Thursday, March 10, 2005

Blogs for Bankruptcy!

Politology is the pivot point for a last ditch effort to kill the bill. No, not that Bill! The bankruptcy bill will be voted on in the Senate today, March 10.

Call your designated pork barrel jockey and make it plain that this is not your will and that you will remember how they voted come Election Day.

This bill rewards the credit card companies for extending credit to poor risk persons by allowing them too much latitude in collecting the resultant outstanding debts.


Are you dialing yet? Go...now...call!

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Right To Carry

In (FOXNews.com) Good Samaritan Gun Use John Lott Jr. examines what happened last week in Tyler, TX. Show of hands people, how many of you knew that Arroyo's killing spree was stopped by a private citizen with a Concealed Carry Weapons Permit?

"Only two stories mentioned that the AK-47 was a semi-automatic, not a machine gun, and, while it is understandable, none of the articles provided context by explaining that Arroyo’s weapon functioned the same as deer hunting rifles, firing the same caliber bullets, at the same rapidity, and doing the same damage."

"The citizen, 50 year old Mark Wilson, was one of the two people murdered. As CNN reported, 'Everyone here agrees, Wilson saved lives.' Fox News' website quoted the sheriff as saying 'if it hadn't been for Mr. Wilson, [Arroyo's son] would be dead.'

Wilson, a licensed concealed handgun permit holder, heard Arroyo’s shots and saw the commotion from his apartment window. He grabbed a handgun and headed toward the attacker. Arroyo had already wounded several police officers and there was no one left to prevent his rampage."

"It is not remarkable that someone such as Mark Wilson was there at the scene to stop the attack before police arrived. For example, in about 30 percent of the multiple victim public school shootings that have captivated Americans’ attention starting in 1997, people used guns to stop the attacks before uniformed police were able to arrive on the scene. Few people know about these cases because only about one percent of the news stories on these cases mention how the attacks were stopped."

"Of course, gun control advocates draw their usual conclusion from all this. Kristen Rand, legislative director for the pro-gun control Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C., claims the Tyler shooting last Thursday shows that criminals are undeterred by people potentially carrying concealed weapons. But, in fact, more nearly the opposite is true. When Arroyo faced the choice of continuing to shoot others or defending himself, he was forced to defend himself. Making Arroyo's attacks more risky caused him to change his behavior."

"Many people find it hard to believe that 18 national surveys by academics as well as national polling organizations show that there are 2 million defensive gun uses each year. After all, if these events were really happening, wouldn't we hear about them on the news?...This misreporting actually endangers people's lives. By selectively reporting the news and turning a defensive gun use story into one that merely says "police shot him dead," the media give misleading impressions of what actions saved the lives of people confronted by violence. As Wilson's case demonstrates, defensive gun use is not a guns-rights myth. Guns have been and are used by law abiding citizens to protect and save their own lives and the lives of others."

Friday, March 04, 2005

What happens in Vegas, stays in, uh, Grade School?

FOXNews.com reports Vegas Mayor Tells Students He Loves Gin to a class of fourth graders.

Mayor Oscar Goodman: "I answered the question honestly and truthfully. I'm not going to lie to children. I'm not going to say I would take a teddy bear or a Bible or something like that."



No word on what brand hizzoner prefers, although 'Beefeater" would probably help please any Vegans out there that aren't offended by his drinking comments.

Bunker buster anyone?

FOXNews.com Diplomats: Iran Building Tunnels for Arms reports that the IAEA is critical of Iran for building a tunnel in Isfahan--home of Iran's uranium enrichment program--to "increase capacity, safety and security of nuclear material."

Asked for details on the tunnel, a diplomat familiar with Iran's dossier told The Associated Press that parts of it apparently would run as deep as half a mile below ground and would be constructed of hardened concrete and other reenforced materials.

Other diplomats said on condition of anonymity that such moves were clearly motivated by Iranian concerns of air attacks by the United States or Israel, which both accuse the Iranians of trying to secretly build nuclear weapons.



Well, the Clinton Doctrine of high-altitude bombing without the commitment of ground troops would definitely be stymied by this development.

Hopefully, President Bush will continue to push for development of 'new' tactical nucular weapons that can interdict such facilities.

Such weapons should also prove effective against the plethora of underground facilities that North Korea uses as well.

Thursday, March 03, 2005