Bill Of Rights Day

That time of year has rolled around once again. Today finds us looking at another Bill of Rights Day. This is a day which should be celebrated, but it won't be. It's a day when we should reflect on our individual liberties, but most will pay it no mind. Only a few of us out here in the aether of the blogosphere will even pay it homage, by mentioning it in a post or raising a glass to it.

It's rather difficult for most to work up the enthusiasm for a celebration of the document which theoretically reins in the powers of the government where our liberties are concerned. This grand old document has seen constant abuse and degradation at the hands of politicians, (both large and small), as well as the robed denizens of the courts. It's a wonder that anyone even deigns to mention it any more. Oh, sure. The press, that chosen class who strive daily in their task to tell us what we should think of certain issues, will occasionally mention their First Amendment Rights and the numerous violations of said right, but then they'll just turn around and call for the one of the other Enumerated Rights to be violated. All in the best interest of their readers, of course. Don't even get them started on the 2nd Amendment, unless you want to see wet panties and hanky wringing.

Today should be celebrated with great fanfare, fireworks and expressions of the very liberties enshrined in the venerable old document. Tonight the talking heads will appear on televisions across the nation and speak of many things. Their newly elected saviour, the economy, redistribution of wealth and myriad other topics. Nary a one will even mention that today is Bill of Rights Day. Well, I guess it's up to the rest of us to haul the weight. We'll mention it. Again and again. Until people are tired of it. Perhaps we'll mention Bill of Rights Enforcement and sound the call, now and again for the highest law of the land to be upheld without doubt or obfuscation, on a daily basis. Shoot, maybe they'd even deign to teach it in the government schools again.

Regardless of all of that, today is a day when we can take a few moments, at least, and honour the memory of those Founders who called for a Bill of Rights and then drafted it. To pay homage to the document itself and the principles it holds forth and to, once again, hold onto it dearly and do our best to see that it is upheld as it was intended to be upheld. As an inviolable shield betwixt the leviathan of government and ourselves. The BoR is not a limit on our Rights, regardless of what the politicians and their judges would have us believe.

Let us today ignore the petty tyrants and their bastard understandings of the truths of the Bill of Rights and hold our own celebrations, private or public. Let us refuse to be cowed by diffidence, ennui and the powers that be and stand proudly. Let us take a few moments of our day and re-read that Bill, refresh our current memory and validate that which we hold to be true. That we are sovereign individuals and we all possess Rights enumerated or not. Let us take a moment to remember that government has no Rights. Only the individual. And, regardless of what you may be told they may not be taken from you. You may only surrender them. Take a moment to reaffirm that you shall never surrender those Rights and will strive to enforce them when, where and how you wish. And, please take a few minutes and read it to your children. They need it just as much as we do, if not more.

Happy Bill of Rights Day.

Update: Needless to say, there are others out there writing on the subject, none quite so well as Mr. Vin Suprynowicz. Take a few minutes and read his writing on the subject. He does a great job, on this as well as many other subjects.

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Bill of Rights Day, Bill of Rights, Libertarian, Liberty

The Kings Largess

Just when we thought the tax slaves in the US would catch a break, after the Senate refused to acquiesce to the demands of the Big 3, comes late breaking word that King George may just go ahead and grant them the money anyway. Here we have yet another sign that the Republic is, if not dead, dying. The representatives of the people spoke, after hearing from the masses that there should be no further bailouts and now it looks as if the royal treasury will be tapped anyway to feed the rapacious unions that have successfully run the auto industry into the ground.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under mounting pressure to act, the Bush administration said Friday it was ready to step in and prevent the U.S. auto industry from collapsing after the Senate refused to pass a rescue bill endorsed by the White House and congressional Democrats. The most obvious source of help was the Wall Street bailout fund.

"The current weakened state of the economy is such that it could not withstand a body blow like a disorderly bankruptcy in the auto industry," White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

Treasury spokeswoman Brookly McLaughlin said, "Because Congress failed to act, we will stand ready to prevent an imminent failure until Congress reconvenes and acts to address the long-term viability of the industry."

It is not the place of the Imperial Presidency or Congress to save every failing company. The airlines were allowed to fall into bankruptcy and restructure. They've managed to come out just fine. Allowing the market to work is what we want, not more debt piled atop the trillions of debt already accrued.

What will it take till the powers that be realise that the mechanisms are in place to insure an orderly restructuring of the auto industry? It's called bankruptcy and, if it's allowed to work the auto industry will be better off than if they are nationalised. His Majesty the King needs to be reminded that he works for "We The People", not for industry or special interests or unions. Especially, unions. This country threw off the yoke of one king. We did not do so in order to be saddled with another. George Bush said, in the past, that he believed in the free market. It's long past the time he stepped up and put words into action. Or inaction, as the case may be.

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Bailout, Politics, George Bush, Big 3

A Good Start To Every Day

They say that a good breakfast is the best way to start the day. I have a better recommendation, tho. Good news came this morning from Indiana's next door neighbour, Illinois. It looks like their criminal in chief governor has managed to go and get himself arrested by the Feds.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to get financial benefits through his authority to appoint a U.S. senator to fill the vacancy left by Barack Obama's election as president.

According to a federal criminal complaint, Mr. Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field. In return for state assistance, Mr. Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired.

Mr. Blagojevich also was charged with using his authority as governor in an attempt to squeeze out campaign contributions.

Mr. Blagojevich's chief of staff, John Harris, also was arrested.

Federal agents were in Mr. Blagojevich's office in the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago on Tuesday morning.

Imagine my complete and utter lack of surprise. What are the odds that a Chicago, Illinois politician is corrupt? What are the odds that any politician is corrupt? Pretty good, all in all, wouldn't you say? The fact that its Blagojevich makes this all the more delicious, if only for his anti-2nd Amendment stances. One can only wish that the powers that be would add the charge of violation of oath of office to the list of charges.

This makes 2 in a row for Illinois, given that their last governor is still behind bars for essentially the same crimes as Illinois' latest ruler. Maybe the people there will get lucky and they'll replace him with nobody. Naw, no-one could get that lucky. This is a good start, tho. Maybe we could make a new policy and arrest at least one politician per day? I'd be happy to provide a list of people to be removed from office and placed behind bars. Of course, it would clear out most of the Democrats in the House and Senate from the top down. Then we could get to work on the Republicans. Hmmm...maybe we could make the job so risky that no-one would want to do it. Ah, well. A guy has to have a dream.

Wonder what the Lightbringer will have to say about this, considering it was his seat that the governor was trying to sell? I also can't help but wonder what, if anything, he might have had to do with this and how he'll spin it to grab credit? We'll just have to wait and see, I guess.

