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May
15, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the News, 7 - 13 May, 2006
Time
for some satire. So be warned!
Culture
Wars
This
week, a selection from around the world of the various culture wars -
literally in some cases, wars for the souls of men. I recall the famous
phrase from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - "people
think white is black and get run over by a lorry at the next zebra crossing."
That is what a lot of this sounds like, this week, as we see battles being
waged where frequently, BOTH sides are wrong.
Palestinian
Religious Leader Blasts Christian Zionists
CNSNews.com
The supreme judge of the Palestinian shari'a court system says Christian
Zionists have adopted "Satan as God" and are trying to destroy
Islam and Muslims...
Aha! It
becomes perfectly clear. We are all evil, and the world MUST destroy the
West and Christianity and Judaism (which after all are nothing but heresies
from Islam and counterfeits). Sigh. A fake-judicial opinion from a fake
judge in a fake country.
AZ:
Project targets Latino stereotypes
Arizona Republic
"A middle-age Hispanic man pushes a mower across the lawn of a
giant home in an affluent neighborhood. An attractive middle-age blonde
pulls up driving a BMW. 'Can you please come here por favor,' she said,
sticking her head out the window. 'I was wondering how much you charge
to landscape this home?' The man stops and asks: 'Why would I charge to
landscape my own yard?' She blushes and drives off. The commercial clip
later freezes and an on-screen message appears: 'I am an American.' The
stereotype-shattering commercial is being filmed for a new Web site created
by two 30-something Phoenix Republicans frustrated by the political rhetoric
over illegal immigration. Inspired by the string of recent pro-immigrant
student walkouts, marches and demonstrations in Phoenix, Bettina Nava
and Max Fose have launched www.iamaproudamerican.com. It aims at breaking
down stereotypes some people have about Hispanics by attacking those stereotypes
through at least four short commercials." (05/08/06)
This ad
has made me realize the folly of my ways; I have been subconsciously racist
because I failed to understand that all those Americans who are "Hispanic"
or "Latino/a" or "Chicano/a" (like my first-grade
friend, my babysitter, my business associate, my former landlord, and
one of my college professors) are no different from the lousy wetback
who sneaks into this country and then plots to steal ¼ of it and
return it to Mexico, steals, refuses to learn English, and smuggles for
a living. Sigh.
Funny story
and funnier (but not laughable) logic on the part of these two nuts -
but like the next, they are not telling the whole story in these ads,
eh?
Pentagon
pays United to show in-flight video
Chicago Tribune
"United Airlines has begun showing an in-flight video about military
glamor jobs that was produced and funded by the Department of Defense
-- a fact passengers do not learn from watching it. Sandwiched between
NBC sitcoms and Discovery Channel previews, 'Today's Military,' as the
13-minute program is called, highlights five jobs that few members of
the armed forces could point to as their own. While hundreds of thousands
of men and women serve overseas, many in dangerous places, the video only
explicitly shows one soldier beyond U.S. borders: a Hawaii-based Army
animal-care specialist doing humanitarian work in Thailand."
(05/06/06)
What a
wonderful way to while away a few of those tedious, "safe" hours
between TSA checkpoints and strip searches. Sigh. Isn't this a hoot? What
a waste of money. At the same time, the bias of the Chi-town Trib is obvious,
since even now, the majority of Army troops serve at nice stateside or
traditional European or Asian posts.
'Sex
Info' Text Messages Target Kids, Exclude Parents
CNSNews.com
A new text messaging service sponsored by the San Francisco Health
Department is promoted as a convenient way for young people to get "sexual
health information." But critics charge that the service circumvents
the legitimate authority and moral influence of parents...
How come
we didn't have this wonderful idea when I was growing up? How much better
than those tedious "hygiene" films from Coach. Sigh. The state
as nanny (or rather, the city, in this case) - once more I am grateful
to God that I did not raise a family in SF, where I was stationed for
several years.
Parents
in 'Complete Control' of TV, Says Jack Valenti
CNSNews.com
The television industry will launch an ad campaign next month offering
parents advice on how to control what their children watch on the tube.
But critics complain that such an information program is insufficient
and that it is time for the television industry to offer consumers "a
la carte" programming choices.
Yes, we
parents definitely need this kind of training. We are SO stupid, you see.
Sigh. Gee - a series of ads explaining what the "OFF" switch
is and how to use it?
Mama's
Note: The very best way for parents to control the TV monster is to remove
it totally from the home. At the very least, the TV's need to come out
of the bedrooms!! If people insist on wasting their time with this, they
should be sure they are actually present when children are watching so
things can be explained in context. Of course, this assumes the parents
have a clue... better by far to be rid of it and go outdoors or read something.
TV has
great potential, just as does all technology, but it can be used for good
or evil. It's up to us to decide what that will be and act accordingly,
not wait for the TV industry to do it for us.
No
Triple-X Domain for Pornographers
CNSNews.com -
Pornography websites will not get an ".xxx" domain name.
The Internet's oversight agency -- the Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers -- on Wednesday voted 9-5 against a proposal to create
a special domain for porn purveyors.
Oh dear.
So people will have to continue to discover for themselves that sites
like "MikesApartment.com" and "CuteLatina.com" and
such are porn sites. And the money will continue to roll in!
Two
Views of 'Endangered Species Day'
CNSNews.com
By proclamation of the U.S. Senate, May 11 is the first-ever "Endangered
Species Day." While some groups are celebrating America's "commitment
to protecting and recovering endangered species," a conservative
group calls this a perfect time to "end the perverse incentives that
pit property owners against wildlife."
Clearly,
the Congruss-critturs aren't going to get rid of this piece of garbage
anytime soon - perhaps they should be added to the list.
Taliban-CA:
Campaign to save historic cross enters new phase
World Net Daily
A campaign is under way to save the Mount Soledad cross in Southern
California by urging President Bush to sign an executive order transferring
the land to the National Park Service. Last week, U.S. District Judge
Gordon Thompson ordered the city of San Diego to remove the mountain-top
cross within 90 days or face a fine of $5,000 a day. Thompson ruled in
1991 the cross violates the so-called "separation of church and state,"
but the case has remained in courts and become an issue of public policy.
Fifteen
years, now, for this battle. Our imperial court system has a lot to answer
for, and unfortunately, the supporters of the cross are now resorting
to tactics that they will very quickly rue - attempting to use imperial
edicts to get justice.
Economics
Around the World
This week, I'm putting some stories in this category, dealing with issues
both Stateside and overseas. We are NOT, as some people claim, having
a harder time making ends meet than anyone ever has - people who claim
that didn't live through the Depression, and never read the history books
about famines starving thousands in England, or plague in Europe, or smallpox
in the villages along the Missouri. But we still can have hard times,
as the next stories relate.
Think
$2.90 for Gasoline Is High? Try $5.17
CNSNews.com
A conservative market analyst on Wednesday said that the current national
average of $2.90 for a gallon of gas isn't hurting American families any
more than the 29 cents per gallon hurt families more than 50 years ago.
