Please contact your U.S. Congressman about Project Gunrunner and the 'Gunwalker' scandal. My Congressman has done about as much as he can behind the scenes and needs citizens from other districts to start asking questions, too. If you live in Virginia, please contact them today. If you are in the district represented by Bobby Scott, Bob Goodlatte, or Randy Forbes, it is especially important that you apply pressure.
For the rest of you gun owners: If your congressman is on the House Judiciary Committee, then you need to get a fire lit under them about the BATFE. Direct them to Senator Grassley's office for further information after sending them these links:
Journalist's Guide to Project Gunwalker
GOA Briefing Paper
CBS News report by Sharyl Attkisson and Video
It is time for this rogue ATF agency to become accountable, or be disbanded.
Newbius
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Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The Litmus Test
(From Wikipedia):
Forget tax policy, or abortion, or school funding, or any other distraction from the real argument. The real litmus test for Liberty is support for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
The Statists and Collectivists oppose individual Liberty. They routinely propose laws that restrict freedom. They uniformly look upon RKBA with disdain and derision. If you tell me what a person's core position is on RKBA, I can generally tell you their position on any other issue. (And, yes, this includes Harry Reid.)
Try it for yourselves. Pick an issue. Look at that person's stance on the issue (specifically whether it increases or decreases Liberty), and then look at their stand on RKBA issues. In MOST cases if they are anti-liberty, they will be anti-gun as well.
Litmus is a water-soluble mixture of different dyes extracted from lichens, especially Roccella tinctoria. It is often absorbed onto filter paper to produce one of the oldest forms of pH indicator, used to test materials for acidity...
Forget tax policy, or abortion, or school funding, or any other distraction from the real argument. The real litmus test for Liberty is support for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
The Statists and Collectivists oppose individual Liberty. They routinely propose laws that restrict freedom. They uniformly look upon RKBA with disdain and derision. If you tell me what a person's core position is on RKBA, I can generally tell you their position on any other issue. (And, yes, this includes Harry Reid.)
Try it for yourselves. Pick an issue. Look at that person's stance on the issue (specifically whether it increases or decreases Liberty), and then look at their stand on RKBA issues. In MOST cases if they are anti-liberty, they will be anti-gun as well.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
TL In Exile: The Criminalization of Politics
TL Davis hits one out of the park.
TL In Exile: The Criminalization of Politics
Where do you stand on this? You have a president who is openly defying the rule of law in our country, and who is aiding and abetting criminal thuggery in Wisconsin. Why aren't the cowards in the House of Representatives drafting up Articles of Impeachment? This is as much of a crime as lying under oath was for Bill 'Blue Dress' Clinton.
Are there any Patriots left in our Government?
Newbius
TL In Exile: The Criminalization of Politics
Where do you stand on this? You have a president who is openly defying the rule of law in our country, and who is aiding and abetting criminal thuggery in Wisconsin. Why aren't the cowards in the House of Representatives drafting up Articles of Impeachment? This is as much of a crime as lying under oath was for Bill 'Blue Dress' Clinton.
Are there any Patriots left in our Government?
Newbius
Sanctuary State
Democrat lawmakers in Wisconsin and Indiana have fled their states in order to hide, hoping that their absence will prevent the democratic process from moving forward. Their departures will cause loss of quorum at their respective state houses, and will stop legislation from moving forward that harms their pets supporters financiers enforcers thugs constituents in the unions.
What state is giving these cowards and misfeasants sanctuary? Why, Illinois, of course.
This is my shocked face...
Obama told the Republicans in 2009, when pressed to compromise on spending and social issues, "I won". The clear meaning being that elections have consequences. I guess this only applies if it is the Democrats who won. If the Democrats lose, then they run over the state line to the nearest friendly location, and give their own state the finger instead.
This is not the first time that the Democrats have attempted to thwart the will of the people after losing an election. They did this very same thing a couple of years ago in Texas. Oklahoma being the Sanctuary state back then.
