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July
24, 2006
Libertarian
Commentary on the News for the week of 16-22 July, 2006.
After
missing last week, a long column of news and comments this week, courtesy
of RRND and other sources!
The
Culture Wars
Lots from the fronts in this battle, this week.
NE:
Anti-homo marriage law reinstated
CNN
"Supporters of banning gay marriage won two major court rulings
Friday, with a federal appeals court reinstating Nebraska's voter-approved
ban on same-sex marriage and the Tennessee Supreme Court ruling that voters
should have a say on the issue. Last week, the highest courts in two others
states also dealt gay rights advocates setbacks. The New York court rejected
a bid by same-sex couples to win marriage rights, and the Georgia court
reinstated a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage there."
(07/16/06)
The battle
over welfare benefits continues, across the nation.
Evolution
Debate Rekindled in Ohio
CNS News
- Conservatives on the Ohio Board of Education are battling to reopen
the debate over the teaching of the theory of evolution in the state's
public schools. Their goal is to force curriculum changes that would allow
discussion of the intelligent design theory...
This battle
will continue, as long as we let the state control schools.
Mama's
Note: Have you honestly looked at what the government schools are teaching
as "history?" The folks who lived through it would certainly
not recognize most of it...
House
fails to override stem cell veto
Louisville Courier-Journal
"President Bush rejected legislation Wednesday that could have
multiplied the federal money going into embryonic stem cell research,
using the first veto of his presidency to underscore his stand on the
emotionally charged, life-and-death issue. A few hours later, the House
voted 235-193 to overturn Bush's veto, 51 short of the required two-thirds
majority." (07/19/06)
Bush wishes
this would have never come up, as do a good many members of Congress:
it is too much a hot-button issue and they fear the effect on the election.
The morality is inconvenient, and I am quite surprised that Bush actually
vetoed it. (I had predicted otherwise.)
Mama's
Note: I'm glad Bush got something right, even if it was an accident. I
just wish he felt the same about ALL human life. How is it wrong to kill
a zygote, but it's OK to murder thousands of innocent men, women and children
around the globe - including the US? And a zygote can't even vote!
House
OKs bill guarding pledge from courts
Del Rio News Herald
"The House, citing the nation's religious origins, voted Wednesday
to protect the Pledge of Allegiance from federal judges who might try
to stop schoolchildren and others from reciting it because of the phrase
'under God.' The legislation, a priority of social conservatives, passed
260-167. It now goes to the Senate where its future is uncertain."
(07/19/06)
As near
as I can tell, this isn't a law which would FORCE the recitation, but
simply ALLOW the recitation of the Pledge - an entirely different thing,
especially since the court battles have been over just two words. Although
I will split from at least some libertarians on this, the Pledge's origins
and supposed deification of the state do not bother me nearly as much
as a judge claiming that separation of church and state makes it wrong
to say these words in a school or public assembly.
Mama's
Note: Nobody is even talking about the REAL issue here. The "pledge"
is a socialist piece
of garbage that has no place in this country. I pledge my allegiance
to Liberty and Justice for all. I do that every day by the way I live.
That is what the US flag was supposed to represent. It hasn't done that
in a very long time.
States
fight Federal abstinence-only education dictates
Raw Story
"A report published by the Sexuality Information and Education
Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) found that the more than $1 billion in federal
funds spent on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs have provoked strong
reactions in some parts of the country due to the concern that it is filled
with false and misleading information. States pushing back against abstinence-only
education include Maine, California, and Pennsylvania which all rejected
funding that comes through the federal welfare law. New Mexico restricted
use of the funds to programs in the 6th grade and below. And, New York
and Illinois are working to fund comprehensive, well-designed sexuality
education." (07/19/06)
Like the
evolution battles, these too will continue as long as we let the state
stick its nose into things that properly are the role of the family and
the church.
Mama's
Note: And, without the moral strength and example of parents and the rest
of society, it's a gigantic waste of time anyway.
House
Passes Bill to Save Mt. Soledad Memorial
CNS News
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would
allow the federal government to take over a San Diego war memorial featuring
a large cross that overlooks the city from atop Mt. Soledad...
Of course,
the courts can just deem that bill itself to be a violation of the separation
of church and state - which will raise the specter of watching hundreds
of War Between the States memorials, national cemeteries, and other pieces
of government property "cleansed" of religious expression: imagine
a military cemetery or veteran's cemetery in which all religious symbols
have been removed. Ridiculous, you say? This is the era in which the ridiculous
becomes commonplace.
Same-sex
marriage pioneers separate
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal
"The lesbian couple whose lawsuit led to legal same-sex marriage
in Massachusetts have announced they have separated. 'Julie and Hillary
Goodridge are amicably living apart,' Mary Breslauer, a local political
consultant, said Thursday night on their behalf. Breslauer declined to
comment on how long they had been separated or whether the couple planned
to divorce." (07/20/06)
So much
for claims that homosexual couples would do "marriage" right.
It does really raise the question of "why bother" - except that
I already know the answer to that - it isn't love, it's money: government
benefits and permissions.
EU
plans elite border guards to stop migrants
Independent [UK]
" Elite teams of EU border guards will be sent to Europe's southern
frontiers at short notice to combat illegal migration, under plans unveiled
by the European Commission. The move would mean the creation of a permanent
rapid reaction force of 250-300 experts who could be dispatched within
10 days to deal with sudden movements of population." (07/19/06)
Frankly,
I thought that EU countries already had "permanent rapid reaction
forces" of 800-1000 "experts" to deal with sudden movements
of population (i.e., "invasions) - called combat battalions.
Mama's
Note: I wonder if they'll be wearing those fetching helmets with the spike
on top... and ask for your "papers please" in German... What
a shame they didn't learn from their history any better than we did.
The
Coming Fall of Europe
Got a few items to share this week. However, if the heat wave continues,
Europe may not fall, just burn up!
UK:
Reid bans groups for "glorifying terrorism"
Guardian [UK]
"Two UK-based Islamist militant groups, al-Ghurabaa and the Saved
Sect, were yesterday named as the first extremist groups to be banned
in Britain under new anti-terror laws. The two groups are believed to
be splinter organisations of al-Muhajiroun, which was dissolved in 2004
by its founder, the radical Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who later
fled to Lebanon and is now banned from returning to Britain. The groups
are the first to be targeted by the home secretary, John Reid, under anti-terror
legislation outlawing extremist organisations who 'glorify terrorism.'
Until now the home secretary's powers of proscription have been used only
against organisations directly involved in terrorism." (07/17/06)
These do
appear to be organizations which can be safely called enemies of the UK
and the rest of the West. But I'd feel a lot better about this if the
groups had their day in an open courtroom to be questioned, and for "twelve
citizens, tried and true" to decide, instead of a politician and
his cronies in a back room.
