http://www.redstate.com/dloesch/2013/08/07/wife-of-ft-hood-survivor-dod-is-gagging-us/

Call me crazy, but it seems to me like this would-be king is letting the power go to his head more every day. I can understand the legal discussion behind why he wanted to throw a gag order on the victims of the Ft. Hood heretic treasonal seditionist jihadist, Hassan, but the last time I read the Constitution it still said that the Congress shall pass no law restricting the right to assemble and speak; and, to me that points out fairly succinctly that it is, indeed, the Congress that makes laws, not the President. A king, on the other hand, is different, I suppose, in that what he says from the throne goes no matter how absurd it may be.

In related news:

 I see that The President's city, Chicago, is rapidly taking a lead from Detroit. And, they are leading the league in dead African Americans (black people, persons of color? I never know any more how we are to refer to certain groups). I see that 3 black kids beat up a white kid on the schoolbus, but that the driver did not intervene and the mainstream media didn't report it. Notice that I did not say I was surprised by this happening. Things like this happen every day, more than once, and the only thing I see on TV is "pastor arrested for sexual assault on teenagers" which is about a guy, an assistant youth pastor (general flunky on the staff) that was fired from his position as a youth pastor and later was stupid enough to fool around with a couple of girls to whom he had "ministered" in days of yore. Our friends on TV can sensationalize anything they want to, or subdue everything they want to.

I see Brian Williams is getting a new knee. I see that every night. They certainly did not do 10 minutes with Dr. Nancy Snyderman when I got my new knee. Perhaps that was because it was my left knee and it's Brian's right knee, maybe it's because I am so old that it would not be newsworth, but Brian is so young (!) that we should feel sorry for him.

I could keep going all day. I won't. I'll sign off for now; but, I shall probably be back soon. 

The POTUS decides what?

The evening news made me think of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth":

What a field day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side

The court made two decisions. Neither one of them "legalized gay marriage", despite what the thousands of people in the street are saying. 

One was on Proposition 8 in California. What the court decided was that they could not make a decision because the plaintiffs did not have legal standing to sue. So, the ruling of the inferior court negating Proposition 8 still stands until someone brings the matter to the Supreme Court who has standing to do so. The court made no decision on the merit of Proposition 8 itself.

The other was on DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act. The Court did not negate the act, again as the media and the demonstrators would have you believe. What the court decided was that one provision of DOMA, the which stated that the Federal Government did not have to recognize same sex unions, was found unconstitutional if the union is recognized by the couple's state. That did not mean that the Federal Government legalized or illegalized gay marriage, it just meant that people who have a legitimate marriage license need to be treated as marriage when the Feds apply the Federal laws and regulations.

I am pretty tired of all of this stuff. The Constitution is silent about marriage; that means it is left to the states. And, if you get right down to it, the only reason the states have ever had anything to do with it is to make money by charging for marriage licenses. Historically, marriages belonged in a church, and men (yes, men) would register a marriage to show they owned the spouse as chattel property. Not a really fulfilling and rewarding approach, I say.

Why doesn't the government just get out marriage altogether? We the people are not going to be collectively satisfied with anything they do. Why should they do anything? Why should they even discriminate between married and not married people? 

Oh, I could roll on this forever ...

Hey, guys! I haven't been here for a while. I've been preoccupied with ... well with all kinds of stuff. Politically and religiously so many things are happening that make me want to puke and yet nothing I say is going to change the minds of those whos eminds I think need to be changed. I cannot stand lies, either from the government or from the people/sheeple in response to the government or to their church.

Today I realized something. I was considering one of my pet projects, crusading against human trafficking. I thought:
Sure this is right. A woman is put to work as a prostitute so other people make money off of her, and the traffickers never get caught, the Johns get maybe 5 days or a fine, and the girls, who really don't willingly choose that lifestyle as far as I can tell, get a felony conviction.

People abuse women so punish the women. Hey, why not, because
People use guns to kill other people - ban guns
People eat Big Macs and get fat - ban Big Macs
People drink Big Gulps and get fat and get high blood pressure - ban Big Gulps
People use drugs and hurt themselves and others - ban drugs [may be partially appropriate]
People abuse alcohol and hurt themselves and others - ban alcohol
People drive too fast and kill people - put speed restrictions in car computers.
People use Sudafed to make meth - ban Sudafed
People use pitbulls for dog fights - ban pit bulls

Hey, I think I see a pattern here. There is a common denominator. Actually it's a common parameter, a common factor in each function and it is

PEOPLE

Just when I was about to throw away my women, guns, Big Macs, Big Gulps, drugs, alcohol, car, Sudafed and dog because I am an honest law-abiding person and will do what Senator Feinstein asks. Of course. 

Hey, here's a concept. If people do bad things, punish or rehabilitate the people, not what they used to do those bad things.

Too easy, I guess.

