Since Denise just did a quick post, I thought that I would do a quick one as well. We're having a great time here so far. Most of the day (Friday) was spent at the Celebration of American Values Leadership Forum. Having media credentials and sitting in the press area was an interesting experience. In some ways I felt that we had more access and in others, I felt that we were separated and isolated from everyone else. Of course we were physically separated, but it seemed we were separated emotionally as well. It was very strange seeing things on that side of the fence.
Most of the speeches were the typical political stem winders. Rah Rah Republicans. Rah Rah McCain. I liked Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson's speech a lot and she seemed the most dedicated of the politicians to 2nd Amendment rights. McCain's speech was typical McCain. He just sucks less than the rest of them. The whole thing was basically a Republican campaign rally. The NRA really needs to get more Democrats to speak at these events. I think Rep. David Boren was the only self identified Democrat on the stage.
After the McCain campaign rally, err Leadership forum, we headed over to the Bass Pro Shop for a get together with A LOT of bloggers. It was great to finally put faces to all the names and get to meet people whose blogs I have been reading for many years. Thanks to Bitter and Michael Bane for putting this together and I'm looking forward to the banquet tomorrow night.
Also, when we were in Louisville, 3 years ago, we toured the excellent Frazier Firearms Museum. It now has a politically correct name, but I suspect that it still has a lot of gunny goodness. If anyone has an extra 4 hours(we took the good part of a day), they should really visit this museum. It is, in my opinion, one of the best gun museums in the world. They have an entire floor of arms from the English Royal Armouries, which is worth the price of admission alone. This place is a do not miss for gunnies.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Good Time Had By All
Yosemite Sam and I are in Louisville attending the NRA Convention--the fourth convention in a row that we blogged. There are a few differences this year. Thanks to the hard work of Bitter, many bloggers were given media credentials including Sam and me. This is allowing us access to meetings and resources we did not have before. We set in a press area and heard John McCain and a number of other politicians speak at the "Celebration of American Values: Leadership Forum" (more on this tomorrow--it is late for us right now).
Another great thing that Bitter and others did was to arrange a blogger mixer. Michael Bane was our host. We met many bloggers who are on our blog roll and a few that will be on it soon. We swapped stories over beer, ice tea, soda, or spirits. We met Todd Jarrett, one of America's best practical pistol shooters.
We will be writing some essays on what we observed at the forum. We have pictures. We have stories. But for now, we're heading to bed with our alarm clock set for o'dark thirty. We want to thank Bitter, Michael, and Todd for the great time that was had by all.
Another great thing that Bitter and others did was to arrange a blogger mixer. Michael Bane was our host. We met many bloggers who are on our blog roll and a few that will be on it soon. We swapped stories over beer, ice tea, soda, or spirits. We met Todd Jarrett, one of America's best practical pistol shooters.
We will be writing some essays on what we observed at the forum. We have pictures. We have stories. But for now, we're heading to bed with our alarm clock set for o'dark thirty. We want to thank Bitter, Michael, and Todd for the great time that was had by all.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
NRA Convention Bound
Yosemite Sam and I are off to Louisville, Kentucky today. We're attending the NRA convention and most (if not all) of the blogger bash activities. Because of new jobs, Sam doesn't have enough leave to take a lot of time off. Because of that, we're flying down instead of driving as we planned originally.
I'm not a big fan of flying. There's the whole security theater thing. There's walking around in stocking feet with everyone else. Then there's the actual flying. You pay to sit in narrow aluminum tubes smelling of the last 500 flyers, their babies, burbs, and farts. Seats are made to fit something other than people. Then there's the seeming interminable wait at the luggage carousel, which is one reason I always try to avoid checking luggage. One other fun thing, the cost of airport parking. I've flown too much to like even the thought of it.
Oops, deep breath, let's go to my happy place. We o
UPDATE: Some how Blogger cut off the bottom of this post and I'm pretty sure this happened after it had been posted awhile. Sigh. Anyway, I was saying we are heading off and we're sure we will have a good time meeting new people, seeing new things. Thanks
Denise
I'm not a big fan of flying. There's the whole security theater thing. There's walking around in stocking feet with everyone else. Then there's the actual flying. You pay to sit in narrow aluminum tubes smelling of the last 500 flyers, their babies, burbs, and farts. Seats are made to fit something other than people. Then there's the seeming interminable wait at the luggage carousel, which is one reason I always try to avoid checking luggage. One other fun thing, the cost of airport parking. I've flown too much to like even the thought of it.
Oops, deep breath, let's go to my happy place. We o
UPDATE: Some how Blogger cut off the bottom of this post and I'm pretty sure this happened after it had been posted awhile. Sigh. Anyway, I was saying we are heading off and we're sure we will have a good time meeting new people, seeing new things. Thanks
Denise
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Deadly Antiques
I read a post on Say Uncle about a collector who blew himself up with a Civil War era cannonball. I started leaving a comment there. It got so long; I turned it into a post. There that gives me something to write about!
I used to work in a history museum. People sometimes brought in "cannonballs" they had found for advice on cleaning or to donate or sell to the museum. Once in a while, they would bring in a shell.
A shell looks like solid shot, can be fired from the same cannon, and once corroded is difficult to recognize. A Civil War shell is hollow and filled with black powder. It has a hole in which a gunner placed a wooden cone that had a fuse inside (pointy-side into the hole). The base had numbers on it and little holes drilled by the numbers. A gunner could prick a hole by a number thus cutting the fuse to set a rough time.
They would load the shell into a cannon with the plug facing out. If you placed the fuse against the powder charge and fired the cannon, you'd end up with a Wile E. Coyote shredded cannon (if you were lucky). The fire from the cannon blast was supposed to "wrap" around the shell and ignite the fuse. Relying on the fire to act like this is not the most reliable ignition method. When it didn't work, the shell acted like a cannonball, did whatever damage it could to whatever/whomever it hit and then settled into the dirt. Many duds have stayed intact over time.
Cannonballs are collectable as is any Civil War artifact. Someone finding one decides to clean the dirt off and sees only a rusty blob of metal. Some use grinders to polish it up. A few get out a propane torch and heat the rust in order to scale it off. Occasionally, their work does what the cannon blast failed to do so many years ago.
Black powder has a long life expectancy. Even if it gets wet and doesn't get washed out, it can remain potent once dry. Granted, a lot has to happen for a shell to go off: it has to be found, it has to be cleaned, it has to have an intact charge and fuse, and it has to be exposed to heat/fire/spark. As the story illustrates, all of this can happen even after 140 years.
When shells came to the museum, we explained to the finder what they had. We photographed them, measured them, wrote down the finders' stories, and then turned them over to the bomb squad. No collector in my experience disagreed with that decision.
Once in a while the bomb squad would let us watch the bang. Since they placed the shell in a bunker, it was not too exciting. Still, it was enough to prove that ordnance is nothing to fool around with.
I used to work in a history museum. People sometimes brought in "cannonballs" they had found for advice on cleaning or to donate or sell to the museum. Once in a while, they would bring in a shell.
