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***BLESSED ARE THE CRACKED; FOR IT IS THEY WHO LET IN THE LIGHT***
Let's see if I understand
how the world works lately...
If a man cuts his finger off
while slicing salami at work he blames the
restaurant.
If you smoke three packs of cigarettes a day for 40
years
and die of lung cancer, your family blames the
tobacco company.
If your neighbor crashes into a tree while driving
home drunk, he blames the bartender.
If your grandchildren are brats without manners,
you blame television.
If your friend is shot by a deranged madman,
you blame the gun manufacturer.
And if a crazed person breaks into the cockpit and
tries to kill the pilot at 35,000 feet, and the
passengers kill the crazed person instead, the mother
of the
crazed deceased blames the airline.
I must have lived too long to understand the world
as it is anymore. So, if I die while my old,
wrinkled butt is parked
in front of this computer, I want you to blame Bill
Gates...okay?
***BLESSED ARE THE CRACKED; FOR IT IS THEY WHO LET IN THE LIGHT***
Let's see if I understand
how the world works lately...
If a man cuts his finger off
while slicing salami at work he blames the
restaurant.
If you smoke three packs of cigarettes a day for 40
years
and die of lung cancer, your family blames the
tobacco company.
If your neighbor crashes into a tree while driving
home drunk, he blames the bartender.
If your grandchildren are brats without manners,
you blame television.
If your friend is shot by a deranged madman,
you blame the gun manufacturer.
And if a crazed person breaks into the cockpit and
tries to kill the pilot at 35,000 feet, and the
passengers kill the crazed person instead, the mother
of the
crazed deceased blames the airline.
I must have lived too long to understand the world
as it is anymore. So, if I die while my old,
wrinkled butt is parked
in front of this computer, I want you to blame Bill
Gates...okay?
NRA clout is outgunning Feinstein
Assault weapons ban renewal in doubt
Washington -- Sen. Dianne Feinstein knows the odds are increasingly daunting as she tries to win congressional renewal of her 10-year-old assault weapons ban before it expires Sept. 13, and she warns that if the law lapses "you can expect the market to become flooded'' with such guns as AK-47s and Uzis.
The California Democrat will be home in San Francisco on Tuesday to join her colleague Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in marking the 11th anniversary week of the 101 California St. shootings that killed eight people and left six others wounded. The shootings helped persuade Congress to pass the assault weapons ban a decade ago. A frustrated Feinstein is looking toward November's elections to produce a president and a House leadership more supportive of gun control.
"I really believe passionately in this,'' Feinstein said in an interview about her bid for the renewal. "I'm not going to give up.''
Feinstein won a momentary victory on March 2 when the Senate voted 52-47 to adopt the renewal as an amendment to a gun manufacturers' liability shield legislation backed by the National Rifle Association. But the NRA scuttled the entire bill when it told its supporters that it didn't want the liability shield, which was the industry's main legislative goal for the year, to pass with Feinstein's assault ban amendment.
Feinstein is searching for another piece of legislation to serve as a vehicle for her amendment, which bans the manufacture and sale of 19 types of semiautomatic weapons and ammunition clips of more than 10 rounds. But there are only about 20 legislative days left in Congress before Sept. 13, and even if the bill passes the Senate, the House Republican leadership has said it won't allow the renewal to come up for a floor vote.
The NRA and other elements of the powerful gun lobby say the Feinstein's assault weapons ban has been ineffective and violates what they consider Americans' Second Amendment rights to own guns. The groups have lobbied vehemently to keep the legislation from reaching the floor.
On its legislative action Web site, the NRA tells its members it is girded for action. "The stage is now set for a showdown, and you can be sure we're in for a sustained political battle over the next three months,'' it said.
During his 2000 campaign, President Bush pledged to sign a renewal of the assault weapons law, a pledge repeated since then many times by Bush spokesmen. But Feinstein and her allies blast the president for not lobbying Congress to pass the bill.
"The president has done nothing,'' Feinstein said. "His party is in control and is controlled by the gun industry.
"We need a president who doesn't want assault weapons on our streets,'' added Feinstein, who warned that after the ban ends, "you can expect more incidents'' such as the July 1, 1993, shootings at 101 California in which a gunman used two TEC-9 semiautomatic weapons on a rampage through the office tower. The guns were among those banned under the law passed narrowly the next year.
Feinstein said the percentage of assault weapons used in crimes has fallen by two-thirds since the legislation took effect. Opponents, using a separate set of statistics, say such weapons were used in 2 percent of violent crimes before 1994, a figure that has remained constant.
Robert Spitzer of the State University of New York at Cortland, who has studied gun legislation, said Feinstein can claim some success.
"There is truth in that the assault weapons ban put a partial brake on guns and that effect will be gone after Sept. 13,'' he said.
Even with the law in effect, semiautomatic weapons have been readily available since 1994 through the largely cosmetic changes manufacturers have been allowed to make to keep their guns on the market. Hundreds of types of semiautomatics remained legal.
Also, as Feinstein points out in response to critics who say she is out to seize their weapons, all pre-1994 guns are still legal.
None of the arguments matter to the rifle association. The group's executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, told the NRA annual convention in Pittsburgh in April that once Sept. 13 comes, Feinstein's law will be history.
"I'm here to promise you that's the end of it. It's over,'' he said. "On Sept. 14, the sun will rise and it will never see the light of day again as long as we stay strong.''
On the NRA's new radio program, host Cam Edwards has told listeners that he expected Feinstein and her supporters to claim that the law's demise would mean a flood of guns, a claim he described as false.
"What you are going to hear in the media is the line that there'll be Uzis in the hands of terrorists. ... There will be an effort to paint it as an antiterrorism bill,'' he said on Thursday's program.
For Bush, the fading chances that the ban renewal will reach his desk is good news, said Richard Feldman, a lobbyist for gun manufacturers.