Mama's
Note: The only real verdict will be what people decide to do. A "ban"
on such things is worse than useless, of course. It certainly doesn't
stop their activities, merely drives them underground. This will simply
add more fuel to the fires of hate and anger.
Bulgarian
mothers tricked into selling babies
Independent [UK]
"The European baby-trafficking industry is booming. Every year,
hundreds of women are duped into making the desperate journey from Bulgaria
to Greece hoping to earn money for a better life. Alexander was just one
member of a notorious criminal gang that makes its money from trafficking
pregnant women and selling their babies on for up to $20,000 on the black
market." (07/17/06)
As so many
things do, I admit, this baffles me. In a world where we are killing millions
of unborn babies a year, it would seem that stolen infants would be a
glut on the world market. Are these being sold into slavery in Saudi Arabia?
Or Thai brothels? Or American homes? Slavery is a lot more common than
most think (or want to think).
Mama's
Note: One possible reason for this is the incredible difficulties most
governments present to people who wish to adopt. If adoption was simply
a matter between bio and prospective parents, most of this wouldn't continue.
I guess it's easier to spend this kind of money than to wait 5 years for
the wheels of bureaucracy to turn. Of course, some of them probably do
not go to real adoptive homes, but a lot of that is because the whole
process is hidden. Open, private adoption would put these folks out of
business.
UK:
Government failing to widen university access
Guardian [UK]
"The government's multimillion-pound push to widen access to higher
education is slowly losing steam, as the proportion of state school students
going to university continues to fall and dropout rates rise, new figures
show. Latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa)
have disappointed ministers, who had been championing a year-on-year rise
of the percentage of state school pupils going on to higher education.
The government is spending £300m on widening access to university,
and aims to get 50% of young people entering higher education by 2010."
(07/19/06)
Is this
forcing the horse to water? After years of abuse and mistreatment and
wasted time in the state schools (what are called "public schools"
in the US; government-run, tax-funded), it is no wonder that the students
want to avoid another two to four years of misery, especially since it
gets them no further ahead in the dole queue.
The
Home Front
News this week is not exactly good, here at home. Too many people have
decided that they don't really care what liberties we have, and are working
to restrict them still further. All too often, we find out weeks or months
later about something that is going to harm our liberties, but the effects
often take years to mature, which makes it harder to convince people that
something needs to be done NOW. This week's stories point out that a little
bit more action a few months or years ago might have let us avoided the
mess we find ourselves in, today.
Bush
gets "more power to eavesdrop" in bill
Independent [UK]
"The dispute over the Bush administration's secret eavesdropping
of US citizens has reignited after it emerged the White House had brokered
a deal with Congress that critics say gives it even greater flexibility
to monitor phone calls electronically. It was widely reported that the
agreement between the White House and Senate Judiciary Committee represented
an about-turn by President George Bush on a key weapon in his so-called
'war on terror.' This was because the agreement hammered out with the
committee's Republican chairman, Senator Arlen Specter, would allow a
secret court to assess the constitutionality of the President's covert
eavesdropping programme. But Democrats said the proposed new legislation
merely required the White House to behave in a way it was already legally
obliged to in exchange for giving it greater flexibility over the eavesdropping."
(07/15/06)
It seems
to me it is Congress that is willing to compromise away our freedoms -
supposedly the two branches are counterbalancing each other, but this
is an evil alliance, instead.
Mama's
Note: The way to test all these things is to ask yourself if it would
be legal for YOU to do it. If not, then it is not legal for anyone else.
Our basic rights, and our obligation not to initiate force, is the same
for everyone. Nobody can just declare themselves above the law like this
- at least without grave consequences. They're coming fast.
Return
to sender
MSNBC/Newsweek
"Mark Pilat took a deep breath, braced himself and knocked on
the door. A deportation officer with the Department of Homeland Security's
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency -- that's 'ICE' in Fed lingo
-- Pilat and his team converged on a sprawling trailer park outside Columbus,
Ohio, last week. The park is a haven for illegal aliens, but the ICE team
wasn't there to round up undocumented immigrants en masse. Instead, they
were after one man: a 30-year-old Mexican national -- a known felon who
was considered armed and dangerous." (For publication 07/24/06)
What happened
to "no-knock" entry? Clearly, illegal immigrants must be treated
with kid gloves, unlike "mere" Americans.
Mama's
Note: And why this one among so many others? Something missing in this
story.
MA:
State targets plans for flood disaster
Boston Globe
"The Mary Immaculate nursing home sits on the Spicket River and
was protected only by makeshift sand-and-gravel berms. As the Spicket
crested, the berms gave way, sending flood waters gushing into the nursing
home, which housed 245 residents, including more than 40 Alzheimer's patients.
They all had to be floated out in laundry bins. The evacuation at the
state's third-largest nursing home was among the most extensive disaster
operations in Massachusetts history. State and local officials involved
in the sweeping review praise the rescuers, who ferried out every patient
unharmed in torrential rains. But at the same time, public safety and
health care officials have questioned whether Mary Immaculate should have
been evacuated sooner, and have focused on the case as emblematic of inadequate
emergency planning at hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care
facilities." (07/16/06)
Emergency
planning is bad all over, from small towns in Montana to big cities in
big-population states like this one in Mass. And it is going to get worse,
because the common "wisdom" is to say that it is government's
job -not private individuals. That is wrong, and it will kill people -
already has in a lot of places.
Mama's
Note: Hmmm, New Orleans comes to mind for some reason...
Hundreds
turn out to support war protester
Daily Tribune
"If police hoped to quiet Monday afternoons at Nine Mile and Woodward
by arresting war protester Victor Kittila last week and charging him with
disorderly conduct -- they failed. Several hundred people clustered there
Monday and filled every side of the intersection holding signs and banners
protesting George W. Bush and the Iraq War. ... Last Monday Kittila, 55,
was arrested in front of his wife and their 13-year-old daughter and threatened
with a Taser if he resisted. Police Chief Michael Kitchen said he was
arrested for holding a sign that inspired drivers to honk their horns."
(07/11/06)
This story
is an example of the way seeming innocuous laws can be turned into tools
of oppression.
Mama's
Note: If honking horns is now illegal, they'll have to arrest an awful
lot of taxi drivers (and others) in New York and other big cities.
For
wounded US veterans, job prospects brighter
Christian Science Monitor
"For Sgt. Logan Jubeck, sunbaked Camp Williams has nowhere near
the excitement of his forward observation base near Kirkuk, Iraq. Here,
at this National Guard base outside Salt Lake City, he's waiting for the
Army to decide if he's medically fit to remain in the service. While he's
waiting, he's getting briefed on job prospects in the civilian world.