Perhaps it is time to send the state troopers out to arrest them for dereliction of duty or something. Lord knows, hanging is too good for them. Or, how about this? Have the remaining legislators amend the rules of order to consider a quorum as the requisite percentage of the legislators who actually showed up for duty. THEN, pass the people's business.
I have had enough of 'Milk-Carton Democrats' to last me a lifetime. They are cowards and thieves and whores, the whole lot of them. Get rid of them.
Newbius
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What state is giving these cowards and misfeasants sanctuary? Why, Illinois, of course.
This is my shocked face...
Obama told the Republicans in 2009, when pressed to compromise on spending and social issues, "I won". The clear meaning being that elections have consequences. I guess this only applies if it is the Democrats who won. If the Democrats lose, then they run over the state line to the nearest friendly location, and give their own state the finger instead.
This is not the first time that the Democrats have attempted to thwart the will of the people after losing an election. They did this very same thing a couple of years ago in Texas. Oklahoma being the Sanctuary state back then.
Perhaps it is time to send the state troopers out to arrest them for dereliction of duty or something. Lord knows, hanging is too good for them. Or, how about this? Have the remaining legislators amend the rules of order to consider a quorum as the requisite percentage of the legislators who actually showed up for duty. THEN, pass the people's business.
I have had enough of 'Milk-Carton Democrats' to last me a lifetime. They are cowards and thieves and whores, the whole lot of them. Get rid of them.
Newbius
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Monday, February 21, 2011
Public Employee Unions
I do not like them. I do not like the fact that they donate to (exclusively Democrat) politicians who promise to continue the forced extraction of the dues which feed them. I do not like that they are Marxist organizations trying to destroy our country.
I especially dislike the fact that public employees have guaranteed benefits and pensions which are generally better than private sector plans, and for which they pay little or nothing towards.
If you threaten their gravy train, then they strike, busing in thousands of fellow travelers and getting violent. The "Purple People Beater" moniker is applied to SEIU thugs for good reason. They, and their cohorts in AFSME and other public-employee unions, view you, the taxpayer, as a wage slave. If you fail to continue their pay, perks, and benefits in the manner that they have become accustomed to, they will riot and beat you. They are your masters. Just ask them.
Do you see this yet? Have you had enough yet?
Disband them. Disband them all. Let them try to market their 'skills' in the private sector like the rest of us. Survive, or die, bitches!
Newbius
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I especially dislike the fact that public employees have guaranteed benefits and pensions which are generally better than private sector plans, and for which they pay little or nothing towards.
If you threaten their gravy train, then they strike, busing in thousands of fellow travelers and getting violent. The "Purple People Beater" moniker is applied to SEIU thugs for good reason. They, and their cohorts in AFSME and other public-employee unions, view you, the taxpayer, as a wage slave. If you fail to continue their pay, perks, and benefits in the manner that they have become accustomed to, they will riot and beat you. They are your masters. Just ask them.
Do you see this yet? Have you had enough yet?
Disband them. Disband them all. Let them try to market their 'skills' in the private sector like the rest of us. Survive, or die, bitches!
Newbius
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Saturday Range Day After Action
Saturday's dawn greeted extremely windy conditions, so much so that we decided to scratch the trip to Clark Brothers and instead go to the local indoor range.
Prior to departing, I conducted a safety briefing with my kids to remind them of the rules. I also went over the operation of each of the guns we would be firing. We then picked up my son's girlfriend Cheryl, who had never handled a firearm before but was eager to learn. On the drive over, we again covered the Rules, grip, stance, and expectations.
Arriving at the range, we discovered a line to the door with 12 or more people ahead of us. Thankfully, after checking we only had to wait another 30 minutes for our lanes to open. We got set up, and then everyone got one more reminder about safety and operation and then we were shooting.
Cheryl really enjoyed the Walther PP .32 ACP, the Savage Mark II .22LR, and the XDm-45. In fact, she kept going back to the XDm time and again for her recoil fix. Big grins all around!
I did have one casualty though. My Astra A-100 failed. The gun locked up out of battery and would not close. I dropped the mag and didn't see anything obvious. When I tried to re-insert the magazine, it would not insert fully. I took the slide off and walked out front where the light was and examined it more closely. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that the gun was done for the day. The barrel stop had broken in 2 places.
