President Bush allowed the federal assault weapons ban to sunset in 2004. See also: Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines
The very term "assault weapon" is deliberately misleading. The fact of the matter is that the reason that military-style semi-autos are as easy to get as hunting rifles or target rifles is simply that they are hunting and plinking rifles! I wouldn't use my AR-15 on another human being if my .357 Mag or my 12-gauge were within reach! The reason you would need 30-round magazines for these things is that it takes that much .223 to put a person down (or a deer, or a pig, or any number of other, non-human, tasty animals). I like my AR-15 because it's FUN TO SHOOT! It's fun to shoot it at paper, at cans, fruit, vegetables, and any number of other targets! Why would you vilify such a thing?
BALLISTIC FINGERPRINTING
Must handguns be ballistic fingerprinted prior to sale? No
No state requirement that gun dealers or manufacturers provide police with sample bullets/cartridges or digital images of bullets/cartridges prior to the sale of a handgun, �ballistic fingerprinting,� which would assist police in tracing bullets at crime scenes to the guns that fired them.
So, if my state did require ballistic fingerprinting (usually done on the brass), and the bad-guy went on a murderous spree with a stolen gun (which statistically they do), then it would help the police trace the gun to the rightful owner of the gun, who had it stolen from them. Many guns to not automatically eject their brass. Why would the bad guy empty the spent brass from his revolver at the murder scene prior to splitting? 'Oh boy! I love the part where we plant extra, convenient evidence! Hyuck, huck!' No.
Ballistic fingerprinting is one of those things that sounds like a great idea on the first thought. It doesn't take much creativity to tear apart its usefulness.
CHILD ACCESS PREVENTION - CAP
Are gun owners held accountable for leaving guns accessible to kids? No
No state requirement that gun owners take responsible steps to prevent children from gaining easy access to their firearms. Gun owners are not held accountable for leaving loaded guns around kids, even if a young child shoots themselves or someone else with a gun left in plain sight.
I've got a couple of points to make here. Firstly, kids are smart, and they get into stuff. No amount of locking up, hiding, dismantling, burying, and/or use of secret passages and bank-vault quality locks is going to keep them out of stuff that they are curious about. You know what will? Education. Parenting. Our son knows exactly where the guns are. He knows exactly where the ammunition is. He also knows exactly what the combination of those will do, because he has seen .223, 9mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .45 ACP, 20-Gauge, and 12-Gauge rip through hard squash like an egg without a shell. He has shot most of those (with help from Dad, of course) and he has some understanding of the power. He doesn't really want any of that. Beyond that, we know exactly where he is at all times. He doesn't feel like we are looming over him, ready to slap his hand or anything like that, but there is some accountability there.
Secondly, I'd like the Brady's to tell that to the D. A. I'm pretty sure that if this went to court, they could easily get the parents/grandparents - whoever - on negligence. It's a common-sense issue. There doesn't need to be a specific law about it. A jury of twelve Okies would find them guilty of negligence if the evidence was there. We're a pretty smart community, and we don't need nanny laws, thank you very much!
CHILD-SAFETY LOCKS
Must locking devices be sold with guns? No
No state requirement that guns be sold with child-safety locks that could prevent a tragic accident. Child-safety locks cost as little as $10 and could save lives if sold with firearms.
I call B. S. on this one. I have never bought a new handgun, and not gotten a lock with it. When I've asked about it, the seller has told me that they are required, under state law, to provide one with the purchase. Do your research, Brady's. Now, this may not apply to long-guns, but with your average goose-gun weighing in at seven or eight pounds, in excess of four feet long, explain to me how a young child is going to pick it up and operate it, much less shoot themselves!
CHILDPROOF HANDGUNS
Are only authorized users able to operate handguns? No
Oklahoma - There is no state law mandating that all new handguns be sold with 'personalized' handgun technology that would only allow the authorized user to operate the firearm. Childproof handguns play an important role in helping to prevent unintentional shootings among children and to deter suicides among minors.
And the reason here, folks, is because this is pure, unadulterated, science fiction. The Brady's are watching way too many movies. There are no such guns that recognize their rightful owner and will not operate in the hands of someone 'not authorized'. To use this as criteria for a frowny list like this is absurd. It would be like me saying that your car isn't safe because it isn't equipped with a force-field generator, or an anti-grav cabin. Besides that, if there were such guns, I wouldn't want them anyway. That would be a pain in the ass when I took friends to the range and wanted them to try out my Zaygon STX Firedragon rifle chambered in .657 Doom! (Hey, if we're being dramatic about this, I may as well run with it, right?)
GUN DEALER REGULATIONS
Must gun dealers adhere to state licensing and/or oversight systems? No
Oklahoma - No state licensing and/or oversight systems are required. Having no licensing and/or oversight system at the state level makes cracking down on rogue gun dealers extremely difficult. Requiring that gun dealers adhere to specific measures and holding them accountable for their actions and inventory will reduce illegal gun trafficking and help prevent criminals and other dangerous people from easily obtaining guns.
Damned straight! Should one be required to buy a license from a slow-moving government in order to get personal/home protection? Not just no, but HELL NO! Do some guns slip through the cracks? Undoubtedly. Would exterminating the existence of such devices squelch crime to some degree? It's possible, but I doubt it. If it weren't for guns, these people would be going after our swords and spears, if those didn't exist, they would be trying to take our clubs and rocks. The bottom line is that these people want to DISARM us. They want the GOOD people to be defenseless. Licensure for gun purchasing disarms the victims. Period. If nobody could legally get guns, could the criminals still get them? No question.
The bottom line to my ranting here is this: Which is better, that nobody be armed, or that everybody be armed? I would say everyone, but I can see how some would say that it's a toss. If you make it illegal to get guns, will the good guys have guns? Will the bad guys? So, if letting the law-abiding, generally good citizens arm themselves means that some criminals, with bad intent will also arm themselves, I say so be it. At least we have means to defend ourselves against them. They are going to get them anyway. Why is it that the anti-gunners are also the people who use this same argument about passing out condoms in schools? That's pretty screwed up right there.
GUN MANUFACTURER ACCOUNTABILITY
Do cities have authority to hold gun makers legally liable? No
State law forbids city and county governments from taking any legal action to hold gun manufacturers accountable, even when they act irresponsibly in the way they design, market or distribute weapons. No other industry enjoys such special immunity for irresponsible conduct.
In our sue-happy society, we can sue McDonald's if the coffee is too hot. We can sue an airline if we survived the crash with a bloody nose. When are we going to stand up for responsibility where it belongs? The mentality of the above point is what has led Ruger to put ugly warnings all over their guns, and led Smith & Wesson to put the so-called 'Hillary hole' on theirs. This has got to stop somewhere! Look, the bad guys are bad. The good guys are good. The good guys sometimes do bad things and should be reprimanded for it. The bad guys sometimes come around, and we should show them a little mercy and grace. That's really not so complicated. If you come to my house, and you go to ring the doorbell, but it shocks you and you are emotionally damaged because of it, tough! If you are walking down the sidewalk in front of my house, and the emergency brake fails at that very moment, and the car rolls over you and you die, I'm very sorry. That's quite unfortunate, and I'll probably have some kind words for your family. If you were at my house and some crazed maniac attacked us all with a chainsaw and diced us up, would somebody sue Briggs & Stratton? I sure as hell hope not! Cook the bad guy, for Pete's sake, but the maker of the equipment cannot be held liable for how it is used! Period! Granted, if someone made a product that was truly defective, then they ought to be held accountable. But, RG is out of business, and there are no more Saturday Night Specials that are being sold today. Any gun available on the market is probably safe enough for its purpose. My personal preferences may run a scosche higher than some, but that's not saying that the lesser guns on the modern market are not worthy of shooting.
GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE
Are background checks required at gun shows? No
No state requirement that a Brady criminal background check be done on people buying guns at gun shows if they are sold by "private" individuals or gun "collectors." Gun shows can operate on a "no questions asked, cash-and-carry" basis, making it easy for criminals and even juveniles to buy as many guns as they want at gun shows, including assault weapons. No records are required to be kept on gun show sales by private individuals or gun collectors, making it almost impossible for police to trace such weapons if they are used in a crime.
This point is so very misleading, since it's actually more than one point, some true and good, and others complete lies. The original question is a direct mis-truth. Background checks are required at gun shows, and the 'gun show loophole' is nothing more than a myth that suits the agenda.
They cite a 'Brady criminal background check'. What is required and practiced is an Insta-Check criminal background check. If someone is caught dealing guns without an FFL or running background checks, it is a felony. Sarah Brady, have you ever been pounded by Bubba? F E L O N Y. To cite their background check is like me saying that your driver's license isn't really valid since you didn't get an Evyl Robot Michael Driver's License. Who gives a crap, right? How can I proclaim myself the highest authority in the land, and how can the Brady's, for that matter?
Then, they talk about 'no records kept' on gun sales. That sounds like registration - which sounds like a good thing, but I'll get to that soon...
GUNS AT WORK
Are businesses forced to allow guns in the workplace? Yes
Oklahoma - State law forces employers and businesses to allow guns on their privately held property. This dangerous law seeks to turn companies into criminals if they ban guns on their private property.
False. Employers are required only to let employees leave their guns in their car in the parking lot. They are not, by any stretch of definition, required to let unwanted arms into the workplace. Say I have to drive through the ghetto, and there's a high likelihood that I could get car-jacked at a red light on my way to work. So, I arm myself, and if someone shatters the window and puts a gun to my head, I grab the attacker's gun with my left hand, pull my own gun with my right hand, and introduce the bastard to his maker. If my boss can tell me that I can't have a gun at work at all, what am I supposed to do? I can't take it into work with me. I can't leave it in the car. What am I supposed to do? What The Brady Bunch is arguing is that I should not have any rights as an individual, and that the company that I work for should completely dictate my safety, at and away from the workplace. That sucks.
GUNS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES
Are colleges/universities forced to allow guns on campus? No
Oklahoma - There is no state law forcing colleges/universities to allow guns on campus.
They got this one right. One of the biggest problems with gun laws in the Great State of Oklahoma is the fact that there are not laws protecting the rights of law-abiding citizens to have guns on school campus. This is a flaw in the system, as it makes us vulnerable to Virginia Tech-style attacks. If I was in a classroom environment, and someone burst in and started shooting, I would shoot him. I didn't say that I would try to shoot him, I said that I would shoot him. If I was forced to be defenseless, I would not have the option. I would probably have to pretend to be dead and hope for the best. I would never forgive myself either. I hope we can get rid of the School Massacre Bait Laws, to give our talented, ambitious youth a chance to live. I don't think I should have to disarm to walk into the elementary school to get my son in the afternoon. I don't think that a college student should be forced to be defenseless. I believe that every teacher and professor should be well-armed and trained even better. If I owned my own private school, it would be a requirement.