Sorry,
but I just don't agree - we are seeing nearly double-digit inflation as
a result of this, and that wasn't the case in 1956. Yeah, we're better
off than the UK with nearly 1GBP (Great Britain Pound) per liter, or 0.99
Euro per liter in Germany, but still, this is hurting. A lot, and a lot
of us.
Mama's
Note: Once again, remember the fact that a large part of the cost of gas
is in the taxes, and the idiotic special blends required for different
areas and seasons. The high cost of gas has far less to do with the price
of oil than it does the much higher cost of government. Get the government
OUT of our business, and a lot of things would be more affordable! There
are some excellent articles about this at Lew
Rockwell.
Hawaii
gives up gas-price controls
Associated Press
The island state whose drivers pay the highest pump prices in the nation
has given up on price caps after an eight-month, first-in-the- nation
experiment. Some complained that the restrictions actually led to higher
prices, because oil companies knew they could charge up to the maximum
allowed. Under the price control legislation, Hawaii set weekly caps on
wholesale gas prices. Those caps were based on the average of prices in
Los Angeles and New York and on the Gulf Coast. Then allowances were added
for what it costs wholesalers to ship to Hawaii and distribute gas to
more remote islands. But there was no cap on the markup added by gas stations.
With regular gasoline climbing past an average of $3.38 per gallon in
the past few weeks, lawmakers sent Republican Gov. Linda Lingle a bill
last week to suspend the controls. She signed it on Friday.
Wow. And
it only took them eight months to learn the same lesson they could have,
should have, learned in a basic HIGH SCHOOL level economics or government
class. And we call dumb animals stupid!
Mama's
Note: They never seem to learn the basic fact that any restriction in
price will actually restrict the amount of the commodity that is available!
If the price can't rise to actual market value, then there will be less
of it available to buy. Nobody is going to ship in gasoline, or anything
else, if they must sell it at cost or at a loss. It's just not going to
happen! This, of course, is where it gets really dangerous because then
government decides "the market" has failed and takes
over the distribution. Since they have absolutely no incentive to
be efficient, the end cost of the product is ever increasing while the
quality of the product and or service declines constantly. It's all been
done before, and there is endless documentation of the fact that this
doesn't work, but government never tires of trying. When are we going
to get tired of paying for it?
First
drop in gas price in six weeks
Reuters
Motorists finally got some relief at the pump as the national retail
gasoline price fell for the first time in six weeks, dipping a penny over
the last week to $2.91 a gallon, the government said on Monday. Motor
fuel costs dropped for the first time since March 27, but the price remained
up 72 cents from a year ago, based on the federal Energy Information Administration's
weekly survey of service stations.
Yes, good
news, but a long way from being really good news. All the problems are
still with us, summed up in just four words: high demand, low supply.
Frankly, the supply side is the only side that is really able to be changed,
if we can get the government(s) out of the way.
Mama's
Note: Sure, immediately AFTER I filled my tank this last time. I don't
know why that always seems to happen. I don't drive much anymore, so it
will probably go back up before I need any again. Such is life, I guess.
What is so interesting is how much less gas costs here in Wyoming compared
to South Dakota, just across the state line.
Germany:
"Robin Hood" gang robs gourmet stores
Independent [UK]
"They dress up in pink catsuits, have names like 'Spider Mum'
and feel a social obligation to plunder the most expensive restaurants
and gourmet delicatessens in town as part of a campaign to help the poor.
Last week the well-heeled citizens of Hamburg's Altona district got a
taste of their antics when 30 of them marched into the city's luxury 'Fresh
Paradise Goedeken' supermarket and walked out five minutes later with
?15,000 (£10,000) worth of stolen goods. ... The incident was the
latest attack perpetrated by this Robin Hood-style gang of so-called 'Spontis,'
whose activities have alarmed and baffled the Hamburg police and the city's
well-to-do .... Mr. Franz, who has been trying to track down the 'Hamburg
for Free' gang since the incident a year ago, said that investigators
had merely established that the group was probably made up of a mixture
of students and anarchists. 'We don't know much about them. They are very
political yet one of their main motives is fun,' he said. 'The problem
is that they strike so rarely and so professionally that they are a major
job to catch.'" (05/08/06)
One suspects
that this is the new "nobility" - too much time on their hands
and too much money floating around. It is a sign of an economy, and a
society, with serious problems. One of which is a lack of morality, at
many levels.
Mama's
Note: Of course they're hard to catch! The shopkeepers have absolutely
no way to defend themselves, so it's open season on business men in England,
and pretty much all over Europe.
Former
Senators Pitch Retirement Savings Initiative
CNSNews.com
Former Sens. John Edwards, a North Carolina Democrat, and Jack Kemp,
a New York Republican, are teaming up to promote the concept of saving
money for retirement...
Gee, what
a novel idea. I don't suppose those billions in IRAs and 401k's don't
register when you are used to wasting trillions like these guys are.
Mama's
Note: The really sad part is that all those billions in IRAs
and the like are steadily losing real value. Whatever interest they
are earning seldom even keeps pace with the general devaluation of the
dollar. There is even a good chance that the institutions holding those
funds will not survive a serious economic crash in this country - and
thus the world - so they could be lost altogether. If these are the ONLY
retirement savings you have, you might want to give some thought to making
a much more diversified investment. You could easily make more money a
lot of different ways, and save something real for retirement. Lots of
good information on this at Ludwig von
Mises institute.
Labor
Shortage in China May Lead to Trade Shift
New York Times
SHENZHEN,
China — Persistent labor shortages at hundreds of Chinese factories
have led experts to conclude that the economy is undergoing a profound
change that will ripple through the global market for manufactured goods.
The
shortage of workers is pushing up wages and swelling the ranks of the
country's middle class, and it could make Chinese-made products less of
a bargain worldwide. International manufacturers are already talking about
moving factories to lower-cost countries like Vietnam.
Mama's
Note: This should be very good news for all the people who are so
worried about "cheap Chinese imports," and Chinese "slave
labor." Even as real free trade is strangled with insane treaties
and tarriffs, the people of China are growing and prospering. This is
a GOOD thing for all of us!
The
Fall of Europe
Yeah, I haven't had many of these sections for a while. No, it wasn't
because Europe is doing better - but I have to take a break from the distressing
news once in a while.
UK:
Court rules parliament peace vigil is illegal
Independent [UK]
"The antiwar protester Brian Haw has promised to continue his round-the-clock
vigil outside Parliament despite losing a crucial legal battle over his
five-year peace demonstration. He denounced appeal court judges who yesterday
overturned a ruling that controversial legislation aimed at controlling
protests around the Palace of Westminster did not apply to his one-man
protest, which started in June 2001, well before the law came into force."
(05/08/06)
Next act
in a very long running play to begin soon. The Blair government may wait
for a while, because of the bad publicity, but Haw is probably one with
Lord Haw-Haw and
other historical characters.