This gun, while not expensive, has a great deal of sentimental value. It is no longer in production and some parts are scarce, especially magazines. I called European American Armory (EAA) this morning after a quick check of their website, and they do have the part in stock. Hopefully, I can have this one back up and running shortly.
On the whole, it was a pretty good day. I got to scrape the rust off of my skills and get some recoil therapy. My oldest son and my daughter got to have some fun. And, a new shooter got to see that guns are fun when used properly. Sounds like a win to me!
Pax,
Newbius
Prior to departing, I conducted a safety briefing with my kids to remind them of the rules. I also went over the operation of each of the guns we would be firing. We then picked up my son's girlfriend Cheryl, who had never handled a firearm before but was eager to learn. On the drive over, we again covered the Rules, grip, stance, and expectations.
Arriving at the range, we discovered a line to the door with 12 or more people ahead of us. Thankfully, after checking we only had to wait another 30 minutes for our lanes to open. We got set up, and then everyone got one more reminder about safety and operation and then we were shooting.
Cheryl really enjoyed the Walther PP .32 ACP, the Savage Mark II .22LR, and the XDm-45. In fact, she kept going back to the XDm time and again for her recoil fix. Big grins all around!
I did have one casualty though. My Astra A-100 failed. The gun locked up out of battery and would not close. I dropped the mag and didn't see anything obvious. When I tried to re-insert the magazine, it would not insert fully. I took the slide off and walked out front where the light was and examined it more closely. Upon closer inspection, it was obvious that the gun was done for the day. The barrel stop had broken in 2 places.
This gun, while not expensive, has a great deal of sentimental value. It is no longer in production and some parts are scarce, especially magazines. I called European American Armory (EAA) this morning after a quick check of their website, and they do have the part in stock. Hopefully, I can have this one back up and running shortly.
On the whole, it was a pretty good day. I got to scrape the rust off of my skills and get some recoil therapy. My oldest son and my daughter got to have some fun. And, a new shooter got to see that guns are fun when used properly. Sounds like a win to me!
Pax,
Newbius
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
The open carry debate
A little brouhaha has erupted over the 'library carry' demonstration. I am not going to address the specific controversy here.
What I will state is this:
Pax,
Newbius
What I will state is this:
Define your goals. Plan a way to effectively achieve those goals. Do an 'after-action' report to gauge the effectiveness of those plans. Adjust, adapt, and then repeat.If your goal is to maximize media exposure, regardless of reaction or outcome, then you take the negative with the positive and live with the result. If your goal is something else, then it would help to state it in advance so that the reaction can be tempered in the context of the desired outcome.
Pax,
Newbius
Drudge and Others ignore a scandal
Maybe Matt Drudge has gotten lazy in his success. Maybe he no longer cares to be on the cutting edge of journalism. Maybe the murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry late last year wasn't scandalous enough. Well, it is now. And Drudge is ignoring it.
Searching the Drudge Archives for "Brian Terry", I get "0 results". Great work, there, Matt!
Oh, and ditto for HotAir and Breitbart.
Michelle Malkin has not covered anything other than the original murder, so it appears that she is not aware of the ATF's complicity in the case. I have pinged all of these "journalists" via twitter and email. And I have directed them to the user-friendly guide at Examiner.com.
We need to keep up the pressure. Do your part please. Contact your Congressman and Senators (see my guide to HOW, below). This is our country, not the apparatchik's and bureaucrat's.
Pax,
Newbius
Searching the Drudge Archives for "Brian Terry", I get "0 results". Great work, there, Matt!
Oh, and ditto for HotAir and Breitbart.
Michelle Malkin has not covered anything other than the original murder, so it appears that she is not aware of the ATF's complicity in the case. I have pinged all of these "journalists" via twitter and email. And I have directed them to the user-friendly guide at Examiner.com.
We need to keep up the pressure. Do your part please. Contact your Congressman and Senators (see my guide to HOW, below). This is our country, not the apparatchik's and bureaucrat's.