JUVENILE SALE
Is it illegal to sell handguns to anyone under 21 years of age? No
State law does not restrict selling handguns to juveniles under the age of 21 by unlicensed sellers. Under federal law, only federally licensed dealers are prohibited from selling or delivering handguns or ammunition for handguns to any person under the age of 21. A strong state law is needed to stop unlicensed persons from selling handguns to those under the age of 21.
To the Brady's: Prove it. Show me a situation where Junior bought a gun from the creepy old man down the street. Provide a reference that has ever happened in the State of Oklahoma, in which this has occurred and not resulted in Dad kicking creepy old man's creepy old butt. Because, I'm telling you now that some things don't need to be legislated, and this is one of them. Should we pass a law that makes it illegal for you to feed your kids only candy? No, because it's a self-correcting problem. Should we pass a law that says that you have to inflate an inter tube to play with it at the lake? No, because it's common sense. The point is moot. There are no laws saying that you can't serve raw, rotten meat to guests, even though it could result in someone being harmed. If I tried that, the injury would be mine, as one of my guests would surely be insulted.
LARGE CAPACITY AMMUNITION MAGAZINES
Are there limitations on large capacity ammunition magazines? No
Oklahoma - There is no state law restricting the sale or possession of large capacity ammunition magazines that can fire 30, 50 or even 75 rounds without reloading. Ammunition magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds of ammunition are considered large capacity magazines. These types of ammunition magazines are available for any firearm capable of accepting a detachable magazine, including assault weapons and semi-automatic handguns.
So? I'm serious. What's the point? '...can fire 30, 50 or even 75 rounds of ammunition without reloading.' Say it ain't so! Oh, my gosh! To fire so many rounds without so much as reloading is... ...well... ...it's... ...what is it? Honestly, I'm not sure what they're getting at here. We could all switch to single-shots, but that would be a pain in the butt. It's fun and convenient to shoot 30, 50, or even 75 rounds without reloading. For that matter, I wouldn't mind getting one of those 100-round drums for my AR-15. If they weren't so expensive, I would so get one of those for plinking. I don't necessarily want to shoot 100-rounds all at once, but to not have to worry about loading another mag, or even changing it for a range session, would be great. For defensive purposes, I'm thinking that five shots at a time is about minimum between reloads, and thirty is about the maximum that I would want to manage in one string. This again comes down to, why is a hi-cap mag a bad thing? Because you say so? What makes you the authority?
LICENSE OR PERMIT TO PURCHASE
Is a license/permit required to buy handguns? No
No state requirement that handgun buyers obtain a handgun license or undergo any type of safety training prior to buying a handgun.
I think it's funny on this list how they keep recycling their points. Refer to the 'Gun Dealer Regulations' section above, because this is just a restatement of that to try to add a little glimpse-meat to their point here, since they lack any real argument for their agenda. Purchasing licensure is a pro-rape mantra to make sure that the victims stay victims and the criminals stay more powerful than them.
LIMIT BULK PURCHASES
Is there a one-handgun-per-month limit on sales? No
No state restrictions on gun-trafficking such as a limit on the number of handguns that can be purchased at one time. Gun traffickers can easily buy large quantities of handguns at gun stores and resell them on the street to criminals.
First, I will refer back to my point that some guns will slip through the cracks and wind up in the wrong hands - you can't regulate that out of reality. My second point will be, why should I be limited on the hardware that I'm allowed to buy? I don't believe that it is any business of the government's what I buy, or how much of it I buy. I don't think that felons should be allowed to legally arm themselves, but that is about where I believe 'common sense' gun legislation ends.
LIMITS ON CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMITS
May police limit carrying concealed handguns? No
State law forces police chiefs and state sheriffs to give concealed carry permits (CCW) to anyone 23 years of age or older who can buy a handgun, allowing them to carry loaded, concealed handguns in public (known as �shall issue�). Some safety training in the legal or safe use of weapons is required to obtain the CCW permit. State law allows residents of some other states to carry concealed weapons in this state without informing local police.
Mostly true, and proud of it. The age limit is actually 21, not 23. Explain how this could possibly be a bad thing. We don't work for them, and they aren't there to babysit us. They work for us. The police are there to serve and protect. Have you ever heard the phrase used? Did you ever wonder what it means, Sarah Brady? With rare exception, if you can legally buy a handgun, you shall get the license to carry it, loaded and concealed, if you will only jump through the hoops - guaranteed. The only reason that you could not legally buy a handgun is if you are a criminal. Therefore, if you aren't a criminal, and you have jumped through the hoops, you get the license.
MICROSTAMPING
Must new semi-automatic handguns be sold with microstamping technology? No
Oklahoma - There is no state law requiring new semi-automatic handguns be fitted with microstamping technology, which would engrave on each fired bullet casing microscopic identifying markings that are specific to that firearm alone. This technology would provide law enforcement with another investigative tool to better solve gun crimes and apprehend armed criminals.
This point is kind of a permutation of the 'BALLISTIC FINGERPRINTING' and 'CHILDPROOF HANDGUNS'. Like I said, they tend to recycle some points in this thing, true or false, to support their otherwise unfounded argument. This proposition would easily triple the price of firearms. A law like this would not be about helping to solve crimes. Rather, it would serve to make sure that low-income households could not afford defense. The idea of putting an extra zero at the end of the price tag of every firearm is not about crime prevention so much as it is about racism and bigotry. It is specifically targeted at low-income families to prevent them from protecting themselves, to assure that they can become victims of criminal violence. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Those Brady's are a bunch of stand up people, aren't they?
PREEMPTION - LOCAL GUN LAWS
May municipalities enact law stronger than the state's? No
State law forbids local city or county governments from enacting any local gun laws, even though the state has failed to pass responsible state-wide laws. This preemption of local government authority makes it impossible for cities to enact sensible gun laws to make their citizens safer.
The gun laws in Illinois are not so obstructive to free citizens, but the City of Chicago has hideous, draconian gun laws that in turn produce one of the higher concentrations of crime on the continent. Tell me I'm wrong. That is what the Brady campaign is proposing here. I know that my hometown will put a citation for a code violation on my front door when I've pulled a wheel off the car in the driveway to take it to the tire shop to have the tire changed. I don't really want them in the business of my gun ownership status. No.
RECORD KEEPING
May police maintain gun sale records? No
State law forbids police from keeping any record of gun sales. Police are prohibited from maintaining gun sale records that could be used for gun tracing and criminal investigations. The state has no way of knowing whether people who bought guns in the past have become criminals and are no longer allowed to possess firearms. The lack of gun sale records also makes it very difficult to identify and prosecute gun traffickers or gang members that buy guns in bulk and resell them on the street.
This, friends, is yet another recycled point, wrapped in a mis-truth. As I previously stated, there is no gun registry in The State of Oklahoma. Does that mean that gun purchases are completely hidden from law enforcement? No. Investigators may look into the records that FFL holders are required to keep, for the purpose of an investigation, with a court-issued warrant. I think that's fair enough. Gun registry sounds like a good thing at first. I'm sure it sounded like a good thing to the Jews when the Nazis put it into effect in Germany too. I'm really not going to go any further with this point. If you need further clarification as to why gun registry is a bad thing, please request it in my comment section. If you wish to remain anonymous, please say so in your comment, and I will not release your comment from moderation.
REGISTRATION
Are all guns registered with law enforcement? No
No state requirement that gun owners register their firearms. Police do not know how many guns are in the state or where they are. The lack of registration data makes it more difficult for police to trace guns used in crime, identify illegal gun traffickers or hold gun owners accountable for their weapons. There is no state system to automatically identify and disarm felons and other prohibited people who bought guns legally in the past, but later committed a crime or otherwise became ineligible to keep possession of their firearms.
You would think that they would at least put a contrasting point between copied points. But, this one proves that common sense is not working with the Brady's. Alright, I'll take a stab at their recycled point. "Oooooh, it makes it harder for laaaaaw enforcement, since they have to figure out stuff." I'm sorry, but the cops shouldn't know everything about me. Earlier, I made the point that they work for us, we do not work for them. I would not let my employees watch me make love to my wife, and similarly it is not the PD's business how many and/or what type of weapons I have at my disposal until I do something stupid with them.
REPORT LOST/STOLEN GUNS
Are firearm owners required to report all lost or stolen guns to law enforcement? No
Oklahoma - State law does not require firearm owners to report lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement. This requirement would help to keep illegal guns off the streets by removing the excuse used by gun traffickers that "lose" their firearms.
I wanted to say that this is not correct, but I honestly can't back that up. I was under the impression that we must report lost or stolen guns within 72-hours, but I can't find a reference on that. If I find anything else, I will post it as an update.
SAFETY STANDARDS
Are there consumer safety standards on guns? No
No state requirement that handguns meet any basic safety standards. No requirement that guns be sold with a child-safety lock or a built-in �personalized� lock to prevent unauthorized use. No requirement that handguns have loaded-chamber indicators or magazine safety disconnects that could prevent unintentional shootings. The state Attorney General is not allowed to independently establish handgun safety standards.
The State Attorney General is not necessarily qualified to establish handgun safety standards. Beyond that, none of the information in this point is anything that I have not previously addressed in this post already. The Brady Campaign could cut out their repeats and condense this sucker by half at least!
SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIALS
Are there limitations on 'junk' handguns? No
No state restriction on the sale of Saturday night specials or "junk" handguns. No requirement that handguns meet any safety tests such as a drop-safety test or a firing-performance test. No restriction on the sale of snub-nosed handguns that are very small and easy to conceal.
The mention of snub-nosed handguns is a red herring here. I'm sorry, but it's hard not to love a snubby once you get to know them. Prior to that, I've already made my point that 'junk' handgun laws are racist and elitist. They are intended to keep low-income households at the bottom of the totem pole. Period.
SHOOT FIRST
Is deadly force allowed to be a first resort in public? Yes
Oklahoma - The state does allow the use of deadly force as a first resort in public. This dangerous law permits the average citizen to bypass our entire justice system by permitting him or her to assume the role of police officer, prosecutor, judge, and executioner.
When a young lady is forced to the ground in a dark alley by a man with a knife, wearing a mask and no pants, and he pulls up her skirt; when she shoots him dead with her concealed handgun, how is that 'bypassing our entire justice system'? Why is is necessary for her to go ahead and take the rape, and possibly the subsequent murder, so that the perp can hopefully be arrested by an officer, prosecuted, tried before a judge and jury (oddly omitted by the Brady's), to then be led to the executioner? You know, I don't see any problem with her taking care of the situation right then and there. I have no objection to someone taking on their own destiny, and doing serious bodily harm to someone who is maliciously attempting serious bodily harm to them. Is that wrong of me?
UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS
Are background checks required on all gun sales? No
Oklahoma - No state requirement that criminal background checks be done on all firearm sales. People buying firearms at gun shows, swap meets, or through newspaper or internet advertisements are not subject to a background check. Criminal background checks are only required if the buyer goes to a federally-licensed gun store - all other sales are not subject to the background check.
They very conveniently threw in the word 'all'. The spirit of the law is this: That you may not transfer ownership of a firearm to someone that you do not know has a clean background. Does Grandpa have to run a background check on me to legally give me his mom's shotgun? No, and that is going to have to be another post, I didn't really pull the example out of thin air. Now, the guys at the gun range know me, but do they know me? They have to run the background check every time. It doesn't matter that they know who we are, that they have met our families and friends, that they know full well that we have valid CCW permits and that they have cleared background checks on us for prior purchases. They MUST run that background check again. Period. So, if I'm going to sell you a gun, personally, face-to-face, it would do me well to make darn tooting sure that you are eligible to own a firearm, or I could be convicted of a straw purchase. Go ahead and hit the link - It refutes a bunch of the Brady points, and shows exactly how petty these people are.
WAITING PERIOD
Is there a waiting period on gun sales? No
No state requirement that there be a waiting period for gun sales beyond the "instant check" in federal law. Police are not given any additional time to run a criminal background check to make sure the gun buyer is not prohibited from acquiring firearms. There is no "cooling off" period to help prevent crimes of passion.
Once again, I'm going to call B. S. and ask for evidence on this one. All the waiting period does is make people anxious to get the new gun that they are so excited about. Then, they get frustrated and want to shoot a Brady - or so I've heard. We don't have a waiting period here, so I wouldn't know about that. (I'm so sorry, Instinct. My heart goes out to you. At least they can't keep you separated from your new shotgun forever.)
The gun law summaries provided by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence more like to exaggerate gun violence should not be regarded as explanation of state law because they're more like pre-teen gossip on state law. While we try wink, wink, nudge, nudge to keep this information accurate and it is accurate, yessiree Bob and updated just like the Brady Show is today, this material is provided for general discussion and reference purposes only and for scare tactics to get you to hate freedom and liberty as much as we do.
Italicized commentary edited in by yours truly, as if you couldn't tell.
What a bunch of crap heads! I'm out.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Oklahoma - The Scariest Place to Live!!!
So apparently, Oklahoma is in a three-way tie with Kentucky and Louisiana for dead-last on the Brady list. Yes, their 2008 scorecard clearly prints my beloved state underneath any other with a breathtaking two points to prevent gun violence. And, I've got to tell you folks, that's why everybody always gets shot here. Legal gun owners shoot everyone. Everyday. I've been shot three times already just this morning. When I pee, spent lead falls in the toilet. You out-of-staters ever seen an Okie? We're like swiss-cheese-people. We all have tinnitus from the constant gunfire. These guns are uncontrollable. God bless Sarah Brady and her minions! Someone needs to corral the wild little things. I hope to be safe from myself one day. Until then, I'll just keep dodging bullets and hope that I don't get hit any place vital...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
W - The President - Part IV - Finale
Dear Mr. Former President Bush,
For eight years, you have served us. You expected us to do nothing in return, but you just kept on making the tough choices that only the most decent of people would have to make in your position. Up against opposition both inside and outside of the country that you love - that both of us love - you ignored your critics and only kept making those tough choices. You did a thankless job, and you deserve many thanks for it.
I would salute you, but I have not earned the right. Having never served in the great U. S. military myself, I have not earned the right to salute at all - much less salute one of the finer Commanders-In-Chief that this country has had. I know that many would argue with me on that point, or shake their head and call me simple or worse, but it them that are mistaken. It is they who cannot see the good that you have done for us. If they could get over their own jaded pride, they would thank you too.
When you stood in front of the American People, declared a war on terror, and said that if terrorists were going to attack U. S. soil again, they would have to go through you, I will admit that I was not one of those in the crowd cheering your words. I thought you were crazy for saying that. Others cheered because of the promise, but I was skeptical because of the loftiness of that promise. I didn't see any way that we could possibly mount a successful attack on such a specter as 'terror.' To me, the proposal to hunt down terrorists and those that harbor them sounded much like flailing at smoke. But, you kept your word, and for that I will gladly and humbly admit that I was wrong. Thank you for that.
You successfully pushed to spread Freedom and Liberty to places where it has previously been foreign. You pushed to send medicine and medical research to places were there were no such things previously. You fought to research cures for some of the more resistant and ravaging illnesses that we as humans have faced. The people of the world owe you a debt of gratitude for the humanitarian service you have so freely given. And today, America has allies that were enemies ten years ago.
The lines on your face and the gray in your hair that were not there eight years ago bear witness to how tirelessly you have served us. History will show that you were among the greatest of servants, unshakable in your convictions, with strong faith, and a heart as big as your home state. We have only ever seen you show deep, personal respect to the people around you, whether the press, your staff, members of the armed forces, or random citizens. That's probably the reason you never tired of serving - when you looked at people you saw individuals with their own views, problems, leanings, personalities, and individual life story. Nobody is simply a number to you. You deserve our deepest gratitude for that.
Yesterday evening, your plane flew over my house at about 6:00. At least we assume it was you. I don't know who else would have been flying through the area in a four-engine jet escorted by a handful of Chinooks. It was a bittersweet moment for my family and me. We hate to see you go, but we know that it is time. You have earned your retirement, and you deserve to relax. I hope that you were able to impart some of your wisdom to your successor in the short time that you worked with him prior to handing over the office. I suppose that time will tell.
I have seen others expressing their appreciation for you as well. Some of them have been no surprise at all while others seem the most unlikely to sing your praise, but their words are heartfelt, thoughtful, and relatable. With all of the excitement over the new President, you ought to know that there are those of us out here that appreciate you, and will tip our hat to your leaving office with only the most sincere of reverence.
So, here's to you, Mr. Bush! Rest well and God bless! Keep the faith, and know that you are appreciated. Next time I'm coming through Crawford, I'll bring the beer.
Sincerely,
Evyl Robot Michael
For eight years, you have served us. You expected us to do nothing in return, but you just kept on making the tough choices that only the most decent of people would have to make in your position. Up against opposition both inside and outside of the country that you love - that both of us love - you ignored your critics and only kept making those tough choices. You did a thankless job, and you deserve many thanks for it.
I would salute you, but I have not earned the right. Having never served in the great U. S. military myself, I have not earned the right to salute at all - much less salute one of the finer Commanders-In-Chief that this country has had. I know that many would argue with me on that point, or shake their head and call me simple or worse, but it them that are mistaken. It is they who cannot see the good that you have done for us. If they could get over their own jaded pride, they would thank you too.
When you stood in front of the American People, declared a war on terror, and said that if terrorists were going to attack U. S. soil again, they would have to go through you, I will admit that I was not one of those in the crowd cheering your words. I thought you were crazy for saying that. Others cheered because of the promise, but I was skeptical because of the loftiness of that promise. I didn't see any way that we could possibly mount a successful attack on such a specter as 'terror.' To me, the proposal to hunt down terrorists and those that harbor them sounded much like flailing at smoke. But, you kept your word, and for that I will gladly and humbly admit that I was wrong. Thank you for that.
You successfully pushed to spread Freedom and Liberty to places where it has previously been foreign. You pushed to send medicine and medical research to places were there were no such things previously. You fought to research cures for some of the more resistant and ravaging illnesses that we as humans have faced. The people of the world owe you a debt of gratitude for the humanitarian service you have so freely given. And today, America has allies that were enemies ten years ago.
The lines on your face and the gray in your hair that were not there eight years ago bear witness to how tirelessly you have served us. History will show that you were among the greatest of servants, unshakable in your convictions, with strong faith, and a heart as big as your home state. We have only ever seen you show deep, personal respect to the people around you, whether the press, your staff, members of the armed forces, or random citizens. That's probably the reason you never tired of serving - when you looked at people you saw individuals with their own views, problems, leanings, personalities, and individual life story. Nobody is simply a number to you. You deserve our deepest gratitude for that.
Yesterday evening, your plane flew over my house at about 6:00. At least we assume it was you. I don't know who else would have been flying through the area in a four-engine jet escorted by a handful of Chinooks. It was a bittersweet moment for my family and me. We hate to see you go, but we know that it is time. You have earned your retirement, and you deserve to relax. I hope that you were able to impart some of your wisdom to your successor in the short time that you worked with him prior to handing over the office. I suppose that time will tell.
I have seen others expressing their appreciation for you as well. Some of them have been no surprise at all while others seem the most unlikely to sing your praise, but their words are heartfelt, thoughtful, and relatable. With all of the excitement over the new President, you ought to know that there are those of us out here that appreciate you, and will tip our hat to your leaving office with only the most sincere of reverence.
So, here's to you, Mr. Bush! Rest well and God bless! Keep the faith, and know that you are appreciated. Next time I'm coming through Crawford, I'll bring the beer.
Sincerely,
Evyl Robot Michael
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
NRA
I have suggested that everyone who is not opposed join the NRA. This is something that I had not done, and I felt that it was about time I start practicing what I've been preaching. So, last night, I called the NRA and got three lifetime memberships - one for Jenni, one for my son, and one for myself. They have an easy plan to pay for such an arrangement. If you get the lifetime membership, they will allow you to pay it out at $25.00 per month, interest free, until you have paid the balance. This membership has been $1,000.00 per membership, but recently they have been running some very attractive specials to sweeten the deal for people who have wanted to join, but just have not yet. Now that I have room to talk, you should go join now. All it takes is one simple phone call. They have 1-year memberships, 3-year memberships, and other options beyond that. This organization works very hard to keep people educated about the safe and responsible use of firearms. Just as importantly, this organization works very hard to keep legislation in check, to make sure those 'common sense' measures truly don't infringe on our Second Amendment Rights. Even if you do not own any firearms, even if you don't intend to ever own any firearms, they need your support. Once our rights start getting stepped on, it won't be long before we go down the slippery slope and lose our Freedom and Liberty. Now it is more important than ever for us to make a stand and claim our individual rights and freedoms.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Obama Christmas Song
Come they told me, Barack Obama
A brand new candidate, Barack Obama
Our hope and change we bring, Barack Obama
To elect him the king, Barack Obama
Barack Obama, Barack Obama
Some socialism Barack Obama
When he comes.