UK:
Kelly questioned on sexuality views
Independent [UK]
"The newly appointed government minister responsible for equality
is facing controversy after she refused to say whether she believed homosexuality
was a sin. Ruth Kelly, the Secretary of State for Communities, a committed
Catholic and member of the Opus Dei group, was embroiled in a renewed
row over her religious beliefs yesterday. ... Ms Kelly's early days as
Education Secretary were dogged with questions about her religion, and
her membership in the conservative Opus Dei organisation, which features
in the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code. She will have to implement
the new Equality Act, which became law earlier this year making discrimination
on the grounds of sexual orientation illegal in the same way as race or
gender." (05/09/06)
I thought
that the UK had given up on religious tests for government service?
Mama's
Note: They've had it backwards for a very long time. Only government should
be forbidden to discriminate - on any grounds. Individuals have the right
to freedom of association, absolutely. If a business doesn't want to serve
anyone, that is their right. They simply lose the business of whomever
they refuse, and that of those who shop elsewhere in protest. We most
certainly have this "discrimination" thing all turned around.
Germany:
Romantic couple spark rescue operation
Ananova [UK]
"A couple watching a romantic sunset on a bridge sparked a massive
rescue operation in Germany. A passerby mistook Max Sonnenschein, 25,
and his girlfriend Amelia Fuchs, 26, for suicide jumpers and called the
police. The couple had been watching the sun set over the River Main from
the Kaiserlei bridge in the German state of Hessen. A passing driver who
saw the couple leaning on the rail assumed they were about to throw themselves
over the edge. Rescue officers from the fire brigade and police rushed
to the scene only to find the couple locked in a passionate embrace. A
police spokesman said: 'They had climbed over at least one barrier and
were in a place they were not allowed to be. There was a massive operation
to save them and they can now expect a bill for wasting police time.'"
(05/09/06)
Sounds
like it was the do-gooder that should be paying for wasting police time.
Trespassing is one thing - but they didn't do anything to justify the
person jumping to conclusions.
Mama's
Note: As if anyone couldn't tell the difference between kissing and jumping!!
All this could have been avoided if the do-gooder had simply minded his/her
own business. Yes, this idiot should be paying the bill, not the young
lovers.
UK:
Anger as Harman suggests electoral role for ID database
Guardian [UK]
"The national identity card database could eventually be used
to draw up the electoral roll, according to the minister for constitutional
affairs, sparking protests from anti-ID card campaigners. Speaking at
a meeting organised by the Progress thinktank to discuss falling turnouts,
Harriet Harman said the problem of maintaining up-to-date and accurate
electoral rolls could be solved "at a stroke" by using the details
held on the National Identity Register. The Identity Cards Act, which
was passed in March, only allows the information on the register to be
used by departments and agencies for the purposes of preventing or detecting
terrorism, organised crime and identity and benefit fraud. .... A spokesman
for the campaigning group No2ID.net said Ms Harman's suggestion was a
"complete and utter betrayal" of the case the government had
made in parliament for ID cards."(05/11/06)
Did they
expect gov-goons to be consistent, or to remember what campaign promises
that they made? Harman knows that the current IC Act is just the first
step in a long series of "security" steps that will ultimately
end in tattooed ID numbers on the soles of newborns' feet and on the forearms
of every adult. And England (because hopefully then Northern Ireland,
Scotland, and Wales will all have left in disgust) will betray yet another
facet of its priceless heritage of freedom by making voting mandatory,
just like the Soviet Union and East Germany.
Gov't-ruined,
Theft-funded Schools
Government schools are, by default, the worst possible situation for teaching
people, especially children. Shucks, even Sean Hannity has given up on
them and is calling for separation of school and state. No doubt, the
worse it gets, the more money will be thrown at it and the more powerful
the various lobbies supporting the filthy things will be. But don't worry,
collapse is probably going to happen before Medicare or Social Security
implodes.
CA:
Judge likely to halt high school exit exam
MSNBC
"An Alameda County Superior Court judge issued a tentative ruling
late Monday saying he is likely to prohibit the state's high school exit
exam from taking effect this year, siding with attorneys who say the exam
discriminates against poor students and those who are learning English.
A group of high school students and their parents sued the state Department
of Education in February seeking a preliminary injunction to halt application
of the exam for this year's senior class. Both sides are scheduled to
appear Tuesday before Judge Robert Freedman in Oakland." (05/08/06)
Arggh!
Read the entire story, and you will see why I can not even bear to discuss
this unbelievably stupid action.
Mama's
Note: Don't think this state of affairs is anything new, however. Almost
15 years ago I was teaching in a small community college. I left in disgust
because the "students" were simply not prepared to do college
level work. The "entrance exam" for the college was written
at an 8th grade level, and many could not pass it without special coaching!
These unhappy people had "graduated" from high school without
the basic tools of English, math and logic. They could not write complete
sentences! They could not take several facts and bring them together to
a working analysis - the basic tool needed to put a common puzzle together!
They were not only ignorant, they did not know HOW to learn!
The
only exceptions, invariably, were those few who had been home schooled
or went to private schools. This should be a bright red flag for every
parent, but almost every time I mention this I'm told that they "can't
afford" to do anything but continue to send their children to be
drugged and damaged in the government schools. How terribly sad.
GA:
Teen suspended for teacher threat in "Ol' Smokey"
Fox News
"A high school student was suspended for five days after singing
a spoof of 'On Top of Ol' Smokey' that includes lyrics about shooting
a teacher. Beth Ann Cox, 16, a junior at Peachtree Ridge High School,
said she had been humming the song during German class but denied singing
loudly or directing the lyrics at her teacher, Phil Carroll. 'I'd had
a song stuck in my head all day, like the tune of it,' she said. 'This
kid in front of me asked me about the song. So I told him the words. I
didn't say them loudly.' The song includes the lyrics: 'On top of Ol'
Smokey, all covered with blood, I shot my poor teacher with a .44 slug.'
Administrators pulled Cox out of class later Friday and asked why she
had threatened her teacher. She was suspended Monday." [Editor's
note: Next time, tell them the song is "On Top of Spaghetti"
... no blood, just tomato paste! - SAT] [additional Editor's note: Er,
no. There shouldn't BE a next time -- the "administrators" in
question should be out on their cans and looking for ground-floor opportunities
in the janitorial or fast food sectors posthaste - TLK] (05/09/06)
I've left
the remarks of the FND/RRND editors on this, and agree more with Tom than
with Steve: the filk version of "On Top." has been around for
at LEAST 45 years, as I heard (and sang) it back in grade school a long
time ago, and to claim that it constitutes a "threat" is ludicrous.
But the solution is for Beth Ann's parents to get her out of the GRTF
schools now, although it may be too late. By the way, Tom, you don't want
these people as janitors, and you'd probably not eat at a fast-food place
manned by them. They could be airport screeners, though.