"It would be close to his political death if he signed it before the election,'' he said, because gun rights supporters would take it out on him at the polls, probably by staying away rather than voting for Bush's Democratic opponent, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who voted for the ban's renewal.
"Come January, it's a different story. Then, if he's re-elected, he'd be forced to sign the bill, if he gets a clean one that just contains an extension of the existing law,'' Feldman said.
Feinstein and her allies are trying to stir up public interest in the debate, but it's hard in a political climate where the war in Iraq, the battle against terrorism and economic concerns are at center stage. "Those three issues loom large and will dwarf any others,'' Spitzer said.
In such a climate, the rifle association and other gun lobbies gain political traction because their adherents tend to be single-issue voters who can punish those in Congress who support the assault weapons ban or other gun control measures.
That's one reason that even Feinstein admitted that some House members are breathing a sigh of relief that they won't have to vote on her legislation this year, going into tough races in some closely divided districts.
But she insists she will persist.
"Right is on our side. Public opinion is on our side. It's only the sheer power of the gun lobby that stands in the way,'' Feinstein said.
E-mail Edward Epstein at eepstein@sfchronicle.com.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/06/28/MNGQK7D4RU1.DTL
Almost moved to NM, nyc...
but I'm very happy here in the Territory.
matey
onebdd here's the link:
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/5/24/171144.shtml
Gun Control Harming U.S. Troops
Jon E. Dougherty, NewsMax.com
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Is it possible for bad domestic law to be a detriment to our fighting forces overseas – even to the point of getting some soldiers killed? Absolutely, say veterans, who want lawmakers to fix the problem ASAP.
According to a report in the July issue of Soldier of Fortune magazine, many of the ammunition magazines for the M-16/M-4 family of rifles used by troopers, along with 9 mm magazines for sidearms, are increasingly failing because they are either old or of poor quality.
The result, say troopers, is that ammunition fails to feed properly – a situation which can turn deadly in a hurry during a firefight.
'Varmint' Rifle Needs to Go
Add to the problem the fact that the M-16 family of weapons utilizes .223 caliber (5.56 mm) ammunition, which has proven too small and light for war.
"Sometime, before we get into a big war, the U.S. military needs to get rid of our current generation of 'varmint rifles' and start issuing real rifles," one small arms expert told John Farnam, author of SOF's "Combat Weaponcraft" column, a firearms instructor and a Vietnam vet who saw a lot of combat as a U.S. Marine.
Firearms maker Barrett has developed a 6.8 caliber rifle for civilian and police use, Farnam said, in anticipation of a military need. But so far, procurement of the weapon – or a similar, larger caliber rifle for troops – hasn't been publicly discussed by the Pentagon.
The M-16, which first appeared during the Vietnam War, replaced the M-14, a heavier rifle that was also a larger caliber (.308). Currently the Pentagon is testing a weapon called the XM8 Lightweight Modular Weapon System, "a new, lightweight assault rifle that employs many of the technologies already developed for the planned objective individual combat weapon, which would combine an infantry rifle with a grenade launcher," says National Defense Magazine.
Army Lt. Col. Mathew T. Clarke, who is in charge of testing the rifle, has so far been impressed with its performance. "I'm very excited about how the weapon has performed," he told the magazine.
The problem some critics see, however, is that the new rifle is chambered for the exact same lightweight .223 (5.56 mm) round.
Another rifle being examined is the XM29. But it fires a kinetic energy 5.56 mm round, and also comes with a 20 mm launcher that fires air-bursting grenades (to reach enemies behind defensive positions).
Another problem with the XM29 – it's weight. At 18 pounds, it was deemed too heavy for infantry. So Clarke has decided to speed development and cast the rifle and air-burst grenade launcher as two separate weapons for the time being. "Quite frankly, we have to wait for technology to catch up," he told the magazine.
But will it? Some weapons developers aren't so sure.
The small arms expert told Farnam few domestic weapons manufacturers want to make a new, larger-caliber rifle for the military alone. "With no prospect of civilian sales, there is zero interest in this undertaking among American manufacturers. . . " the weapons expert said.
The small arms maker and expert said a government official recently met with a group of manufacturers. The official said the Pentagon wanted to build some M-4 carbines chambered for a Russian caliber – 7.62 X 39 mm – noting that the smaller .223 caliber "has never met our [military] requirements."
The government official then produced a 30-round magazine, which held the Russian caliber ammunition but would fit an M-4 carbine. He then asked if any of the manufacturers present could make such a magazine, as the "magazine ban" of the early 1990s had driven the original maker out of business.
Said the small arms expert: "We all expressed our opinions about the magazine ban and the politicians who supported it and, to a man, assured [the government official] that none of us were interested, in the least, under present laws. He nodded his head in reluctant acknowledgement."
The small arms expert continued: "We thus see how the 'magazine ban' is significantly harming our troops and the nation's ability to successfully prosecute a war."
Bad Magazines
Existing magazines being used by U.S. troops are also faulty.
"A police officer and friend, just deployed to Iraq, is serving there now as a Marine officer," Jeff Chudwin, an associate of Farnam's, wrote.
"He is in the thick of the fighting. He has only two Beretta M9 magazines, and both have weak springs. Pistol magazines are in short supply there. Ones that actually work are in even shorter supply," Chudwin said.
In an attempt to get better magazines, the police officer/Marine attempted to procure some from his home department, but was unable to do so "due to the ban on purchasing high capacity (normal capacity) magazines," said Chudwin.
He said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms [BATF] was asked to intervene, to approve the sale, but "they arrogantly told us, 'The military must take care of their own.'"
The result, Chudwin told Farnam, is that "the Marine officer cannot obtain additional magazines through the military, and we cannot support him from our end unless we send him 'Clinton clips'" – 10-round magazines (instead of the normal capacity 15-16 round magazines originally made for the M9) or magazines that were manufactured before the law banning them was signed by President Clinton.