Little candidate, Barack Obama
I am middle-class, Barack Obama
I want government out of my way, Barack Obama
I cling to religion, Barack Obama
Barack Obama, Barack Obama
Shall I make you nervous, Barack Obama,
With my gun?
The NRA nodded, Barack Obama
I set my targets up, Barack Obama
I shot my gun for Him, Barack Obama
I shot my best for Him, Barack Obama,
Barack Obama, Barack Obama,
Then He sneered at me, Barack Obama,
Me and my gun.
A brand new candidate, Barack Obama
Our hope and change we bring, Barack Obama
To elect him the king, Barack Obama
Barack Obama, Barack Obama
Some socialism Barack Obama
When he comes.
Little candidate, Barack Obama
I am middle-class, Barack Obama
I want government out of my way, Barack Obama
I cling to religion, Barack Obama
Barack Obama, Barack Obama
Shall I make you nervous, Barack Obama,
With my gun?
The NRA nodded, Barack Obama
I set my targets up, Barack Obama
I shot my gun for Him, Barack Obama
I shot my best for Him, Barack Obama,
Barack Obama, Barack Obama,
Then He sneered at me, Barack Obama,
Me and my gun.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
AWB 2009
The Libocrats will defend Mr. Obama against the Conservatives' fears of the proposed Assault Weapons Ban, saying that every time a Democrat takes office, we get scared that guns will be taken away. I would say that it is a well-founded fear, as this is exactly what happened the last time we had a Democrat in the White House, and it is part of Obama's Agenda of Change. The reason the '94 ban was allowed to expire in 2004 is that it very simply did not do any good.
So, the question is WHY? Why does Mr. Obama want to take steps towards further disarming The People? The actual text on Obama's website reads:
This is the way I read it:
If I sound nutty, please try to keep an open mind and humor me for just a moment - even if you will leave my blog shaking your head at what a wack-job I am. If you followed my links, and/or did a little Googling on your own, or know a little history from the last two decades, you will see that the AWB whose duration was from 1994-2004 had NO positive effect on crime rates. This is why it was allowed to expire ten years after its inception. This history teaches us that the law was useless to its purpose of reducing violent crime.
Mr. Obama is not stupid, nor is Mr. Biden. They are smart enough men to know that the previous law did nothing towards its stated purpose. Why then, would they want to push for a permanent version of the same law? It is obviously not for the reasons stated, therefore it has to be for other reasons. What are those reasons? That's the million-dollar question. What hidden agenda do the newly elected have in mind that is supported by the 2008 Assault Weapons Ban?
Any answer to that question explains exactly what the Conservatives are so afraid of.
So, the question is WHY? Why does Mr. Obama want to take steps towards further disarming The People? The actual text on Obama's website reads:
Address Gun Violence in Cities: Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent.
This is the way I read it:
Address GunGenerate Escalated Violence in Cities: Obama and Biden would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, in purcuit of their totalitarianistic goals, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information for the purpose of individual privacy, as well as the protection of law enforcement agencies, and give police officers across the nation thetoolsGestapo strong-arm tactics they need in the guise to allegedly solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade, but in effect, only violate the privacy of law-abiding citizens. Obama and Biden also favorcommonsenseunconstitutional measures thatrespectpay lip service to the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away fromchildren and from criminalsthose otherwise law-abiding citizens that would oppose an oppressive government - as our Founding Fathers intended. They support closing the imaginary gun show loophole and making guns in this countrychildprooffor the government only. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent because they are either too stupid to see that it had no positive effects the first time around, or they have another agenda.
If I sound nutty, please try to keep an open mind and humor me for just a moment - even if you will leave my blog shaking your head at what a wack-job I am. If you followed my links, and/or did a little Googling on your own, or know a little history from the last two decades, you will see that the AWB whose duration was from 1994-2004 had NO positive effect on crime rates. This is why it was allowed to expire ten years after its inception. This history teaches us that the law was useless to its purpose of reducing violent crime.
Mr. Obama is not stupid, nor is Mr. Biden. They are smart enough men to know that the previous law did nothing towards its stated purpose. Why then, would they want to push for a permanent version of the same law? It is obviously not for the reasons stated, therefore it has to be for other reasons. What are those reasons? That's the million-dollar question. What hidden agenda do the newly elected have in mind that is supported by the 2008 Assault Weapons Ban?
Any answer to that question explains exactly what the Conservatives are so afraid of.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Science as a Religion?
Let's think back to people in 1900 in, say, New York. If they worried about people in 2000, what would they worry about? Probably: Where would people get enough horses? And what would they do about all the horseshit? Horse pollution was bad in 1900, think how much worse it would be a century later, with so many more people riding horses?
Who could not love the work of Michael Chriton? This one is worth a read in its entirety.
Linkarooni
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Hail To The Chief IV. - What Can You Do?
So, at this point, you may find yourself saying, "But Michael, what can I do?" In my humble opinion, the answer is several things.
1) Seek training and gun ownership if you have not yet done so. Getting either right now will be tricky with the whole rush, but give it a little while. Be patient. There will be no bans immediately. There will be no passing of the torch until January, and even then, new legislation takes time. The initial fireams madhouse rush will die down a little before any bad laws are passed. Keep your ear to the ground, and opportunities will come up. Check pawn shops and gun shops alike. Make a short list of what guns you would like to own, prioritize it, and assign a range of price that you would be willing to pay for each piece. When you buy a gun, practice, practice, practice. The propensity of responsible gun owners is a wonderful argument against the antis.
2) Get your CCW Permit/CHL if it is available in your state. If the powers that be can make a correlation between the number of active permits and the census numbers, and show a shockingly high number of permit carriers, disarming the populace is obviously going to be an inconvenient task. Even if you don't think that you will carry, it's still nice to have the option.
3) Join the NRA. I really need to practice what I preach on this one. I'm still trying to recover from #1, so finances have been a little thin lately. Even so, this organization is a powerful ally in the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights, and needs the monetary support of new members more now than ever. In addition, a healthy member roster is a weapon that they can use against the opposition. Your state may also have similar associations on the state level.
4) If your state allows it, open carry. This is a controversial point to make, but I'm making it anyway. People who are against open carry form two camps. On the one extreme, you have the antis. They think that if everyone is carrying a visible handgun, as in the Old West, that duels will spring forth, and blood will flow in the streets. This hasn't been a problem in any state where it is legally practiced. On the other extreme, you have the tactical gunnies. They say that you should keep your gun hidden so that you have the element of surprise on the bad guy. I say that if normal people are commonly seen with a side-arm, it removes the element of fear from the would-be antis - which is what makes an anti an anti in the first place. In other words, you don't open carry for the tactical arrangement, you open carry for the political statement. If people are never exposed to guns except for TV and movies, the message is that cops and bad guys carry guns. If they see their friends and neighbors, fellow PTO members, grocery store patrons, and everyone that they interact with on a daily basis carrying openly, the message is that normal, responsible, good people have guns. I think this is better, and makes anti-gun legislation nearly impossible to pass.
5) Write to your State Representative. Don't send them an email, or blog about it. Put a letter on paper telling them how you feel about the threat to your Second Amendment rights. Tell them courteously, in no uncertain terms that you do not intend to support a politician that does not represent you.
6) Pray that we don't lose too much over the next two years.
1) Seek training and gun ownership if you have not yet done so. Getting either right now will be tricky with the whole rush, but give it a little while. Be patient. There will be no bans immediately. There will be no passing of the torch until January, and even then, new legislation takes time. The initial fireams madhouse rush will die down a little before any bad laws are passed. Keep your ear to the ground, and opportunities will come up. Check pawn shops and gun shops alike. Make a short list of what guns you would like to own, prioritize it, and assign a range of price that you would be willing to pay for each piece. When you buy a gun, practice, practice, practice. The propensity of responsible gun owners is a wonderful argument against the antis.
2) Get your CCW Permit/CHL if it is available in your state. If the powers that be can make a correlation between the number of active permits and the census numbers, and show a shockingly high number of permit carriers, disarming the populace is obviously going to be an inconvenient task. Even if you don't think that you will carry, it's still nice to have the option.
3) Join the NRA. I really need to practice what I preach on this one. I'm still trying to recover from #1, so finances have been a little thin lately. Even so, this organization is a powerful ally in the fight for your 2nd Amendment Rights, and needs the monetary support of new members more now than ever. In addition, a healthy member roster is a weapon that they can use against the opposition. Your state may also have similar associations on the state level.
4) If your state allows it, open carry. This is a controversial point to make, but I'm making it anyway. People who are against open carry form two camps. On the one extreme, you have the antis. They think that if everyone is carrying a visible handgun, as in the Old West, that duels will spring forth, and blood will flow in the streets. This hasn't been a problem in any state where it is legally practiced. On the other extreme, you have the tactical gunnies. They say that you should keep your gun hidden so that you have the element of surprise on the bad guy. I say that if normal people are commonly seen with a side-arm, it removes the element of fear from the would-be antis - which is what makes an anti an anti in the first place. In other words, you don't open carry for the tactical arrangement, you open carry for the political statement. If people are never exposed to guns except for TV and movies, the message is that cops and bad guys carry guns. If they see their friends and neighbors, fellow PTO members, grocery store patrons, and everyone that they interact with on a daily basis carrying openly, the message is that normal, responsible, good people have guns. I think this is better, and makes anti-gun legislation nearly impossible to pass.
5) Write to your State Representative. Don't send them an email, or blog about it. Put a letter on paper telling them how you feel about the threat to your Second Amendment rights. Tell them courteously, in no uncertain terms that you do not intend to support a politician that does not represent you.
6) Pray that we don't lose too much over the next two years.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hail To The Chief III. - Kneejerk Reaction
On many of the gun forums that I frequent such as The High Road, The Firing Line, and The Gun Counter, the word is flying around that gun stores are being stormed in response to the election results. I emailed with my friend who works at H&H Gunrange about the current situation. This is an enviable facility, dedicated to firearms education, practice, and sales, in a safe, family-friendly environment. Their sales floor is amazing. Anyone who has the slightest interest in firearms should pay them a visit if they ever happen through the Okc area.
What I could ascertain from the rumors on the forums is that pretty much every gun shop had been completely cleaned-out by customer demand by the weekend. This spawned a personal desire to do some research on my part. My wife and I paid visit to a couple of pawn shops that we frequent, looking at firearms. Both of them had dramatically reduced inventory, but were not out of firearms. My friend said that AR-15 inventory is "thin", that they have but one AK-47 left in inventory, and that they are sold out of Glocks and several other handguns. He said that it is as though they have done a month's worth of business in half a week. Contrary to what I had read on the internet, most of the sales seem to be among people who were planning on their purchases already, but the election results simply rushed their planned actions.