Pax,
Newbius
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Reminder to Lawmakers
So-called "non-discretionary spending" is only "non-discretionary" because the legislature wrote the law that way. There is no place in Federal Law which states that future congresses cannot change the law.
The Constitution is not a suicide pact. When the Congress abdicates their responsibility to govern responsibly (because they are too cowardly to face the voters after turning off the 'free' goodies), then we have lost as a nation. The only thing left is the devolution into anarchy, as the Ruling Class attempts to extract the last drop of wealth from the proles.
Time for the TEA Party Republicans to either Nut Up or Shut Up. Our Federal receipts are right around $2 Trillion dollars. ObeyMe has increased government spending such that the deficit spending nearly equals the total revenue figure. We are spending nearly twice as much as we are generating in tax revenue. And, the figures are only going to get worse.
The entire Defense budget is less than $700 Billion per year. You could stop funding defense entirely and still not close the deficit. You could close ALL of the cabinet departments not directly related to WELFARE (Social Security, Medicare, AFDC, WIC, Farm Subsidies, Corporate payouts, and foreign aid), and still not balance the budget.
Our entire Federal Government system exists to transfer wealth from the working, to the non-working, as fast as possible. When the collapse of this system happens (when, not if), the recipients are going to make the riots in Greece and England look like an episode of Barney the Dinosaur, and Baby Bop is not going to be happy.
Cut it all out. Stick to the enumerated powers (not the power grabs) and slash everything else. There is no such thing as "too big to fail". There is only Reality and Denial. Our nation is in Denial, and Reality is going really hurt when the system collapses.
Got preps?
The Constitution is not a suicide pact. When the Congress abdicates their responsibility to govern responsibly (because they are too cowardly to face the voters after turning off the 'free' goodies), then we have lost as a nation. The only thing left is the devolution into anarchy, as the Ruling Class attempts to extract the last drop of wealth from the proles.
Time for the TEA Party Republicans to either Nut Up or Shut Up. Our Federal receipts are right around $2 Trillion dollars. ObeyMe has increased government spending such that the deficit spending nearly equals the total revenue figure. We are spending nearly twice as much as we are generating in tax revenue. And, the figures are only going to get worse.
The entire Defense budget is less than $700 Billion per year. You could stop funding defense entirely and still not close the deficit. You could close ALL of the cabinet departments not directly related to WELFARE (Social Security, Medicare, AFDC, WIC, Farm Subsidies, Corporate payouts, and foreign aid), and still not balance the budget.
Our entire Federal Government system exists to transfer wealth from the working, to the non-working, as fast as possible. When the collapse of this system happens (when, not if), the recipients are going to make the riots in Greece and England look like an episode of Barney the Dinosaur, and Baby Bop is not going to be happy.
Cut it all out. Stick to the enumerated powers (not the power grabs) and slash everything else. There is no such thing as "too big to fail". There is only Reality and Denial. Our nation is in Denial, and Reality is going really hurt when the system collapses.
Got preps?
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentines Day
My bride and I have been together for 25 years, married for 23 of those. I do love her dearly. Take care of the ones you love. They are a blessing in your life.
Pax,
Newbius
Pax,
Newbius
Thursday, February 10, 2011
"Call your congressperson!" - A guide to HOW
Please call your congressperson, and do so regularly, about the issues important to you.
For example: Today, I had a very lengthy conversation with the Legislative Director for my congressperson. They are not directly involved in the specific committee on the issue I called about, but are the back door to the delegation members who are.
I gave the Legislative Director an extensive background overview of the case in question, especially noting links to other columns and blogs with pertinent information, and also referred them to a Senator's office with more information. The Legislative Director took good notes, is going to be checking the links, and assured me they would follow up on this through their House contacts.
I was calling them in the capacity of citizen and constituent, not as a blogger/ unauthorized journalist, and this seemed to make them more forthcoming with how they were planning to work the information. I was advised that for "official comment", I should talk to their Communications Director and was provided with that person's name and contact info.