 

Finding Common Ground

"These three ideals – wanting to protect innocents from evil, valuing human life, and cherishing peace – are the same for those who are against guns and for those who are not against guns." - Destinee, of FateOfDestinee

I have a son-in-law who devotes himself to his family and to our LORD. I like to believe that I have and do so also. We concur, as Destinee said, with the three ideals, at least I am pretty sure he does and I know I do. I have never specifically asked, though, about his view of guns, since I am pretty sure we don't share the same views.

I may be wrong. He grew up in Idaho, which is certainly not an eastern bastion of disarmament frenzy like Mayor Bloomberg runs. They really do hunt in Idaho. I am quite sure he is familiar with firearms. Maybe I should ask instead of assuming.

Me, I grew up in Oklahoma. I had the Daisy Red Ryder Carbine (my brother had the pump), we got a Savage/Stevens 15-A for Christmas when I was 9, .22 short/long/long rifle, single shot. We later moved to Wyoming and a friend loaned us a Remington .270 to take with us for hunting. In college, I had a Beretta .25 automatic, a Norwegian 1911 in .45 ACP, a Colt revolver in .45 long Colt, and a Smith and Wesson Highway Patrolman in .357 magnum. After college I picked up a Springfield 1903 in .30-'06 to use hunting. Notice, though, that the Beretta is pretty much only designed and used for personal defense, despite what James Bond used to think, the Colt .45 was, well, a Colt .45, after all, the .45 ACP was designed to stop drug-crazed Moro tribesmen with one shot, the Springfield was the assault rifle of 1903, World War I and the start of World War II, and the .357, sorry Dirty Harry, is recognized by many people as being the best self-defense caliber to have around. [OK, you 1911 fans. A Federal 230-grain +P HST in .45 ACP has a muzzle velocity of 950 feet per second and an energy of 461 ft-lb. A Federal 158-grain tactical Hydra-Shok in .357 magnum has a velocity and energy of 1240 and 539.]

Completely stolen from the leadoff link, reproduced in case that page should go away

Ephesians 4:15-16 – 5 ThingsTo Consider In Controversy

Daily Devotional Bible Verse
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV)
Even amidst our Christian lives, arguments, disagreements, and tension-filled conflict will come, but when it does, here are five Biblical principles to consider before we ever open our lips:

1. Listen. Be silent in your mind as well as your mouth. “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent” (Proverbs 17:27-28).
2. Be teachable. Are you in the wrong? If so, how can you respond in humility, grace, and repentance? If you genuinely desire to grow in Christ-likeness, then remember that God uses iron to sharpen iron, and frequently, there will be sparks (Proverbs 27:17).
3. Think. Take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We are in a spiritual struggle against an enemy who seeks to divide us. Don’t let your thoughts grow vengeful, spiteful, or believe lies about others. Be disciplined in your thought life.
4. Seek unity. We are one body with many parts. If this is true (which today’s text says it is), that means each believer’s mission is the same. Think about it, is the eye’s mission different than the heart’s? In its function—what it does—yes. In its mission—why it does it—no. Remember, we are one, a unified whole. Seek unity between yourself and your brothers and sisters because we’re playing for the same team.
5. Model love over winning an argument. Always speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), because love seeks unity over division, and peace over strife (See especially 1 Corinthians 13:1-7). Sometimes, though, people are simply wrong, misled, or in sin. When this is the case, don’t shrink from the truth, but don’t use it as a weapon to wound, either. Love reconciles, pride dominates.

Our lives will not be free of controversy until Jesus returns. Until then, let’s remember his words, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

Copyright © 2013 Daily Devotionals

Reproduced with respect but without specific permission

Instead of Gun Control, which is really People Control, let's have enforceable laws to eliminate violence and illegal gun use

Monday, April 8, 2013 at 6:23pm

I was watching the news tonight doing my normal seething at the media and the reports of the legislature over this "gun thing." It ISN'T guns. My guns are hanging in my shop and haven't committed any crimes or killed anyone. They don't run around in lowriders, street racers, junkers or Escalades harassing anyone or intimidating and scaring people. They do not randomly discharge through walls or windows.

In Des Moines there are a lot of people WITHOUT GUNS who commit crimes and kill people. They are not particularly linked, guns and crime; but, Barry Soetoro wants to take advantage of a good crisis and make political points out of the tragedy and the deaths of children about whom I do not believe he really gives much of a hoot (yes, I realize that is an incredibly strong statement. It's my opinion and I'm sticking to it).

So, Mr. Obama says "do the right thing for the families in Newtown."  First, shouldn't he be concerned about doing the right thing for the country, for we the people? As I recall, we're the government and he just executes our laws. He does not proclaim them. He does not propose them in Congress. He enforces them once they are passed. So to meet the needs of "we the people" and respect the families of Newtown, I would think that we would pass laws that ensure that violence cannot occur again.

Instead, he wants to pass laws that would do nothing more to stop the illegal use of weapons, would do nothing to provide defensive capabilities for the school, and would have made no difference if they had been in effect for the last 10 years. Actually, they have been. Senator Grassley commented last week that he really was not looking forward to this week, because we would be talking about laws that criminals would still ignore and law-abiding citizens don't need to follow.