Mama's
Note: I was in high school quite a long time ago, and we had some VERY
interesting alternative lyrics to various popular songs. None of them
resulted in violence of any kind, of course, just gales of laughter and
a release of pent up frustration. The GRTF schools were not much better
then than now, unfortunately.
TX:
Feds force college election changes
Houston Chronicle
"Leaders of the North Harris Montgomery Community College District
agreed under pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice today to open
90 polling locations for Saturday's $250 million bond referendum. The
district had planned to open a dozen sites -- all on college property
-- for the vote. The number was a major reduction from the 2004 election,
when the college district offered 84 voting locations by sharing costs
with school districts that held elections on the same day." (05/08/06)
Another
reason to privatize the schools, especially the colleges: how can they
afford to hire teachers when they spend all their money in court and renting
polling places?
The
Home Front
The situation is this: America is at war with Islam and seemingly
the rest of the world (and itself). The problem is, in part, that we are
fighting ourselves as well as everyone else, and we are losing! The first
story is one that we've visited fairly often, and more than one person
points out that it shows we've been messed up for a long, long time.
Army
denying reserve officer resignations
Washington Post
"The Army Reserve, taxed by recruiting shortfalls and war-zone
duty, has adopted a policy barring officers from leaving the service if
their field is undermanned or they have not been deployed to Iraq, to
Afghanistan or for homeland defense missions. The reserve has used the
unpublicized policy, first adopted in 2004 and strengthened in a May 2005
memo signed by Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, its commander, to disapprove
the resignations of at least 400 reserve officers, according to Army figures.
.... Blocking reserve officers' resignations is one of several steps the
Army has undertaken in recent years to keep soldiers beyond their original
terms of service, as today's wars place unprecedented demands on the all-volunteer
force. Under another practice, known as "stop-loss," thousands
of active-duty Army and reserve soldiers have been temporarily prevented
from leaving the military, either because their skills were needed or
because their units were going overseas." (05/11/06)
Sad to
say, this is completely legal and every officer, reserve, retired, or
active, would know it if they had read (or go back and reread) the paperwork
they signed before they raised their hand. You can be called back from
your deathbed if the person wishing you to be called back is high enough
up the chain; and Congress gave the top link of the chain to the Prez
to delegate as he saw fit in about 1940. Even those who have "gotten
out" could still, under law existing since at least 1955, be called
back if someone decided that they were useful. At the same time, it also
means that someone who publicly resigns for ethical reasons, even if their
resignation is refused, are going to be far more visible both inside and
outside the Forces.
Rumsfeld
Heckler's History Ignored by Media
CNSNews.com
Former CIA Agent Raymond McGovern's televised argument with Secretary
of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has placed him in the media spotlight. But
McGovern is a longtime critic of the Bush administration and his liberal
views and alliances got little or no mention in the establishment media
on Friday...
We actually
discover that this happens quite often - the person is not some Joe Blow
off the street, but someone with a record. Of course, this could mean
that they know what they are talking about. Or it could be that they are
nothing but a shill. Take your pick.
Bank's
Closing of Muslim Charity Accounts Sparks Protest
CNSNews.com
Muslim American groups are lashing out at Wachovia Corp., accusing
the banking company of discrimination for closing the accounts of a Muslim
charity...
Hmm. Wonder
what Hebrew-American, Catholic-American, and Mormon-American groups think
about this?
DCI
nominee faces a fight
Cincinnati Enquirer
"President Bush's nomination of Gen. Michael Hayden as CIA chief
ignited a confirmation fight Monday over the intelligence veteran's ties
to the controversial eavesdropping program and his ability to be independent
from the military establishment. With Hayden at his side, Bush urged senators
to promptly approve the former National Security Agency head, who one
year ago was confirmed unanimously to be the nation's first deputy director
of national intelligence." (05/08/06)
This surprises
a lot of folks (including me) - Hayden would hardly be the first military
officer to head up the CIA, and considering how well-qualified he was
a year ago, the screams of outrage from Congress and elsewhere seem faked.
AZ:
Lawsuit challenges voter ID rules
Houston Chronicle
"Hispanic groups on Tuesday filed a lawsuit asking a federal court
to block and declare unconstitutional voter identification requirements
imposed under a 2004 voter-approved state law. Voter registration drives
are being hindered by the law's mandate for registrants to submit documents
proving their citizenship, the lawsuit said. Also, the requirement to
show specific types of ID when voting at polling places could keep citizens
from exercising their voting rights, the suit claimed." (05/09/06)
Of all
the objections of the liberal left, this is the one that makes the least
sense - unless they are so desperate for votes that they will encourage
illegal voting. Whoops, what am I saying? Of course they will - that is
why in Chicago you can include your vote in your will.
Muslim
Americans Fear "United 93" Backlash
WND
American Muslims are concerned that the new movie "United 93"
is reviving anti-Muslim sentiment in this country.
Just as it was claimed that "The Passion of the Christ" would
see an increase in anti-semitism. And that guns kill people.
And that
the government goon is here to help you.
NSA
has massive database of Americans' phone calls
USA Today
"The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the
phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided
by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the
arrangement told USA TODAY. The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses
across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary
Americans -- most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program
does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But
the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort
to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews."
(05/10/06)
This is
nothing new, despite USA Today splashing it across their front page today.
It has been legal for since at least 1999 (and who was in office then)
and has been discussed at least a few times. Those congrus-kritturs who
are now crying great sobs over this include some who voted for the law
in the first place. It was wrong in 1999, and it is wrong today - but
don't expect them to do anything about it except use it to bash the GOP.
What IS new is that for once, Bush almost instantly stood up and said
something about it. What is frustrating about this is that clearly the
feds could tell us ALL how to get the best deal on long-distance service,
and haven't said a thing!
AZ:
Arpaio unleashes thug "posse" to kidnap migrants l
Fox News
"The sheriff of Arizona's most populous county has mobilized a
posse to seek out and arrest undocumented immigrants for conspiracy to
smuggle themselves into the United States. ... On Wednesday night, a 250-member
posse of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio launched patrols in desert
areas and major roadways southwest of Phoenix in search of illegal immigrants
to arrest." (05/11/06)
Regardless
of the wisdom of trying to do this, Arpaio is receiving tremendous support
and attention for doing this. He does know how to make a splash, and do
what people want him to. He is also using an interesting tactic of not
charging them with illegal immigration or with trespassing, but rather
with the felony of conspiracy to violate the federal law - the same charge
on which Nixon was nearly impeached and was hounded from office. And the
same charge being used by opponents of the Ex-Speaker and other GOP types.
Privacy
A Concern, but So Are Leaks
CNSNews.com
(CNSNews.com) - Americans should be more worried about who's leaking
sensitive national security information than they should be about the
National Security Agency monitoring records of telephone calls, some Republicans
are saying...
Both things
are important and both things have been going on for years and years.
Libertarians have been warning about them almost as long, but does anyone
listen to us?
The
Middle East Tarbabies
Got a lot of articles this week, but not just from Iraq and Iran, of course.