At least four contractors want to interview the Idaho guardsman for jobs.
Most are offering 'top dollar.' And at least two universities are likely
to give Sergeant Jubeck, who was an engineering student before serving
in Iraq, incentives to return to school. 'That's the scoop,' says Rob
Brazell of Return to Work Inc., a nonprofit organization that has started
working with disabled veterans such as Jubeck." (07/18/06)
Being disabled
to a certain degree myself, thanks to non-combat injuries, I have a special
place in my heart for these guys and gals, and am glad to see the private
sector stepping in to help.
Gonzales:
Bush blocked spy plot probe
Yahoo! News
"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday that President
Bush personally blocked Justice Department lawyers from pursuing an internal
probe of the [illegal] warrantless eavesdropping program that monitors
Americans' international calls and e-mails when terrorism is suspected.
The department's Office of Professional Responsibility announced earlier
this year it could not pursue an investigation into the role of Justice
lawyers in crafting the program, under which the National Security Agency
intercepts some telephone calls and e-mail without court approval. At
the time, the office said it could not obtain security clearance to examine
the classified program. Under sharp questioning from Senate Judiciary
Committee chairman Arlen Specter, Gonzales said that Bush would not grant
the access needed to allow the probe to move forward." (07/18/06)
Apparently,
this does not bother either Gonzales nor the President, else the announcement
would not have been made. Now, don't hold your breath and expect the courts
or the Congress to do anything about it.
Retired
officer sentenced in arms deal
Miami Herald
"A former military intelligence officer was sentenced Monday to
a year in federal prison for helping a convicted arms trafficker export
parts for jet fighters and other aircraft that were ultimately destined
for Iran. George Charles Budenz II, a retired Navy commander, pleaded
guilty in November to three counts of illegally exporting engine parts
for F-5 fighters, T-38 military trainers and Chinook helicopters to Malaysia
and Belgium on behalf of Pakistani arms dealer Arif Ali Durrani."
(07/17/06)
This kind
of crass commercial endeavor can be viewed in two ways: betrayal of the
nation he (voluntarily, I might add) swore to defend, once up on a time;
or a normal free-entrepreneur deal evilly punished by the government.
Much as I support free enterprise, the betrayal of an oath when liberty
and other moral issues were not at stake is more than I can stomach. A
year doesn't begin to be an adequate punishment - unless it were spent
caring for victims of Islamicist violence.
Mama's
Note: My question is: who did these various spare parts belong to in the
first place? I can't imagine this guy paid for these things out of his
pension, however generous. Something missing here.
Prosecutors
find evidence of Chicago police torture in past but can't indict
Danbury News-Times
"Special prosecutors investigating allegations that police tortured
black suspects in the 1970s and '80s said Wednesday they found evidence
of mistreatment, but any crimes are now too old to prosecute. 'It is our
judgment that the evidence in those cases would be sufficient to establish
guilt beyond a reasonable doubt,' Robert D. Boyle and Edward J. Egan wrote
in a long-awaited report." (07/19/06)
A depressing
reminder that in too many parts of the country, too much liberty was lost
a very long time ago, and the thugs are (as usual) getting away scot-free.
Mama's
Note: All you have to do is read an honest history of this country to
know that government abuse and violation of the law is nothing new. The
past "war on alcohol" is a prime example.
Doctor,
Nurses Arrested for Katrina Killings
Space War Daily
US investigators have charged a doctor and two nurses with murder in the
mercy killing of four patients in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
in New Orleans, officials said Tuesday.
Delusions
of godhood? What kind of excuse can these people have for their betraying
the trust of their patients? Of the many horror stories coming out during
that time, most were discounted: this abuse of power may have happened
(although a jury must decide for certain).
Mama's
Note: Considering the conditions these people were working in, the miracle
is that any of them survived. I would have to see extreme proof to accept
any allegation of wrongdoing here. They were probably simply trying to
control the suffering of those patients, but the current climate of hysteria
over any use of the appropriate drugs will make that work against them,
not help them. The line here is mighty fine, and it may not be possible
to learn the truth, but I'm afraid these people, who suffered terribly
to stay with those patients, will never see real justice.
Specter
in 'Bizarro World' Over Spying Bill, Critic Says
CNS News
- A bill to clarify the Bush administration's lawful use of domestic
spying would give the administration a "blank check," according
to the American Civil Liberties Union and former Republican U.S. Rep.
Bob Barr. The bill, sponsored by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen
Specter, was ridiculed by Barr Tuesday as the product of a "bizarro
world." "What this means -- bottom line -- is that the president
can unilaterally monitor anyone he wants, at anytime, for any duration
without any check whatsoever," said Lisa Graves, senior counsel for
legislative strategy at the ACLU.
The neocon
coalition backing the president seems to be fracturing more and more over
this and other issues, where some are apparently listening to warnings
that we are making the Oval Office more and more an elected monarch able
to ignore key elements of law at whim.
'You
Don't Speak for Me,' Legal Hispanic Immigrants Shout
CNS News
A group of American Hispanicslegal residents of the U.S. are blasting
efforts to convert illegal immigrants into "guest workers,"
arguing that their own pursuit of the American dream is being impeded
by the influx of illegal aliens...
And don't
forget the attitudes of second- and third-generation descendants of immigrants
from Spanish-and Portuguese-speaking countries. A good many descendants
of immigrants from wherever consider the illegal immigrants to be harmful
to them, their future, and their society.
Mama's
Note: Sure. They've got theirs and want no competition. Of course, this
"guest worker" nonsense is just that. If you must, how about
making "legal" immigration a lot faster and easier. That would
solve the problem fast, at no increased cost to anyone.
Pakistani
man sentenced in terror trial
Tyler Morning Telegraph
"A Pakistani man convicted of agreeing to help an al-Qaida operative
with terrorist plans sneak into the United States was sentenced Thursday
to 30 years in federal prison. Judge Sidney H. Stein said Uzair Paracha
knew what he was doing when he agreed to help a former Baltimore resident
trying to sneak back into the U.S. from Pakistan." (07/20/06)
Did it
really happen? Apparently, in this case, no national secrets were involved
and the trial was open - even the guy's defense attorney admitted he did
it but said he was just a patsy. Well, even patsies can be traitors.
Mama's
Note: Just what is gained by having him totally supported by the taxpayers
for the next 30 years? Why wasn't he simply returned to Pakistan? This
is nuts.
White
House shifts tack on Tribunals
Washington Post
"Top White House officials took a harder line yesterday on a new
system to try terrorism suspects, telling Republican senators that President
Bush will soon formally propose a tribunal structure with only minor changes
from the military commissions that were ruled unconstitutional last month.