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Politics, Blagojevich, Libertarian, Illinois

Goodbye To Forry

Forest Ackerman has died at the age of 91. Those of us who have long been Science Fiction and Horror fans remember Forry from our youth when he was highly active in the genre. He helped bring us expansive series like Ace's "Perry Rhodan" and Famous Monsters of Filmland amongst many things. I always looked forward to the latest installment of Perry or Monsters when I was younger and Forry never failed to provide. His dedication to the genre introduced no small number of us to space opera and the classic monsters of Hollywood. We owed Forry an unpayable debt for that.

Forry will be sorely missed. There were very few people like him and even fewer that could hold a candle to his achievements. The world is diminished by his loss. I'll certainly miss him.

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Science Fiction, Forrest J. Ackerman

Coming Clean

At last one of the legions of Obama followers has decided to come clean where their anti-2nd Amendment/Victim Disarmament is concerned.

Nobody can accuse Obama of campaigning dishonestly on the issue of gun control. The nation's first modern urban president repeatedly explained that his understanding of the Second Amendment included the need for restrictions aimed at reducing gun violence, especially in the cities. In a sign that he intended to win on the issue by shooting straight with voters, he even mentioned his gun-control agenda during his Denver acceptance speech, challenging the idea that gun control was a third rail that guaranteed defeat in states like Ohio and Virginia.

As codified in his urban policy platform, Obama consistently advocated for increasing law enforcement's ability to trace guns by reinstituting tracking legislation repealed by the Bush administration; closing the famous "gun show loophole" that allows gun buyers to avoid background checks; mandating additional safety features on U.S.-manufactured guns; and resurrecting the expired ban on assault weapons and making it permanent.

Now, all of us gun owners already knew the score and had mentioned it more than once, but it's always nice to be validated. This guy even goes so far as to point out the personae dramatica in the upcoming drama.

Not only do Obama and Biden have strong gun control records, the incoming attorney general is a one-man gun control lobby unto himself. As deputy A.G. in the Clinton administration, Eric Holder advocated federal licensing requirements for handguns, a three-day waiting period on some gun sales and rationing handgun sales to no more than one per month. More recently, he signed an amicus brief in support of the District of Columbia's handgun ban when it came before the Supreme Court. The conservative site newsmax.com calls Holder a "gun control nightmare."

It's too bad that things are likely to become rather nasty when this issue does rear its ugly head. Oh, well. That's why they call it the law of unintended consequences.

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Guns, 2nd Amendment, Obama, Libertarian

Just Say No

As a parent I am often faced with the onerous task of telling my children no, for one reason or another. It's sometimes a necessity that all parents are familiar with, because we wish to preserve the lives and limbs of our charges. What surprises me these days is that so many of the people in Washington, (many of whom are parents) forget to say no when "adults" show up at their doors after engaging in behaviours that have led them to ruin. I doubt many of us would say yes to an alcoholic or drug addict when they asked for a fix, so why do politicians "have" to say yes when companies addicted to bad habits come begging for a fix from the "lender of last resort"?

The latest to put out the begging bowl are the "Big Three" auto makers from Detroit. This is not the newest of stories, since they were just there a couple of weeks ago. What is new is that they are now asking for much more money than before.

The heads of struggling auto giants General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler reappeared on the Hill yesterday to make their case anew. This time, they came more prepared. The most ambitious business plan proposed was by General Motors, the world's largest auto company, currently teetering on the verge of collapse. It set out a plan to recapture revenue through deep cuts—including slashing 20 percent of its jobs, shutting nine factories, and trying to reduce pay through talks with the United Automobile Workers union.

Along with a more structured plan, however, the Big 3 also had an even bigger request: $34 billion in loans, compared with the $25 billion they'd asked for two weeks ago.

Talk about chutzpah.No doubt the Democrats and their buddies across the aisle are more than willing to add them to the $8.5 trillion dollar plan, after all what's a few measly billion when we're already in the trillions, right? Well, the time has come to just say no.

It might sound cruel and the repercussions may be grave, but the precedent a bailout would set would be vastly worse. Despite Nancy Pelosi's cries that bankruptcy is not an option, the facts speak louder than her political grandstanding. This country cannot afford to continue bailing out companies in distress, unless we wish to end up like Zimbabwe or the Weimar Republic. Allowing the Big 3 to file bankruptcy is the only solution sane people can accept. It worked for the airlines, it will certainly work for Detroit. Continuing to throw money at things will not make the situation better, (as we have seen with the banks and their "lending crisis").

The American auto industry has been, and will continue to be hampered by government, not aided. Any funds that come from the Congress will be attended by more stringent regulations, defacto nationalisation and an acceptance of fraudulent environmental rules that will insure the continued failure to compete. There is no aid to be found in Washington. At least bankruptcy will allow them to be rid of the onerous UAW contracts weighting them down and will allow them the time to restructure in a rational manner. If one of them cannot find its way back to solvency, then so be it. That's the harsh reality of a free market.

Ford could make their way back in time. They already offer a host of vehicles in their overseas markets which are soundly embraced by countries that always have gasoline over $5 a gallon. For some reason they have refused to embrace the same strategies for their US customers, as they do for their European and Asian bases. How many Americans would buy a car that got more than 65 MPG? I bet it would be a rather high number. Ford makes just such a vehicle, the Ford Fiesta Econetic, rated as a winning "green car". Too bad that the US government, and their global warming fascists, make it so hard to sell a clean diesel in this country that Ford can't or won't, sell it here. Even with artificially inflated diesel prices the car would save a driver loads of money in the long run. And, unlike hybrids, it's not a scam where cleanliness is concerned. Making vehicles like this is what would turn the tables for Detroit, not the bogus plans they are presenting to the Beltway Boys. No matter what plans they put forth, it will be too little.

It's time for the Washington crew to start saying no. Yes, the impact on Detroit and other auto states will be considerable. Indiana has something like 60,000 auto industry related jobs that would no doubt be affected. It would be a serious blow to the state government, which is already facing an unemployment insurance insolvency and the taxpayers, who would undoubtedly be called upon to foot the inevitable tax increases, but saying yes to any further bailouts would be much worse in the long run. We have to stop adding to the debt. Especially with the states now lining up for their slice of the bailout pie. It has to stop somewhere, let it begin here.