On his website, Obama has stated that he intends to push for another assault weapons ban, but to make it permanent this time around. My wife pointed out that there have been some er... problems on Obama's website. It is my hope that the clear message that The American People have sent is that we do not intend to let go of our Second Amendment Rights. Mr. Obama is not at all a stupid person. I believe that he is a short-sighted, arrogant, naive elitest, but not stupid in the least. I want to believe that he sees the message and is reconsidering some of his stances, and that is the explanation of the site being down this morning.
It is not at all uncommon for a politician to change their stances on certain issues due to public response. Frankly, that is the mark of a good leader. These people work for us. When they see that they are making us unhappy, they should consider modifying their goals. As of this moment (11/10/2008 at 13:07), his website seems to be mysteriously devoid of any talk of weapons bans. A quick search on the site for "assault weapons" brings up short biographies on each of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The "Agenda" tab of the site shows nothing concerning future weapons bans. As a last-ditch effort, searching on the keyword "weapon" adds a third piece to the above mentioned search results. This third one notes that they plan on keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Could it be that this man intends to listen to The People after all? We can only hope. It was an electorate landslide, but a slim margin of the popular vote. The fact of the matter is that at most, the very slight majority voted for him. There are still doubts that it was even that many of us. It would serve this upcoming administration well to listen to The People. Whether an assault weapons ban is still in the works or not is not clear right now, but the message has been sent, and seems to have been received.
I believe that we all believe in change, but some of us want the right kind of change. There is a huge group of us that don't want some vacuous, mysterious, unknown change. I will keep praying for these men, and I will keep up the hope that we see positive change. I'm not holding my breath, but I do still want to be wrong about them. I, like many others, have been frightened about some of the change that may come with this passing of the torch, but am nearly as frightened of the possible reactions to such change. I don't want to see a civil war or a return of terrorist attacks. I don't want to go into exile because of my beliefs. Granted, these would be radical reactions, but the change that he seems to have proposed is radical as well.
Only time will tell, and we have not cleared the rapids by a long shot. We must hold on to hope, and we must hold this new administration accountable for what kind of change is acceptable. That is the bottom line. In the meantime, I know that many will be bolstering their arsenals, stocking up on weapons, ammunition, and high-capacity magazines. I can't say that I blame them in the least, and I hope that it is a clear message to those that might attempts to infringe upon the rights to such things. We may have voted in different ways, but ultimately, we are all in this boat together. If we row in different directions, who knows where we'll end up? Pray for whatever is right, hope for the best, and communicate with those that we have appointed as our leaders - by any and all means possible.
What I could ascertain from the rumors on the forums is that pretty much every gun shop had been completely cleaned-out by customer demand by the weekend. This spawned a personal desire to do some research on my part. My wife and I paid visit to a couple of pawn shops that we frequent, looking at firearms. Both of them had dramatically reduced inventory, but were not out of firearms. My friend said that AR-15 inventory is "thin", that they have but one AK-47 left in inventory, and that they are sold out of Glocks and several other handguns. He said that it is as though they have done a month's worth of business in half a week. Contrary to what I had read on the internet, most of the sales seem to be among people who were planning on their purchases already, but the election results simply rushed their planned actions.
On his website, Obama has stated that he intends to push for another assault weapons ban, but to make it permanent this time around. My wife pointed out that there have been some er... problems on Obama's website. It is my hope that the clear message that The American People have sent is that we do not intend to let go of our Second Amendment Rights. Mr. Obama is not at all a stupid person. I believe that he is a short-sighted, arrogant, naive elitest, but not stupid in the least. I want to believe that he sees the message and is reconsidering some of his stances, and that is the explanation of the site being down this morning.
It is not at all uncommon for a politician to change their stances on certain issues due to public response. Frankly, that is the mark of a good leader. These people work for us. When they see that they are making us unhappy, they should consider modifying their goals. As of this moment (11/10/2008 at 13:07), his website seems to be mysteriously devoid of any talk of weapons bans. A quick search on the site for "assault weapons" brings up short biographies on each of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The "Agenda" tab of the site shows nothing concerning future weapons bans. As a last-ditch effort, searching on the keyword "weapon" adds a third piece to the above mentioned search results. This third one notes that they plan on keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Could it be that this man intends to listen to The People after all? We can only hope. It was an electorate landslide, but a slim margin of the popular vote. The fact of the matter is that at most, the very slight majority voted for him. There are still doubts that it was even that many of us. It would serve this upcoming administration well to listen to The People. Whether an assault weapons ban is still in the works or not is not clear right now, but the message has been sent, and seems to have been received.
I believe that we all believe in change, but some of us want the right kind of change. There is a huge group of us that don't want some vacuous, mysterious, unknown change. I will keep praying for these men, and I will keep up the hope that we see positive change. I'm not holding my breath, but I do still want to be wrong about them. I, like many others, have been frightened about some of the change that may come with this passing of the torch, but am nearly as frightened of the possible reactions to such change. I don't want to see a civil war or a return of terrorist attacks. I don't want to go into exile because of my beliefs. Granted, these would be radical reactions, but the change that he seems to have proposed is radical as well.
Only time will tell, and we have not cleared the rapids by a long shot. We must hold on to hope, and we must hold this new administration accountable for what kind of change is acceptable. That is the bottom line. In the meantime, I know that many will be bolstering their arsenals, stocking up on weapons, ammunition, and high-capacity magazines. I can't say that I blame them in the least, and I hope that it is a clear message to those that might attempts to infringe upon the rights to such things. We may have voted in different ways, but ultimately, we are all in this boat together. If we row in different directions, who knows where we'll end up? Pray for whatever is right, hope for the best, and communicate with those that we have appointed as our leaders - by any and all means possible.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Hail To The Chief II. -Concerning My Best Friends
The way of things is odd, to say the least.
When I got married, I married my best friend. After nearly ten years, she remains my best friend and my soul-mate. We have made it a point to grow closer together rather than drifting apart, as I have seen many couples do with the weathering of the years. At this point, it just seems natural to spend the time together that we do. Most people who meet us have no idea that we have been together for so long. I like it this way. I'm looking forward to the next decade with her and the one after that, so on and so forth.
If you are close friends with your family, i. e. parents, siblings, cousins, count yourself as fortunate. This is a blessing, and not to be taken for granted. My wife and I are very close to my brother and sister in law. I value their friendship and their place in my life. Granted, I may get annoyed at them from time to time, but that is the way of siblings, isn't it? If you don't get annoyed at them, you probably aren't that close.
All that being said, I come to inner-circle best friends. I have three best friends that don't fit into any of the above categories (arguably). I'm speaking of non-blood relatives that are close enough friends that they may as well be. These three friends in no particular order are Darren, Beej, and Sean. Something else that these three people share in common other than essentially being non-blood relatives to me is that they all three voted for Barack Obama on Tuesday, and I don't think any less of them for it.
I've known Beej since I was in second grade. Back then, she was a squirrelly little kid, and went by Bridget. Of course, I was also a squirrelly little kid, and I was known as Michael. Later, she decided to go by her initials, B. J. She found that this new moniker had mixed results, and her group of friends settled into calling her "Beej," even in written word. Beej is a highly gifted, highly intellectual individual that has had the most unique personal story that I can recall. But, I would have to let her tell you about that on her own time and motivation. When Jenni and I took up handgunning in January, 2008, it kind of scared Beej at first. She wanted to come for a range session with us just to see what it was about. After her first trip to the range, she was hooked and the disease took her over. She now has a Smith & Wesson revolver and a Sig 9mm and has been thinking about getting herself a shotgun and some formal training. She thoughtfully listens to and reads our conservative views, but doesn't embrace them on our word. I'm proud of her for that. If everyone could openly consider all viewpoints and come up with their own independently, the world would be a better place to live.
I've known Darren for nearly as long as Beej. I can't remember whether it was in late grade school or junior high when Darren and I met. Darren has done some really crazy stuff in his life. He has a cabin out in the woods, but currently leads the career military life with his wife who is a nurse for the United States. In high school, Darren and I chased after some of the same girls. We've always had our differences, and never let them bother us. I've always been an opinionated fan of Japanese cars, and he has always been vocal about his Pontiacs. There have been times that we poked fun at each other for such differences, but at the end of the day, we'll drink from the same scotch bottle. I think it was during the 2004 election that I discovered how vastly different our political views were. I have to admit that I was shocked at the time. Darren has had points in his life when I thought to myself, "Dear Lord, he's going to kill himself." But such is they way with young men, I suppose. This is how we grow into full-fledged, grown men. I can't help but wonder if he thought the same of me from time to time.
I have been friends with Sean for the shortest amount of time of any of these three dear friends. I met Sean about 7 years ago maybe? We were fast friends from day one. He and I were both driving (and modifying) 1983 Honda Civic Station Wagons. He had commented that he wanted to lower his. Without hesitation, I asked Sean to buy the supplies needed and to bring them to my house on my day off, and we would lower his car. I didn't really know the first thing about him, but he struck me as a good person. My first impression of him could not have been more right. Sean and I got to know each other over the engine compartments of many Japanese cars. Together, we fixed some basket cases, and screwed up perfectly good drivers in the pursuit of making them perform better. I have fond memories of some of those monstrosities, which took on personalities of their own and were usually unfit for public roads in their final forms. Sean is a metal man. He has a heart made of solid gold, a mind like a steel trap, iron convictions, and if I had a sister, I would do everything in my power to marry her off to him so we actually could be brothers.
As I said before, all three of them voted for BHO. I find it incredibly interesting that I felt so very strongly about this election - that it was not a matter of black and white, or right and left but to me it had become a matter of right and wrong or good and evil - and yet, the three people that I would consider family except for the lack of blood relation each disagreed with me on this point. Of course, with the way my brain works, I'm trying to find correlation - some sort of cause-and-effect situation in or about my life that could explain what would seem to be such an odd coincidence. I have spoken with each of them in turn about the election. They all know that I'm opinionated and outspoken (that's just the nice way of saying a big-mouthed punk). A great friend will allow that and still care about you. Each of them has seemed hesitant to touch the issue to varying degrees, I suppose in fear that they would elicit my opinion maybe? I shudder to think that that could be the case!