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and national security adviser Stephen
J. Hadley met with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John W. Warner
(R-Va.) and Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) And Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.),
offering views on a new tribunal structure that they said could pass constitutional
muster with a Supreme Court that rebuked the White House in June. The
senators said Bush will give Congress a proposal soon." (07/20/06)
Next step
in the dance. It seems to me to be a moot point - but why not just go
ahead and get a proper judge and jury? Admittedly the definition of "peer"
is going to be stretched a bit, but not unreasonably.
Our
Imperial Courts
Three stories this week (although several other court cases are featured
in other sections); two good and one mixed, at best - which is better
than most weeks. Still, neither one of these matters should have to have
been decided by courts in the first place.
Wal-Mart
Health Care Law Struck Down by Federal Judge
CNS News
A Maryland law requiring large, private companies doing business in
the state -- especially Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. -- to spend at least 8 percent
of their payroll on employee health benefits was overturned by a federal
judge on Wednesday...
I am putting
this with other court cases, but this is actually a good thing: the courts
are saying that a government can't intentionally single out a company
and attack it by forcing it to provide health care (or anything else)
- no matter how they try to "hide" their targeting. For now,
at least, THIS stupid government trick is dead in Maryland.
It's
legal to play house in North Carolina
CNN
"A state judge has ruled that North Carolina's 201-year-old law
barring unmarried couples from living together is unconstitutional. The
American Civil Liberties Union sued last year to overturn the rarely enforced
law on behalf of a former sheriff's dispatcher who says she had to quit
her job because she wouldn't marry her live-in boyfriend." (07/20/06)
Another
example of a law that has been on the books for centuries, that suddenly
turns out to be "unconstitutional" - how odd. It is not, of
course, the constitution or the law that has changed, but the attitude
and morals. Once, such cohabitation was deemed as not just offensive,
but damaging to society and harmful not just to the couple but to those
around them, and viewed as leading to worse problems. Today, of course,
those problems are endemic and the harm has already been done -society
is damaged, probably beyond repair. So why bother. Now, they'll have to
look for more "important" reasons to fire her - hiring an illegal
alien nanny, perhaps, or failing to pay taxes, or perhaps using a drug
without a prescription.
Mama's
Note: Such social monitoring is not the responsibility of government,
and never should have been. Their peers, and the social structure where
they live is adequate to do whatever monitoring is needed. Now, of course,
you are much more apt to be condemned by your neighbors for putting up
Christmas decorations. Most of them couldn't care less if you are married
or not.
Judge
refuses to dismiss spying lawsuit
Ashland Daily Independent
"A federal judge Thursday refused to dismiss a lawsuit challenging
the Bush administration's domestic spying program, rejecting government
claims that allowing the case to go forward could expose state secrets
and jeopardize the war on terror. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker said
the warrantless eavesdropping has been so widely reported that there appears
to be no danger of spilling secrets." (07/20/06)
Ha! Good
work, Judge Walker - for once some judge is using common sense.
Middle
East Tarbabies
A lot this week, starting with Afghanistan and ending with the situation
in Canaan.
Afghanistan:
US forces will try to retake towns
Houston Chronicle
"U.S.-led forces will launch 'decisive operations' to reclaim
two southern towns captured in recent days by the Taliban, the military
said Tuesday. Scores of Taliban militants chased police out of two southern
Helmand districts near the border with Pakistan. ... More than 10,000
U.S., British, Canadian and Afghan soldiers are taking part in an anti-Taliban
offensive across southern Afghanistan." (07/18/06)
"Captured"
and "Retake" seem a bit extreme to describe what really happened.
Expect the Tallies to withdraw as quickly as they "chased" the
police out. And expect the Kabul government to find more of the same incompetent
police to make life miserable for the towns.
Afghanistan:
US military fears outcome of rape trial
Stockton Record
"U.S. military officials fear that religious hurdles in exhuming
the body of a teenager could complicate the prosecution of American soldiers
accused of raping and murdering the girl -- and create a political nightmare
for the U.S. mission here. Given the seriousness of the allegations, U.S.
officials believe a vigorous prosecution is essential and punishment should
be severe if the five U.S. soldiers and one former soldier are convicted."
(07/16/06)
The fear
does not so much seem to be the outcome as it is how the outcome will
be viewed. A guilty finding will bring cries of anger from both sides
back in the States, and a "not guilty" verdict will be immediately
branded as a whitewash. Either way, the legalities and religious requirements
are going to make this an even more difficult trial.
Mama's
Note: Too bad the evidence couldn't have been collected before the burial.
But those families need to understand that they can't hope to get any
justice if they won't allow the evidence to be taken. The real shame is
that there is any need for this at all. Rape and murder are a part of
war of any kind. Always was, and always will be. Let's end the war!
Cost
of Iraq to overtake Korea, Vietnam
Times Online [UK]
"The Iraq war is set to overtake Korea and Vietnam as the second
most expensive overseas military operation in US history, with spending
expected to top the $500 billion mark by the end of the decade. According
to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), $291 billion
(£109 billion) has been allocated for the war, the equivalent of
$1,000 for every man, woman and child in the US. The figures were published
amid intense debate in Washington over when -- and how fast -- the US
can begin to pull out of Iraq." (07/15/06)
Of course,
this is based on "current dollars" and ignores the fact that
the US dollar of 1945 was worth probably $20 in 2006 money, overall. Think
about it: Cokes used to cost a nickel out of a vending machine, not the
dollar common today; a top-line car (once rationing ended) was perhaps
$900 - not the $24,000 today. And a family of four could live on one income
of less than a thousand a month - maybe even only $500 a month. But war
(like everything else) and occupation cost more today. The volunteer army
is one reason - conscription is seemingly cheap. Another is technology
in general: a well-equipped infantryman patrolling the streets of Tokyo
or Frankfurt in 1947 had a rifle, a helmet, a uniform, and a pack with
canteen, first aid pouch, and a K-ration. The trooper patrolling Basra
today has a weapon that costs (in real dollars) ten times what that M-1
did; Fritz helmet, body armor, secure radio, ten different types of gear,
a first aid kit that would have been the envy of a field medic, and a
lot more - and he usually rides, not walks. Everything else, including
contractors, is worse. We are bankrupting ourselves with the expenses
of empire.
Iran:
Western incentives "acceptable basis for talks"
USA Today
"Iran said Sunday that Western incentives to halt its nuclear
program were an 'acceptable basis' for talks, and it is ready for detailed
negotiations. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice responded that Iran
should talk directly to negotiators if it wants to discuss the six-nation
proposal. Frustrated world powers agreed Wednesday to send Iran to the
U.N. Security Council for possible punishment, saying Tehran had given
no sign it would bargain in earnest over its nuclear ambitions."