A shell looks like solid shot, can be fired from the same cannon, and once corroded is difficult to recognize. A Civil War shell is hollow and filled with black powder. It has a hole in which a gunner placed a wooden cone that had a fuse inside (pointy-side into the hole). The base had numbers on it and little holes drilled by the numbers. A gunner could prick a hole by a number thus cutting the fuse to set a rough time.
They would load the shell into a cannon with the plug facing out. If you placed the fuse against the powder charge and fired the cannon, you'd end up with a Wile E. Coyote shredded cannon (if you were lucky). The fire from the cannon blast was supposed to "wrap" around the shell and ignite the fuse. Relying on the fire to act like this is not the most reliable ignition method. When it didn't work, the shell acted like a cannonball, did whatever damage it could to whatever/whomever it hit and then settled into the dirt. Many duds have stayed intact over time.
Cannonballs are collectable as is any Civil War artifact. Someone finding one decides to clean the dirt off and sees only a rusty blob of metal. Some use grinders to polish it up. A few get out a propane torch and heat the rust in order to scale it off. Occasionally, their work does what the cannon blast failed to do so many years ago.
Black powder has a long life expectancy. Even if it gets wet and doesn't get washed out, it can remain potent once dry. Granted, a lot has to happen for a shell to go off: it has to be found, it has to be cleaned, it has to have an intact charge and fuse, and it has to be exposed to heat/fire/spark. As the story illustrates, all of this can happen even after 140 years.
When shells came to the museum, we explained to the finder what they had. We photographed them, measured them, wrote down the finders' stories, and then turned them over to the bomb squad. No collector in my experience disagreed with that decision.
Once in a while the bomb squad would let us watch the bang. Since they placed the shell in a bunker, it was not too exciting. Still, it was enough to prove that ordnance is nothing to fool around with.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Sticker Shocks
Yosemite Sam and I were in New Hampshire last weekend. We go up there periodically to check on our place there and renew old acquaintances. We had several sticker shocks. First, I had to get gas in Connecticut. I know they have high gas taxes, but when you’re running on fumes, you gotta do what you gotta do.
We paid $3.91 per gallon. It made Maryland’s price of about $3.70 look cheap. It seems like just yesterday I was dismayed when gas hit $3.45 per gallon. Now I long for that price. We may have to cut down on the number of local and interstate trips we make.
We also went to our still favorite gun store, State Line Gun Shop in Mason, New Hampshire. We talked to the owner and poked around for a bit.
State Line has a Reising sub-machine gun for sale. Reisings are World War II era guns used mainly by Marines in the Pacific Theater. They are surprisingly cheap, at least for full-auto guns. State Line is selling their gun for $4,500.00. I was tempted, the gun’s still for sale. I don’t have that much money sitting around (not to mention the difficulty of filing government paperwork when you live in two places), That was actually a good sticker shock—a weapon with history, in good condition, for under $4,500.00.
We had another sticker shock and this one was not good. We bought some ammo. We haven’t been shooting much here in Maryland and most of that was with .22 pistols. Even before moving here, we were using our ammo stockpile, but that’s getting thin in certain calibers particularly because I haven’t moved my reloading equipment down here.
To make a long story short, we picked up enough ammo to use in an afternoon’s shooting session and paid $104.00. The most expensive ammo was for my .45 Colt revolvers and carbine. The only .45 Colt in stock was Hornaday’s Cowboy Action load. The box cost $18.95. That doesn’t sound too mad, until I mention that there are only 20 rounds in the box. I don’t know whether to shoot it or lock it up as an investment in precious metals.
The store’s owner also mentioned that lead shot for reloading has gone up so high that he no longer stocks it. You can’t even save money “rolling your own” anymore.
These prices could hurt gun rights. If someone who’s thinking about buying a gun realizes that prices are fifty cents to a dollar a round they might think again. It could really hurt sports that require a lot of ammo for practice (any action shooting, bowling pins, etc.).
Just like gas, I don’t have an answer, but I can cry about the problem. Too bad, I don’t have a magic wand.
We paid $3.91 per gallon. It made Maryland’s price of about $3.70 look cheap. It seems like just yesterday I was dismayed when gas hit $3.45 per gallon. Now I long for that price. We may have to cut down on the number of local and interstate trips we make.
We also went to our still favorite gun store, State Line Gun Shop in Mason, New Hampshire. We talked to the owner and poked around for a bit.
State Line has a Reising sub-machine gun for sale. Reisings are World War II era guns used mainly by Marines in the Pacific Theater. They are surprisingly cheap, at least for full-auto guns. State Line is selling their gun for $4,500.00. I was tempted, the gun’s still for sale. I don’t have that much money sitting around (not to mention the difficulty of filing government paperwork when you live in two places), That was actually a good sticker shock—a weapon with history, in good condition, for under $4,500.00.
We had another sticker shock and this one was not good. We bought some ammo. We haven’t been shooting much here in Maryland and most of that was with .22 pistols. Even before moving here, we were using our ammo stockpile, but that’s getting thin in certain calibers particularly because I haven’t moved my reloading equipment down here.
To make a long story short, we picked up enough ammo to use in an afternoon’s shooting session and paid $104.00. The most expensive ammo was for my .45 Colt revolvers and carbine. The only .45 Colt in stock was Hornaday’s Cowboy Action load. The box cost $18.95. That doesn’t sound too mad, until I mention that there are only 20 rounds in the box. I don’t know whether to shoot it or lock it up as an investment in precious metals.
The store’s owner also mentioned that lead shot for reloading has gone up so high that he no longer stocks it. You can’t even save money “rolling your own” anymore.
These prices could hurt gun rights. If someone who’s thinking about buying a gun realizes that prices are fifty cents to a dollar a round they might think again. It could really hurt sports that require a lot of ammo for practice (any action shooting, bowling pins, etc.).
Just like gas, I don’t have an answer, but I can cry about the problem. Too bad, I don’t have a magic wand.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tired of Nannies
I am tired of nannies trying to run (ruin) my life.
I heard on the car radio this morning that some Montgomery County, MD councilman wants to adopt Federal energy-saving guidelines as part of the building code. If it passes, all the new houses in the county must have “green” appliances, heating/cooling, and use renewable energy. It will add about $10,000.00 to the cost of a new home.
There are nannies all over the country pushing different things and not all nannies are on the left. Some nannies want to ban smoking in public places or anywhere else. Others want to ban plastic bags. Of course, many want to ban guns, although they’re on a losing streak right now.
As far as plastic bags, they want to stop stores providing them to their customers. They want us to buy those cloth bags. I’ve seen people in line with their own bags. They’re usually rolled up and look a little grungy because they live most of their lives in a car trunk.
If I don’t want to buy cloth bags and that should be my choice. Further, Yosemite Sam and I usually recycle excess plastic bags and reuse the rest. We have a cat and dog (use your imagination). We line garbage cans. We would have to buy bags for those purposes when (not if) the stores stop providing plastic bags.