Interestingly, the person I usually communicate with, when I identified myself to him (I call them a lot) and asked about the specific issue (a hot issue involving potential scandal and a likely executive-branch cover-up), they couldn't get me to the legislative director's phone fast enough. This is a first for me. The other times I have gotten to speak with the Legislative Director, I was called back to discuss policy issue questions that I had raised and it took 24 hours or more to hear back. The fact that I got put through immediately indicates to me that some types of issues still carry serious weight in the halls of Congress.
Some advice: Having names, dates, and places handy when asked for more detail REALLY helps your credibility. Being able to tell the Legislative Director about something that is easily verifiable and FACTUAL really got their attention.
When trying to force action about an agency's abuse, it helps to be able to demonstrate how their actions might affect another agency's relationship with the citizens, or with diplomatic concerns with an allied country. A Congressional Representative will likely not have direct oversight on your issue, but might be able to sway State, or Commerce, or another agency that your issue affects them too and they will then be able to pick away at the edges from another angle. We need to use our contacts to force them into using theirs. If nothing else, a Congressman wants to be seen as 'doing something'. It helps them to be able to direct their efforts if you know, or can envision, consequential effects and you communicate these to them.
Please also remember this when contacting them: Be CALM. Be rational. Be credible. Be persistent. Be friendly. And, ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH. Your congressperson's office fields hundreds of calls per day. If you only ever call them when you are angry about some piece of legislation that 'tramples your puppy', then you will only be known as a malcontent.
Every time I call, I am friendly and pleasant. I identify myself by name. I am clear about the current status of the legislation in question (use THOMAS to search for it). I have already checked their website (HOUSE and SENATE) to see if they have issued a position statement. I know what I am trying to say to them (use bullet-point notes if needed). Most importantly, I have my facts handy. As my call today with my Congressman's office showed me, sometimes you get put right through and YOU NEED TO BE READY.
My "take-aways" are these:
Newbius
For example: Today, I had a very lengthy conversation with the Legislative Director for my congressperson. They are not directly involved in the specific committee on the issue I called about, but are the back door to the delegation members who are.
I gave the Legislative Director an extensive background overview of the case in question, especially noting links to other columns and blogs with pertinent information, and also referred them to a Senator's office with more information. The Legislative Director took good notes, is going to be checking the links, and assured me they would follow up on this through their House contacts.
I was calling them in the capacity of citizen and constituent, not as a blogger/ unauthorized journalist, and this seemed to make them more forthcoming with how they were planning to work the information. I was advised that for "official comment", I should talk to their Communications Director and was provided with that person's name and contact info.
Interestingly, the person I usually communicate with, when I identified myself to him (I call them a lot) and asked about the specific issue (a hot issue involving potential scandal and a likely executive-branch cover-up), they couldn't get me to the legislative director's phone fast enough. This is a first for me. The other times I have gotten to speak with the Legislative Director, I was called back to discuss policy issue questions that I had raised and it took 24 hours or more to hear back. The fact that I got put through immediately indicates to me that some types of issues still carry serious weight in the halls of Congress.
Some advice: Having names, dates, and places handy when asked for more detail REALLY helps your credibility. Being able to tell the Legislative Director about something that is easily verifiable and FACTUAL really got their attention.
When trying to force action about an agency's abuse, it helps to be able to demonstrate how their actions might affect another agency's relationship with the citizens, or with diplomatic concerns with an allied country. A Congressional Representative will likely not have direct oversight on your issue, but might be able to sway State, or Commerce, or another agency that your issue affects them too and they will then be able to pick away at the edges from another angle. We need to use our contacts to force them into using theirs. If nothing else, a Congressman wants to be seen as 'doing something'. It helps them to be able to direct their efforts if you know, or can envision, consequential effects and you communicate these to them.
Please also remember this when contacting them: Be CALM. Be rational. Be credible. Be persistent. Be friendly. And, ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH. Your congressperson's office fields hundreds of calls per day. If you only ever call them when you are angry about some piece of legislation that 'tramples your puppy', then you will only be known as a malcontent.