In his column, Farnam also included comments from a U.S. soldier, currently on assignment in Iraq. The trooper related some of his experiences with the magazines, as well as a recommendation of how to overcome problems:
"If you are carrying an M9 when you go over [to Iraq], purchase some good magazines," the soldier writes. He recommended OEM or Beretta magazines.
"'Checkmate' magazines that the Marine Corps is currently issuing with your weapons are crap," the soldier continued. "During our first run in the desert, if I did not clean the magazines at least twice a day, it was a guaranteed failure to feed.
"It was rare to get off more than two shots without a feeding issue," the soldier continued. "Unacceptable. I personally don't want to find myself with a non-functioning pistol with the shooting starts."
'Stupid Gun Laws'
Writes Farnam: "Stupid gun laws, designed from the beginning for harassment and little else, are now interfering with our war effort, and no one at BATF, indeed the whole federal system, seems to care. While our Marines die, bureaucrats and politicians dither."
He recommends a course of action.
"When the 'magazine ban,' 'assault rifle' law was enacted, it had a built-in sunset clause so it could be allowed to die a natural death after it did not perform as promised," he wrote. "Not only has it failed to perform as promised as any sort of deterrent to criminal activity, we see where it is having ill effect on national defense issues. Contact your senators and congressmen today and tell them to let it sunset."
Unless Congress reauthorizes the ban, it will expire in September 2004. Republicans in both Houses have expressed an interest in allowing the law to die, while most Democrats have pushed for a renewal of the ban.
During his 2000 presidential campaign, President Bush has said he would sign a reauthorization of the bill if it reached his desk. Gun rights advocates – as well as a number of U.S. soldiers – are hoping it doesn't get that far.
THE BRADY CAMPAIGN, AND NBC'S KATIE COURIC,
TRY TO RE-WRITE HISTORY
Exploiting tragedy for political gain is nothing new for the media and the Brady Campaign, but this morning's appearance on NBC's Today Show reached a new low. Katie Couric and Sarah Brady used the tragic occasion of President Reagan's passing to shamelessly forward the gun-ban agenda with deliberate misinformation. Led by carefully crafted questions from Couric, Sarah Brady claimed that President Reagan wasn't actually an NRA member, and that he "worked hard" for passage of the so-called "assault weapons" ban.
In fact, President Reagan, the owner of an AR-15, was a strong and consistent supporter of the Second Amendment and the NRA. He was a long time member who actively courted the NRA's endorsement in both of his presidential campaigns, and was the first presidential candidate in history to receive that endorsement. He appeared on the cover of NRA magazines four times. In 1983 he was offered, and accepted, an NRA Honorary Life Membership, the highest honor bestowed by the NRA.
He was the first, and to date, only, sitting president to speak at our Annual Meetings, saying, in part, "The NRA believes America's laws were made to be obeyed and that our constitutional liberties are just as important today as 200 years ago. And by the way, the Constitution does not say Government shall decree the right to keep and bear arms. The Constitution says 'the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'" In 1986, President Reagan signed the landmark Firearms Owners Protection Act (FOPA), and he never blamed law-abiding gun owners for the actions of criminals.
Don't allow these offensive lies to go unchallenged! Please immediately contact Tom Touchet, Executive Producer of the "Today Show," to express your outrage and demand that equal time be given for a rebuttal. Mr. Touchet can be reached by phone at (212) 664-3222, or by e-mail at tom.touchet@NBC.com.
National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action
Please do not reply to this email as you will not receive a response. This email is a broadcast email generated by an automated system. To contact NRA-ILA call 800-392-8683.
Address: 11250 Waples Mill Road Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Onebgg, straight from the lib beloved UN!
THE BRADY CAMPAIGN, AND NBC'S KATIE COURIC,
TRY TO RE-WRITE HISTORY
Exploiting tragedy for political gain is nothing new for the media and the Brady Campaign, but this morning's appearance on NBC's Today Show reached a new low. Katie Couric and Sarah Brady used the tragic occasion of President Reagan's passing to shamelessly forward the gun-ban agenda with deliberate misinformation. Led by carefully crafted questions from Couric, Sarah Brady claimed that President Reagan wasn't actually an NRA member, and that he "worked hard" for passage of the so-called "assault weapons" ban.
In fact, President Reagan, the owner of an AR-15, was a strong and consistent supporter of the Second Amendment and the NRA. He was a long time member who actively courted the NRA's endorsement in both of his presidential campaigns, and was the first presidential candidate in history to receive that endorsement. He appeared on the cover of NRA magazines four times. In 1983 he was offered, and accepted, an NRA Honorary Life Membership, the highest honor bestowed by the NRA.
He was the first, and to date, only, sitting president to speak at our Annual Meetings, saying, in part, "The NRA believes America's laws were made to be obeyed and that our constitutional liberties are just as important today as 200 years ago. And by the way, the Constitution does not say Government shall decree the right to keep and bear arms. The Constitution says 'the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'" In 1986, President Reagan signed the landmark Firearms Owners Protection Act (FOPA), and he never blamed law-abiding gun owners for the actions of criminals.
Don't allow these offensive lies to go unchallenged! Please immediately contact Tom Touchet, Executive Producer of the "Today Show," to express your outrage and demand that equal time be given for a rebuttal. Mr. Touchet can be reached by phone at (212) 664-3222, or by e-mail at tom.touchet@NBC.com.
National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action
Please do not reply to this email as you will not receive a response. This email is a broadcast email generated by an automated system. To contact NRA-ILA call 800-392-8683.
Address: 11250 Waples Mill Road Fairfax, Virginia 22030
UN inspectors: Saddam shipped out WMD before war and after
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, June 11, 2004
The United Nations has determined that Saddam Hussein shipped weapons of mass destruction components as well as medium-range ballistic missiles before, during and after the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003.
The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission briefed the Security Council on new findings that could help trace the whereabouts of Saddam's missile and WMD program.