I used to smoke. I quit a long time ago, so I don’t have a dog in this hunt anymore. But, I’m amazed at how successful anti-smokers have been in banning public smoking particularly in bars. I spent part of my college years in cozy bars usually with friends and cigarettes. I can’t imagine those places without a haze of smoke. It ruins the image.
Of course, as a gun blogger guns are my thing. I’ve spilled many pixels here defending my gun rights and I’ll be damned if the nannies will win this one.
Another thing, I am most tired of Nanny-in-chief Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City. I understand that restaurant chains in the city have to post calorie counts. Of course, it’s not enough to provide them in a handout, Bloomberg wants them on the menu or boards. It’s a good thing to know your foods’ nutritional values, but why Bloomberg won’t accept less intrusive ways to provide information is beyond me.
In short, no more nannyism, please.
I heard on the car radio this morning that some Montgomery County, MD councilman wants to adopt Federal energy-saving guidelines as part of the building code. If it passes, all the new houses in the county must have “green” appliances, heating/cooling, and use renewable energy. It will add about $10,000.00 to the cost of a new home.
There are nannies all over the country pushing different things and not all nannies are on the left. Some nannies want to ban smoking in public places or anywhere else. Others want to ban plastic bags. Of course, many want to ban guns, although they’re on a losing streak right now.
As far as plastic bags, they want to stop stores providing them to their customers. They want us to buy those cloth bags. I’ve seen people in line with their own bags. They’re usually rolled up and look a little grungy because they live most of their lives in a car trunk.
If I don’t want to buy cloth bags and that should be my choice. Further, Yosemite Sam and I usually recycle excess plastic bags and reuse the rest. We have a cat and dog (use your imagination). We line garbage cans. We would have to buy bags for those purposes when (not if) the stores stop providing plastic bags.
I used to smoke. I quit a long time ago, so I don’t have a dog in this hunt anymore. But, I’m amazed at how successful anti-smokers have been in banning public smoking particularly in bars. I spent part of my college years in cozy bars usually with friends and cigarettes. I can’t imagine those places without a haze of smoke. It ruins the image.
Of course, as a gun blogger guns are my thing. I’ve spilled many pixels here defending my gun rights and I’ll be damned if the nannies will win this one.
Another thing, I am most tired of Nanny-in-chief Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City. I understand that restaurant chains in the city have to post calorie counts. Of course, it’s not enough to provide them in a handout, Bloomberg wants them on the menu or boards. It’s a good thing to know your foods’ nutritional values, but why Bloomberg won’t accept less intrusive ways to provide information is beyond me.
In short, no more nannyism, please.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Guns and Fear
I’ve been reading news stories, opinion columns, blogs, and reader comments about Obama’s “bitter” comment. The one where he said the hoi polloi turn to God, guns, and turn against illegal immigrants and people not like them because their jobs have disappeared.
There are many editorialists and commenters who defend Obama’s statement even when they agree that it wasn’t well said. They argue that blue collar people are economically desperate and Republicans and others try to distract them with values voting—God, guns, abortion, and gays. They point out that this is the same argument that Thomas Frank made in his book, “What’s the Matter with Kansas.”
My focus has been on the guns part of the comment. For those people who try to justify the guns part of the comment they often argue that fear is the reason people own guns. They believe these benighted citizens fear illegal immigrants, people not like them, and hold a gun like it were a security blanket. See this comment as just one example.
Of course, the people who say these things don’t understand why people like guns. I don’t “cling” to my guns because I fear anyone. In fact, for me self-defense is a by-product of owning guns.
I own guns for two primary reasons: I like shooting them and I like collecting them.
I like shooting. When I do it well, I ease into a zen-like state. I don’t worry about work or anything else. It’s just me, a gun, a target, and the need to make holes where I want them to appear. I also like other shooting “games” such as action-type shooting, skeet, trap, and just plain plinking. My shooting has nothing to do with fear. However, I will use a gun and the skills I acquire to protect myself.
My collecting has nothing to do with fear. If fear were my motivator, I might own only one shotgun, one rifle, and one handgun (or just one gun period). I would not have spent lots of money to purchase guns, house them, preserve them, and secure them. I collect because I enjoy the experience of owning, shooting, restoring, pieces of history. For instance, I can only imagine who may have used my M1Garand made in June 1944, the month and year of D-Day.
It’s the elites and too many “progressives” who don’t take the time to understand why people own guns. I may be just one person and hence one anecdote, but I bet there are many people just like me.
I don’t vote for pro-gun rights candidates because I “fear” they will take my guns, I vote for them because I know too many “progressives” actually want to do so.
There are many editorialists and commenters who defend Obama’s statement even when they agree that it wasn’t well said. They argue that blue collar people are economically desperate and Republicans and others try to distract them with values voting—God, guns, abortion, and gays. They point out that this is the same argument that Thomas Frank made in his book, “What’s the Matter with Kansas.”
My focus has been on the guns part of the comment. For those people who try to justify the guns part of the comment they often argue that fear is the reason people own guns. They believe these benighted citizens fear illegal immigrants, people not like them, and hold a gun like it were a security blanket. See this comment as just one example.
Of course, the people who say these things don’t understand why people like guns. I don’t “cling” to my guns because I fear anyone. In fact, for me self-defense is a by-product of owning guns.
I own guns for two primary reasons: I like shooting them and I like collecting them.
I like shooting. When I do it well, I ease into a zen-like state. I don’t worry about work or anything else. It’s just me, a gun, a target, and the need to make holes where I want them to appear. I also like other shooting “games” such as action-type shooting, skeet, trap, and just plain plinking. My shooting has nothing to do with fear. However, I will use a gun and the skills I acquire to protect myself.
My collecting has nothing to do with fear. If fear were my motivator, I might own only one shotgun, one rifle, and one handgun (or just one gun period). I would not have spent lots of money to purchase guns, house them, preserve them, and secure them. I collect because I enjoy the experience of owning, shooting, restoring, pieces of history. For instance, I can only imagine who may have used my M1Garand made in June 1944, the month and year of D-Day.
It’s the elites and too many “progressives” who don’t take the time to understand why people own guns. I may be just one person and hence one anecdote, but I bet there are many people just like me.
I don’t vote for pro-gun rights candidates because I “fear” they will take my guns, I vote for them because I know too many “progressives” actually want to do so.
Monday, April 14, 2008
What I'm Reading--Starbuck Chronicles
Here’s something I’ve probably said before, I read a lot. I just finished a set of four novels set in the American Civil War, the Starbuck Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell (sorry, I can’t give links to books because I am at work and too many Amazon clicks is not a good thing). If the author’s name is familiar to you, you might be a fan of his Sharpe’s series.
The four books cover major battles and Starbuck’s role in them; one battle is featured per book. The last of the four has Starbuck fighting at Antietam (September 1862).