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Bailout, Detroit, Politics, Libertarian, Debt, Automakers

Co-Opted

There are few things in this world I dislike more than being mistaken for something you're not. Well, that's something that has happened to some Indiana libertarian bloggers. The "conservatives" out there have begun a new aggregator called NetRightNation.com and have sent their spiders out into the web to return lists of blogs which somehow meet their criteria as "conservatives". Well, 'lo and behold their spiders must cast a rather wide net for they have scooped up a few libertarians in their mix. Mike Kole, (certainly not a conservative) is listed, as is former candidate Eric Schansberg and at least one county party website. I guess the new pundits on the Right don't pay lots of attention to the things they gather into their midst. Of course these libertarians will likely be accused of being infiltrators when the truth comes out at last. If you can't educate them head on then perhaps this is a viable alternative, after all if they don't even know what they are how are they going to know what we are? Best of luck to you guys!

UnCivil Defence wasn't included in their list, I don't know whether to be insulted or proud. LOL. On second thought, I'll go with the latter.

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Libertarian, Politics, NetRightNation

A Ticking Time Bomb

From the "there's no difference between Republicans and Democrats" school of thought comes this little piece of legislation. A renewal of the "Assault Weapons Ban". Introduced by a group of East Coast "Republicans".

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2008’.

SEC. 2. RESTRICTION ON MANUFACTURE, TRANSFER, AND POSSESSION OF CERTAIN SEMIAUTOMATIC ASSAULT WEAPONS.

(a) RESTRICTION- Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding after subsection (u) the following:
‘(v)(1) It shall be unlawful for a person to manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon.
‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the possession or transfer of any semiautomatic assault weapon otherwise lawfully possessed under Federal law on the date of the enactment of this subsection.
‘(3) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to--
‘(A) any of the firearms, or replicas or duplicates of the firearms, specified in appendix A to this section, as such firearms were manufactured on October 1, 1993;
‘(B) any firearm that--
‘(i) is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action;
‘(ii) has been rendered permanently inoperable; or
‘(iii) is an antique firearm;
‘(C) any semiautomatic rifle that cannot accept a detachable magazine that holds more than 5 rounds of ammunition; or
‘(D) any semiautomatic shotgun that cannot hold more than 5 rounds of ammunition in a fixed or detachable magazine.

The traitorous bastards Republicrats were even so kind as to attach an appendix of allowed weaponry for the proletariat. How kind of them. And making mere possession a crime, (also opening the door for mass seizures) was a masterstroke.

I have little doubt that the incoming Democrats will be more than eager to help this bill to progress and will be more than willing to amend it in order to make it more "effective" and passable. The 10 year sunset provision will be stricken (we already know this via the Obama website) in order to make the ban permanent. No doubt there will be many added amendments to bring mere possession into the fold, as well. Registration will no doubt play a large role in the Democratically amended bill.

Did these idiots really think that they were doing something to protect the rights of people? Where's that Republican "small government" gun rights support? Do they really think that an Obama administration won't pass this? Of course not, these people are counting on it. These people are gun banners, one and all and will work hand in hand with Obama to reinstate, permanently, a gun ban.

Just goes to show that there are no differences between the two sides of the Boot On Your Neck Party, even when one side or the other pretends there is.

(Hat tip to MontanaIceWeasel)

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2nd Amendment, Gun Rights, Republicans, Republicans

Change You Can Count On

It seems as if the Ministry of Truth in the new Obama regime has decided to retruth their Change.gov site, since everyone discovered their plans for us. As of today all that remains of their proposed agenda is this.

The Agenda

President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Biden have developed innovative approaches to challenge the status quo in Washington and to bring about the kind of change America needs.

The Obama Administration has a comprehensive and detailed agenda to carry out its policies. The principal priorities of the Obama Administration include: a plan to revive the economy, to fix our health care, education, and social security systems, to define a clear path to energy independence, to end the war in Iraq responsibly and finish our mission in Afghanistan, and to work with our allies to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, among many other domestic and foreign policy objectives.

Who, other than the Obama regime puts up a website, tears it down and memory holes it in the course of a couple of days? No-one who intends to tell the truth.

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Obama, Agenda, Libertarian

Down The Hole

The memory hole, that is.
What a difference a day makes, eh? Apparently Team Obama keeps a sharp eye on their opposition these days. It seems that they saw the many commentaries on their new plans for involuntary servitude and decided to attempt to memory hole them. Here is what was posted yesterday.

The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

And here is what they have now replaced it with, after seeing that people were paying attention to them. Of course the so-called "mainstream media" wasn't paying attention, nor will they.

The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by setting a goal that all middle school and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year and by developing a plan so that all college students who conduct 100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4,000 of their college education is completely free. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

Notice the differences? They've carefully wiped out the Great Leaders "requirement" for service. Not that it won't be a requirement once they enact their plans for the children and youth of this country after they are entrenched. Thankfully, there are people out there paying attention to them and the internet makes it difficult to send their words away easily. We know what they have planned, no matter what they would have us think and we are going to pay attention. If this is what we can expect from the new leftist regime then things may be worse than we surmised.

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Obama, Memory Hole, Slavery, Libertarian

The Shape Of Things To Come

Well, the election is over and all we have to do now is wait to see what The Anointed One plans to do to us once he begins his reign. Fortunately, he has made it a great deal easier for us to find out what his plans are. On the governments dime, no less. Let's take a look, shall we?

Gun owners can look forward to new and "interesting" times.

Address Gun Violence in Cities: As president, Barack Obama would repeal the Tiahrt Amendment, which restricts the ability of local law enforcement to access important gun trace information, and give police officers across the nation the tools they need to solve gun crimes and fight the illegal arms trade. Obama and Biden also favor commonsense measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners, while keeping guns away from children and from criminals who shouldn't have them. They support closing the gun show loophole and making guns in this country childproof. They also support making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, as such weapons belong on foreign battlefields and not on our streets.

Suffice it to say, gun owners are going to be targeted because they have or wish to have firearms that others perceive as more dangerous than other common types of firearms. We can also look forward to having a nanny looking over our shoulder to insure that we make our firearms as safe as some hoplophobe wishes.

Small businesses are going to take multiple hits, as well. Not only will they be taxed at greater levels they'll be forced to pay more for jobs than those jobs are worth. This will also serve to increase unemployment among youth and the elderly.

Increase the Minimum Wage: As president, Obama will raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2011 and index it to inflation so full-time workers can earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs such as food, transportation, and housing – things so many people take for granted.

He also plans to give preference to urban dwellers over suburban and rural folks. Go figure that a Chicago machine politician thinks that no-one actually matters outside of the cities.

Create a White House Office on Urban Policy: Obama and Biden will create a White House Office of Urban Policy to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to ensure that all federal dollars targeted to urban areas are effectively spent on the highest-impact programs. The Director of Urban Policy will report directly to the president and coordinate all federal urban programs.