(07/16/06)
Iran, unlike
N Korea, doesn't want to be paid off - they want a massive confrontation
that can make them look like the saviors of Dar al-Islam (the House of
Islam) and take leadership of the entire Islamic World, the Ummah. Talking
suits their aim, to a point.
Mama's
Note: They are welcome to it, far as I'm concerned. The facts are, however,
that it will be impossible for anyone or any region to take any kind of
leadership of the Islamic world. As the fighting in Iraq proves so graphically,
they hate each other as much as they hate everyone else. Nobody can lead
people like that. You just have to get out of their way and let the radical
elements eliminate each other. They'd do it faster without us to rally
against.
Iraq
oil official seized; 26 die in cafe
Wooster Daily Record
"A suicide bomber detonated explosives Sunday inside a cafe packed
with Shiites in northern Iraq, killing 26 people and injuring 22, an Iraqi
general said. Gunmen seized a top Oil Ministry official, the second major
kidnapping in as many days. The U.S. Military said an American soldier
was killed in a roadside bombing in south Baghdad. No further details
were released. In the south, a British soldier was killed and another
wounded during a raid against a 'terrorist suspect' in Basra, the British
military said. British troops arrested a top Shiite militia leader in
the city, Iraqi police said, but it was unclear if the two events were
linked." (07/16/06)
Again,
as it has been for months, the greater number of deaths are civilian -
a clear violation of the edicts of Islam, but it doesn't seem to bother
the butchers.
Mama's
Note: See what I mean?
Iraq:
Gunmen kill at least 40 in market attack
CNN
"A coordinated attack Monday in Mahmoudiya south of Baghdad killed
at least 40 people and wounded dozens, and small-arms fire killed a U.S.
soldier in the capital. The incidents took place as Sunni-Shiite sectarian
violence festers in and near Baghdad. There were differing accounts of
what took place in the attack, which was near the the city's al-Jazaer
neighborhood around 9 a.m." (07/17/06)
A small
question - why weren't there dozens of people in this market armed and
ready to defend themselves, their families, and their neighbors? This
kind of scum seeks out the weak and helpless (when they don't strike from
out of range with missiles, rockets, bombs and IEDs) - and any kind of
response by everyday ordinary people would soon see them change their
tactics: those that lived.
Mama's
Note: The same is true of any thug who preys on the weak anywhere in the
world. If ordinary citizens were armed and ready to defend themselves
and those too weak or young to do so, criminals would become few and far
between.
I want
a sign on my door that says: I'm a old woman, out of estrogen... MAKE
MY DAY! Then a picture of a BIG revolver pointed straight at them - smoking.
Think anyone would try to break in? Well, anyone but the police, of course.
Iraq:
UN envoy: End 'tragedy'
CNN
"The U.N. special representative for Iraq has urged Iraqis to
find a way to stop the killings in the war-torn country, calling them
a 'national tragedy.' Ashraf Qazi was speaking on Wednesday the day after
the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq issued a report saying more than
14,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq this year, and that more than
5,800 deaths occurred in May and June alone." (07/19/06)
Gee, just
like the UN - always late, always ineffectual.
Mama's
Note: The thing to remember is that we don't want the UN to become "effective."
Iraq:
US, Iraqi bid to rout al Qaeda terrorists
CNN
"U.S. And Iraqi soldiers have launched an operation outside the
oil-rich city of Kirkuk to rout out al Qaeda terrorists blamed for killing
dozens of Iraqi soldiers and police in recent weeks. Acting on the request
of local Sunni Arab leaders, the joint forces on Thursday surrounded the
towns of Hawija and Riyadh -- west of Kirkuk -- as part of Operation Gaugamela.
The operation is named after a 4th century battle won by Alexander the
Great." (07/20/06)
Considering
that many dwellers of the Middle East consider Alexander's invasion and
conquest of the Persian Empire to be the first of many "crusades"
from the West, this operation name may not be very reassuring (although
no doubt many of these Shi'a and Sunni Arabs have at least a trace of
Greek blood in their veins).
Canaan:
Israel, Hezbollah continue killing sprees
North Adams Transcript
"Hezbollah and Israel traded fierce barrages for a sixth day Monday,
as the latest eruption of warfare in the Middle East showed no sign of
easing. Rockets struck deep inside Israel, killing eight people in Haifa
and bringing waves of retaliatory airstrikes from Lebanon's north to south
and in the eastern Bekaa Valley near Syria. The toll on both sides rose
to above 200. In addition to the Israeli victims at a rail repair facility
in the Haifa attack on Sunday, an Israeli rocket blew up a Lebanese army
position, killing eight soldiers, and a sea-launched missile killed at
least nine people in the southern Lebanese port of Tyre." (07/16/06)
As usual,
the various partisans are busy condemning the other side. Both sides have
strong arguments for their actions, and both sides are seemingly not concerned
about killing civilians.
Mama's
Note: The real question is why the US is helping to kill those civilians.
There are, no doubt, US made arms on both sides of this thing, as usual.
And those being used by Israel, at least, were paid for with US taxes.
Canaan:
Israel bombs PA ministry
Grand Forks Herald
"Israel bombed the Palestinian Foreign Ministry building in Gaza
City early Monday, pushing ahead with its three-week offensive in Gaza
as troops clashed with militants in the northern part of the territory.
The huge blast from the second Israeli airstrike on the ministry in less
than a week collapsed a wing of the building and damaged dozens of houses.
Black smoke covered the area as police vehicles and ambulances raced in,
sirens blaring." (07/16/06)
Now, is
the Foreign Ministry a legitimate military target? By WW2 standards, yes.
By today's standards, who knows - but expect a lot of screaming about
it that makes it sound like the moral equivalent of bombing a childcare
center.
Canaan/Lebanon:
Annan, Blair call for UN occupation
Boston Globe
"United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, Prime Minister Tony
Blair of Britain, and other world leaders called yesterday for sending
an international force to southern Lebanon, amid increasingly urgent diplomatic
activity to stop the spiraling conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah
militant group. But discussions about creating a new UN force were still
at preliminary stages, diplomats said, as casualties continued to mount
and a cease-fire seemed a remote hope for those caught in the violence
on both sides of the border. By last night, after six days of fighting,
209 Lebanese had been reported killed. Lebanese officials said nine civilians,
including two children, died in an Israeli airstrike on a bridge near
the southern port city of Sidon. The conflict has killed 24 Israelis,
half of them civilian victims of Hezbollah rockets fired from Lebanon."