The briefing contained satellite photographs that demonstrated the speed with which Saddam dismantled his missile and WMD sites before and during the war. Council members were shown photographs of a ballistic missile site outside Baghdad in May 2003, and then saw a satellite image of the same location in February 2004, in which facilities had disappeared.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Affordable Health Insurance — Special Offer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNMOVIC acting executive chairman Demetrius Perricos told the council on June 9 that "the only controls at the borders are for the weight of the scrap metal, and to check whether there are any explosive or radioactive materials within the scrap," Middle East Newsline reported.
"It's being exported," Perricos said after the briefing. "It's being traded out. And there is a large variety of scrap metal from very new to very old, and slowly, it seems the country is depleted of metal."
"The removal of these materials from Iraq raises concerns with regard to proliferation risks," Perricos told the council. Perricos also reported that inspectors found Iraqi WMD and missile components shipped abroad that still contained UN inspection tags.
He said the Iraqi facilities were dismantled and sent both to Europe and around the Middle East. at the rate of about 1,000 tons of metal a month. Destionations included Jordan, the Netherlands and Turkey.
The Baghdad missile site contained a range of WMD and dual-use components, UN officials said. They included missile components, reactor vessel and fermenters – the latter required for the production of chemical and biological warheads.
"It raises the question of what happened to the dual-use equipment, where is it now and what is it being used for," Ewen Buchanan, Perricos's spokesman, said. "You can make all kinds of pharmaceutical and medicinal products with a fermenter. You can also use it to breed anthrax."
The UNMOVIC report said Iraqi missiles were dismantled and exported to such countries as Jordan, the Netherlands and Turkey. In the Dutch city of Rotterdam, an SA-2 surface-to-air missile, one of at least 12, was discovered in a junk yard, replete with UN tags. In Jordan, UN inspectors found 20 SA-2 engines as well as components for solid-fuel for missiles.
"The problem for us is that we don't know what may have passed through these yards and other yards elsewhere," Buchanan said. "We can't really assess the significance and don't know the full extent of activity that could be going on there or with others of Iraq's neighbors."
UN inspectors have assessed that the SA-2 and the short-range Al Samoud surface-to-surface missile were shipped abroad by agents of the Saddam regime. Buchanan said UNMOVIC plans to inspect other sites, including in Turkey.
In April, International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Mohammed El Baradei said material from Iraqi nuclear facilities were being smuggled out of the country.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2004 East West Services, Inc.
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/breaking_1.html
UN inspectors: Saddam shipped out WMD before war and after
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Friday, June 11, 2004
The United Nations has determined that Saddam Hussein shipped weapons of mass destruction components as well as medium-range ballistic missiles before, during and after the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003.
The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission briefed the Security Council on new findings that could help trace the whereabouts of Saddam's missile and WMD program.
The briefing contained satellite photographs that demonstrated the speed with which Saddam dismantled his missile and WMD sites before and during the war. Council members were shown photographs of a ballistic missile site outside Baghdad in May 2003, and then saw a satellite image of the same location in February 2004, in which facilities had disappeared.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Affordable Health Insurance — Special Offer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNMOVIC acting executive chairman Demetrius Perricos told the council on June 9 that "the only controls at the borders are for the weight of the scrap metal, and to check whether there are any explosive or radioactive materials within the scrap," Middle East Newsline reported.
"It's being exported," Perricos said after the briefing. "It's being traded out. And there is a large variety of scrap metal from very new to very old, and slowly, it seems the country is depleted of metal."
"The removal of these materials from Iraq raises concerns with regard to proliferation risks," Perricos told the council. Perricos also reported that inspectors found Iraqi WMD and missile components shipped abroad that still contained UN inspection tags.
He said the Iraqi facilities were dismantled and sent both to Europe and around the Middle East. at the rate of about 1,000 tons of metal a month. Destionations included Jordan, the Netherlands and Turkey.
The Baghdad missile site contained a range of WMD and dual-use components, UN officials said. They included missile components, reactor vessel and fermenters – the latter required for the production of chemical and biological warheads.
"It raises the question of what happened to the dual-use equipment, where is it now and what is it being used for," Ewen Buchanan, Perricos's spokesman, said. "You can make all kinds of pharmaceutical and medicinal products with a fermenter. You can also use it to breed anthrax."
The UNMOVIC report said Iraqi missiles were dismantled and exported to such countries as Jordan, the Netherlands and Turkey. In the Dutch city of Rotterdam, an SA-2 surface-to-air missile, one of at least 12, was discovered in a junk yard, replete with UN tags. In Jordan, UN inspectors found 20 SA-2 engines as well as components for solid-fuel for missiles.
"The problem for us is that we don't know what may have passed through these yards and other yards elsewhere," Buchanan said. "We can't really assess the significance and don't know the full extent of activity that could be going on there or with others of Iraq's neighbors."
UN inspectors have assessed that the SA-2 and the short-range Al Samoud surface-to-surface missile were shipped abroad by agents of the Saddam regime. Buchanan said UNMOVIC plans to inspect other sites, including in Turkey.
In April, International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Mohammed El Baradei said material from Iraqi nuclear facilities were being smuggled out of the country.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2004 East West Services, Inc.
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/breaking_1.html
NYC, got a few of Prince's early records.
Most of those successful entertainers put on a good show or they aren't successful!
Used to like going to the OC Fair and the wine festivals to see groups from my era.
Saw Presley at the Forum in 1969 (bad concert place) and in Vegas in 1971. The dinner show at the International Hotel (that's what it was back then) was $15, Tipped $10 and was center stage on the fist elevated tier of tables. Great show and a decent dinner!
Saw Cher a few months ago in Phoenix, but the accustics were bad.
C'mon nyc, Elvis was the best..
rock performer ever. Didn't need floating stages, fireworks or pointy bras or "wardrobe failure"! Never forgot he was an entertainer, not a social engineer.