Cornwell writes primarily historical fiction. His heroes are often flawed, but they get the job done. Nathaniel Starbuck is the son of a famous abolitionist preacher from Boston. He leaves Yale Divinity School and takes up with an actress who cons him into a trip to Richmond, Virginia and abandons him. A rich landowner, Washington Faulconer, rescues Starbuck from a tar and feathering at the hands of an anti-Yankee mob.
Faulconer, the father of one of Starbuck’s classmates, takes the young man under his wing. Faulconer is raising a “legion” to fight for Virginia and the Confederacy. Starbuck accepts a commission as a second lieutenant and serves as an aide. Starbuck is not sympathetic with Southern politics, but fights well nonetheless. Through various permutations, Faulconer comes to hate Starbuck, but Faulconer loses control of his “legion” while Starbuck earns promotions eventually to major.
I recommend Starbuck Chronicles to anyone who likes historical fiction. There are details that you just don’t get out of most history books. Cornwell mentions the salty, bitter taste of gunpowder. At the time, soldiers had to bite the end off of a paper cartridge and pour the powder into the muzzle of a rifled musket. The powder dried their mouths and made prolonged fighting without access to water an agony.
Black powder also clogged gun barrels making it almost impossible to jam a bullet down them after multiple firings. Dehydration made it impossible to use a battlefield expedient to clean a gun barrel, peeing down it.
Because of his divinity school and preacher’s son background, Starbuck fears that he’s damned, and that makes him fight all the harder. Like Sharpe, Starbuck does what needs to be done including shooting a fellow officer who desperately needed killing and using a cannon to end a threat from within his own ranks.
The main thing I don’t like about the four novels is that there are only four of them. Unfortunately, Cornwell stopped writing the series in 1996. His success with Sharpe led him to write more of that series to the detriment of Starbuck. I would like to read more of them.
The four books cover major battles and Starbuck’s role in them; one battle is featured per book. The last of the four has Starbuck fighting at Antietam (September 1862).
Cornwell writes primarily historical fiction. His heroes are often flawed, but they get the job done. Nathaniel Starbuck is the son of a famous abolitionist preacher from Boston. He leaves Yale Divinity School and takes up with an actress who cons him into a trip to Richmond, Virginia and abandons him. A rich landowner, Washington Faulconer, rescues Starbuck from a tar and feathering at the hands of an anti-Yankee mob.
Faulconer, the father of one of Starbuck’s classmates, takes the young man under his wing. Faulconer is raising a “legion” to fight for Virginia and the Confederacy. Starbuck accepts a commission as a second lieutenant and serves as an aide. Starbuck is not sympathetic with Southern politics, but fights well nonetheless. Through various permutations, Faulconer comes to hate Starbuck, but Faulconer loses control of his “legion” while Starbuck earns promotions eventually to major.
I recommend Starbuck Chronicles to anyone who likes historical fiction. There are details that you just don’t get out of most history books. Cornwell mentions the salty, bitter taste of gunpowder. At the time, soldiers had to bite the end off of a paper cartridge and pour the powder into the muzzle of a rifled musket. The powder dried their mouths and made prolonged fighting without access to water an agony.
Black powder also clogged gun barrels making it almost impossible to jam a bullet down them after multiple firings. Dehydration made it impossible to use a battlefield expedient to clean a gun barrel, peeing down it.
Because of his divinity school and preacher’s son background, Starbuck fears that he’s damned, and that makes him fight all the harder. Like Sharpe, Starbuck does what needs to be done including shooting a fellow officer who desperately needed killing and using a cannon to end a threat from within his own ranks.
The main thing I don’t like about the four novels is that there are only four of them. Unfortunately, Cornwell stopped writing the series in 1996. His success with Sharpe led him to write more of that series to the detriment of Starbuck. I would like to read more of them.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Feeding the Blog-Beast
In a comment to my most recent post, drew458 wondered if this blog had died. No it’s not dead, although it’s a little crippled right now. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a crippled blog personified. It’s not a pretty sight. It just lies there in our living room and groans. It’s covered with purplish-green scales with red spots (a truly horrendous color scheme by the way). Every now and again it opens its yellow eyes and balefully stares at us and croaks, "FEED ME." I finally decided to listen and feed the crippled blog-beast.
I’ve been on a vacation from blogging for two primary reasons. The first is that I've said so much already here. I have to rack my brains for new ideas. The second is that my new job involves a lot of writing. When I come home I battle between the thought of writing still more versus the ability to sink into the mind-numbing lethargy of sweet, sweet TV; and oh what a TV--42" of high-def goodness with detail so rich it’s almost disturbing. Who knew that actors don’t have perfect skin even under thick layers of make-up. Whoops, back to blogging, the blog-beast wants more food.
This has been an interesting month for us gunnies with big ups and downs. A big up was the Heller hearing. Although predicting the Supreme Court is never certain, it looks like oral arguments went our way. Of course, some gunnies made the usual complaints, valid as they may be, that Heller will not go far enough in stopping infringements on our rights. Still, if we come out on top, I will cherish the victory and hope we can build on it.
One of the downs was the death of Charlton Heston. I read comments to his obituary in the New York Times. Too many commenters were glad he died and cited his support for gun rights. They have so much hate and yet they believe they're the tolerant, the progressive ones. They can’t even see how bitter they are. They also couldn’t recognize that Heston was continuing a life-long support of civil rights. But, the day that "progressives" recognize firearm ownership as a civil right will be the day the Earth stops spinning.
I had a personal disappointment this month involving guns. I shot Mr. Completely’s e-postal match. I haven’t practiced shooting much recently. I blame two things; the move and that blasted TV set--but oh the colors are so rich and the sound is so good. Sorry, I’m back. Because I’m out of practice, I didn’t shoot that well in the match. While I didn’t screw up badly, I know I’m capable of better. It proves that shooting well is a fragile skill. I need to get to the range more and maybe join a gun club in this area.
Now a word about living in Maryland. The gun laws are not as onerous as I feared, but they could be much better. I haven’t tried to get a carry permit or buy a handgun. My opinion may change should I do either of those things. There’s a lot of room for improvement in the laws and maybe a good result from Heller will lead to that end, unfortunately one lawsuit at a time.
Yosemite Sam and I are looking forward to the NRA convention in mid-May. We plan to attend the Blogger Bash and have registered and got banquet tickets. In order to hold my head high when I get there, I better start feeding the blog-beast more. For right now, it seems to be sated. The colors on its scales have turned to a pretty shade of purple and the red spots are gone. It’s sleeping easily now. No promises, but I hope to start feeding the beast more often.
I’ve been on a vacation from blogging for two primary reasons. The first is that I've said so much already here. I have to rack my brains for new ideas. The second is that my new job involves a lot of writing. When I come home I battle between the thought of writing still more versus the ability to sink into the mind-numbing lethargy of sweet, sweet TV; and oh what a TV--42" of high-def goodness with detail so rich it’s almost disturbing. Who knew that actors don’t have perfect skin even under thick layers of make-up. Whoops, back to blogging, the blog-beast wants more food.