Ultimately, I hope they find that I am proud that my friends think about things, and have individual beliefs and opinions. I hope they know that when it comes down to it, we agree on all of the important stuff. I believe that God's Will is the One Constant, and though different stuff happens because of what we as people do, His Plans will come about one way or another. I am a believer in the strength of the individual. I am a believer in unity in small groups. Once you really get down to it, these people - my immediate family, my extended family, and my adopted family - are more important than all the people in DC rolled up into one big, corrupt ball. As I wrote in my previous entry, I hope they are right and I am wrong on this one. I also hope that such petty things never damage friendships like these.
(By the way, I still think you guys voted wrong! ;-P)
When I got married, I married my best friend. After nearly ten years, she remains my best friend and my soul-mate. We have made it a point to grow closer together rather than drifting apart, as I have seen many couples do with the weathering of the years. At this point, it just seems natural to spend the time together that we do. Most people who meet us have no idea that we have been together for so long. I like it this way. I'm looking forward to the next decade with her and the one after that, so on and so forth.
If you are close friends with your family, i. e. parents, siblings, cousins, count yourself as fortunate. This is a blessing, and not to be taken for granted. My wife and I are very close to my brother and sister in law. I value their friendship and their place in my life. Granted, I may get annoyed at them from time to time, but that is the way of siblings, isn't it? If you don't get annoyed at them, you probably aren't that close.
All that being said, I come to inner-circle best friends. I have three best friends that don't fit into any of the above categories (arguably). I'm speaking of non-blood relatives that are close enough friends that they may as well be. These three friends in no particular order are Darren, Beej, and Sean. Something else that these three people share in common other than essentially being non-blood relatives to me is that they all three voted for Barack Obama on Tuesday, and I don't think any less of them for it.
I've known Beej since I was in second grade. Back then, she was a squirrelly little kid, and went by Bridget. Of course, I was also a squirrelly little kid, and I was known as Michael. Later, she decided to go by her initials, B. J. She found that this new moniker had mixed results, and her group of friends settled into calling her "Beej," even in written word. Beej is a highly gifted, highly intellectual individual that has had the most unique personal story that I can recall. But, I would have to let her tell you about that on her own time and motivation. When Jenni and I took up handgunning in January, 2008, it kind of scared Beej at first. She wanted to come for a range session with us just to see what it was about. After her first trip to the range, she was hooked and the disease took her over. She now has a Smith & Wesson revolver and a Sig 9mm and has been thinking about getting herself a shotgun and some formal training. She thoughtfully listens to and reads our conservative views, but doesn't embrace them on our word. I'm proud of her for that. If everyone could openly consider all viewpoints and come up with their own independently, the world would be a better place to live.
I've known Darren for nearly as long as Beej. I can't remember whether it was in late grade school or junior high when Darren and I met. Darren has done some really crazy stuff in his life. He has a cabin out in the woods, but currently leads the career military life with his wife who is a nurse for the United States. In high school, Darren and I chased after some of the same girls. We've always had our differences, and never let them bother us. I've always been an opinionated fan of Japanese cars, and he has always been vocal about his Pontiacs. There have been times that we poked fun at each other for such differences, but at the end of the day, we'll drink from the same scotch bottle. I think it was during the 2004 election that I discovered how vastly different our political views were. I have to admit that I was shocked at the time. Darren has had points in his life when I thought to myself, "Dear Lord, he's going to kill himself." But such is they way with young men, I suppose. This is how we grow into full-fledged, grown men. I can't help but wonder if he thought the same of me from time to time.
I have been friends with Sean for the shortest amount of time of any of these three dear friends. I met Sean about 7 years ago maybe? We were fast friends from day one. He and I were both driving (and modifying) 1983 Honda Civic Station Wagons. He had commented that he wanted to lower his. Without hesitation, I asked Sean to buy the supplies needed and to bring them to my house on my day off, and we would lower his car. I didn't really know the first thing about him, but he struck me as a good person. My first impression of him could not have been more right. Sean and I got to know each other over the engine compartments of many Japanese cars. Together, we fixed some basket cases, and screwed up perfectly good drivers in the pursuit of making them perform better. I have fond memories of some of those monstrosities, which took on personalities of their own and were usually unfit for public roads in their final forms. Sean is a metal man. He has a heart made of solid gold, a mind like a steel trap, iron convictions, and if I had a sister, I would do everything in my power to marry her off to him so we actually could be brothers.
As I said before, all three of them voted for BHO. I find it incredibly interesting that I felt so very strongly about this election - that it was not a matter of black and white, or right and left but to me it had become a matter of right and wrong or good and evil - and yet, the three people that I would consider family except for the lack of blood relation each disagreed with me on this point. Of course, with the way my brain works, I'm trying to find correlation - some sort of cause-and-effect situation in or about my life that could explain what would seem to be such an odd coincidence. I have spoken with each of them in turn about the election. They all know that I'm opinionated and outspoken (that's just the nice way of saying a big-mouthed punk). A great friend will allow that and still care about you. Each of them has seemed hesitant to touch the issue to varying degrees, I suppose in fear that they would elicit my opinion maybe? I shudder to think that that could be the case!
Ultimately, I hope they find that I am proud that my friends think about things, and have individual beliefs and opinions. I hope they know that when it comes down to it, we agree on all of the important stuff. I believe that God's Will is the One Constant, and though different stuff happens because of what we as people do, His Plans will come about one way or another. I am a believer in the strength of the individual. I am a believer in unity in small groups. Once you really get down to it, these people - my immediate family, my extended family, and my adopted family - are more important than all the people in DC rolled up into one big, corrupt ball. As I wrote in my previous entry, I hope they are right and I am wrong on this one. I also hope that such petty things never damage friendships like these.
(By the way, I still think you guys voted wrong! ;-P)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Hail To The Chief.
To the majority voters who will doubtlessly not read my blog,
I do not address this blog entry to my regular readers, as that would be preaching to the choir... Well, it would be more like preaching to the duet, but that's not the point. My readers know where I stand and why I stand where I do. This blog entry is addressed to the hopefuls that want change in government. You wanted change, and you got it. We shall see if this is the change that you had in mind. My wager is that this is not going to turn out to be the change that you bargained for. Fasten your seat belts, Americans. It's going to be a rough ride.
Yesterday morning, I stood in line with my wife and son at 6:15 a. m. to cast my vote. There were three people in front of us in the line outside the locked doors. By the time 7:00 rolled around, there were at least 200 people in line behind us. We were all aware that history was in the making. The energy was electric. Young and old were there, men and women, civilians and a police officer. A woman in a wheelchair had come to cast her vote. My son got to bear witness to an event whose magnitude did not strike him at the time. One day, he will think back on it and realize the heft of the experience.
I voted for the man who has proven his natural born citizenship. I voted for the man who has proven his allegiance with the United States of America. I voted for the man that has served us, and is committed to serve us moving forward. I voted for the man who has no questionable acquaintances. I voted for the man whom we honestly need more in Congress than we do in the White House right now. And for that, we won. In the Great State of Oklahoma, it was a landslide victory for the Republicans. But at the end of the day, we only have seven electoral votes to give our nation.
Senator Obama won the election. Whether it was a legitimate win, or a scandalous, dirty trick by ACORN, we may never know. But, the fact of the matter is, Barack Hussein Obama will be our next President. He took the country by storm on a campaign of Change, just as Fidel Castro and Adolph Hitler did before him. Similar to them, he has made a show of religious beliefs and family values to woo The People. His mantra of "Spreading the Wealth Around" is born out of the phrase, "From Each According to His Ability to Each According to His Need" as his predecessor, Karl Marx put it in his 1875 Critique of the Gothica Program. Following such great men, President Obama will be our leader until 2012.
Yesterday, We the People of the United States of America made history not by electing the first half-black President, but by electing the first radical left wing, Socialist President of the United States of America. He has made it clear that he detests handguns, semi-automatic weapons, and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. His Vice President, Joe Biden, wrote the original "Assault Weapons Ban" which vilified a number of semi-automatic, scary looking, plastic-stocked rifles. These two men will try to disarm the populace as would the a fore mentioned Castro, Hitler, or Marx. That is the first step towards a totalitarianistic, military state. In order to control the people, you must assure that they cannot fight you. Every dictator or dictator hopeful knows that.
I want to be wrong about the guy, I really do. In fact, I've never so badly wanted to be wrong about something before in my life. I do not want to panic, nor incite panic, nor do I condone anyone else panicking. John McCain has asked his supporters to shift their allegiance to our newly elected, and we should. The to-be-President Obama spoke to The People and asked that those that do not support him would choose to do so, and I believe we should listen. Just as I believe that the 3/4 of the country that do not approve of President Bush should support him because he is our President, so I believe that we who voted against Obama should give him our support because of the respect that the position demands.
This is not to say that we should roll over and die. I'm not for one instant going to relinquish my rights or my opinions without a fight, and nor should anyone else. This man works for us, we do not work for him. We shall hold him accountable in his position as he takes his place in the White House. If he does not adhere to the laws that he is subject to, we shall impeach him, just like we did President Clinton. He must be held accountable for his actions, and he must understand that he is our servant. Realistically, we have two years of a left-controlled government to weather. At that point, we will have the opportunity to reset the balance of power, and reset it we will. In the meantime, I will follow President Obama with a tight grip on my Freedoms and Liberties.
I do not address this blog entry to my regular readers, as that would be preaching to the choir... Well, it would be more like preaching to the duet, but that's not the point. My readers know where I stand and why I stand where I do. This blog entry is addressed to the hopefuls that want change in government. You wanted change, and you got it. We shall see if this is the change that you had in mind. My wager is that this is not going to turn out to be the change that you bargained for. Fasten your seat belts, Americans. It's going to be a rough ride.
Yesterday morning, I stood in line with my wife and son at 6:15 a. m. to cast my vote. There were three people in front of us in the line outside the locked doors. By the time 7:00 rolled around, there were at least 200 people in line behind us. We were all aware that history was in the making. The energy was electric. Young and old were there, men and women, civilians and a police officer. A woman in a wheelchair had come to cast her vote. My son got to bear witness to an event whose magnitude did not strike him at the time. One day, he will think back on it and realize the heft of the experience.
I voted for the man who has proven his natural born citizenship. I voted for the man who has proven his allegiance with the United States of America. I voted for the man that has served us, and is committed to serve us moving forward. I voted for the man who has no questionable acquaintances. I voted for the man whom we honestly need more in Congress than we do in the White House right now. And for that, we won. In the Great State of Oklahoma, it was a landslide victory for the Republicans. But at the end of the day, we only have seven electoral votes to give our nation.