Every time I call, I am friendly and pleasant. I identify myself by name. I am clear about the current status of the legislation in question (use THOMAS to search for it). I have already checked their website (HOUSE and SENATE) to see if they have issued a position statement. I know what I am trying to say to them (use bullet-point notes if needed). Most importantly, I have my facts handy. As my call today with my Congressman's office showed me, sometimes you get put right through and YOU NEED TO BE READY.
My "take-aways" are these:
First, stay in regular contact with your congressperson's office such that they know you and at least respect your commitment to the issues.Pax,
Second, have your facts handy and readily transferred so that it is easy for them to get to.
Third, some of them really do care and will work with the people who have the legislative or committee power, even if their office does not.
Fourth, see item one, Call your Congressman!
Newbius
ATF Project Gunwalker updates
Please go to David Codrea's 'War on Guns' and 'Gun Rights Examiner' pages, and Mike Vanderboegh's 'Sipsey Street Irregulars' page for updates on this breaking scandal.
Newbius
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Newbius
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Monday, February 7, 2011
Random Thought
How come a citizen can be thrown in jail for lying to Congress, but when Congress lies to the Citizens we just re-elect them?
Protecting Life
(No, not abortion this time.)
I have heard many anti-gun-rights activists use the phrase "I just don't believe that it is worth killing someone for the cash on my pocket", or some similar sentiment.
The logic failure in the above sentence is this: That bargain has already been made by the person robbing you. To them, your life is immaterial. The contents of your pockets are only gain to them. The surest way to eliminate the risk of being caught is to eliminate the (probably only) witness to the crime, namely you.
Now, with this in mind, the bargain becomes instead: "Is your life worth your life?"
I do not believe that the cash in my pocket is worth killing for, but my life surely is. As are the lives of my family and friends. We have let the criminals and the politicians (but I repeat myself) frame the debate for far too long. It is time to get back to basic principles, and expose the true message to those who are being misled. Gun control is not about the guns. It is about the control, specifically of YOU the law-abiding person, not the criminal.
I choose to protect my life. I choose the most effective tool to do it with. The politicians may be dancing with the devil, but the patriot still remembers the tune. Guard your life and guard your liberty. Buy a gun and learn how to use it.
Pax,
Newbius
I have heard many anti-gun-rights activists use the phrase "I just don't believe that it is worth killing someone for the cash on my pocket", or some similar sentiment.
The logic failure in the above sentence is this: That bargain has already been made by the person robbing you. To them, your life is immaterial. The contents of your pockets are only gain to them. The surest way to eliminate the risk of being caught is to eliminate the (probably only) witness to the crime, namely you.
Now, with this in mind, the bargain becomes instead: "Is your life worth your life?"
I do not believe that the cash in my pocket is worth killing for, but my life surely is. As are the lives of my family and friends. We have let the criminals and the politicians (but I repeat myself) frame the debate for far too long. It is time to get back to basic principles, and expose the true message to those who are being misled. Gun control is not about the guns. It is about the control, specifically of YOU the law-abiding person, not the criminal.
I choose to protect my life. I choose the most effective tool to do it with. The politicians may be dancing with the devil, but the patriot still remembers the tune. Guard your life and guard your liberty. Buy a gun and learn how to use it.
Pax,
Newbius
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Profundity or profanity
Our language offers us many opportunities to display our wit, wisdom, and upbringing. Every interaction you have with another is a chance to show your true colors. When you speak to the next person you happen across, will you be profound or profane?
As they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. You also don't get to know who might be watching you, and if that anonymous observer is in a position to make your life easier or harder. Choose your words wisely.
On the same note, the mark of a person's character is exemplified by their interactions with people who do menial labor or offer no obvious advantage to them. It is a small thing to notice and acknowledge the hotel maid, or the restaurant busboy. And, if they are doing their job well, a kind word to their manager will go a long way.
Beware the person who mistreats others, for they view you as inferior, too.
Enjoy your weekend.