(07/18/06)
What a
joke. Israel doesn't trust the UN or any international force, after what
happened in 1967 (when the UN pulled out the troops dividing Egypt and
Israel without telling the Israelis). To say nothing of the track record
of UN "peacekeepers" around the world (Keystone Kops they ain't
- they're worse). And they sure don't trust the Dhimmi troops of the EU,
who have already decided that Israel has to go away, but unlike Iran's
leaders are afraid to say so. So far, it appears that all that are getting
killed are civilians on both sides, as the long-running feud again boils
over. A pox on both their houses.
Canaan/Lebanon:
Westerners flee Lebanon as fight continues
Visalia Times Delta
"Westerners fled by land, sea and air Monday as Israel sent ground
troops into Lebanon briefly and Hezbollah rockets knocked down a three-story
house in northern Israel. However, there were signs of movement on the
diplomatic front to end the worst fighting in 24 years. The exodus of
tourists left downtown Beirut eerily silent, with the shutters down on
fancy stores and restaurants in a stark reminder of the country's civil
war." (07/17/06)
Supposedly
22,000 Brits have been evacuated in "the biggest evacuation since
Dunkirk" (in 1940). Meanwhile - shock on shock - Pelosi and others
are bemoaning the fact that Americans will have to pay for their own transportation
to be evacuated. Silly me - I didn't realize that our government had forced
those people to be there; or that they were all working for the government
there, so that the government should pay for them to leave. Why should
we taxpayers have to foot the bill for these people to come home? Welfare,
nothing more - either for the tourists (wealthy enough to go to Beirut
on vacation) or for corporations who should pay - or for people visiting
family who were too stupid to have an escape route already planned.
Canaan/Lebanon:
Israel Giving Up 'Element of Surprise' to Save Civilian Lives
CNS News
Jerusalem Israel has been willing to give up the element of surprise
in its battle against Hizballah to warn civilians that they should flee
areas where the Air Force is planning to attack, an army official said
on Thursday...
This is
a vastly different picture than I've been receiving from a number of sources,
who say that nothing but civilians are dying, and that Israel seems to
be specifically targeting civilians and civilian facilities. I suspect
that neither is telling the whole story: there is too much bias in both
sides.
Mama's
Note: A "warning" isn't much help if you can't leave. As with
any forced mass migration, a big question is: just where are these people
supposed to go? How will they get there and what will they eat when they
arrive? The roads are being bombed, and people have died trying to leave.
War is always
insane, and civilians always bear the brunt of the damage, both during
and after. When all of the bridges, roads, homes, hospitals, utilities
and so forth are destroyed, they've got nothing to work with if they ever
get to come back.
Canaan/Lebanon:
Arab Americans Say Israel Targeting Civilians, Urge Ceasefire
CNS News
Several members of Congress and the Arab American Institute Wednesday
called for an immediate ceasefire by Israeli military forces in Lebanon.
They accused Israel of targeting civilians and their civilized infrastructure,
not Hizballah...
As I said
above - and this story adds yet another element. Unfortunately, the war
in Lebanon is more of a civil war, in many ways, than a pure international
conflict, and the hatred on both sides quickly seems to be tearing down
all moral self-control that was left.
Canaan/Lebanon:
US ramps up evacuations from Lebanon
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
"The United States ramped up its evacuation of citizens from Lebanon
on after a slow start as a luxury cruise ship carrying 1,000 Americans
arrived in Cyprus early Thursday, a week after the Israeli bombardment
began. The Orient Queen reached Cyprus' port of Larnaca after a nine-hour
journey, completing the first in a massive [effort]." (07/19/06)
I hope
that they pay every dime. Sorry, but I've little sympathy for people who
seemingly put themselves intentionally in harm's way, and can't be bothered
to prepare for their own escape, but count on government to bail them
out.
Canaan:
US opposed to cease-fire with Hezbollah
Kansas City Star
"The United States held the line Thursday against a quick cease-fire
deal in the Middle East, increasingly isolated as world powers and the
United Nations demanded an immediate end to fighting between Israel and
Hezbollah militants. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was meeting Thursday
night with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who earlier in the day denounced
both Israel and Hezbollah and called for both sides to stop fighting immediately."
(07/20/06)
The US
Government's support of Israel has been the one steadfast plank in its
Middle East policy, so this is just as expected. But "increasingly
isolated" is hardly accurate: much of Europe has been working for
40 years to see Israel destroyed, together with the entire Islamic world
and much of the third world.
Mama's
Note: Unless Israel starts to obey the law of God against the initiation
of force, I'd say the sooner they are destroyed, the better. Of course,
that goes double for the US government and all the others who initiate
force.
Canaan:
War Planned for Year
San Francisco Chronicle
Israel's military response by air, land and sea to what it considered
a provocation last week by Hezbollah militants is unfolding according
to a plan finalized more than a year ago. In the six years since Israel
ended its military occupation of southern Lebanon, it watched warily as
Hezbollah built up its military presence in the region. When Hezbollah
militants kidnapped two Israeli soldiers last week, the Israeli military
was ready to react almost instantly. In . talks [for the past year to
various officials from the US and other nations] , the officer described
a three-week campaign: The first week concentrated on destroying Hezbollah's
heavier long-range missiles, bombing its command-and-control centers,
and disrupting transportation and communication arteries. In the second
week, the focus shifted to attacks on individual sites of rocket launchers
or weapons stores. In the third week, ground forces in large numbers would
be introduced, but only in order to knock out targets discovered during
reconnaissance missions as the campaign unfolded. There was no plan, according
to this scenario, to reoccupy southern Lebanon on a long-term basis.
Well, we'll
see how accurate this is, but it is clear that a massive sixth Mid-East
Israeli War is underway. Both sides have their objectives, and it remains
to see which will achieve them, or if they both will fail.
Canaan:
Israel hints at full-scale Lebanon attack
USA Today
"Pitched battles raged between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters
on the border Thursday, and Israel warned hundreds of thousands of people
to flee southern Lebanon 'immediately,' preparing for a likely ground
offensive to set up a buffer zone. U.N. chief Kofi Annan warned of a humanitarian
crisis in Lebanon and called for an immediate cease-fire, even as he admitted
'serious obstacles' stand in the way of even easing the violence."
(07/20/06)
Hints became
moot on Saturday as ground forces surged across the border, attacking
the massive bunker zone that Hezollah has created. As usual, the UN is
too late in its appeals.
Elsewhere:
Religious Persecution: Saudis Get Another Reprieve
CNS News
The Bush administration has decided to extend a waiver that frees it
from imposing sanctions on Saudi Arabia for religious persecution, although
religious freedom advocates say the kingdom has done little to improve
the situation...