He plans on fully funding programs such as No Child Left Behind. It's ironic that NCLB is in a section called "Do No Harm", huh?

Do No Harm: Barack Obama and Joe Biden do not support imposing unfunded mandates on states and localities. They strongly support providing necessary funding for programs such as No Child Left Behind.

He also plans on raping the oil companies. That would be the same companies which have a profit margin of only 8-10%. This is sure to do wonders for the economy and the price of gas. He actually has the audacity to say this will revitalise the economy.

Enact a Windfall Profits Tax to Provide a $1,000 Emergency Energy Rebate to American Families:Barack Obama and Joe Biden will enact a windfall profits tax on excessive oil company profits to give American families an immediate $1,000 emergency energy rebate to help families pay rising bills. This relief would be a down payment on the Obama-Biden long-term plan to provide middle-class families with at least $1,000 per year in permanent tax relief.

Lest we forget the unions in this country, Obama plans to strengthen their grasp on businesses.

Ensure Freedom to Unionize: Obama and Biden believe that workers should have the freedom to choose whether to join a union without harassment or intimidation from their employers. Obama cosponsored and is strong advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act, a bipartisan effort to assure that workers can exercise their right to organize. He will continue to fight for EFCA's passage and sign it into law.

The EFCA sounds nice, huh? Of course it also means that employees may be approached anywhere at anytime by union members in "signature drives" and does away with the secret ballot. Intimidation by unions is a hallmark of this legislation.

And, lest you thought the first black president was any different when it came to the issue of involuntary servitude.

The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start.

Yep, he's going after your kids. Don't you just love it? These are are only a few of the myriad things he has planned for us during his reign. Trillions of dollars in spending, an explosion of cancerous governmental growth, the degradation of capitalism and your rights. These and so many other things are in store for us after his inauguration in January. I urge you to take a look at his "agenda" and prepare yourself as well as you can for what is to come. If you haven't purchased a firearm yet, the time is rapidly approaching when you had best do so. It's not going to be nice and it is certainly going to be a bad thing where liberty is concerned. This country will likely never recover from Obama's reign. What a sad day for us all.

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Obama, Politics, Things To Come, Libertarian, Guns, Economy

The Day After

Regardless of who might have won the race, this seems fitting. The fact that the worst of the runners won makes it even more so.



As for Bob Barr, maybe the LP will pull its head out of its nether regions and send you and your cronies packing now. You couldn't even beat Ralph Nader for crying out loud. Get lost, the cause of liberty is ill served by your ilk. You fooled people once, hopefully they'll choose a real libertarian next go round. Not that it really matters.

Libertarian, Election 2008

Just One More Reason

As if any sane person needed further proof that Obama had ill intentions towards gun owners and, especially those who have Concealed Carry Permits here's his own words as indictment. He'd love nothing more than telling the people of Indiana that they were not able to carry weapons for self defence. He'd willingly turn the entire country into Chicago. The only problem with this is that most of us would just ignore his rules and hope that police would, too. He'd willingly shred the 10th and 9th Amendments. Did anyone expect less of him? While I plan on voting for NOTA, Obama is clearly the most dangerous candidate out there, especially where gun owners are concerned. His own words, presented here, prove it once again. His lies concerning the 2nd Amendment and his "support of it ring hollow and false to any but the fanatic.



Hat Tip to War on Guns

Technorati Tags:
Obama, Gun Control, Libertarian, Politics, Election 2008

The Tactics Of Fear

So, Joe Biden goes out onto the campaign trail and opens his face hole in a way that's guaranteed to make folks pay attention. Unfortunately, I think he's garnered the wrong type of attention.

"Mark my words," the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. "It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

"I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate," Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. "And he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right."

This sounds suspiciously like something that people have accused the current regime in power of doing. Engineering a crisis to consolidate power and the plebes. This type of speech is not likely to engender any type of confidence in anyone with even a moderate IQ. What type of crisis would need grass roots, local support? Does Comrade Obama intend to enact his final solution where guns are concerned? Perhaps, he'll take the decision to finally go after gunowners and will need his Brownshirts to aid them? Turning in your gun owning neighbours would certainly require local level help and no financial help. Maybe he'll choose to go into Iran or Pakistan and will need to fill the ranks of the military. The only way to do that is to embrace the Democrat ideal of the draft. They're the only ones who've been talking about it and it certainly fits into their "national service" schemes.

What crisis would an Obama regime engineer? There are so many to choose from that the mind boggles. Unfortunately, the Obama fanatics are likely to follow whereever their glorious leader chooses to take them. Fear and lemmings go together well and, unfortunately all too many people will get caught up in the stampede. What set of rights shall we have to sacrifice on the altar of this mans cult of personality in order to fulfill Mr. Biden's prophecy? How many people will his prophetic maunderings get killed this time around and what, exactly do they have planned for us, (beyond a full scale and rapid decent into socialism)? And where will the Obama inspired press be where this story is concerned? Prepping the memory hole, no doubt.

So what is this? A threat. A "prophecy". One which they will likely attempt to make self-fulfilling.

Technorati Tags:
Biden, Obama, Politics, Libertarian

Doing The Math

So, Paul Ogden has done the math and it turns out that Marion County, Indiana (the state capitol) has an astonishing 105% voter registration. How's that for efficiency? Democrats screamed bloody murder about perceived election fraud in Florida and it looks like we're actually going to see true voter fraud this time around, all in an effort to get Obama elected. ACORN, a group he has close ties to has already been implicated in Indiana and other states for massive voter fraud. How bad is this going to be on a nationwide level? The mind boggles.

The potential for either of the two major parties to "steal" the election is there, but the Democrats have seemingly pulled out all of the stops in registering people to vote this year. Could they be looking for "payback" for Florida and the "stolen" election of 2000? There does seem to be more than a bit of derangement coming from the Left this go around. Guess we'll have to wait and see. Regardless of who wins, we're going to lose. It's just a matter of how badly and how bad it will become because of the loss. I, for one will be casting my vote for "None Of The Above" from the safety of my home.

As for living in the aftermath of an election tainted by fraud. That's something I dislike to even contemplate. America is already seriously divided by politics and this will certainly make things worse, especially if the Left were to lose, (something increasingly unlikely). The disenfranchisement of the people continues.

Technorati Tags:
Election 2008, Voter Fraud, Libertarian, Obama

The $2 Trillion Bailout

I'm pretty sure that we're all familiar with the Wall Street Bailout by now. Many of us took the time and effort to contact "our" Congressional members and express our opinion on their actions, either for or against. Many folks have the idea that the $800 Billion+ bill that was passed was somehow the end of the matter. Shoot, the tally isn't even that low, we could only wish for it to be in that range. Nope. Congress, the Treasury and the Bush White House have saddled up with a new debt that is looking to be over $2 Trillion dollars, since this whole Wall Street debacle started.