Sadly, the US isn't the only nation or people stuck in five or six ways
to the tarbaby. Some are so badly stuck that they are suffocating, like
Egypt, in the next story.
Egypt:
Trial of pro-reform judges halted after protests
Independent [UK]
" Thousands of riot police locked down central Cairo as the government
attempted to discipline two senior judges for speaking out about election
fraud. A hearing by the government-controlled Supreme Judicial Council
had to be postponed after large demonstrations disrupted the session.
Protesters and journalists were arrested and beaten by plainclothes security
forces. Several hundred people attended the demonstration outside the
Cairo High Court and they were faced with an overwhelming security presence.
Members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, socialists, and activists
from the Kifaya! (Enough!) movement held placards reading, "the whole
nation supports the judges"." (05/11/06)
For once,
our sympathies might lie with the judges (I know, it is hard to even say
that out loud). But we should also be careful to make sure that these
really are "pro-reform" and not just Islamicist thugs in judicial
robes who only decry the fraud because they aren't doing it. I seriously
doubt if Egypt has ever HAD an honest election - actually, if Egypt can
ever HAVE an honest election as long as it has a majority of Muslims.
I doubt if any Islamic nation has ever had an honest election, for that
matter: there is no Arabic saying like "Vox populi, vox Dei."
(The voice of the people is the voice of God.) And the Islamic view of
God is not that of the loving, merciful, and kind Father, but rather the
harsh and vengeful Judge - no matter what titles they give Him.
Egypt:
Cairo clamps down on dissent
Guardian [UK]
"A year ago the Egyptian authorities were talking about political
reform, promising to hold fair elections and open up one of the Arab world's
more authoritarian regimes. But those days are long gone. Now the government
has launched a crackdown against its critics, arresting pro-democracy
activists and bringing legal cases against a group of outspoken senior
judges. Yesterday, in the latest clash, police arrested 11 people at a
demonstration near a south Cairo court." (05/08/06)
In case
you haven't noticed, the pendulum seems to be swinging faster and faster
in Egypt, and it is due for a very massive explosion, much as Iran had
about 25 years ago.
Mama's
Note: What is so interesting is that things have not changed too much
in Egypt and surrounding areas since Biblical times. If you
read history - real, not the "public school" kind - you
will see the same pattern again and again. They have always been ruled
by despots, especially the Muslims since about the 7th century.
Israel
Seen As World's Sixth Nuclear Power
SpaceWar Express
London (AFP) May 10, 2006 - Israel, which Tuesday warned Iran against
any future attack, is regarded as the sixth country in the world to acquire
nuclear weapons -- a title its government has never confirmed or denied.
Despite its ambiguous position, the Jewish state is widely regarded as
owning at least 200 atomic warheads, making it the only nuclear power
in the Middle East.
Hmmm. I
thought these folks were all so evil that they would immediately use their
FIRST warhead to wipe out Cairo, followed by Tehran, Damascus, and Baghdad.
Gee, you think that if Israel has been able to keep its nukes in its pockets,
Iran might, too?
Israel
Making Plans to Dismantle Unauthorized Outposts
CNSNews.com
The Israeli government is preparing to demolish illegal construction
in dozens of unauthorized outposts in the West Bank, but first it will
document which buildings must come down. While the settlers are furious,
an anti-settlement group said the government isn't moving fast enough...
As usual,
no Israeli government can do ANYTHING right, according to critics on both
extremes. Sadly, as in Iraq, there is no good solution, so long as people
allow themselves to be divided by their beliefs and refuse to accept that
people have a right to live in peace, even if not of the same faith or
ancestry.
Israel
gives Hamas end-of-year peace ultimatum
Toronto Star
"Israel will give the Palestinians until the end of the year to
prove they are willing to negotiate a final peace deal, and will unilaterally
set final borders with them by 2008 if they don't, a close associate of
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's said Tuesday. Justice Minister Haim Ramon
was the first Israeli official to set a deadline for the Palestinians'
militant Hamas government to renounce violence and recognize the Jewish
state." (05/10/06)
But anyone
want to bet that an extension is granted, come the end of the year?
Iraq:
US soldier, 30+ Iraqis killed
Reuters
"One U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb on Monday in eastern
Baghdad .... Twelve bodies bearing signs of torture and gunshot wounds
were found in various areas of Baghdad .... A roadside bomb aimed at police
guarding electricity installations exploded in northwest Baghdad, killing
two civilians .... The bodies of three people, one wearing police uniform,
were found with gunshot wounds and their hands bound in Latifiya ....
Iraqi police retrieved the bodies of 11 people, nine of them beheaded,
including a 10-year-old boy, in the Sunni town of Suwayra .... Gunmen
killed an Iraqi soldier and wounded two others on the main road between
Tikrit and Kirkuk .... Gunmen killed four police officers while they were
driving out of police headquarters in the city of Ramadi ..."
(05/09/06)
The week
started out well for US casualties, but ended with an awful lot of dead
Americans, and as a later story reports, the toll on local people is much,
much worse. The innocent victims are piling up. People are trying to protect
themselves, and US troops are (usually) letting them and helping them
to do so, but is it enough? Probably not.
Iraq:
Three US soldiers, six Iraqis killed
ISN Security Watch [Switzerland]
"Three US soldiers were among eight people killed by roadside
bombs on Thursday, as Iraq's president pleaded with his compatriots to
end sectarian violence. Middle East Online says that two soldiers died
when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb at around 9am. The third was
killed in a similar attack earlier in the morning. Five garbage collectors
were killed and one wounded by a roadside bomb in Baghdad's upscale Mansour
neighborhood .... an attorney with the Civil Investigation Unit of the
Karkh Court was shot dead by an unidentified gunman."
Ouch. Garbage
collectors (already near the lowest of the low in an Islamic country)
are getting hit now? I guess the insurgents are getting desperate for
a decent body count.
Mama's
Note: I don't know much about Islam and their pecking order, but as a
Marine brat I've heard many tales of "scrounging" and even some
"liberation" of things people - especially armies - throw away
that others can use or sell. Ask the South Koreans about how that works!
They simply LOVED the U.S. garbage dumps, with millions of dollars worth
of useful stuff tossed out endlessly.
Iraq:
Attacks continue, 3,500 dead in 2006
Houston Chronicle
"President Jalal Talabani said today that nearly 1,100 people
were killed in Baghdad alone last month and urged Iraq's feuding factions
to unite against surging crime and terrorism. But attacks continued across
Iraq. ... Near Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, gunmen opened fire
on a bus carrying Iraqi civilians to work, then planted a bomb aboard
the vehicle that exploded when rescue workers arrived. In all, 11 Iraqis
were killed and six wounded. Elsewhere, 13 Iraqis were killed in other
attacks .... Casualties from a suicide truck bombing in the northern city
of Tal Afar on Tuesday night rose to 22 dead and 134 wounded. ... At least
3,525 Iraqis have been killed in war-related violence this year. These
numbers include civilians, government officials, and police and security
officials, and are considered only a minimum based on Associated Press
reporting." (05/10/06)
As mentioned
above, a whole lot of deaths, and a whole lot of innocent people.