Long live the King!
Thanks bob. Long time activist formerly..
from the People's Republic of Kalifornistan.
NYC, I've driven the ridge roads from Ortega..
Hwy to Corona in our Jeep when I lived there. At one point near Saddleback you could see the sun glinting off the boats moored in Catalina Harbor and looking South, you could see La Jolla jutting out, then past San Diego into Mexico. It was a Santa Ana condition and the sky was crystal clear .... like it is here all of the time!
Matey
Whither Gun Control?
Friday, May 21, 2004
By John R. Lott, Jr.
What is happening to the gun control movement?
This month, the Million Mom March in Washington drew an anemic showing of only 2,000 people, while this year, all of the Democratic presidential candidates— however unenthusiastically— spoke of Americans’ Second Amendment right to own guns. These are just a few of the signs that the facts finally seem to be catching up to the movement. The future for the movement looks even worse.
Whether the subject is concealed handgun laws or bans on semi-automatic so-called “assault weapons,” gun control debates have been filled with apocalyptic claims about what will happen if gun control is not adopted. One common prediction is that laws allowing the carrying of a concealed weapon will result in crime waves, or permit holders shooting others. However, with 37 states now having right-to-carry laws, and another nine states letting some citizens carry, permit holders have continually shown themselves to be extremely law-abiding. It is becoming more and more difficult to attack those laws.
Disarray among gun controllers is becoming common, even on one cornerstone of the gun control movement — the semi-automatic gun ban. Take the statements made on National Public Radio by a representative of the Violence Policy Center just one week after the assault weapon extension was defeated in the Senate this March.
NPR described the VPC as "one of the more aggressive gun groups in Washington." Yet the VPC's representative claimed: “If the existing assault-weapons ban expires, I personally do not believe it will make one whit of difference one way or another in terms of our objective, which is reducing death and injury and getting a particularly lethal class of firearms off the streets. So if it doesn’t pass, it doesn’t pass.”
The NPR reporter noted: "[the Violence Policy Center's representative] says that's all the [assault-weapons ban] brought about, minor changes in appearance that didn't alter the function of these weapons.”
Yet, before the Senate vote the VPC had long claimed that it was a "myth" that "assault weapons merely look different. The NRA and the gun industry today portray assault weapons as misunderstood ugly ducklings, no different from other semi-automatic guns. But while the actions, or internal mechanisms, of all semi-automatic guns are similar, the actions of assault weapons are part of a broader design package. The 'ugly' looks of the TEC-9, AR-15, AK-47 and similar guns reflect this package of features designed to kill people efficiently."
So why the sudden disarray after the Senate defeat? Simply, gun-control groups' credibility is on the line and they are getting cold feet. With no academic research showing the assault weapons ban reduces crime, gun control groups realize that soon it will be obvious to everyone that their predicted horror stories about "assault weapons" were completely wrong.
Internationally, dramatic gun control victories in countries such as England, Australia, and Canada are also unraveling.
— Crime did not fall in England after handguns were banned in January 1997. Quite the contrary, crime rose sharply. Yet, serious violent crime rates from 1997 to 2002 averaged 29 percent higher than 1996; robbery was 24 percent higher; murders 27 percent higher. Before the law, armed robberies had fallen by 50 percent from 1993 to 1997, but as soon as handguns were banned, the robbery rate shot back up, almost back to their 1993 levels.
— Australia has also seen its violent crime rates soar after its Port Arthur gun control measures in late 1996. Violent crime rates averaged 32 per cent higher in the six years after the law was passed (from 1997 to 2002) than they did the year before the law in 1996. The same comparisons for armed robbery rates showed increases of 45 percent.
— The 2000 International Crime Victimization Survey, the most recent survey done, shows that the violent crime rate in England and Australia was twice the rate in the US.
— Canada has not gone anywhere near as far as the United Kingdom or Australia. Nevertheless, their gun registration system is costing roughly a thousand times more than promised and has grown to be extremely unpopular, with only 17 percent of Canadians in a poll release this week supporting the system. Nor does the system seem to be providing any protection. The Canadian government recently admitted that they could not identify even a single violent crime that had been solved by registration.
Everyone wants to take guns away from criminals. The problem is that if the law-abiding citizens obey the laws and the criminals don’t, the rules create sitting ducks who cannot defend themselves. While the debate is hardly over, gun control is just another example of government planning that hasn’t lived up to its billing. And like other types of government planning, eventually its failures become too overwhelming to ignore.
John Lott, Jr., is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and is the author of The Bias Against Guns (Regnery 2004).
Does this act sound familiar?
The last lieutenant who commanded a fast patrol boat in a combat zone who became president gave us the "Bay of Pigs" and sent 25,000 troops to Vietnam.
'Nuff said? -Tom Alexander, Phoenix
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0503monlets036.html
In light of the recent appeals court ruling in California, with respect to the Pledge of Allegiance, the following recollection from Senator John McCain is very appropriate:.
"The Pledge of Allegiance" - Senator John McCain
As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room.
This was,as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home.
One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian. Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide for people who want to work and want to succeed.
As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing.
Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt.
Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance.
I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event.
One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically,and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it.
That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could..
The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room.
As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to Pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.
So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance,you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world.
You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible,with liberty and justice for all."
Just watched a bald eagle
making lazy circles about 75 feet in the air at the corner of US 89 and Willow Lake Rd, about 2 miles from the house and in the city limits! Magnificent!
Whadda place!
Matey
browning arborvitae?
I though sure it was made by Remmington. What calibers can you get it in?
DNC 2004 Convention official program
6:00pm - Opening flag burning ceremony.
6:30pm - Antiwar rally no. 1.
6:40pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
7:00pm - Tribute theme to France.
7:10pm - Collect offerings for al-Zawahri defense fund.
7:25pm - Tribute theme to Spain.