From Reuters:

* Up to $50 billion from the Great Depression-era Exchange Stabilization Fund to guarantee principal in money market mutual funds to provide the same confidence that consumers have in federally insured bank deposits.

* The Fed committed to make unspecified discount window loans to financial institutions to finance the purchase of assets from money market funds to aid redemptions.

* At least $10 billion in Treasury direct purchases of mortgage-backed securities in September. In doubling the program on Friday, the Treasury said it may purchase even more in the months ahead.

* Up to $144 billion in additional MBS purchases by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Treasury announced they would increase purchases up to their newly expanded investment portfolio limits of $850 billion each. On July 30, the Fannie portfolio stood at $758.1 billion with Freddie's at $798.2 billion.

* $85 billion loan for AIG, which would give the Federal government a 79.9 percent stake and avoid a bankruptcy filing for the embattled insurer. AIG management will be dismissed.

* At least $87 billion in repayments to JPMorgan Chase & Co for providing financing to underpin trades with units of bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said over the weekend he was adamant that public funds not be used to rescue the firm.

* $200 billion for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Treasury will inject up to $100 billion into each institution by purchasing preferred stock to shore up their capital as needed. The deal puts the two housing finance firms under government control.

* $300 billion for the Federal Housing Administration to refinance failing mortgage into new, reduced-principal loans with a federal guarantee, passed as part of a broad housing rescue bill.

* $4 billion in grants to local communities to help them buy and repair homes abandoned due to mortgage foreclosures.

* $29 billion in financing for JPMorgan Chase's government-brokered buyout of Bear Stearns & Co in March. The Fed agreed to take $30 billion in questionable Bear assets as collateral, making JPMorgan liable for the first $1 billion in losses, while agreeing to shoulder any further losses.

* At least $200 billion of currently outstanding loans to banks issued through the Fed's Term Auction Facility, which was recently expanded to allow for longer loans of 84 days alongside the previous 28-day credits.

Add in the over $800 Billion they saddled us with the other day and we're looking at some serious money. About $18,000 per household, in the US. That doesn't even include the current national debt or the numerous unfunded mandates and programs like Medicare and Social Security. Also add in the fact that California is also lining up at the trough to be bailed out, too. Yep, they've really done us in this time and they'll likely be back real soon for more. We're going to be on the hook for many, many trillions of dollars, down the road. Our childrens chilren will still be paying for the things that today's politicians have wrought.

Their bailout plan isn't even likely to do what they intend for it to do, but we'll still be handed the bill. Socialism will be rammed down our throats and whomever is elected will likely make it worse. So hold onto your hats, folks. Your wallets are already gone and everything else is swirling towards the toilet. We can thank "our" politicians for what's coming at us. Their years of fiscal irresponsibility will come home to roost at our houses, they will shield themselves, as they are currently doing, within their halls of power. Serfdom has reared its ugly head, once again.

Technorati Tags:
Bailout, Politics, Libertarian

I'm With Stupid

I read any number of libertarian writers on a given day and occasionally one will make a point that just resonates with me. Well, noted libertarian and entertainer Penn Jillette has penned an article that just sums it all up for me. We don't need a saviour or a Great Leader. Nope. We really need someone dumb and lazy. Get thee hence and read it.

They all seem to think we need to get a smarter guy in the White House fast, and Bush is so stupid, that task shouldn't be too hard.

Not me.

I'd like to say that I believe every president in United States history, including the stupid one we have now, is smarter than me. My alma mater is Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth Clown College, so I'm damning with faint praise, but I'm stupider than this here stupid president.

Maybe I'm less stupider than Bush than I'm stupider than Jefferson. But I'm stupider than all the stupid in both of them put together.

The idea, especially from the Democrats that I know, is, we just get a smarter guy in the White House, and all the problems will go away. We'll have smart speeches, smart high gas prices, smart bad economy, smart war on terrorism, smart war on drugs, smart hurricanes, smart global warming, smart war in Georgia -- smart, smart, smart.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

But I don't think our next president being a great leader is a good thing.

I'm worried about someone smarter than Bush taking over that tremendous power. Charisma and ambition increase my fear exponentially, and a great leader scares me to death.

We need someone stupid enough to understand that the president of the United States can't solve many problems without taking away freedom and therefore shouldn't try. The only reason John McCain scares me a little less is because I think he's a little less likely to win. They both promise a government that will watch over us, and I don't like that.

I don't want anyone as president who promises to take care of me. I may be stupid, but I want a chance to try to be a grown-up and take care of my family. Freedom means the freedom to be stupid, and that's what I want. I don't want anyone to feel my pain or tell me to ask what we can do for our country, or give us all money and take care of us.

That's what most of us libertarians want. A chance to run our own lives without a big government helicopter parent getting in the way. We just want everyone to run their own lives, free of interference as adults ought to. Unfortunately, we are unlikely to get anyone, from any party who is liable to let us do this. None of them really believe that our lives belong to us. That's the peril of the system that politicians have created. Penn does sum it up well.

So remember, the only way to waste your vote is to vote!

Technorati Tags
Libertarian, Penn Jillette, Election 2008, Obama, McCain

Here It Comes

Well, Obama the Lightbringer gave his acceptance speech to the Democratic cultists and I must say that it was filled with quite a bit of...stuff. Mainly it was filled with stuff that many of us knew was coming. More and bigger government, gun bans (if not outright grabs), plans to indenture our children and drive businesses from this country.
Let's take a look at some of the highlights from the transcript, shall we?

The -- the reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than they are for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals.

Of course, if you own one of these weapons you must be a criminal, for surely you would have no other reason to own one, right? Guns aren't about defence, they're about hunting. Of course there are hunters out there who are going to agree with him and sell other gun owners down the river. We can look forward to yet another AWB, and this time there is unlikely to be a sunset provision.

I will end this war in Iraq responsibly and finish the fight against Al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts, but I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression.

I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation, poverty and genocide, climate change and disease.

So, we can look forward to more warfare from an Obama administration. Only the theatres will change. An escalation of hostilities in Afghanistan is the promise and we already know that he's asserted a desire to attack Pakistan. Now it looks like he's planning a Clintonesque confrontation for Darfur, (something his running mate has espoused in the past). What's his plan for Russia? Who knows. The only thing Russians truly respond to is force, it's all they understand. Is he looking for a physical confrontation? Given their present beligerance and the Wests lame responses to their current aggressions that would seemingly be his only recourse.