It's the behavior, not the tools. Here's a few things that would make sense to me:
1. Life in prison for anyone who commits a felony using a firearm.
2. 30 years, with at least 10 before parole, for anyone who commits a misdemeanor using a firearm.
3. Life in prison for anyone who participates in either selling or buying a firearm in a straw transaction.
4. Life for selling interstate without a license.
5. Life for selling to anyone unqualified to own a firearm. In Iowa, you need a permit to acquire OR a permit to carry weapons - it's easy to ask to see that before selling a firearm to someone. Out of state you have to ship to a dealer, anyway.
6. Size of magazines (they are not clips) is pretty insignificant. The world's fastest REVOLVER shooter shoots six rounds, empties the brass, reloads six round, shoots them, makes all bullseyes and does so in less than 3 seconds.

7. Kind of rifle doesn't matter. A trained former marine using an obsolete and antique cheap Italian rifle with obsolete ammunition pulled off 3 shots in two seconds at 200 yards, including a head shot and brought the USA to a standstill. The Mannlicher Carcano does not use a magazine. Another nutcase occupied a university tower with a good hunting rifle and an assortment of miscellaneous firearms, killed 17 and injured 32 before being "subdued", into pieces, by two rounds of 00 buckshot from a 12-gauge shotgun. Again, his Remington 700 does not use a magazine.

That would be a good start. It does not infringe on rights to keep and bear arms, either, just identifies appropriate punishments for certain crimes involving arms.

Garbage Collection, Gangnam Style

I am back on Facebook, and even after starting with a stealth name (James Moore, not incredibly stealthy for those of you who already knew my mom's maiden name/my middle name) my beloved convinced me I should truly identify myself as Jim Riddle.

But,

I pledged not to go political on facebook. Now, I will occasionally post something that I think transcends political. Gun control is not in my perspective a political issue as much as it is a legal issue of fundamental right, but I will still control my Facebook postings on the matter. Some things are truly political but to me are common sense, but I will keep them off Facebook. And, that means that the really political things end up here.

Opening Shots:

Brought to you today from Town Hall, if you have not clicked in your own email:

NYC soda ruling just 'temporary setback'

and the law will reappear brought by the ghost of Elvis accompanied by Jimi Hendrix on guitar? Who is Bloomberg trying to kid? His greed for power is now sheerly lunatic as he continues to get away with grabbing rights. If I have the right to choose, that includes Big Gulps. And Super Big Gulps.

Additional: A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum; Emperor Bloomberg was smacked down by a judge that saw a serious problem with separation of power with respect to the controversial large soda ban. The mayor who has taken the nanny state to a level rivaled only by President Obama wants to regulate what we eat, what we use to carry our food and other aspects of our lives that should be protected under that line about pursuit of happiness.In this new realm of redistribution of accountability, he figures Big Macs, Large Gulps, and handguns overpower human will and make us do evil things-he's here to protect us because he's a billionaire and must be smarter than the rest. Talk about executive privilege.

Do our elected officials really believe we are so beaten down that we will forget our rights?

The rule was so absurd it brought together an eclectic bunch to fight back. Action was brought by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (represents 200,00 Hispanic businesses), the Soft Drink and Brewery Workers Union, the Teamsters, the National Association of Theater Owners of New York State, the National Restaurant Association, and the New York Korean-American Grocers Association (representing 4,000 Korean-American grocery, deli and store owners in New York City).

The rest of Charles Payne's column compares Being a Man...Being a Jerk and is also worth reading

Medicare: Did You Really Pay For That?

No. I am sure, arithmetically, that I didn't. In high school, 1963-64, we debated Medicare as the national topic. It was a bad idea then, it's a bad idea now. But, after 50 years of getting used to it and not figuring out anything else to do, we are stuck with it. When life deals you lemons - hey, free lemons!

Speaks completely for itself. Remember, the number is 1.5 billion rounds. For the Social Security Administration, Food and Drug Administration, Park Service ...

If Obama doesn’t show any leadership on this matter it’s an opportunity for. Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, to summon Secretary Napolitano over for a little … national conversation. Madame Secretary? Buying 1.6 billion rounds of ammo and deploying armored personnel carriers runs contrary, in every way, to what “homeland security” really means. Discuss.

Kim Jong Un, revoked the Korean War armistice

Anyone remember the Korean "Police Action"? Some of us do. I was actually alive then but hardly remember anything about it, other than it was really not nice and was quite a bit uglier than "the big ones", WWI and WWII. Now you have a nation of desperate people led by a total lunatic (Dennis Rodman's buddy?). All bets are off.

'Killer dolphins' escape from handlers

NOT a joke. The finest trained dolphins in the navy armed and dangerous free on the high seas. Seriously. You can't make this stuff up, people!

Educational Rot

Like this is something we didn't know; but, it is still overwhelming to look at all of it altogether.


Have a great day, folks!