Senator Obama won the election. Whether it was a legitimate win, or a scandalous, dirty trick by ACORN, we may never know. But, the fact of the matter is, Barack Hussein Obama will be our next President. He took the country by storm on a campaign of Change, just as Fidel Castro and Adolph Hitler did before him. Similar to them, he has made a show of religious beliefs and family values to woo The People. His mantra of "Spreading the Wealth Around" is born out of the phrase, "From Each According to His Ability to Each According to His Need" as his predecessor, Karl Marx put it in his 1875 Critique of the Gothica Program. Following such great men, President Obama will be our leader until 2012.
Yesterday, We the People of the United States of America made history not by electing the first half-black President, but by electing the first radical left wing, Socialist President of the United States of America. He has made it clear that he detests handguns, semi-automatic weapons, and the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. His Vice President, Joe Biden, wrote the original "Assault Weapons Ban" which vilified a number of semi-automatic, scary looking, plastic-stocked rifles. These two men will try to disarm the populace as would the a fore mentioned Castro, Hitler, or Marx. That is the first step towards a totalitarianistic, military state. In order to control the people, you must assure that they cannot fight you. Every dictator or dictator hopeful knows that.
I want to be wrong about the guy, I really do. In fact, I've never so badly wanted to be wrong about something before in my life. I do not want to panic, nor incite panic, nor do I condone anyone else panicking. John McCain has asked his supporters to shift their allegiance to our newly elected, and we should. The to-be-President Obama spoke to The People and asked that those that do not support him would choose to do so, and I believe we should listen. Just as I believe that the 3/4 of the country that do not approve of President Bush should support him because he is our President, so I believe that we who voted against Obama should give him our support because of the respect that the position demands.
This is not to say that we should roll over and die. I'm not for one instant going to relinquish my rights or my opinions without a fight, and nor should anyone else. This man works for us, we do not work for him. We shall hold him accountable in his position as he takes his place in the White House. If he does not adhere to the laws that he is subject to, we shall impeach him, just like we did President Clinton. He must be held accountable for his actions, and he must understand that he is our servant. Realistically, we have two years of a left-controlled government to weather. At that point, we will have the opportunity to reset the balance of power, and reset it we will. In the meantime, I will follow President Obama with a tight grip on my Freedoms and Liberties.
Dear LORD,
Please watch over our country. Please bless President Obama with the wisdom necessary to lead our great country. Grant him clarity of thought and judgement, and allow him to be the great President that like-minded individuals and I do not expect him to be. Let our temptation to panic be completely unfounded, and bless the four years that our nation has in front of it.
God, bless America. Heal our economy and protect us from our enemies. Please forgive us when we sin against You. Please protect our troops and deliver quick and decisive resolutions to our foreign activities. Bless the leaders in our great military, and compel them to treat even our prisoners of war kindly, as we have in past wars.
Lord, let Your followers glorify You. Let us shine like beacons in a dark world so that the rest of the world sees us and knows beyond the shadow of a doubt that we are indeed One Nation, Under God, Indivisible. Let us trust You and Your Wisdom in an age that seems so incredibly troubled. Give us peace and direction.
In Your Son's Holy Name, Amen.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Fourth of November
Remember, remember the fourth of November
ACORN, Sleazing and Plot
I know of no reason
Why the Campaigning Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Obama, Obama, t'was his great goal
To turn the U. S. into a Communist Hell Hole
His friends and associates are the worst miscreants
He won't even prove that he's not an illegal immigrant;
By God's providence his plan can be choked
From 'spreading the wealth', making all of us broke.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, ignore liberal trolls.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, get your ass to the polls!
ACORN, Sleazing and Plot
I know of no reason
Why the Campaigning Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Obama, Obama, t'was his great goal
To turn the U. S. into a Communist Hell Hole
His friends and associates are the worst miscreants
He won't even prove that he's not an illegal immigrant;
By God's providence his plan can be choked
From 'spreading the wealth', making all of us broke.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, ignore liberal trolls.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, get your ass to the polls!
Friday, October 17, 2008
I Am Joe
It's about time someone represented us in politics. I don't envy him for having his life trifled with by the political, leftist, media machine. But, like other bloggers, some of whom I know, some I do not, it's time for me to take a stand. How about you? Will you join the revolution? I am Joe. Are you?
UPDATE:
Merchandise
UPDATE:
Merchandise
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Long Live Free Enterprise!
It seems to be a hot issue that people are following the Left so blindly. Look at what Poliwax or JAFO have to say about it.
It makes me sick when people take the attitude of, "You will prove that you are not a racist by voting for the black guy." Excuse me!?!??!?!? I'm going to prove that I'm not a racist by voting for the best guy for the job, regardless of his race! To do otherwise IS THE DEFINITION of racism!
The Dems try to argue that up is down, left is right, and the sky is green. They talk about "reasonable gun restrictions," "a woman's right to choose" and "spreading the wealth around" in generalized terms that sound noble on the surface and belie their true meanings of "disarm the population so they are easier to control," "guilt young women into murdering their unborn children" and "institute wide-spread socialism."
It's a frightening world we live in when such idiocy is threatening the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. This is supposed to be the Last Stand, the Haven for those who believe in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. And yet, they are trying to turn it into a "fair" place where everyone gets to go see the doctor regardless of what he or she gives to life or how one handles one's own resources. -a "fair" place where the most successful tow all the others behind them on a chain.
I don't WANT to have the richest of the rich subsidizing my lifestyle. I LIKE being middle-class, and I LIKE the opportunity to pull myself up by my own bootstraps. My household was not always middle-class. There was a time when we calculated our gross income and found that we were comfortably BELOW the poverty line. We were not only applicable for welfare assistance, we were GUARANTEED to get it if we had only applied. But, we were too F-ing proud, and still are. We were eating healthy, nutritious meals, we had clothing to wear, we had a warm, dry house to come home to, and we had love for each other - the three of us - and ambitions that kept us striving for better. We also had the Love of God, Who made sure our needs were met, no matter how poor we were.
Of our own determination and hard work, we rose to where we are today. If someone else had dragged us to where we are today (burdened to do so, or by their own choice), we would not have learned the lessons that we did along the way. I do not WANT the government to take away my opportunity for success or failure, because I INTEND to succeed ON MY OWN, by God's Grace. I don't WANT my success to come out of anyone else's pocket. I don't WANT to take the same opportunities away from anyone that is less fortunate than me. If I see someone who is truly struggling, I will not callously look on in disinterest, but I will not give them a hand-out that will not ULTIMATELY help them. I want to see them succeed too much for that.
Welfare should not be to support lifestyle. Welfare should be a temporary fix for those who are in the PROCESS of failing to a degree that they can never recover from it. I don't want anyone to take away my ability to fail, for in as much, he takes away my ability to succeed. Everyone should have such opportunity - to truly LIVE the American Dream.
It makes me sick when people take the attitude of, "You will prove that you are not a racist by voting for the black guy." Excuse me!?!??!?!? I'm going to prove that I'm not a racist by voting for the best guy for the job, regardless of his race! To do otherwise IS THE DEFINITION of racism!
The Dems try to argue that up is down, left is right, and the sky is green. They talk about "reasonable gun restrictions," "a woman's right to choose" and "spreading the wealth around" in generalized terms that sound noble on the surface and belie their true meanings of "disarm the population so they are easier to control," "guilt young women into murdering their unborn children" and "institute wide-spread socialism."
It's a frightening world we live in when such idiocy is threatening the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. This is supposed to be the Last Stand, the Haven for those who believe in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. And yet, they are trying to turn it into a "fair" place where everyone gets to go see the doctor regardless of what he or she gives to life or how one handles one's own resources. -a "fair" place where the most successful tow all the others behind them on a chain.
I don't WANT to have the richest of the rich subsidizing my lifestyle. I LIKE being middle-class, and I LIKE the opportunity to pull myself up by my own bootstraps. My household was not always middle-class. There was a time when we calculated our gross income and found that we were comfortably BELOW the poverty line. We were not only applicable for welfare assistance, we were GUARANTEED to get it if we had only applied. But, we were too F-ing proud, and still are. We were eating healthy, nutritious meals, we had clothing to wear, we had a warm, dry house to come home to, and we had love for each other - the three of us - and ambitions that kept us striving for better. We also had the Love of God, Who made sure our needs were met, no matter how poor we were.
Of our own determination and hard work, we rose to where we are today. If someone else had dragged us to where we are today (burdened to do so, or by their own choice), we would not have learned the lessons that we did along the way. I do not WANT the government to take away my opportunity for success or failure, because I INTEND to succeed ON MY OWN, by God's Grace. I don't WANT my success to come out of anyone else's pocket. I don't WANT to take the same opportunities away from anyone that is less fortunate than me. If I see someone who is truly struggling, I will not callously look on in disinterest, but I will not give them a hand-out that will not ULTIMATELY help them. I want to see them succeed too much for that.
Welfare should not be to support lifestyle. Welfare should be a temporary fix for those who are in the PROCESS of failing to a degree that they can never recover from it. I don't want anyone to take away my ability to fail, for in as much, he takes away my ability to succeed. Everyone should have such opportunity - to truly LIVE the American Dream.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
*Sigh* Feminists...
My wife sent me this link yesterday. It's worth the read. It kind of embodies everything that the feminists are crooning about currently. We'll see whether the blogger allows my response to come out of moderation (copied and pasted below). Want to take any bets?
"— if you ask me. "
Who did, for that matter? Your narrow-mindedness astounds me. Feminists don't like Sarah Palin because she is incapable of being the victim. If women empower themselves, the feminists' fight is over. We can't have that, can we now? What meaning would your life have if you couldn't piss and moan about how we men are trying to keep you down?
Like many Conservatives (and Liberals for that matter), I think that you have the right to do whatever you want with your own body. By that rational, I think seat-belt and helmet laws are stupid, and it is asinine that suicide is illegal. I also believe that murder is wrong. If there was a way to level the playing field and have a calm, open discussion on the issues and implications of abortion, I would be all for it. But, when you take the attitude that the opposition is "anti-choice" and put words in other people's mouths concerning your anatomy, you make yourself look like a narrow-minded fool.
I don't go on and on about what you people think I should do with my penis. Come to think of it, I've not heard any self-respecting man piss and moan about anybody telling him what he should or should not do with his penis.
Just for the sake of argument, say Joe Somebody met you in a bar, drinks were had, and you made it home to Joe's house. You got pregnant and made the choice to have the baby - just for the sake of the argument. You contact DHS and have Joe served with papers, because he's the dad and you want child support. What choice does Joe have? He doesn't. This seems like a double standard, doesn't it?
Why is it that in our society, women get to choose whether or not they want to be a mom after they have made poor decisions, but men do not get afforded a similar luxury? To that end, why are you still bitching?