I will -- listen now -- I will cut taxes -- cut taxes -- for 95 percent of all working families, because, in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.

Of course, he's going to leave feed the masses on the gains of that other 5% and he won't cut spending, so we can look for ballooning deficits.

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
--------- ---------- --------
Now is the time to end this addiction and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution, not even close.
---------- --------- --------
As president, as president, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America.

So, despite the fact that our entire economy is built on the use of oil, from lubricants to fuels this idiot thinks that drilling is not the answer. Drilling is not a stop gap and, even if it were it is an absolute necessity. His understanding of this shows that he's delusional. If drilling weren't the solution then why is China drilling in the Gulf of Mexico? They Chi-Coms get, why not Comrade Obama? As for nuclear power....it's already safe. More people have died in cars driven by Ted Kennedy than have died as a result of American nuclear plants. All we need is for Obama and his buddies inside the Beltway to tell their Green supporters to shut the hell up and then get government out of the way.

I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries, and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability.

And we will keep our promise to every young American: If you commit to serving your community or our country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.

So, he still plans on getting our children earlier. And then creating an army of "volunteers" to rival the military and commit to service. I know I'm not the only one to find this appalling. It's all been done before.

Now -- now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American.

Oh, look! It's socialised medicine, everyone. Despite the visible evidence from across the globe that this boondoggle doesn't work, Obama and his fellow Dems (along with a number of Republicrats) will likely impose this travesty and destroy the best healthcare system on the planet.

We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy.

That says it all, for me. FDR, as we all know started this Long March to socialism and JFK got us involved in Vietnam. Presumably, we can expect more of the same of BO.

As a gun owner, I can certainly expect an outright assault on my liberties and my ability to buy what a free market has to offer. And I can also expect to have significant portions of my families wealth transferred to people who have no right to it. I'll see the same happen to friends, too. I will likely see attempts to enlist my children into a new Young Pioneers-like organisation under the tutelage of the latest Great Leader. All in all I expect an Obama administration to truly mess things up, even worse than Bush and his people have. Higher taxes on the productive, more money to the unproductive. A diminishment of liberty in general and a tightening of the reins of power. I harbour no illusions that Obama will not use the powers already in place to further the agenda of the Left. And, make no mistake, McCain is really no better. Both are proponents of bigger government.

Obama and his cultists remind me greatly of Mussolini and his own Italian cult of personality. He, like Obama was the darling of the West and it's political class. People strove to emulate him and his system, until he crawled into bed with Hitler. Obama promises the world and has really only failed in one area. He hasn't promised to make the trains run on time. Yet.

Tutto nello Stato, niente al di fuori dello Stato, nulla contro lo Stato

Technorati Tags
Obama, Politics, 2nd Amendment, Libertarian

UPDATE: B.W. talks about the speech, as well.

Google Blows It

Looks like our wayward host has decided to add some new anti-spam features that have managed to get a number of legitimate blogs classified as spam blogs. David Codrea's "War On Guns", REAL ID Rebellion and many others have been blocked from posting and are currently threatened with deletion by the Google Powers That Be.

Real ID Rebellion
View Blog in New Window View Blog
58 Posts, last published on May 14, 2007

This blog has been locked due to possible Blogger Terms of Service violations. You may not publish new posts until your blog is reviewed and unlocked.

This blog will be deleted within 20 days unless you request a review.

While I can commend a private company for their efforts to block unethical spammers in an attempt to maintain a respectable reputation and give a good experience to their members, my head spins when I think of the incompetency that must reign in their software division. Add to that the fact that they say it will take a minimum of two days to respond to your request to review your blog and allow you to post again and you have a FUBAR situation that should make the evening news. They've used a spray and pray method and wounded who knows how many innocents in their attempt to limit spam. Apologies and rapid response should be Google's top priority right now, but I won't hold my breath on that one. If you have a Blogger account, keep your eyes open and your fingers crossed.

Technorati Tags:
Google, Blogger, FUBAR, Censorship

D.C. To SCOTUS: Screw You

It looks like the powers that be in the District of Columbia have decided to give a hearty "screw you" to the Supreme Court.

Dick Heller, the man behind the case which brought down the DC handgun ban has been denied a permit by the DC powers. It's also likely that his firearm has been confiscated, as well, even though the article fails to mention it.

WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- District residents can start registering their guns today. But at least one very high profile application was already rejected.

Dick Heller is the man who brought the lawsuit against the District's 32-year-old ban on handguns. He was among the first in line Thursday morning to apply for a handgun permit.

But when he tried to register his semi-automatic weapon, he says he was rejected. He says his gun has seven bullet clip. Heller says the City Council legislation allows weapons with fewer than eleven bullets in the clip. A spokesman for the DC Police says the gun was a bottom-loading weapon, and according to their interpretation, all bottom-loading guns are outlawed because they are grouped with machine guns.

So, semi-automatic handguns are now "machine guns"? Insanity certainly rules inside the Beltway, (but, we already knew that now, didn't we?). Looks as if we are in for yet another round of court battling. I can't help but wonder if this will be an example of Scalia's "reasonable restrictions".

As an aside, I cannot help but wonder if Mr. Heller and his attorneys did not pursue this particular course on purpose. It would certainly be a good case to bring before the courts in order to force DC to implement a rational policy, rather than the overly restrictive current policy.
Technorati Tags:
2nd Amendment, Libertarian, Heller, Police State

Obama's Army

It looks as if Comrade Obama has, yet another use for government. He would like it to be the next big service sector for the youth of America.

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," he said Wednesday. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

He said he would make federal assistance conditional on school districts establishing service programs and set the goal of 50 hours of service a year for middle school and high school students.

I've seen this in action before and cannot help but wonder what colour the kerchiefs will be. Maybe he'll regress to the older brown shirted uniforms. The simple fact is that requiring service, as he wants is nothing less than state sponsored involuntary servitude and is forbidden by the US Constitution. Not that something like that means anything to him or other politicians of his stripe. Service to the state is not something any candidate needs to be calling for at any time. It's repugnant on more levels than I even like to think of.

"Loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. If you do, your life will be richer, our country will be stronger."

This man needs to learn that the country is not the same as the government. I don't want a stronger American government. I want it weaker than a kitten. That leads to a stronger America, better communities and healthier people. There are thousands of opportunities for voluntary voluntarism every day, in every community. Those who wish to freely associate are able to do so in myriad ways, without Mr. Obama's government compulsion. The last thing we need is more DHS lunacy. We've seen where "civilian national security force"'s lead. The 20th century was filled with them, most led by people like Mr. Obama.

"We will ask Americans to serve," the Illinois Democrat said. "We will create new opportunities for Americans to serve."