Newbius
As they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. You also don't get to know who might be watching you, and if that anonymous observer is in a position to make your life easier or harder. Choose your words wisely.
On the same note, the mark of a person's character is exemplified by their interactions with people who do menial labor or offer no obvious advantage to them. It is a small thing to notice and acknowledge the hotel maid, or the restaurant busboy. And, if they are doing their job well, a kind word to their manager will go a long way.
Beware the person who mistreats others, for they view you as inferior, too.
Enjoy your weekend.
Newbius
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
QOTD: Judge Roger Vinson
From Florida v. United States HHS (Obamacare)
The act of engaging in commerce (or refraining from doing so) is foundationally one of Association. The government has no more authority to force an individual to purchase a product proffered by another, than it has to require couples to engage in pre-marital sex. Meaning, none. Because, obviously, refusing to engage in pre-marital sex affects the sex trade and the cost of same, right? And, eventually, everyone is a user of those services, right? And, we have an obligation to keep the cost of those services affordable to government, right? (Insert politician/prostitute joke here.)
Isn't this is the same government that lost money operating a brothel? And yet, they will save untold trillions by monopolizing the health care industry? Really? Go ahead...pull the other one.
Bravo Judge Vinson. Regardless what the academics and professors over on Volokh may say, the essence of your ruling is in accord with our Constitution.
Newbius
"It is difficult to imagine that a nation which began, at least in part, as the result of opposition to a British mandate giving the East India Company a monopoly and imposing a nominal tax on all tea sold in America would have set out to create a government with the power to force people to buy tea in the first place."There are people (whose view of the world says it is OK to force people to engage in acts that they would not choose to do)
The act of engaging in commerce (or refraining from doing so) is foundationally one of Association. The government has no more authority to force an individual to purchase a product proffered by another, than it has to require couples to engage in pre-marital sex. Meaning, none. Because, obviously, refusing to engage in pre-marital sex affects the sex trade and the cost of same, right? And, eventually, everyone is a user of those services, right? And, we have an obligation to keep the cost of those services affordable to government, right? (Insert politician/prostitute joke here.)
Isn't this is the same government that lost money operating a brothel? And yet, they will save untold trillions by monopolizing the health care industry? Really? Go ahead...pull the other one.
Bravo Judge Vinson. Regardless what the academics and professors over on Volokh may say, the essence of your ruling is in accord with our Constitution.
Newbius
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Federal Attention
Should I be at all fussed that, beginning recently, someone at the CIA thinks my blog is worth reading daily (and is also reading it from the counter-terrorism-office location)?
Just asking...
Newbius
Just asking...
Newbius
What do you say?
What do you say, when it is all being said by others? What topic should be dealt with, what insight can I give?
Such are the questions that run through my mind when blogfodder is thin. I run through Drudge, and PuffHo, and the Daily Kooks, and I wonder. How much more of the same we can talk about and still remain sane?
When Woodward and Bernstein were exposing the crimes of the Nixon administration, it was good for the country. When I was old enough to appreciate it, I saw the value of an inquisitive press. When the same press was trying to generate scandal against Ronald Reagan, I saw the destructive force of ideology attempting to use the same power of the press to bring down a great man.
Witness the press actions through Clinton and GWB, and you see this ideologically-driven press get more biased, more divisive, and begin the process of institutional lying to promote agendas.
And now, we have Obama as president. What started out 40 years ago as independent journalism (yes, even then with a bias, but with a willingness to tell the story regardless of outcome) has now become dependent propagandism. Journalists are no longer even pretending to offer fealty to journalistic ethics, or unbiased story-telling. They no longer seek to hold the government accountable to the people. They no longer care about truth. Nowadays, they only care about access.
Access? Really? Come on, guys. Any government which attempts to bribe or coerce reporters with promises of (or threats to withhold) access to them is corrupt. Any journalist which falls for the ruse is corrupt, and lazy.
Think about this. If the government needs to get information out, it either must co-opt the airwaves, or announce a press briefing. In either case, the government will tell its side of whatever story is breaking. The real journalists will ask the uncomfortable questions of these mouthpieces and get them to comment on the real workings or issues. We are not seeing this any more. The editors are protecting their access, at the expense of their integrity.