Get over yourself. Nobody is making you do anything.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Leftists
I decided to Google out a "Love Obama" forum on the internet and get into it under cover, slowly bringing my real views about after starting by spouting the kind of crap that I usually hear from them. At about 9:00 a. m. on Wednesday, October 8, 2008, the thread started like this:
There were a couple of generic rhetorical commenters, and then an anonymous "Commenter," from Wangnimni, Korea (And, I don't hold you at fault if you do not read his complete opinion. He's a little long-winded.):
Woah, that's a lot of opinion about our politics from the other side of the globe! And, then this came from a gentleman who actually wrote from Pennsylvania, called Flavious_Maximus:
FM, don't sugar-coat it. Tell us what you think, buddy. He was of course, put down exactly like you would expect. This is when I decided to play. Under the moniker "Blue Colt," I decided to make my move. I thought the double meaning of my handle was clever and humorous. I posted this comment in my best impersonation of a moonbat:
I got no responses. There was noise and activity, but it was dull and lacked direction. So, I tried again in response to a jab at Asher:
Still no responses to The Blue Colt. There were multiple duplicate slams against our friend Flavious from various posters, but no attention to The Colt. Several people mentioned the thing that McCain said about the Fed buying up bad home mortgages (which is worth discussing, given the implications), but nothing substantial beyond childish "nya nya" -ing. This is when I lost patience and decided to hit them with it:
Forty-two minutes later, "Not Over" opined:
*Cricket chirp, cricket chirp* That is a summary of the activity as of 12:30, at the 24th post.
3:45 update: No further activity. I scanned some of the other threads in the same forum, but no mention of Blue Colt. Maybe I'm just paranoid.
4:30 update: No further activity. I close with this comment:
UPDATE 10/9/08, 1313: More activity detected - my comments ignored. Next time, I may try the daily kooks.
McFibber even though we admire his military carrier, as president he would stink. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, D W Eishenhouser all military heros, all stunk as president. J F Kennedy was a military hero but his term was too short judge. G H W Bush, was shot down like McCain but rescued, he was no diamond in the rough either. But he did not stink, just a strange odor.
There were a couple of generic rhetorical commenters, and then an anonymous "Commenter," from Wangnimni, Korea (And, I don't hold you at fault if you do not read his complete opinion. He's a little long-winded.):
Obama Must Campaign Outside of Philadelphia 5-County Region
By comment
Obama could lose Pennsylvania, much like John Kerry lost Ohio, if he does not begin campaigning outside of the core vote area of Philadelphia 5-county region. Kerry carried 4 of these 5 and lost Chester County by 10,000 votes.
If you look at counties at the margin by number of votes lost in 2004, the critical counties are those John Kerry carried more than 40% of the vote, total votes cast more than 50,000 and won or lost county by less than 11,000 votes.
This leaves you with head to head battle ground in 17 Counties. The goal should be for Obama/Biden to carry 9 of these. As the Democratic Party strengths are in the East and that major media markets of New York City and Philadelphia have coverage in Lehigh Valley, the Greater Lehigh Valley is the key area as it contains 6 of the 17 counties that were not carried by large margins and the criteria I set forth above by either candidate in 2004.
This will leave you with major battle for votes at the margin, in order of importance: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, and Schuylkill, Monroe, and Carbon counties.
If you now look at fundraising level, you get an interesting picture of how close PA truly is. After removing fundraising of counties that have raised the most money and who John Kerry carried in 2004 (Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, Delaware, and Lackawanna), you are left with a near dead heat in fundraising. Obama $1.355 million, McCain 1.358 million. McCain is carrying key counties of the greater Lehigh Valley, in fund raising margin. This includes Lehigh ($147,000), Northampton ($41,000), Monroe ($1000), Carbon ($3,800), and Schuylkill ($3000). Obama only leads in fund raising in Berks ($8000). This gives McCain an almost $190,000 fund raising edge in the greater Lehigh Valley.
If one looks at how you carry Pennsylvania, Obama is off track. The reliance on the Rendell strategy and team could cost him an important state, much like Kerry who engaged in under campaigning in Akron and Columbus areas in Ohio in 2004 and focusing on core region of Cleveland. The Rendell team has Obama locals making the same fundamental mistake of focusing on the Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware core region.
Obama must get into these counties and particularly a heavy campaigning presence in the greater Lehigh Valley (Lehigh, Northampton and its near/bordering counties of Berks, Monroe, Carbon and Schuylkill) if he is to carry Pennsylvania. There is a reason that McCain abandoned Michigan early, they are coming full strong to carry Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. You can not win the Presidency if you lose all three of these traditional industrial areas. The key to carrying two of the three are to campaign in Columbus, OH and Allentown, PA. Obama needs to spend the next three weeks principally in these two cities and their surrounding suburbs.
PS- On a side note, this is how Governorships are made or lost. Don Cunningham becomes the key to this strategy and not the local Congressional candidate or County Party leaders. Cunningham has to unite the Lehigh Democratic Party machine and position himself as the guy who can deliver votes in the Lehigh Valley. If he does this, his election for Governorship will be locked up in 2010 because he will have party machines of Lehigh Valley, Scranton and Philadelphia behind him. You can not lose when you have all 3. I am undecided if Governor Cunningham would be a good or a bad thing.
Projected Number of Visits by Obama/Biden (Man Days)
East (9)
Greater Lehigh Valley Region (6) Total Visits 14
Lehigh (GLV)– Allentown 5 Visits
Northampton (GLV)– Bethlehem/Easton 5 Visits
Berks (GLV)– Reading 1 Visits
Monroe (GLV)– Stroudsburg 1 Visits
Schuylkill (GLV)– Pottsville/Hazleton 1 Visit
Carbon (GLV)– Jim Thorpe/Lehighton 1 Visit
Total Visits YTD- 0
# Visits to Complete Yet 14
Goal: Rally in Allentown (5), Bethlehem (4), Easton (1), Reading (1), East Stroudsburg (1), Pottsville (1), Jim Thorpe (1)
October 15 – November 1
Philadelphia 5 County Region 16 Total Visits
Bucks (SE)– Bristol 3 Visits
Chester (SE)– Chester/West Chester 3 Visits
Total Visits YTD- 7
# Visits to Complete Yet 9
Goal: Bristol (3), West Chester (2), Chester (1), Philadelphia (3 – Night Fundraisers/1 Day Rally)
October 14-22
Lackawanna Valley Region/Scranton 1 Total Visit
Luzerne (NE)– Wilkes-Barre 1 Visit
Total Visits YTD- 4
# Visits to Complete Yet 0
West (6)– Total Visits 10
Erie (NW)– Erie 2 Visit
Fayette (SW)
Beaver (SW)– Beaver, Aliquippa 4 Visits
Washington (SW)– Washington 1 Visit
Cambria (SW)
Mercer (NW)
Total Visits YTD- 7
# Visits to Complete Yet 3
Goal: Erie (2), Washington (1)
October 11-13
Central (2) Total Visits 2
Centre – State College/Penn State 1 Visit
Dauphin – Harrisburg 1 Visit
Total Visits YTD- 0
# Visits to Complete Yet 2
Goal: State College (1), Harrisburg (1)
October 9-10
Core Area – 26 Total Visits (Night Fund Raising)
Philadelphia 5 County Visits 16
Allegheny County l Visits 10
Total Visits YTD- 14
# Visits to Complete Yet 12
Woah, that's a lot of opinion about our politics from the other side of the globe! And, then this came from a gentleman who actually wrote from Pennsylvania, called Flavious_Maximus:
Get ready for an extreme radical black nationalist bisexual President of the United States. All you liberal democrats who think Obama is going to usher in a new age utopia are just committing suicide. You will be the first to be put up against the wall and shot by his Marxist revolutionaries when he turns the country towards communism.
FM, don't sugar-coat it. Tell us what you think, buddy. He was of course, put down exactly like you would expect. This is when I decided to play. Under the moniker "Blue Colt," I decided to make my move. I thought the double meaning of my handle was clever and humorous. I posted this comment in my best impersonation of a moonbat:
I'm just glad to see that Obama is doing so well in the polls! It's funny that nobody has ever asked me to take a poll, though. The bottom line is this - all of these wingnuts need to quit clinging to their bibles and guns and vote for Change. Good grief, the last thing we need in this country is another 4-years of Bush!
I got no responses. There was noise and activity, but it was dull and lacked direction. So, I tried again in response to a jab at Asher:
It's true! Bob Asher IS a convicted felon! Look it up! We need to extend the vote to Korea so Comment can vote for Obama as well.
Still no responses to The Blue Colt. There were multiple duplicate slams against our friend Flavious from various posters, but no attention to The Colt. Several people mentioned the thing that McCain said about the Fed buying up bad home mortgages (which is worth discussing, given the implications), but nothing substantial beyond childish "nya nya" -ing. This is when I lost patience and decided to hit them with it:
I like the fact that Obama knows that American people are not smart or responsible enough to budget for their medical needs, energy needs, or housing. He realizes that the average American is stupid, irresponsible, unresourceful, and needs leadership that will tell them what to do. When asked about turning thermostats a little warmer over the hot Summer for energy conservation, GWB's typically stupid response was "I think the American People are smart enough to do that on their own if their electric bill is too high." It's nice that we have a candidate that doesn't think so much of us. I know that I'll be glad to have a President that knows what's best for me.
Forty-two minutes later, "Not Over" opined:
It's not over til it's over. The McCain campaign has to contend the election somewhere. If resources are pulled out of Michigan, they can't be pulled out of Pennsylvania, too. He has to wave the flag or contributions will dry up and Republicans farther down the ticket will suffer. Maybe that's deserved, but that's for the voters to decide.
If it were up to me, I'd send a whole new team down to Washington. Enough's enough!
*Cricket chirp, cricket chirp* That is a summary of the activity as of 12:30, at the 24th post.
3:45 update: No further activity. I scanned some of the other threads in the same forum, but no mention of Blue Colt. Maybe I'm just paranoid.
4:30 update: No further activity. I close with this comment:
When Obama is in charge, and he is justifying the increased taxation with a reach-around to the middle class, can we still consider that soft-stuffing as being screwed? The general opinion of the Left certainly seems to be "no." I just don't see how this guy has any means to relate to "the common man" with his aloof, elitist attitude, and his "you can't handle it without us" rhetoric. If you buy into his Marxist/Carter-ish plans, vote for him I suppose. I'm not in much of a hurry to repeat the Carter years or to live under a Communist government. I had hoped to see some more action on this forum, but I suppose I was hoping for too much. If you people were really analytical and intelligent, you would not be on this side of it.
UPDATE 10/9/08, 1313: More activity detected - my comments ignored. Next time, I may try the daily kooks.
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