This has been an interesting month for us gunnies with big ups and downs. A big up was the Heller hearing. Although predicting the Supreme Court is never certain, it looks like oral arguments went our way. Of course, some gunnies made the usual complaints, valid as they may be, that Heller will not go far enough in stopping infringements on our rights. Still, if we come out on top, I will cherish the victory and hope we can build on it.
One of the downs was the death of Charlton Heston. I read comments to his obituary in the New York Times. Too many commenters were glad he died and cited his support for gun rights. They have so much hate and yet they believe they're the tolerant, the progressive ones. They can’t even see how bitter they are. They also couldn’t recognize that Heston was continuing a life-long support of civil rights. But, the day that "progressives" recognize firearm ownership as a civil right will be the day the Earth stops spinning.
I had a personal disappointment this month involving guns. I shot Mr. Completely’s e-postal match. I haven’t practiced shooting much recently. I blame two things; the move and that blasted TV set--but oh the colors are so rich and the sound is so good. Sorry, I’m back. Because I’m out of practice, I didn’t shoot that well in the match. While I didn’t screw up badly, I know I’m capable of better. It proves that shooting well is a fragile skill. I need to get to the range more and maybe join a gun club in this area.
Now a word about living in Maryland. The gun laws are not as onerous as I feared, but they could be much better. I haven’t tried to get a carry permit or buy a handgun. My opinion may change should I do either of those things. There’s a lot of room for improvement in the laws and maybe a good result from Heller will lead to that end, unfortunately one lawsuit at a time.
Yosemite Sam and I are looking forward to the NRA convention in mid-May. We plan to attend the Blogger Bash and have registered and got banquet tickets. In order to hold my head high when I get there, I better start feeding the blog-beast more. For right now, it seems to be sated. The colors on its scales have turned to a pretty shade of purple and the red spots are gone. It’s sleeping easily now. No promises, but I hope to start feeding the beast more often.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Heller Argument Today
I’ve been jumpier than a drop of water on a hot skillet. Today’s the day that the Supreme Court will hear the Heller (aka Parker) case. This is the one in which the Court could affirm the Second Amendment as an individual right.
There’s a lot riding on this. Here’s how I view the situation and the chances for each one:
*The Supremes might decide that there is no individual right to own any sort of firearm (10%) in which case, we must take it to the gun-friendly states and make sure we pass a constitutional amendment that restores the Second Amendment;
*They might decide that there is an individual right that cannot be regulated in any way for common classes of guns including handguns, rifles, shotguns, and maybe machine guns (5%);
*They might decide that there is an individual right to own most types of guns subject to reasonable regulation, but the bar would not be high for cities or states to decide what is reasonable (25%); or
*They might decide that there is an individual right to own most types of guns subject to reasonable regulation based on strict scrutiny meaning that cities or states must prove that a proposed law is needed, would be effective, and would not be a burden to the people (60%).
Let’s see how good a predictor I am in June or whenever the Court announces its decision.
There’s a lot on the today’s hearing at Saysuncle, and Countertop was in the audience. Be sure to check with them for updates. So far, from what I've read in my spare time and at lunch, it looks hopeful for our side.
There’s a lot riding on this. Here’s how I view the situation and the chances for each one:
*The Supremes might decide that there is no individual right to own any sort of firearm (10%) in which case, we must take it to the gun-friendly states and make sure we pass a constitutional amendment that restores the Second Amendment;
*They might decide that there is an individual right that cannot be regulated in any way for common classes of guns including handguns, rifles, shotguns, and maybe machine guns (5%);
*They might decide that there is an individual right to own most types of guns subject to reasonable regulation, but the bar would not be high for cities or states to decide what is reasonable (25%); or
*They might decide that there is an individual right to own most types of guns subject to reasonable regulation based on strict scrutiny meaning that cities or states must prove that a proposed law is needed, would be effective, and would not be a burden to the people (60%).
Let’s see how good a predictor I am in June or whenever the Court announces its decision.
There’s a lot on the today’s hearing at Saysuncle, and Countertop was in the audience. Be sure to check with them for updates. So far, from what I've read in my spare time and at lunch, it looks hopeful for our side.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Getting it Together
Yosemite Sam and I are still apart--as we were in my last post here. The one I made ages ago. There is news though. He is coming to join me at the end of the month and we then plan to meet some of the people who live here in Maryland or Virginia and have told us in comments that they are interested in doing so.
I got to a gun store the weekend before last and found out one true thing. Gun people are the friendliest people in the world. I went to Atlantic Guns in Rockville (they have another store in Silver Spring). I roamed around and picked up some cleaning fluid and other stuff.
They had a very good selection of guns including rifles with modern styling. You know, black in color with protruding grips. I then asked if I could buy ammo even though I have an out-of-state license. The store employee (owner for all I know) had no problem with this. If you've ever lived in Massachusetts, you'd understand my relief. You have to have a license to buy or even possess ammunition, components, etc.
We chatted about gun stuff for a while and I got an invite to join a local rod and gun club. Once Yosemite Sam gets here, we'll take them up on the offer. Like I said, friendliest people in the world.
Just a quick word about my situation. I'm in a new job here and it has been taking a lot of my time. Plus, I am in a headquarters office and they have more rules than in the field office I was once in. Reading blogs is frowned upon shall we say.
I'm getting my feet under me and once Yosemite Sam, Cooper (the basset hound), and our cranky old cat gets here, things will be so much better. Who knows, I may even become a faithful blogger once again.
I got to a gun store the weekend before last and found out one true thing. Gun people are the friendliest people in the world. I went to Atlantic Guns in Rockville (they have another store in Silver Spring). I roamed around and picked up some cleaning fluid and other stuff.
They had a very good selection of guns including rifles with modern styling. You know, black in color with protruding grips. I then asked if I could buy ammo even though I have an out-of-state license. The store employee (owner for all I know) had no problem with this. If you've ever lived in Massachusetts, you'd understand my relief. You have to have a license to buy or even possess ammunition, components, etc.
We chatted about gun stuff for a while and I got an invite to join a local rod and gun club. Once Yosemite Sam gets here, we'll take them up on the offer. Like I said, friendliest people in the world.
Just a quick word about my situation. I'm in a new job here and it has been taking a lot of my time. Plus, I am in a headquarters office and they have more rules than in the field office I was once in. Reading blogs is frowned upon shall we say.
I'm getting my feet under me and once Yosemite Sam, Cooper (the basset hound), and our cranky old cat gets here, things will be so much better. Who knows, I may even become a faithful blogger once again.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Greetings From Maryland
I’ve been working and semi-living in Maryland for about a month now. By semi-living, I still own a house in New Hampshire and Yosemite Sam, Cooper (the basset hound), and my cat are there. I’m missing them all very much, but I’m no longer living in a motel. That’s an improvement.
During my month of semi-living here, I’ve done only one gunnie activity. I went down to the NRA Range in Virginia last Saturday. It’s a very nice range, although I wish it had more than fifteen lanes. I had to wait an hour and a half for an open lane and that got kinda old.