Mama's
Note: Yes, and something always for a lot of prayer. It's so hard to understand
how Americans can go bananas with concern if a single child in the country
is endangered in any way, yet sit by idle while thousands of innocent
children die like this. If we can care about the children in the Congo
or South America or anywhere else, why are these babies in Iraq so unimportant
that we can sit and watch while they suffer and die? Why are we helping
to kill them?
US
gives in on Palestinian aid
MSNBC
"The United States bowed to pressure from its allies on Tuesday
and agreed to support a new program to temporarily funnel additional humanitarian
aid directly to the Palestinian people. A statement by Mideast peacemakers,
issued after a day of closed-door diplomatic meetings, did not suggest
precisely how much or what kind of aid they would provide. But the agreement
seemed to underscore a concern that months of withholding most aid from
the Palestinians, part of an effort to pressure the new Hamas-led government
toward a more accommodating stance with Israel, was harming the Palestinian
people." (05/09/06)
Excuse
me, but we now know that clearly the Palestinian "people" (if
such a thing really exists) are completely separate from the "Palestinian
government" (which definitely DOES exist, together with thousands
of other such criminal organizations around the world). Obviously, no
Palestinians can be part of the government, if we can't give money to
the government, but can give it to the people that are "in"
the government. Oh, my head hurts on this one. Is the US Robin Hood, or
is the PA?
Mama's
Note: How nice. We are once again going to contribute to the upkeep and
training of the suicide bombers, etc.
Suicide
truck bomber kills 17 in Iraq
Indianapolis Star
"A suicide truck bomber attacked a crowded market in Tal Afar
late Tuesday, killing at least 17 people and wounding 35 in a city cited
by President Bush as a success story in battling insurgents. The bombing
occurred after incoming Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he had almost
finished assembling a Cabinet, the final step in establishing a national
unity government. U.S. officials had predicted insurgents would step up
attacks to try to block the new administration. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay
Khalilzad said al-Maliki would soon launch a four-part plan to restore
order by securing Baghdad, Basra and eight other cities, promoting reconciliation,
building public confidence in the police and army and disbanding sectarian
militias." (05/09/06)
Rice:
Iran letter dismissed
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed a letter that Iran's
president sent to President Bush on Monday, saying the first direct communication
from an Iranian leader in 27 years does not help resolve the standoff
over Tehran's disputed nuclear program. Iran's top nuclear negotiator
called the surprise letter a new 'diplomatic opening' between the two
countries, but Rice said it was not. 'This letter is not the place that
one would find an opening to engage on the nuclear issue or anything of
the sort,' the top U.S. diplomat said in an interview with The Associated
Press." (05/08/06)
Another
story (below) goes into more detail on this 18-page letter, it appears
to be more of a manifesto justifying what Iran is doing than a serious
attempt to resolve the issues.
Iranian
Letter to Bush Seen as Invitation to Embrace Islam
CNSNews.com
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush is
essentially a call on the American leader to embrace Islam, according
to an Islamic specialist and author...
As discussed
above, this makes perfect sense in the Islamic worldview.
Iranians
fault Rice's dismissal of letter
Detroit Free Press
"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's abrupt dismissal of a letter
from Iran's president might only strengthen hard-line attitudes and mistrust
of America, some Iranians warned Tuesday. As President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
began a high-profile visit to a key Muslim country, Indonesia, a former
top Iranian official said Rice's response will give new justification
to those who oppose ties with the U.S. Iran's former ambassador to France,
Sadeq Kharrazi, said the letter -- the first from an Iranian head of state
to an American president in 27 years -- 'could have been a turning point
in relations.' But he said Rice squandered the opportunity with what he
called a 'hasty reaction.'" (05/09/06)
Sure, it
could have been a turning point - if Bush started praying in the direction
of Mecca five times a day and started growing a beard. Which of course
would mean that Condi would be in purdah some place, wearing a veil. Well,
even the darkest cloud can have a glint of silver lining.
Saddam
Victim of 'Sectarian Persecution,' Says Ramsey Clark
CNSNews.com
Just days before Saddam Hussein's defense is scheduled to begin, one
of Saddam's lawyers - antiwar activist Ramsey Clark - has called for the
abolition of the Iraqi Special Tribunal that is hearing the case...
Poor little
guy. Maybe he is only getting back what he did for 25 years.
Saddam
attorney slams tribunal, Bush
CNN
"He's questioned the legality of the court. He's called the trial
'pure chaos.' He's called a judge's attempt to protect attorneys and witnesses
'absurd.' Now, a member of Saddam Hussein's defense team is saying they
need an extra month to prepare the defense of the former Iraqi dictator
because the court has been uncooperative. Ramsey Clark, who served as
U.S. attorney general under President Lyndon B. Johnson, said Tuesday
that Hussein's legal team won't be prepared to defend its client against
war crime charges May 15, the date the team is scheduled to present its
case to the Iraqi Special Tribunal in Baghdad." (05/09/06)
Aiming
for a more subtle occupation
Los Angeles Times
"Some American troops in Iraq have been their 'own worst enemy,'
unintentionally creating new insurgents by treating the Iraqi people in
a heavy-handed or insensitive manner, according to the U.S. commander
in charge of day-to-day military operations. Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli,
in a weekend training session with troops and in an interview afterward,
said he found a need to reemphasize to soldiers that they must use reasonable
force and treat the Iraqi culture with respect, in part because the insurgency
has persisted and grown. 'We have to understand that the way we treat
Iraqis has a direct effect on the number of insurgents that we are fighting,'
Chiarelli said in the interview with The Times after the seminar with
about three dozen soldiers and Marines at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad.
'For every one that I kill, I create almost 10 more.'" (05/09/06)
The
Campaign of 2006
The same old, same old, this week (again). Makes you want to chuck the
whole lot of them, doesn't it?
Disaffected
Conservatives and Dueling Democrats
CNSNews.com
Conservatives, upset about government spending and immigration policies,
are rapidly ditching President Bush and the Republican Congress, the Washington
Post reported on Thursday. Meantime, over at the Democrats' proverbial
ranch, chairman Howard Dean is having money fights with the leader of
the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
And we
want these guys to run our lives? Maybe be subjects of a soap opera, but
not much more.
Logs:
Abramoff visited White House twice
Houston Chronicle
"Secret Service records made public today show that convicted
lobbyist Jack Abramoff went to the White House twice in the past five
years, omitting three other occasions that have been acknowledged by the
Bush administration. The visits occurred on Jan. 20, 2004, the day President
Bush delivered his State of the Union address, and on March 6, 2001. Abramoff
stayed a total of 63 minutes, 29 seconds, but the records do not indicate
where he went in the complex or who he met." (05/10/06)
Obviously,
the Secret Service isn't all-seeing, eh? Apparently, Abramoff was delivering
instructions early in the administration, and then paying off the Prez
for his speech (in advance, a bad idea with politicians, Jack). Sounds
like a highly-placed and influential guy, eh?