Few things
make me sicker to my stomach than actions that say, "He may be a
thug - but at least he's our thug." That is the case in the situation
where millions of people (and where ¼ of the world's oil) are subject
to an extended family of thugs that make the Clantons, the Earps, the
James' and Youngers - even the Kennedy's and Udalls - look good. While
we are busy promoting democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, what kind of
hypocrites are we to allow this thugdom to survive and continue to support
terrorism directly and indirectly around the world AND in their own homeland?
Mama's
Note: Why is it any of our business whether they survive or not? We need
to trade freely with all who will do so peacefully, and form entangling
alliances with none. We must defend ourselves against any aggression,
but otherwise leave everyone else alone. We all know that this would lead
to incredible world peace and prosperity if even most of the countries
around the world would do this... but we must do it anyway, even if we
are the only one. Unfortunately, that's not a policy the US is apt to
engage in any time soon.
The
2006 Election Campaign
Isn't it over yet? Sigh. More coming in the weeks ahead, if I can stomach
it.
IRS
threatens churches on political expression
Raw Story
"The Internal Revenue Service has been warning churches and nonprofit
organizations that improper campaigning in the upcoming political season
could endanger their tax-exempt status. In notices to more than 15,000
tax-exempt organizations, numerous church denominations and tax preparers,
the agency has detailed its new enforcement program, called the Political
Activity Compliance Initiative, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
Under the initiative, the IRS plans to expedite investigations into claims
of improper campaigning, no longer waiting for an annual tax return to
be filed or the tax year to end before launching a probe. A three-member
committee will make an initial review of complaints and then vote on whether
to pursue the investigation in detail." [Editor's note: And of
course, the direct correlation with the specific candidate(s) backed by
the churches who were challenged ... is pure coincidence! - SAT] (07/18/06)
Hmm. I
would suggest that perhaps a few thousand churches arrange to have complaints
made about them, all at once, and clog the activities of this little star-chamber
committee. Even better, if a good wide political spectrum were represented,
so that Steve can see what candidates are on the hit list and what are
not.
Mama's
Note: I'd take that a step farther and suggest that any church that wants
to exercise free speech get rid of their tax exempt status immediately.
Of course, the IRS won't make that easy, but it can be done. As a tax
exempt creation of the state, especially those that hold corporation status,
they really can't expect to be allowed to speak freely or endorse anyone
the state doesn't approve of. Let's get real here.
AZ:
Senate race may be state's priciest
Arizona Republic
"The U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Jon Kyl and
Democratic challenger Jim Pederson is living up to its billing as likely
the most-expensive political contest in Arizona history. Since April,
Pederson has poured $1.7 million of his own money into his effort to unseat
Kyl, according to campaign reports released over the weekend. Kyl is sitting
on a $7 million campaign war chest, and experts predict both are about
to do some serious spending. Kyl is ahead in polls, but the race is still
considered competitive by national political handicappers. Pederson, a
shopping-center developer and former state Democratic Party boss, is expected
to emerge swinging from a summer campaign lull as he tries to portray
Kyl as a tool of corporate special interests." (07/18/06)
As far
as I can see, there isn't much to choose from between the two of them,
unless you are very focused on very specific issues: each one's warts
are reflected in the other.
CO:
Democrats say Salazar seat secure
Fox News
"What a difference an election cycle makes. Two years ago, Republicans
were elbowing each other to run in Colorado's 3rd Congressional District
and the party helped to raise more than $1.6 million to secure it. Today,
Democratic Rep. John Salazar is in the seat and Republican Scott Tipton
is campaigning against him largely without the help of national Republicans,
whose priorities now lie with securing incumbents in uncertain districts
and saving money from what they say is a long shot, even in a Republican-leaning
district." (07/17/06)
And has
Salazar done anything at all to help either his district or the nation
out of the mess the GOP-run Congress has created? Hardly. He is just one
more member of one more political dynasty - dukes and barons might be
preferable.
Incumbents
try to shake do-nothing image
Fox News
"With public dissatisfaction of the U.S. Congress at a near record
low, incumbents this summer are striving to make sure they have a quick
and ready answer when constituents ask 'What have you done for me lately?'
The problem, say some political analysts, is that partisan gridlock and
significant expenditures like the war in Iraq have prevented the Republican-controlled
House and Senate from passing any sweeping, boast-worthy measures ahead
of the November midterm election. 'I think there is a general sense that
that this Congress has failed in a lot of ways and hasn't done a whole
lot,' said Eliot Peace, a Republican strategist and columnist in Lexington,
S.C. 'They've accomplished a lot of things together,' said Richard Engle,
head of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies. 'The problem
is a lot of it has been bad overspending.'" [FND Editor's note:
What I wouldn't give for a truly "do nothing Congress" ... except
for repealing stupid, already-existing laws and cutting spending! - SAT]
(07/19/06)
Right on,
Steve! I can't believe that Engle said what he did, but what a wonderful
quote to remember.
Mama's
Note: A little Freudian slip there? When people ask me why I don't vote,
I try to help them understand that I don't want politicians to do ANYTHING
"for" me and that I don't want any of them to "represent"
me. If I did want any of that, my vote would be an act of aggression toward
everyone else. I just want to be left alone to live my life in peace.
TN:
'None of the Above' sues to have name on Nov. ballot
Tennessean
"David Gatchell wants to give voters a voice of protest. Officials
in charge of state elections are afraid he'll simply end up confusing
the electorate. At issue are four words: 'None of the Above.' Gatchell,
of Franklin, had his middle name of 'Leroy' legally changed to that phrase
last year and wants it to appear that way on the ballot in November when
he is running as an independent for governor and the U.S. Senate. But
state election commissioners unanimously voted in April to bar the unconventional
middle name from appearing in the election. Gatchell has sued, and a Davidson
County chancellor is scheduled to hear the dispute Friday, though the
hearing may be postponed, said William B. Bradley, Gatchell's lawyer.
The software developer said he wants to give voters the option of formalizing
their displeasure with people running for office." (07/20/06)
What fun!
Our
Right to Defend Ourselves
Some things to cheer about this week, a few to groan about, and lots on
people defending themselves and others with (whisper) guns. Don't give
up the fight!
Senate
Votes to prohibit gun confiscation!
Gun Owners of America
"Good news! The Senate voted yesterday 84-16 to pass the pro-gun
Vitter amendment. The language, offered by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) as
an amendment to the Homeland Security appropriations bill ... will make
it illegal for federal agents to confiscate firearms during an emergency
or major disaster. The provision must now survive a conference committee
-- where House and Senate negotiators will iron out differences between
the spending bills passed in both chambers. If the Vitter language makes
it to the President's desk, it will perfectly complement what has been
happening in the states. This year, one of GOA's highest priorities has
been to address the problems with so-called 'emergency powers' across
the country." (07/14/06)
This is,
of course, basically a press release and not a news story, but the chances
of it being covered elsewhere are slim. This effort ties also with the
"make my day" or "castle doctrine" laws removing an
(illegal) obligation to back off rather than defend ones-self.