When you go there, you have to register. There’s a one-time $10.00 processing fee and you get a bar-coded, laminated card that marks you as a certified range user. The range-meisters make you complete a written range-safety test after you read a handout on range safety.
Sitting near the range counter, I was able to see many new people come to the range. Range-meisters ended up with quite a stack of tests. It warmed my heart to see that many more people join the range—although I’ll have to compete with them for range time (grrr).
When I finally got to shoot, the experience was great. A range safety officer makes sure that guns are always pointed down range. He had to dress down a college-aged dude who wasn’t practicing good muzzle control. I stayed until the range safety officer gave me a five minute warning. By the time I got my gun box closed, two new people were moving into my lane. That’s a quick turnaround.
I haven’t experienced any other gunnie goodness here. There was a gun show in Virginia my first weekend here, but that coincided with a bout of flu that left me lying in a camp cot (all I had to sleep on for over a week) hoping I would die and thus end the misery.
The next weekend there was another gun show in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. I couldn’t visit it because I flew back up to New Hampshire to see my husband, dog, and cat. Also, we brought a small truck load of furniture down to Maryland including a real bed. Yosemite Sam flew back.
Do I have an opinion about gun laws in Maryland? The laws are better than in Massachusetts, but a lot worse than they are in New Hampshire and Virginia. I plan on visiting a Maryland range this weekend and maybe a gun store. What I see there could be interesting. I’ll let you know how that goes.
During my month of semi-living here, I’ve done only one gunnie activity. I went down to the NRA Range in Virginia last Saturday. It’s a very nice range, although I wish it had more than fifteen lanes. I had to wait an hour and a half for an open lane and that got kinda old.
When you go there, you have to register. There’s a one-time $10.00 processing fee and you get a bar-coded, laminated card that marks you as a certified range user. The range-meisters make you complete a written range-safety test after you read a handout on range safety.
Sitting near the range counter, I was able to see many new people come to the range. Range-meisters ended up with quite a stack of tests. It warmed my heart to see that many more people join the range—although I’ll have to compete with them for range time (grrr).
When I finally got to shoot, the experience was great. A range safety officer makes sure that guns are always pointed down range. He had to dress down a college-aged dude who wasn’t practicing good muzzle control. I stayed until the range safety officer gave me a five minute warning. By the time I got my gun box closed, two new people were moving into my lane. That’s a quick turnaround.
I haven’t experienced any other gunnie goodness here. There was a gun show in Virginia my first weekend here, but that coincided with a bout of flu that left me lying in a camp cot (all I had to sleep on for over a week) hoping I would die and thus end the misery.
The next weekend there was another gun show in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. I couldn’t visit it because I flew back up to New Hampshire to see my husband, dog, and cat. Also, we brought a small truck load of furniture down to Maryland including a real bed. Yosemite Sam flew back.
Do I have an opinion about gun laws in Maryland? The laws are better than in Massachusetts, but a lot worse than they are in New Hampshire and Virginia. I plan on visiting a Maryland range this weekend and maybe a gun store. What I see there could be interesting. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Cat's Out of the Bag
As you see in the previous post, Denise has decided to take a job position in the DC area and I'll be moving down there after I scrounge up a job. I resisted this for a long time, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. We will be keeping a residence in New Hampshire for the foreseeable future, because we need a relatively free place to shoot and recreate.
As Denise also mentioned, we are planning to move to Virginia at some point due to the better climate there for gun rights. But, related to that, I have a question for the DC area readers out there.
Is Maryland really worse than Virginia as far as gun rights are concerned?
Or more to the point, with the governor of Virginia pushing gun control and the Maryland legislature seeming to be less eager to pass gun control, are the long term prospects for gun rights actually better in Maryland?
Because, if it weren't for gun rights, we would choose to live in Maryland in a heartbeat. Taxes are lower and the commute is much shorter. The way I see it, Virginia is turning into a carbon copy of Maryland anyway. If this is the case, why should I spend an hour in traffic and make a considerable investment in a state that may end up just as poor for gun rights as Maryland. Also, did I mention those Virginia taxes.
As Denise also mentioned, we are planning to move to Virginia at some point due to the better climate there for gun rights. But, related to that, I have a question for the DC area readers out there.
Is Maryland really worse than Virginia as far as gun rights are concerned?
Or more to the point, with the governor of Virginia pushing gun control and the Maryland legislature seeming to be less eager to pass gun control, are the long term prospects for gun rights actually better in Maryland?
Because, if it weren't for gun rights, we would choose to live in Maryland in a heartbeat. Taxes are lower and the commute is much shorter. The way I see it, Virginia is turning into a carbon copy of Maryland anyway. If this is the case, why should I spend an hour in traffic and make a considerable investment in a state that may end up just as poor for gun rights as Maryland. Also, did I mention those Virginia taxes.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Where Have I Been?
It's been too long since I posted here, but I have good reasons. In fact, this post will be short because of the situation I am now in. No it's not anything bad. No one has arrested, molested, or detested me. I take some of that back, there is some bad news mixed in with perhaps good news.
Okay enough obfuscation. Time to just let it out. My employer has been trying to get me to accept a promotion for a long time. I blogged about it in March 2007. They didn't succeed that time, but now they have.
My employer used a combination of arm-twisting and monetary persuasion. I am now in Maryland, but Yosemite Sam is still in New Hampshire. Nothing's wrong with our marriage, perish the thought. He will join me soon.
No, I haven't turned my back on gun rights and gun ownership. We are keeping our townhouse in New Hampshire as a vacation home and a place to shoot and keep some of our guns. Don't worry they are locked in an unobtanium safe guarded by Hercules himself. Seriously, they are secure.
Right now, I am in an apartment in Maryland. I am here because of the proximity to my employer. I am researching real estate and we plan to settle in Virginia where our beliefs garner more respect. Our townhouse in New Hampshire could become our "Fortress of Solitude" should Virginia ever change.
I haven't had Internet access for awhile at "home" and my employer combs through net usage data. So, I haven't been posting. Forgive me.
I'm still settling in after a time-consuming transition. But, I think things are stabilizing now. On the other hand, I miss my husband, I miss Cooper the wonder Basset, and even my cranky cat. Thank you for your patience.
Okay enough obfuscation. Time to just let it out. My employer has been trying to get me to accept a promotion for a long time. I blogged about it in March 2007. They didn't succeed that time, but now they have.
My employer used a combination of arm-twisting and monetary persuasion. I am now in Maryland, but Yosemite Sam is still in New Hampshire. Nothing's wrong with our marriage, perish the thought. He will join me soon.
No, I haven't turned my back on gun rights and gun ownership. We are keeping our townhouse in New Hampshire as a vacation home and a place to shoot and keep some of our guns. Don't worry they are locked in an unobtanium safe guarded by Hercules himself. Seriously, they are secure.