7:45pm - Antiwar rally no. 2. (Moderated by Michael Moore)
8:25pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
8:30pm - Terrorist appeasement workshop.
9:00pm - Gay marriage ceremony.
9:30pm - * Intermission *
10:00pm - Flag burning ceremony no. 2.
10:15pm - Reenactment of Kerry's fake medal toss.
10:30pm - Cameo by Dean 'Yeeearrrrrrrg!'
10:40pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
10:50pm - Pledge of allegiance to the UN.
11:00pm - Double gay marriage ceremony.
11:15PM - Maximizing Welfare workshop.
11:30pm - 'Free Saddam' pep rally.
11:59PM - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
12:00pm - Nomination of democratic candidate.
Ted drives the Ladies home after Convention
DNC 2004 Convention official program
6:00pm - Opening flag burning ceremony.
6:30pm - Antiwar rally no. 1.
6:40pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
7:00pm - Tribute theme to France.
7:10pm - Collect offerings for al-Zawahri defense fund.
7:25pm - Tribute theme to Spain.
7:45pm - Antiwar rally no. 2. (Moderated by Michael Moore)
8:25pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
8:30pm - Terrorist appeasement workshop.
9:00pm - Gay marriage ceremony.
9:30pm - * Intermission *
10:00pm - Flag burning ceremony no. 2.
10:15pm - Reenactment of Kerry's fake medal toss.
10:30pm - Cameo by Dean 'Yeeearrrrrrrg!'
10:40pm - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
10:50pm - Pledge of allegiance to the UN.
11:00pm - Double gay marriage ceremony.
11:15PM - Maximizing Welfare workshop.
11:30pm - 'Free Saddam' pep rally.
11:59PM - Ted Kennedy proposes a toast.
12:00pm - Nomination of democratic candidate.
Ted drives the Ladies home after Convention
Not sure...
but maybe around the Parker area?
You're right nyc, your "bud" does...
look a little like Osama with his beard trimmed. Looks a little "full" in the face too!
nyc, where in the "Territory"?
Where I was yesterday, your buddy would have had a blue tinge from the cool and gusty winds wearing no more clothes than that.
I'd suspect these mercenaries you speak of were in the rugged camps in the lower elevations, eh?
Drove from Bagdad Northeast to Williamson Valley, about 15 miles Northwest of “Preskitt” About 46 miles of good dirt back country road, one hub-deep water crossing and through one beauty of a working cattle ranch, the Yolo. It’s like living in vactionland 24x7!
NYC, Ruger Ranch....
went past a sign out of Kirkland headed toward Bagdad that advertized "Ruger Ranch" but never saw the developement. Pretty far from Prescott, maybe it will take off.
Matey
Hey Viv,
love flyin', what can I say!
How's this saying Viv?:
"The three best things in life are a good landing, a good orgasm, and, a good bowel movement. The night carrier landing is one of the few opportunities in life where you get to experience all three at the same time."
(Author unknown, but someone who's been there)
Two boys in Boston were playing basketball when one of them was attacked by a rabid Rottweiler. Thinking quickly, the other boy picked up a board lying nearby, wedged it into the dog's collar and twisted it, breaking the dog's neck.
A newspaper reporter from the Boston Herald witnessed the incident and rushed over to interview the boy. The reporter began entering into his laptop, beginning with the headline: "Brave Young Celtics Fan Saves Friend From Jaws Of Vicious Animal."
"But I'm not a Celtics fan", the little hero interjected.
"Sorry," replied the reporter, "but since we're in Boston, I just assumed you were."
Hitting the delete key, the reporter began "John Kerry Supporter Rescues Friend From Horrific Dog Attack."
"But I don't like Kerry either," the boy responds.
The reporter says, "I assumed everybody in this state was either for the Celtics, Kerry or Kennedy. What team or person do you like?"
"I'm a Houston Rockets fan and I really like George W. Bush" the boy says.
Hitting the delete key, the reporter begins again, "Arrogant Little Conservative Bastard Kills Beloved Family Pet."
Two boys in Boston were playing basketball when one of them was attacked by a rabid Rottweiler. Thinking quickly, the other boy picked up a board lying nearby, wedged it into the dog's collar and twisted it, breaking the dog's neck.
A newspaper reporter from the Boston Herald witnessed the
incident and rushed over to interview the boy. The reporter began entering into his laptop, beginning with the headline: "Brave Young Celtics Fan Saves Friend From Jaws Of Vicious Animal."
"But I'm not a Celtics fan", the little hero interjected.
"Sorry," replied the reporter, "but since we're in Boston, I just assumed you were."
Hitting the delete key, the reporter began "John Kerry Supporter Rescues Friend From Horrific Dog Attack."
"But I don't like Kerry either," the boy responds.
The reporter says, "I assumed everybody in this state was either for the Celtics, Kerry or Kennedy. What team or person do you like?"
"I'm a Houston Rockets fan and I really like George W. Bush" the boy says.
Hitting the delete key, the reporter begins again, "Arrogant Little Conservative Bastard Kills Beloved Family Pet."
Excerpts from the Preambles of All 50 States:
Alabama 1901, Preamble. "We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution . "
Alaska 1956, Preamble. "We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land ... "
Arizona 1911, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution... "
Arkansas 1874, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government... "
California 1879, Preamble. "We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom...."
Colorado 1876, Preamble. "We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe .. "
Connecticut 1818, Preamble. "The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy . "
Delaware 1897, Preamble. "Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences .. "
Florida 1885, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty ... establish this Constitution... "
Georgia 1777, Preamble. "We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution... "
Hawaii 1959, Preamble. "We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance .. establish this Constitution "
Idaho 1889, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings .. "
Illinois 1870, Preamble. "! We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors .. "
Indiana 1851, Preamble. "We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to chose our form of government . .."