AK:
Tourist kills man who pointed gun at trooper
Anchorage Daily News
"A man was shot to death near Manley Hot Springs on Tuesday after
pointing a long gun at an Alaska state trooper, officials said Thursday.
The man was shot by an out-of-state fisherman who had called for trooper
assistance because, he said, the man who was killed had earlier been shooting
at him and a fishing partner. " (07/14/06)
I wonder
what the alcohol content in the dead guy will turn out to be? Funny -
the guy calling for help had to help the trooper. I wonder if he will
bother, next time.
MO:
Fatal shooting appears to be self-defense
KAIT 8 News
"A Doniphan man being held for the fatal shooting of another man
following an altercation in a home shortly after midnight Thursday was
released from the Doniphan jail this morning shortly after 2 a.m., after
investigators determined that he shot and killed 36-year-old Rodney Ray
in self-defense. ... Ray entered the home of 25-year-old Michael Boone
around midnight Wednesday evening and began arguing with a woman the chief
described as Ray's girlfriend inside a bedroom in the home. Chief Joyner
said investigation shows that Ray then entered the home's living room
and began arguing with Boone, who by that time had armed himself with
a .22-caliber pistol and then asked Ray to leave. The chief says when
Ray ignored Boone's request, Boone fired two 'warning shots' into the
floor of the residence, at which point Ray allegedly advanced on Boone
as if he were going to attack him. When that happened, Boone fired a fatal
shot at Ray." (07/15/06)
Even .22-cal
can kill, but I wouldn't want to have to depend on one, like this man.
He was luckier than he deserved.
Mama's
Note: Gads! And just think what those "warning shots" did to
the carpet! As usual, these people need education, both about home defense
and the use of their weapon. Lucky indeed!
CA:
Son shoots man holding gun to mom's head
CBS 2 News
"A man shot a suspected robber who held a gun to his mother's
head outside her South Los Angeles home, however the wounded man and two
accomplices fled the scene. ... According to Los Angeles police Sgt. Peter
Casey, three men stopped the woman outside her home and one put a gun
to her head. She called for help and her 28-year-old son shot the one
holding the gun to her head. All three suspects fled on foot, with the
wounded one leaving a trail of blood that led to where the trio got into
a vehicle and drove away." (07/16/06)
A scary
situation. And it would have been much worse if the son had been under
age 21 - and therefore "protected" from having a handgun.
Mama's
Note: Indeed, or if he'd been in any one of dozens of other categories
that are prohibited gun possession. The list keeps getting longer too.
Just one more way to make gun ownership and use more difficult and expensive.
An outright "ban" isn't the only way to disarm us.
CA:
Man shoots burglary suspect
Visalia Times
"Sandra Wilson said she and her husband thought a would-be burglar
shot at them last Saturday night. But what they actually heard, said Tulare
County Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Douglass, was the sound of someone out front
shattering the glass of their double-paned living room window. Inside
the house, the sound of a brick from the Wilsons' front garden crashing
through the glass 'sounded like a shotgun blast,' which made the couple
think somebody was shooting at them, she said. So Wilson's husband, John,
a hunter who had armed himself with a rifle to investigate what sounded
like a break-in, fired back, she said. Sheriff's officials said at least
one of those shots hit one of the suspects, a woman. On Monday, three
holes from those shots remained in the front window panes that hadn't
been shattered by the brick. Wilson said she and her husband thought their
lives were in danger before her husband fired." (07/18/06)
The entire
tone of this article bothers me - the homeowners seem to be judged more
guilty than the woman they shot, who is portrayed almost as a victim of
their inability to tell what was a shot and what was not. But I think
that they did the right thing.
CA:
Bandit shot dead by armed clerk
Redlands Daily Facts
"An armed clerk at a convenience store surprised a gunman attempting
to rob the store Monday at 8:30 p.m., fatally wounding him. The stricken
bandit stumbled from Nader's Market at the three Star Plaza in the 25000
block of Redlands Boulevard to a waiting getaway car. He fell to the pavement
as he tried to scramble into the vehicle. The getaway driver sped away,
leaving his partner behind." (07/18/06)
It is very
hard to feel any sympathy for this guy, and I really can't. The clerk
did the right thing, sad as it was to have to do so.
Mama's
Note: This location is only a few blocks from where I used to work. Redlands
used to be a beautiful, quiet and peaceful little town. It's very sad,
but the entire area is becoming a dangerous place now.
TX:
Wife shoots abusive husband
WFAA News
"Richardson police are investigating the death of a 48-year-old
man who they say was shot by his wife Saturday night. Police received
a 911 call at 11:04 p.m. Saturday from Linda Weng, 55, who said she had
shot her husband, David Weng. Officers found Mr. Weng dead, apparently
from a single gunshot wound to the chest .... Richardson police Sgt. Kevin
Perlich said police were investigating the incident as a domestic shooting.
He said Ms. Weng had marks on her body that showed there had been physical
contact between the couple before the shooting. Ms. Weng was treated for
minor injuries at the scene. ... Last month, Richardson police went to
the home and arrested Mr. Weng in connection with a family violence incident."
(07/17/06)
For once,
this kind of situation didn't end in a dead woman or a murder-suicide.
OR:
Storeowner shoots alleged burglar
KGW News
"A storeowner shot and wounded a 16-year-old in the back side
after he tried to rob his Beavercreek store Saturday night and helped
nab another man, sheriff's deputies said. ... Police said Robert Finke,
the owner of Clarks General Store on South Beavercreek Road, and a neighbor
heard breaking glass around 11 p.m. Saturday night and ran to the store,
confronting two burglars inside. The owner held one suspect at gunpoint
inside the store, then ordered him to the front porch of the store where
he told him to empty his pockets with items stolen from the store, Strovink
said. Shihadeh, who had initially fled the burglary scene, returned to
the store and said he was armed with a gun. Both suspects ran from the
store, with Finke and his neighbor Travis Wilber in hot pursuit."
(07/17/06)
I think
the burglars got off easy - although the touching loyalty of the one who
returned should be commended.
More
News and Commentary on Page 2 Right to defend ourselves continued!
Nathan
Barton is writing this from a wonderful place in the West, which might
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scent of liberty, and the sound of the pines or the pinions is the sound
of freedom. For thousands of years, people have fought and died for the
liberty that Americans in the great spaces of the West enjoy, and he writes
these commentaries in the hopes that continued generations will be able
to do so, until the end of Time.
Be sure
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Outpost.
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