Right now, I am in an apartment in Maryland. I am here because of the proximity to my employer. I am researching real estate and we plan to settle in Virginia where our beliefs garner more respect. Our townhouse in New Hampshire could become our "Fortress of Solitude" should Virginia ever change.
I haven't had Internet access for awhile at "home" and my employer combs through net usage data. So, I haven't been posting. Forgive me.
I'm still settling in after a time-consuming transition. But, I think things are stabilizing now. On the other hand, I miss my husband, I miss Cooper the wonder Basset, and even my cranky cat. Thank you for your patience.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Thompson Quits
via Sebastian, we have the news that Fred Thompson is no longer seeking the Republican nomination for President.
Fred was the only candidate that we found palatable in this year's election and it's too bad that his candidacy never really took off. I doubt I will replace his picture on the sidebar with another candidate because frankly they all suck. But, I will still probably hold my nose and vote for the Republican nominee(unless it's Huckabee).
Fred was the only candidate that we found palatable in this year's election and it's too bad that his candidacy never really took off. I doubt I will replace his picture on the sidebar with another candidate because frankly they all suck. But, I will still probably hold my nose and vote for the Republican nominee(unless it's Huckabee).
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Cooper's View of the Election
Denise & I have done our civic duty and have added our 2 votes to the Fred Thompson column. Unfortunately, that column is pretty slim, only 375 votes at the current count. It looks like McCain has won for the Republicans and Obama and Hillary are neck and neck. But amid all this voting by humans, what does Cooper the Ten Ring's mascot think of the candadates. Well, Cooper, made his views known in no uncertain terms.
Maybe he was channeling his namesake.
Maybe he was channeling his namesake.
Maybe I was too optimistic
Via everyone, here is something that has me wondering if we really did win the Cold War or if it would have made much of a difference if the Nazi's had won the Second World War.
I don't want to hear anything about how much of a free country we are. Things like this just don't happen in free countries. I think my post from yesterday was way to optimistic about this country's future.
I don't want to hear anything about how much of a free country we are. Things like this just don't happen in free countries. I think my post from yesterday was way to optimistic about this country's future.
Urge to rant - Increasing
I know I said yesterday that my inspiration to rant was diminished because of my dour view of the future of our country, but here is an issue that really has me boiling mad.
Via Sebastian, Say Uncle and Joe Huffman, here is a letter from Citi Merchant Services/First Data to CDNN Sports in Abilene, TX. Citi Merchant Services is a company that handles the merchant side of credit card transactions. Citi Merchant Services canceled CDNN Sports account because, get this: "sale of firearms in a non face-to-face environment." They go further and state: "Keep in mind that a violation of the Gun Control Act occurs when a gun offered online is sold to an individual in another State; the act prohibits selling a handgun to a resident of another state."
I assume they are referring to the 1968 Gun Control Act, but obviously the person who made this decision is not a lawyer because that law only applies to non-FFL's. It is perfectly legal to transfer handguns across state lines and not have a face-to-face transaction if it is between FFL's. This decision certainly has implications for C&R license holders.
Citigroup is one of the biggest banking companies in the world. Say Uncle says he is going to quit doing business with them, but that may not be possible. Their fingers are into everything. If you do anything in the realm of finance: buy a house, invest, make a credit card transaction, sooner or later, you will probably do business with Citigroup.
This gets me to my main point and where I part company with most Republicans. I fucking hate banks. I loathe them. And within the banking category, I reserve a special, white hot, fiery hate for credit card companies. In my opinion, they are pure evil. Maybe this feeling isn't completely rational, but that's the way I feel.
Credit card companies, with the help and support of the government, have gotten the American people addicted to a diet of easy credit and seemingly easy money. This attitude has led to the sub prime fiasco, that we are currently dealing with, which may lead to the crippling of our economy. Now that our entire economy is dependent on these bastards, they are now applying their personal preferences on all of us.
So, if they decide they don't like guns, well, no need to push for a law, they can just deny all firearm transactions.
Instant gun control.
Via Sebastian, Say Uncle and Joe Huffman, here is a letter from Citi Merchant Services/First Data to CDNN Sports in Abilene, TX. Citi Merchant Services is a company that handles the merchant side of credit card transactions. Citi Merchant Services canceled CDNN Sports account because, get this: "sale of firearms in a non face-to-face environment." They go further and state: "Keep in mind that a violation of the Gun Control Act occurs when a gun offered online is sold to an individual in another State; the act prohibits selling a handgun to a resident of another state."
I assume they are referring to the 1968 Gun Control Act, but obviously the person who made this decision is not a lawyer because that law only applies to non-FFL's. It is perfectly legal to transfer handguns across state lines and not have a face-to-face transaction if it is between FFL's. This decision certainly has implications for C&R license holders.
Citigroup is one of the biggest banking companies in the world. Say Uncle says he is going to quit doing business with them, but that may not be possible. Their fingers are into everything. If you do anything in the realm of finance: buy a house, invest, make a credit card transaction, sooner or later, you will probably do business with Citigroup.
This gets me to my main point and where I part company with most Republicans. I fucking hate banks. I loathe them. And within the banking category, I reserve a special, white hot, fiery hate for credit card companies. In my opinion, they are pure evil. Maybe this feeling isn't completely rational, but that's the way I feel.
Credit card companies, with the help and support of the government, have gotten the American people addicted to a diet of easy credit and seemingly easy money. This attitude has led to the sub prime fiasco, that we are currently dealing with, which may lead to the crippling of our economy. Now that our entire economy is dependent on these bastards, they are now applying their personal preferences on all of us.
So, if they decide they don't like guns, well, no need to push for a law, they can just deny all firearm transactions.
Instant gun control.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Foreboding the Future
It's been awhile since I've posted a good rant, but to be honest, I haven't been in the mood.
I'm all fired up when I wake in the morning, I relate my rant du jour to Denise, and while I drive in to work, the rant dissipates and I no longer have any desire to put it into words. I am not sure why this has been the case.
I think a big part of it is the grim foreboding I have for the future of this country. My anger has gone beyond mere rants into despair and solemn depression.
But anyway, let me relate some of the reasons why I am in this state of mind. First a bit of background. I am a 40 something child of the 80's. I came of age at the time of Reagan's first election and many in my generation felt that we were at the vanguard of an unprecedented rollback in the increasing role of government in our lives. We saw gains in the most unlikely places: England, Canada, Germany, the Soviet Union, even California. Limited government seemed the wave of the future and after the fall of the Soviet Union, it seemed to be the destiny of mankind. But then something went unaccountably, horribly wrong.
It seemed that after the fall of the Soviet Union, humanity and particularly the West, looked at a future of greater freedom and liberty that was just in its grasp and choked. As the 90's progressed, governments that advocated more economic and personal freedoms were voted out of power. This accelerated in the 2000's with these governments expanding their power and influence, until today, where there is no facet of your life that the government doesn't take an interest. Government thinks it has a duty to tell us how we should eat, sleep, shit, screw, raise our kids, spend our money, drive our cars and how we die. There isn't a facet of our lives that government hasn't infiltrated and sought to restrict or regulate. Every day, I read about a new outrage that is occurring in Great Britain; so many that I am inured to it now.