Iowa 1857, Preamble. "We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings ... establish this Constitution "
Kansas 1859, Preamble. "We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges ... establish this Constitution. "
Kentucky 1891, Preamble. "We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties... "
Louisiana 1921, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy ..."
Maine 1820, Preamble. "We the People of Maine .. acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity .... and imploring His aid and direction . ..."
Maryland 1776, Preamble. "We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty... "
Massachusetts 1780, Preamble. "We...the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe... in the course of His Providence, an opportunity ..and devoutly imploring His direction . "
Michigan 1908, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom ... establish this Constitution "
Minnesota, 1857, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings . "
Mississippi 1890, Preamble. "We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work. ..."
Missouri 1845, Preamble. "We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness . .establish this Constitution ... "
Montana 1889, Preamble. "We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution .. "
Nebraska 1875, Preamble. "We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom .. establish this Constitution .. ."
Nevada 1864, Preamble. "We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom ... establish this Constitution .. ."
New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V. "Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience . "
New Jersey 1844, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors ...."
New Mexico 1911, Preamble. "We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty .. "
New York 1846, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings . "
North Carolina 1868, Preamble. "We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those . ."
North Dakota 1889, Preamble. "We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain... "
Ohio 1852, Preamble. "We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common .. "
Oklahoma 1907, Preamble. "Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty ..... establish this... "
Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I. Section 2. "All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences . "
Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble. "We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance . ..."
Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. "We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing ..."
South Carolina, 1778, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of South Carolina . grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution .. "
South Dakota 1889, Preamble. "We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties ... establish this ...."
Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III. "That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience... "
Texas 1845, Preamble. "We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God .. "
Utah 1896, Preamble. "Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution .. "
Vermont 1777, Preamble. "Whereas all government ought to ... enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man ..... "
Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI ... "Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator ... can be directed only by Reason .. and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other ... "
Washington 1889, Preamble. "We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution .. "
West Virginia 1872, Preamble. "Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia .. reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God .. "
Wisconsin 1848, Preamble. "We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility ... "
Wyoming 1890, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties ... establish this Constitution .. "
After reviewing acknowledgments of God from all 50 state constitutions, one is faced with the prospect that maybe, just maybe, the out-of-control federal courts are wrong!
How long are we going to put up with the deliberate destruction of the foundations of our great nation before we take a stand and put a stop to it. Pass this along to all your Email friends and your governmental representaives and let's begin to make a difference. Let your local, state, and federal officials know where you stand and let them know that you will be watching them to see where they stand.
"Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants." William Penn
Excerpts from the Preambles of All 50 States:
Alabama 1901, Preamble. "We the people of the State of Alabama, invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish the following Constitution . "
Alaska 1956, Preamble. "We, the people of Alaska, grateful to God and to those who founded our nation and pioneered this great land ... "
Arizona 1911, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Arizona, grateful to Almighty God for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution... "
Arkansas 1874, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Arkansas, grateful to Almighty God for the privilege of choosing our own form of government... "
California 1879, Preamble. "We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom...."
Colorado 1876, Preamble. "We, the people of Colorado, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of Universe .. "
Connecticut 1818, Preamble. "The People of Connecticut, acknowledging with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy . "
Delaware 1897, Preamble. "Through Divine Goodness all men have, by nature, the rights of worshipping and serving their Creator according to the dictates of their consciences .. "
Florida 1885, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Florida, grateful to Almighty God for our constitutional liberty ... establish this Constitution... "
Georgia 1777, Preamble. "We, the people of Georgia, relying upon protection and guidance of Almighty God, do ordain and establish this Constitution... "
Hawaii 1959, Preamble. "We, the people of Hawaii, Grateful for Divine Guidance .. establish this Constitution "
Idaho 1889, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Idaho, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings .. "
Illinois 1870, Preamble. "! We, the people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors .. "
Indiana 1851, Preamble. "We, the People of the State of Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to chose our form of government . .."
Iowa 1857, Preamble. "We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of these blessings ... establish this Constitution "
Kansas 1859, Preamble. "We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges ... establish this Constitution. "
Kentucky 1891, Preamble. "We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties... "
Louisiana 1921, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Louisiana, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy ..."
Maine 1820, Preamble. "We the People of Maine .. acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in affording us an opportunity .... and imploring His aid and direction . ..."
Maryland 1776, Preamble. "We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty... "
Massachusetts 1780, Preamble. "We...the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe... in the course of His Providence, an opportunity ..and devoutly imploring His direction . "
Michigan 1908, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom ... establish this Constitution "
Minnesota, 1857, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Minnesota, grateful to God for our civil and religious liberty, and desiring to perpetuate its blessings . "
Mississippi 1890, Preamble. "We, the people of Mississippi in convention assembled, grateful to Almighty God, and invoking His blessing on our work. ..."
Missouri 1845, Preamble. "We, the people of Missouri, with profound reverence for the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, and grateful for His goodness . .establish this Constitution ... "
Montana 1889, Preamble. "We, the people of Montana, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty establish this Constitution .. "
Nebraska 1875, Preamble. "We, the people, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom .. establish this Constitution .. ."
Nevada 1864, Preamble. "We the people of the State of Nevada, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom ... establish this Constitution .. ."
New Hampshire 1792, Part I. Art. I. Sec. V. "Every individual has a natural and unalienable right to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience . "
New Jersey 1844, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of New Jersey, grateful to Almighty God for civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing on our endeavors ...."
New Mexico 1911, Preamble. "We, the People of New Mexico, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of liberty .. "
New York 1846, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings . "
North Carolina 1868, Preamble. "We the people of the State of North Carolina, grateful to Almighty God, the Sovereign Ruler of Nations, for our civil, political, and religious liberties, and acknowledging our dependence upon Him for the continuance of those . ."