Libertarians
Blame Two-Party System
CNSNews.com
The Libertarian Party says both Republicans and Democrats have failed
the country, and it points to the NSA terrorist surveillance program as
another example of government abuse...
No fooling?
Gee, these guys are swift!
Mama's
Note: Even though I don't agree with much the Libertarian Party wants
to do, it was good to see them at least mentioned in the main stream press.
As Nathan said, however, it would be better if they could catch up with
the rest of us and not spout off on something so old. Heck, they might
make the mainstream press a little more often, if that's a good idea,
of course.
Dean
Statement on Marriage Sparks 'Gay' Backlash
CNSNews.com
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is taking heat from
one of his party's most loyal constituencies -- homosexuals -- after erroneously
stating that his party's platform defines marriage as the union of one
man and one woman...
Come on,
the guy is a liar - he is too good a politician to forget his party's
stand on an issue like that, if he weren't flat-out lying.
Mama's
Note: You ALWAYS know when a politician is lying... his/her mouth is moving.
At least this is true with very few exceptions like Ron Paul. But, is
he really a politician?
Democrats
Concentrate on Deadline, Not 'Sign Up' Message
CNSNews.com
Democrats who have criticized President Bush's prescription drug benefit
are urging senior citizens to enroll in the program, but they insist that
seniors be given more time to do so...
Typically
nasty politics - the GOP all but surrendered to the Demos and their own
socialist wing on this, but that isn't enough.
Coin
dealer asks to change guilty pleas
Cincinnati Enquirer
"A major GOP fundraiser charged in a scandal over a state rare-coin
investment asked to change his not guilty pleas Wednesday on separate
federal charges that he illegally funneled donations to President Bush's
reelection campaign. Coin dealer Tom Noe's attorney and the U.S. attorney's
office jointly filed a request Wednesday asking a federal judge to set
a change of plea hearing as soon as possible. The filing did not indicate
what the new plea will be." (05/10/06)
The stupid
coin deal apparently has no direct connection with this plea, and as with
other plea bargains in the news this week, no explanation is given as
to why. But clearly, the guy has a track record that would be the envy
of a budding con artist except for one thing - he keeps getting caught.
Our
right to defend ourselves
As Mama asked, how can we expect Iraqis to be able to learn how to defend
themselves when we are busy disarming Americans ourselves in so much of
the United States? Fortunately, it isn't bad everyplace, AND there are
a lot of people fighting to keep this freedom.
Mama's
Note: You bet! Are YOU readers all a part of that action? Do you belong
to the Second Amendment Sisters,
Gun Owners of America, or any
one of the other organizations that are fighting for our right to bear
arms and teaching people both their rights and how to defend themselves?
Even the much maligned NRA has done
a lot of good work training gun owners in the past. What are YOU doing
to maintain your rights and defend yourselves and families? Talk is mighty
cheap! PS: Mama is now the webmaster for the Wyoming
SAS chapter. Take a look!
NC:
Charge dropped against Asheville man injured in police raid
Asheville Citizen-Times
"A judge has thrown out a charge of resisting arrest against a
man injured by an explosive police weapon. The Asheville Police Department
and Troy Steven Wyatt's attorneys give very different details of how a
stun grenade detonated near Wyatt, causing what attorney Java Warren said
are permanent injuries to his testicles. Warren said the dismissal of
the charge May 3 in Buncombe County District Court bears out his client's
version of events: that police lobbed the device into his lap as he sat
with hands in the air. .... The warrant said Wyatt resisted Officer Chad
Bridges by disobeying a command "to be still." (05/11/06)
"Peace
officers" today seem more and more like combat troops, and react
like combat troops - an evil we should be regretting already, and will
regret more and more.
Mama's
Note: I just wonder... when did the grenade go off? It would be hard to
"be still" with one of them going off in your face. Reminds
me of the idiot cops who demand a person put up their hands, then tell
them to get out of the car ... then threaten them - screaming - when they
put their hand down to the door handle. How else are they supposed to
get out?? But people have been shot and killed for far less.
VA:
Gunman kills one police officer, wounds two
ABC News
"The fatal shooting of a detective at a suburban police station
appeared to be the work of a lone, troubled 18-year-old who was targeting
officers, officials said. Two other officers were wounded when the teenager
opened fire in the parking lot of the suburban Washington, D.C., police
station Monday. The assailant was also killed during the gunfight."
(05/09/06)
This is
sending some waves around, because it is claimed that an "assault
weapon" was used in this attack, and therefore, expect more pressure
to revive the ban. At the same time, it appears clear that this young
thug would have done the same if he'd had to make his own zip-guns.
Mama's
Note: Not to mention the fact that these "cops" are the ones
we're supposed to turn to when we are attacked? Where were their weapons
and training?
Police
Shooting Allows Group to Demonize 'Assault Weapons'
CNSNews.com
The troubled teenager who shot and killed a Fairfax County, Va., police
officer on Monday had access to a "military style assault weapon"
-- and a gun control group says "the nature of that weapon changed
the dynamic" of the deadly shooting.
As discussed
above. (Both of us...)
Iraq:
Local men gather arms, work shifts to guard families
Washington Times
"As night fell, young men emerged from their homes, pulled a tree
trunk across the entrance to their street and took their positions for
another shift guarding their families from the armed groups that roam
Baghdad. Beside them, in a residential Sunni area in the southwest of
the city, lay their weapons. At the moment it is only Kalashnikovs. But
they seek more, especially heavy machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
... 'The groups we are nervous of have many guns and are well-organized.
If they come, can we beat them? If not, we would die knowing we fought
to save our fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters.' This is neighborhood
watch Iraqi-style. ... the U.S. Army in the most troubled spots has started
to issue weapons licenses to people guarding their homes." (05/06/06)
Mama Liberty
was properly incensed by the idea that they need a "weapons license."
I think (from what I've been told by people coming back from there) that
an awful lot of arms and ammo HAS been given out by US soldiers to ordinary
people who they are working with - along with candy-bars and toys and
medicine and a lot more.
I am sure
that some Pentagon buro-rat came up with the license idea, but I'll bet
that a lot of soldiers were already giving out "licenses" to
the people so that the poor shopkeeper or homeowner could show that they
hadn't stolen it and weren't part of the "insurgents." As I
recall the interim government made it clear that every home could have
at least one weapon and no permits required. Even before that, I was being
told stories about how soldiers would make sure that families and shopkeepers
DID have weapons and ammo, and in some cases were redistributing weapons
that had been found in caches or turned in by the Iraqi army when they
surrendered (cases of "lost" property).
But I am
sure that there is some law on the books about crew-served weapons and
the "licenses" might be just a way to work around that and make
sure that these informal protective associations have heavier weapons
than just pistols and AK-47. The fact that it is being mentioned in newspaper
articles is a good thing - it possibly means that it will not be a problem
for the high-mucky-mucks to learn about what has apparently been happening
since the invasion.