Yep...he'll make government even larger than George Bush did and reach his tentacles into every corner of our lives, starting with our children. No thanks.

Technorati Tags:
Obama, Politics, Libertarian, Marxism

Privacy Online? Not So Much...

If you've ever watched or posted a video at Google's YouTube service then your information is about to be handed over to the Viacom Corporation.

Google has been ordered to hand over details of YouTube users' viewing habits by a judge presiding over a copyright infringement case against the site.

Viacom, the parent company of MTV, filed a $1 billion lawsuit against the video-sharing site last March. It demanded that Google, which owns YouTube, should hand over data about how people use the site, arguing that the information would show that copyright-protected material was routinely posted and watched.

Judge Louis Stanton of the US District Court granted the request, ordering Google to divulge details of every video clip uploaded to the site, along with viewers’ YouTube usernames and IP addresses.

It's really not very "speculative". My user ID, along with all the others, will be turned over to a private corporation for an unknown purpose. They'll also have access to IP numbers and logs of what people have watched, as well as what they may have posted. Will they be going after everyone who's ever looked at one of these video clips? Like any corporation they're about making money. What's a faster way to make money than following the same path as the RIAA and extorting it via threatened lawsuits?

Make no mistake. This ruling bodes ill for the future of privacy rights in this country. All because some ill educated geezer of a judge has no idea what he's even ruling on. Here's hoping that the EFF, Google and interested parties appeal this bad decision to a higher, and better educated court.

Technorati Tags:
YouTube, Google, Privacy, Libertarian

A Few Reactions To Heller

The usual suspects are out in force, running their mouths and looking for a chance to dance in the blood of the innocents.

"I am profoundly disappointed in Justice Roberts and Justice Alito, both of whom assured us of their respect for precedent. With this decision, 70 years of precedent has gone out the window. And I believe the people of this great country will be less safe because of it."
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Can you imagine my complete lack of surprise that this harridan has decided to come down on the side she did? She'd much rather see women raped and murdered than defend themselves with a firearm. Way to go Comrade Feinstein.

"Today, President Bush's radical Supreme Court justices put rigid ideology ahead of the safety of communities in New Jersey and across the country. This decision illustrates why I have strongly opposed extremist judicial nominees and will continue to do so in the future."
- Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.

Bob Barr's gun control buddy is just another in a long line of people that hate the right of self defence. The passage of his Lautenberg Amendment, (with the support and aid of Bob Barr) has managed to disarm thousands of innocent people for misdemeanors. Why should we expect anything different, right?

"Today's ruling, the first clear statement on this issue in 127 years, will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country."
- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

As with virtually everything that comes from this petty Marxists mouth he manages to say something and nothing at the same time. Perhaps someone will manage to force a more detailed comment from him. We all know what his true feelings are, given his history.

"Eighty people a day die at the hands of guns. We have got to stop that. The court clearly ruled that reasonable regulations are permitted under that decision."
- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

As if there were ever any chance that NYC laws would be changed. Mr. Bloomberg's city is surely one which will see a lawsuit in the near future, if there's any true justice. Unfortunately, as long as NYC has the power to tax their pockets will be deep, where funding of court cases are concerned.

I could only hope that Indiana will take this as a positive sign and do away with their permit system, going to an Alaska or Vermont style carry law - which is more in line with the original intent. We'll have to see what our state politicians say in the coming days.

Technorati Tags:
Heller vs DC, Gun Control, Libertarian, Politics, Indiana

Heller Is In And...

It disappoints in many areas. While it affirms that the right to keep and bear arms for defence of self and property, it also leaves intact an array of infringements on the right.

Held:
1. The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a
firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for
traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.
Pp. 2–53.
(a) The Amendment’s prefatory clause announces a purpose, but
does not limit or expand the scope of the second part, the operative
clause. The operative clause’s text and history demonstrate that it
connotes an individual right to keep and bear arms. Pp. 2–22.
(b) The prefatory clause comports with the Court’s interpretation of the operative clause. The “militia” comprised all males physically
capable of acting in concert for the common defense. The Antifederal-
ists feared that the Federal Government would disarm the people in
order to disable this citizens’ militia, enabling a politicized standing
army or a select militia to rule. The response was to deny Congress
power to abridge the ancient right of individuals to keep and bear
arms, so that the ideal of a citizens’ militia would be preserved.
Pp. 22–28.
(c) The Court’s interpretation is confirmed by analogous arms-
bearing rights in state constitutions that preceded and immediately
followed the Second Amendment. Pp. 28–30.
(d) The Second Amendment’s drafting history, while of dubious
interpretive worth, reveals three state Second Amendment proposals
that unequivocally referred to an individual right to bear arms.
Pp. 30–32.
(e) Interpretation of the Second Amendment by scholars, courts
and legislators, from immediately after its ratification through the
late 19th century also supports the Court’s conclusion. Pp. 32–47.
(f) None of the Court’s precedents forecloses the Court’s interpre-
tation. Neither United States v. Cruikshank, 92 U. S. 542, 553, nor
Presser v. Illinois, 116 U. S. 252, 264–265, refutes the individual-
rights interpretation. United States v. Miller, 307 U. S. 174, does not
limit the right to keep and bear arms to militia purposes, but rather
limits the type of weapon to which the right applies to those used by
the militia, i.e., those in common use for lawful purposes. Pp. 47–54.
2. Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited.
It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any
manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, con-
cealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendment
or state analogues. The Court’s opinion should not be taken to cast
doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by
felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of fire-
arms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or
laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of
arms. Miller’s holding that the sorts of weapons protected are those
“in common use at the time” finds support in the historical tradition
of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons.
Pp. 54–56.
3. The handgun ban and the trigger-lock requirement (as applied to
self-defense) violate the Second Amendment. The District’s total ban
on handgun possession in the home amounts to a prohibition on an
entire class of “arms” that Americans overwhelmingly choose for the
lawful purpose of self-defense. Under any of the standards of scru-
tiny the Court has applied to enumerated constitutional rights, this prohibition—in the place where the importance of the lawful defense
of self, family, and property is most acute—would fail constitutional
muster. Similarly, the requirement that any lawful firearm in the
home be disassembled or bound by a trigger lock makes it impossible
for citizens to use arms for the core lawful purpose of self-defense and
is hence unconstitutional. Because Heller conceded at oral argument
that the D. C. licensing law is permissible if it is not enforced arbi-
trarily and capriciously, the Court assumes that a license will satisfy
his prayer for relief and does not address the licensing requirement.
Assuming he is not disqualified from exercising Second Amendment
rights, the District must permit Heller to register his handgun and
must issue him a license to carry it in the home. Pp. 56–64.
478 F. 3d 370, affirmed.
SCALIA, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which ROBERTS,
C. J., and KENNEDY, THOMAS, and ALITO, JJ., joined. STEVENS, J., filed a
dissenting opinion, in which SOUTER, GINSBURG, and BREYER, JJ.,
joined. BREYER, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which STEVENS,
SOUTER, and GINSBURG, JJ., joined.