The truth of the matter is this: The government needs access to the reporter, and will seek them out if they need a story told. The reporter does not need the government mouthpiece. They seem to have forgotten this.
Chris Muir puts out a comic strip with insightful political commentary called 'Day by Day' (over there on the sidebar). With immense clarity, Chris has accurately portrayed the White House Press Corps during the briefing. A fine example of this is HERE. Instead of an independent press asking insightful questions in order that the people can get the real skinny on the workings of our government, we get fawning empty-headed acolytes bowing to their masters.
So I am left with the question: What do you say? What do you say to your kids when they ask why everybody on TV is shouting at each other? What do you say when the reportage and the reality have an obvious disconnect? What do you say when the policies being proposed have a history of failure and worse, yet they are reported with no hint of irony as the solution to our ills? What do you say when you see agencies of your government exempt themselves from the laws that they impose on the People? What do you say?
What would Patrick Henry say?
And, Patrick Henry also said this: "For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and provide for it." These are words to live by.
Open your eyes and look for the truth. For objective truth is, and no amount of dissembling will make it less so. The Truth shall set you free.
Newbius
Such are the questions that run through my mind when blogfodder is thin. I run through Drudge, and PuffHo, and the Daily Kooks, and I wonder. How much more of the same we can talk about and still remain sane?
When Woodward and Bernstein were exposing the crimes of the Nixon administration, it was good for the country. When I was old enough to appreciate it, I saw the value of an inquisitive press. When the same press was trying to generate scandal against Ronald Reagan, I saw the destructive force of ideology attempting to use the same power of the press to bring down a great man.
Witness the press actions through Clinton and GWB, and you see this ideologically-driven press get more biased, more divisive, and begin the process of institutional lying to promote agendas.
And now, we have Obama as president. What started out 40 years ago as independent journalism (yes, even then with a bias, but with a willingness to tell the story regardless of outcome) has now become dependent propagandism. Journalists are no longer even pretending to offer fealty to journalistic ethics, or unbiased story-telling. They no longer seek to hold the government accountable to the people. They no longer care about truth. Nowadays, they only care about access.
Access? Really? Come on, guys. Any government which attempts to bribe or coerce reporters with promises of (or threats to withhold) access to them is corrupt. Any journalist which falls for the ruse is corrupt, and lazy.
Think about this. If the government needs to get information out, it either must co-opt the airwaves, or announce a press briefing. In either case, the government will tell its side of whatever story is breaking. The real journalists will ask the uncomfortable questions of these mouthpieces and get them to comment on the real workings or issues. We are not seeing this any more. The editors are protecting their access, at the expense of their integrity.
The truth of the matter is this: The government needs access to the reporter, and will seek them out if they need a story told. The reporter does not need the government mouthpiece. They seem to have forgotten this.
Chris Muir puts out a comic strip with insightful political commentary called 'Day by Day' (over there on the sidebar). With immense clarity, Chris has accurately portrayed the White House Press Corps during the briefing. A fine example of this is HERE. Instead of an independent press asking insightful questions in order that the people can get the real skinny on the workings of our government, we get fawning empty-headed acolytes bowing to their masters.
So I am left with the question: What do you say? What do you say to your kids when they ask why everybody on TV is shouting at each other? What do you say when the reportage and the reality have an obvious disconnect? What do you say when the policies being proposed have a history of failure and worse, yet they are reported with no hint of irony as the solution to our ills? What do you say when you see agencies of your government exempt themselves from the laws that they impose on the People? What do you say?
What would Patrick Henry say?
"The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them."
"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined."
"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience."
"I know of no way of judging the future but by the past."
"Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense?"
"When the American spirit was in its youth, the language of America was different: Liberty, sir, was the primary object."
"Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!"
And, Patrick Henry also said this: "For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and provide for it." These are words to live by.
Open your eyes and look for the truth. For objective truth is, and no amount of dissembling will make it less so. The Truth shall set you free.
Newbius
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