But, the hell of it is, we have only ourselves to blame. The vast majority of Americans and other Westerners voted for the politicians that push these measures and continue to reelect them time and time again. The people of the West seem to have lost the desire for freedom and liberty and want the comfort of the all enveloping nanny who will take care of them from cradle to grave. I am at a loss in how to fight this trend. For example, look at the choices available to us in the upcoming election. Except for Fred Thompson and Ron Paul, the entire panoply of candidates pushes for big and expansive government programs that we are told will "Change" our lives for the better. Notice that I put change in quotes. All of these candidates are going on ad infinitum about change but when you look at their policies, it is all the same old programs that they have been pushing for over 50 years. This is change? Bull. America and other western countries don't want change. We want more government programs and we want to be coddled so we never have to make an important decision again. We want Mommy government to kiss our boo-boos and make everything better. We had a chance for change in the 1980's and we let it slip through our fingers.
But, here is the real reason for my disconsolateness. As I grow older, I've come to realize that all of the change and rollback of government in the 80's was an aberration. Government grew by leaps and bounds under FDR in the 30's and expanded from there during the Great Society programs that were passed when I was an infant. These programs were part of my life from the beginning, but they would have seemed a shocking power grab by the government to people who lived in the 1920's or earlier. It will be the same to people who are born when nationalized health care passes. This intrusion by government will be seen to them as a given and will be as much a part of the fabric of their lives as Social Security and Medicare is to mine. There will be no question of scaling the new programs back and the idea of eliminating them will be laughable.
People want big government and we advocates of liberty, freedom and limited government are too few to even begin to stop them.
I'm all fired up when I wake in the morning, I relate my rant du jour to Denise, and while I drive in to work, the rant dissipates and I no longer have any desire to put it into words. I am not sure why this has been the case.
I think a big part of it is the grim foreboding I have for the future of this country. My anger has gone beyond mere rants into despair and solemn depression.
But anyway, let me relate some of the reasons why I am in this state of mind. First a bit of background. I am a 40 something child of the 80's. I came of age at the time of Reagan's first election and many in my generation felt that we were at the vanguard of an unprecedented rollback in the increasing role of government in our lives. We saw gains in the most unlikely places: England, Canada, Germany, the Soviet Union, even California. Limited government seemed the wave of the future and after the fall of the Soviet Union, it seemed to be the destiny of mankind. But then something went unaccountably, horribly wrong.
It seemed that after the fall of the Soviet Union, humanity and particularly the West, looked at a future of greater freedom and liberty that was just in its grasp and choked. As the 90's progressed, governments that advocated more economic and personal freedoms were voted out of power. This accelerated in the 2000's with these governments expanding their power and influence, until today, where there is no facet of your life that the government doesn't take an interest. Government thinks it has a duty to tell us how we should eat, sleep, shit, screw, raise our kids, spend our money, drive our cars and how we die. There isn't a facet of our lives that government hasn't infiltrated and sought to restrict or regulate. Every day, I read about a new outrage that is occurring in Great Britain; so many that I am inured to it now.
But, the hell of it is, we have only ourselves to blame. The vast majority of Americans and other Westerners voted for the politicians that push these measures and continue to reelect them time and time again. The people of the West seem to have lost the desire for freedom and liberty and want the comfort of the all enveloping nanny who will take care of them from cradle to grave. I am at a loss in how to fight this trend. For example, look at the choices available to us in the upcoming election. Except for Fred Thompson and Ron Paul, the entire panoply of candidates pushes for big and expansive government programs that we are told will "Change" our lives for the better. Notice that I put change in quotes. All of these candidates are going on ad infinitum about change but when you look at their policies, it is all the same old programs that they have been pushing for over 50 years. This is change? Bull. America and other western countries don't want change. We want more government programs and we want to be coddled so we never have to make an important decision again. We want Mommy government to kiss our boo-boos and make everything better. We had a chance for change in the 1980's and we let it slip through our fingers.
But, here is the real reason for my disconsolateness. As I grow older, I've come to realize that all of the change and rollback of government in the 80's was an aberration. Government grew by leaps and bounds under FDR in the 30's and expanded from there during the Great Society programs that were passed when I was an infant. These programs were part of my life from the beginning, but they would have seemed a shocking power grab by the government to people who lived in the 1920's or earlier. It will be the same to people who are born when nationalized health care passes. This intrusion by government will be seen to them as a given and will be as much a part of the fabric of their lives as Social Security and Medicare is to mine. There will be no question of scaling the new programs back and the idea of eliminating them will be laughable.
People want big government and we advocates of liberty, freedom and limited government are too few to even begin to stop them.
NYT on Guns in National Parks
You may have heard that 47 Senators have asked the Department of Interior to lift its ban on “ready to use” guns in National Parks. This is a good thing, but the New York Times heard about it too and went off in high dudgeon.
Of course, they oppose the idea and state, “As so often happens when guns are in question, the senators have forgotten to insist upon the rights of the vast majority of citizens, who choose not to carry guns.” They don’t bother to explain why the rights of that so-called “vast majority” are affected. If those folks don’t want to carry a firearm then don’t carry one. It’s that simple.
The New York Times published this editorial at a time when a female hiker is missing and presumed dead. While the woman disappeared from the Chattahoochee National Forest which is under the purview of the Department of Agriculture, the lesson is the same. A woman who has a blue belt in martial arts cannot defend herself against a man who may have been armed with only a police-style baton.
The point the New York Times editoral board doesn’t get is that self-defense is not negotiable. Guns are the best tools for self-defense, and the best equalizer between a citizen and two or four legged predators.
The New York Times describes National Parks as places set aside for “peaceful preserves” in which guns have no place. Too bad we don’t all live in a world with unicorns and fluffy bunnies prancing around in predator-free preserves. No, we live in a real world.
Of course, they oppose the idea and state, “As so often happens when guns are in question, the senators have forgotten to insist upon the rights of the vast majority of citizens, who choose not to carry guns.” They don’t bother to explain why the rights of that so-called “vast majority” are affected. If those folks don’t want to carry a firearm then don’t carry one. It’s that simple.
The New York Times published this editorial at a time when a female hiker is missing and presumed dead. While the woman disappeared from the Chattahoochee National Forest which is under the purview of the Department of Agriculture, the lesson is the same. A woman who has a blue belt in martial arts cannot defend herself against a man who may have been armed with only a police-style baton.
The point the New York Times editoral board doesn’t get is that self-defense is not negotiable. Guns are the best tools for self-defense, and the best equalizer between a citizen and two or four legged predators.
The New York Times describes National Parks as places set aside for “peaceful preserves” in which guns have no place. Too bad we don’t all live in a world with unicorns and fluffy bunnies prancing around in predator-free preserves. No, we live in a real world.
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