There you have it. The decision that affirms an individual right that most of us already knew existed. Unfortunately, in affirming that right it leaves intact certain provisions which are clearly infringements upon that right. Things such as licensing and registration are allowable under this ruling, as are weapons bans like the assault weapons ban.

While I applaud the decision, I cannot help but be concerned about certain clarifications in the decision.

Our later decisions in Presser v. Illinois, 116 U. S. 252, 265 (1886) and Miller v. Texas, 153 U. S. 535, 538 (1894), reaffirmed that the Second Amendment applies only to the Federal Government.

This one sentence undoes everything which went before, as it presents the Amendment as something which does not apply to the states, only to the Feds. Whether is will be applied in that fashion is an unknown which will obviously play out over the coming months and years. If Heller is allowed to stand, as is, then we will undoubtedly see the challenges mount in places such as Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. I can't wait to see them, either. These cases will likely see their day before the SCOTUS, just as Heller did and will serve to further clarify the issue. Not that it needed clarification for some of us. I'm still going to have to sit and think about this one for awhile and then see how it plays out.

Dave Codrea, over at War On Guns has some insight, as well. The War on Guns: HELLER AFFIRMED.


Congratulations to the Heller team and all those who supported them from the outset, (that would not be the NRA, for those who have paid attention).


UPDATE: Radley Balko wades in and touches on the incorporation issue in the Heller decision. Or really the lack of incorporation.
Technorati Tags:
Heller, Guns, 2nd Amendment, Libertarian, Gun Control

Taser Parties?

It's a sad day when you've got to learn about these things through the foreign press, especially the BBC. First we had Tupperware parties for the ladies, then assorted other parties and now it looks as if the ladies are being "blessed" with Taser Parties.

In a downtown loft apartment in Denver, Colorado, a group of 30-something women is having a party. They joke easily with each other about men, cats and botox.

It's more Sex and the City than Psycho, but party organiser Dana Shafman would have them believe they could easily be victims of violent crime.

She runs a company that sells Tasers, the electric stun guns used by security forces around the world.

In Colorado and other US states, it's legal for ordinary people to own them. Dana's marketing them to women as the ideal personal protection device.

"I've been to everyone's Avon-type tupperware-style parties, purse parties, clothing parties, boutique parties and I felt like why not have a self-defence party? Why not have a Taser party, because without self-defence you won't have any of the other stuff."

I'm fully in favour of parties like this, but I must say that I would vastly prefer that the parties were Taurus, Ruger or even S&W parties. Tasers are nifty little devices, but they are a poor substitute for a firearm. A Taser allows ones attacker to get back up and try again. The same cannot be said for a few rounds from a .45 or even a .380. They are also a one off device, not subject to fast reloads. They also don't have the fun factor that so many women shooters enjoy. Blasting away at a target or tin cans for an hour or two is a good way to spend an afternoon. Firing a Taser and holding down the button till it runs out of juice in 30-60 seconds....not so much. Women should be introduced to self defence items, even the Taser, but they should really be introduced to firearms. A Taser would be useful for a woman, no doubt about it. It should be used to stun her assailant long enough for her to reach for her firearm and insure her safety. And it's only good against a single assailant. What if you're confronted with a pair of thugs? They conveniently leave that out.

One small mistake does appear in the article, tho.

In a country with about one gun for every adult, Tasers are sometimes touted as a less dangerous alternative.

Plenty of people have been killed by police wielding Tasers, and the numbers continue to grow. Yes, they are less lethal than a hollowpoint to the chest, but they are not non-lethal. Your self defence weapon should be dangerous. If it's not...what's the point.

It's rather interesting that this article came from a news agency in a country with a disarmed populace. A country where mere possession of a Taser would cause your imprisonment. At least the author recognised that we Americans have a right to bear arms. Too bad the BBC doesn't support that same right in their own country.

Technorati Tags
Self-Defense, Tasers, Women and Guns, Libertarian

The Shadow Grows

Like I said yesterday, things are getting worse. I didn't expect it to be so soon, tho.

Wal-Mart Rationing Rice.

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, said on Wednesday that it would ration the amount of rice each customer can purchase at its Sam's Club warehouse stores because of recent “supply and demand trends.”

“We are limiting the sale of Jasmine, Basmati and Long Grain White Rices to four bags per member visit,” the company said in a statement. “This is effective immediately in all of our U.S. clubs, where quantity restrictions are allowed by law.”

Wall Street Journal suggests stockpiling rather than saving useless dollars.

Reality: Food prices are already rising here much faster than the returns you are likely to get from keeping your money in a bank or money-market fund. And there are very good reasons to believe prices on the shelves are about to start rising a lot faster.

"Load up the pantry," says Manu Daftary, one of Wall Street's top investors and the manager of the Quaker Strategic Growth mutual fund. "I think prices are going higher. People are too complacent. They think it isn't going to happen here. But I don't know how the food companies can absorb higher costs." (Full disclosure: I am an investor in Quaker Strategic)

Stocking up on food may not replace your long-term investments, but it may make a sensible home for some of your shorter-term cash. Do the math. If you keep your standby cash in a money-market fund you'll be lucky to get a 2.5% interest rate. Even the best one-year certificate of deposit you can find is only going to pay you about 4.1%, according to Bankrate.com. And those yields are before tax.

Meanwhile the most recent government data shows food inflation for the average American household is now running at 4.5% a year.

And some prices are rising even more quickly. The latest data show cereal prices rising by more than 8% a year. Both flour and rice are up more than 13%. Milk, cheese, bananas and even peanut butter: They're all up by more than 10%. Eggs have rocketed up 30% in a year. Ground beef prices are up 4.8% and chicken by 5.4%.

Hording and calls for regulation from farming interests and food executives.

Farmers and food executives appealed fruitlessly to federal officials yesterday for regulatory steps to limit speculative buying that is helping to drive food prices higher. Meanwhile, some Americans are stocking up on staples such as rice, flour and oil in anticipation of high prices and shortages spreading from overseas.

I am willing to bet that we shall see more news like this on an almost daily basis from here on out. Yeah, I know it sounds a bit paranoid, but better safe than sorry. Right?


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Food Shortages, Food Rationing, Wal-Mart, Libertarian, Politics