I've heard
nothing about disarming anyone except those actually captured after attacks,
at least not from people over there - just some newspaper articles. I'm
sure that there are some cases where that is happening (we have a lot
of brasshats, remember), but it doesn't appear to be common practice.
Remember that most people, especially US troops, are being killed by IEDs,
not by guns.
I think
it is always important to recall that the soldiers over there, for the
vast majority of them, believe that we went there to liberate Iraq from
an evil dictator, and that we are there now to keep the bad guys from
reestablishing a dictatorship. And there aren't very many liberals in
the services, especially not in the line units of the Army and Marines
(not saying that they are libertarians in any significant number, of course),
just a lot of conservatives to whom gun ownership is an important part
of freedom - the very freedom for which they believe that we are in Iraq
and Afghanistan. They will pay lip service to "stupid brasshat regs"
but do what they believe is right - letting people that they know and
like and trust have the same right to defend themselves, their family,
their homes, and their businesses that the soldier and his/her family
and friends have back home in Odessa or Topeka or Tulsa or Pierre. And
smart commanders will, as usual, protect their people from the flakes
and REMFs and staff-pukes. I'm hearing more and more about people adopting
families and neighborhoods and villages - just as happened in Germany
and Japan.
No, the
invasion of Iraq as a "preemptive attack" was wrong and continues
to be wrong - but at the same time, things could be worse. I pray that
they are not getting worse - they are bad enough as it is.
OH:
CHL holder shoots and kills robber
Ohioans for Concealed Carry
"Thursday evening Mike Dayem was in a battle for his life. A masked
man entered Mike's Food Market on Cleveland's east-side with a gun and
demanded money. When Mike's 19 year-old son, Abe, who also works at the
store, gave the robber everything in the cash register, the robber said
it wasn't enough and demanded more. Then the robber shot Abe in the head.
That is when Mike grabbed his own gun and returned fire, striking the
robber in the neck and chest. The robber fled from the store, leaving
the money. Cleveland Police found the robber on the sidewalk about a block
away. He was declared dead about 30 minutes later." (05/06/06)
Isn't it
about time that Ohio stopped being as thuggish as this dead robber and
would-be murderer? Ohio politicians want more dead innocent people, clearly
- must be their contribution to preventing overpopulation.
Mama's
Note: Beats me why gun owners would want to live in Ohio at all. Move
to Wyoming, Montana
or one of the other states where self defense is not a crime.
NC:
Durham homicide called self-defense
Raleigh News-Observer
"Police say a Sunday night shooting was a case of self-defense.
Nakia Antione Harper, 31, was shot by his girlfriend at a Beamon Street
apartment about 6:26 p.m. Police questioned the woman, whose name was
not released, and determined that she shot Harper to defend herself. She
showed signs of physical abuse, police said. ... Harper had a lengthy
criminal record, including felony charges for possessing cocaine, conspiracy
to sell crack cocaine, heroin possession, possessing stolen goods and
possession of a stolen weapon." (05/08/06)
Sadly,
too many women attach themselves to evil monsters who know nothing but
brute force, and deadly force is sometimes the only answer.
TX:
61-year-old vigilante speaks out
WFAA News
"Police released the mug shots of four suspects after authorities
said they attempted an armed robbery on a 61-year-old man who turned vigilante.
Three of the suspects in jail and the fourth was hospitalized with a gunshot
wound he received after Ken said he fought back. ... Two men pounded on
his door while Ken said he was inside his Mission Spring Creek apartment.
... Ken said he opened the door, but not before grabbing his pistol. However,
he said he wasn't the only one with a gun. The suspects allegedly were
armed with a 20-gauge shotgun. 'And I hit it and knocked the barrel up
and it went off,' Ken said. A chunk out of his ceiling and a hole was
ripped in his door. Ken fired his gun three times. The first shot hit
a wall and the second hit the robber. 'I'm not going to give up,' he said
he thought through the incident. 'I'm not going to let them take what
I work for. I work hard for what little I have, and it's mine.'"
(05/08/06)
This is
NOT vigilantism to defend yourself, your home and your property, and this
TV station needs to be called to account for the outright lie. This is
nothing but normal self-defense, that Texans have been practicing for
180 years.
Mama's
Note: Just think, with a "publik skool edukashun" the person
who wrote this might not really know what a "vigilante" is,
just saw the word and thought it looked cool. They most certainly don't
know the history of this country, or Texas in particular. The lie is more
likely than a mistake, but anything can happen - in "Amerika"...
MS:
Homeowners help capture escaped inmate
WAPT News
"Accused bank robber Torry Solomon escaped from the Yazoo County
jail early Thursday morning along with a fellow inmate Charlie Jones.
The Yazoo County sheriff said Solomon was walking near Regan Drive when
a woman spotted him walking toward her home. The woman told her husband,
who got a gun, and held Solomon until the sheriff's department picked
him up. Solomon was being held for a string of robberies in several metro
area counties." (05/08/06)
Not a shot
fired. But a thug was kept off the streets. Until a judge releases him,
of course.
Mama's
Note: Were they threatening her? Why else would anyone shoot? These guys
weren't very smart if they were walking along in jail clothes, but I beg
to point out that this man was "accused" of robbing a bank,
evidently not convicted. We must be careful to remember that even the
terminally stupid are innocent until proven guilty.
MS:
Jury deems killing justified
Jackson Clarion-Ledger
"For the second time in six months, a Hinds County grand jury
has declined to indict a person who killed another while defending his
home or business. In the latest case, the grand jury said Fred James Perry,
55, owner of Livingston Towing & Recovery at 3228 Medgar Evers Blvd.
in Jackson, should not be prosecuted for fatally shooting suspected burglar
Timothy Darby, 36, of Jackson on Dec 17. Police did not arrest Perry in
Darby's death but did charge him as a felon in possession of a firearm
because of Perry's 1982 conviction for armed robbery. But the grand jury
also returned no indictment on that charge." (05/09/06)
Good call,
jury. Now, ask the stupid state prosecutors why they are wasting tax money
and jurors time in bringing these cases to trial. And while you are at
it, maybe we need to have a statute of limitations on taking away felon's
rights for self-defense? If someone can't ever be trusted with a gun again,
maybe he needs to be exiled. Or put down like a mad dog.
More
of self-defense news on page 2
More
News and Commentary on Page 2
Nathan
Barton is writing from his secret bunker complex on the eastern slopes
of the Paha Sapa, swilling Doctor Pepper (and gallons of water each day,
milady) and plotting to reelect Gaius Julius Caesar dictator of the Republic
- or was that Senator Palpatine? Granville James Corbin? W? Q?
Be sure
to visit my blog, Liberty's
Outpost.
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Tread on Me flags used by the June 23d Movement and other Property Rights
Organizations: you
can get them for $10.00 plus shipping here.
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