North Dakota 1889, Preamble. "We, the people of North Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, do ordain... "
Ohio 1852, Preamble. "We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common .. "
Oklahoma 1907, Preamble. "Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessings of liberty ..... establish this... "
Oregon 1857, Bill of Rights, Article I. Section 2. "All men shall be secure in the Natural right, to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their consciences . "
Pennsylvania 1776, Preamble. "We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance . ..."
Rhode Island 1842, Preamble. "We the People of the State of Rhode Island grateful to Almighty God for the civil and religious liberty which He hath so long permitted us to enjoy, and looking to Him for a blessing ..."
South Carolina, 1778, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of South Carolina . grateful to God for our liberties, do ordain and establish this Constitution .. "
South Dakota 1889, Preamble. "We, the people of South Dakota, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberties ... establish this ...."
Tennessee 1796, Art. XI.III. "That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience... "
Texas 1845, Preamble. "We the People of the Republic of Texas, acknowledging, with gratitude, the grace and beneficence of God .. "
Utah 1896, Preamble. "Grateful to Almighty God for life and liberty, we establish this Constitution .. "
Vermont 1777, Preamble. "Whereas all government ought to ... enable the individuals who compose it to enjoy their natural rights, and other blessings which the Author of Existence has bestowed on man ..... "
Virginia 1776, Bill of Rights, XVI ... "Religion, or the Duty which we owe our Creator ... can be directed only by Reason .. and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian Forbearance, Love and Charity towards each other ... "
Washington 1889, Preamble. "We the People of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this Constitution .. "
West Virginia 1872, Preamble. "Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people of West Virginia .. reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God .. "
Wisconsin 1848, Preamble. "We, the people of Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, domestic tranquility ... "
Wyoming 1890, Preamble. "We, the people of the State of Wyoming, grateful to God for our civil, political, and religious liberties ... establish this Constitution .. "
After reviewing acknowledgments of God from all 50 state constitutions, one is faced with the prospect that maybe, just maybe, the out-of-control federal courts are wrong!
How long are we going to put up with the deliberate destruction of the foundations of our great nation before we take a stand and put a stop to it. Pass this along to all your Email friends and your governmental representaives and let's begin to make a difference. Let your local, state, and federal officials know where you stand and let them know that you will be watching them to see where they stand.
"Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants." William Penn
In a parallel universe called 'what if.'
Kathleen Parker
April 10, 2004
NEW YORK - President-elect John F. Kerry's rise to the nation's highest office came as little surprise following almost four years of remonstrations against President George W. Bush for his bizarre attack on the defenseless people of Afghanistan.
Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, was the right man for a nation outraged by the Bush administration's pre-emptive war, which, it now seems clear, was based on highly speculative intelligence that Saudi Arabian-born terrorist Osama bin Laden was planning an attack on the United States.
Absent absolute proof of such an imminent attack, Bush's Sept. 10 bombing of Afghanistan earned him international condemnation and, in all likelihood, an indictment in coming weeks. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, appearing last night on "Larry King Live," said the United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal likely would bring charges of genocide against Bush.
Bush also faces federal charges at home for his baseless arrest of 19 foreign nationals, many of them native Saudis, whose "crime" was attending American flight schools. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has joined the American Civil Liberties Union in a joint suit against both Bush and former Attorney General John Ashcroft, charging racial profiling, unlawful arrest and illegal search and seizure.
Kerry's campaign mantra - "You go to war because you have to, not because you want to" - clearly resonated with Americans as they tried to make sense of Bush's Sept. 10 attack on Afghanistan. Neither the president, nor national security adviser Condoleezza Rice convincingly defended their actions during the recent "9-10 Commission" hearings, which Congress ordered in response to public outcry.
The commission's purpose was to try to determine what compelled the president to launch a war against Afghanistan. What kind of intelligence suggested that such an act was justified?
The main target of the attack was bin Laden, friend to Afghanistan's brutal Taliban regime, as well as al-Qaida training camps in that war-ravaged nation. Al-Qaida, an international terrorist network, has been blamed for numerous attacks on U.S. interests, including the USS Cole bombing, which killed 17 sailors.
Even though Bush's military campaign was successful in ending the oppressive Taliban regime, bin Laden apparently escaped and al-Qaida continues to flourish.
Some intelligence sources speculate that bin Laden's operatives may be trying to secure weapons of mass destruction from Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Even though Saddam continues to send money to the families of Palestinian terrorists and is believed to have programs for developing WMD, Kerry says he is committed to containing Saddam through continued sanctions and the U.N. oil-for-food program.
In any case, experts say that intelligence about Saddam's WMD program is just as speculative as was the intelligence that prompted Bush to attack Afghanistan. The man credited with sounding the alarm on bin Laden and al-Qaida was Richard Clarke, a counterterrorism expert who has served four presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush and William Jefferson Clinton.
In a Jan. 25 memo to Rice, for instance, Clarke urged immediate attention to several items of national security interest: the Northern Alliance, covert aid, a significant new '02 budget authority to help fight al-Qaida and a response to the USS Cole.
At Rice's and Clarke's urging, Bush called a meeting of principals and, after "connecting the dots," decided to wage war against Afghanistan. What did the dots say? Not much, in retrospect. Apparently, the president decided to bomb a benign country on the basis of "chatter" that hinted at "something big."
With no other details on the "big," and weaving together random bits of information from a variety of questionable sources, Bush and company decided that 19 fundamentalist Muslim fanatics would fly airplanes into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon on 9-11.
Under questioning by the "9-10 Commission," Clarke denied that his memo was anything more than a historical overview with a "set of ideas and a paper, mostly." The bipartisan commission concluded, therefore, that Bush's "dot-connecting" had destroyed American credibility and subjected the United States to increasing hostility in the Arab-Muslim world.
Last week, Saddam Hussein and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat joined French and German leaders in condemning Bush and urging the American voters to cast their ballots for regime change in America. President Kerry was the clear response to that call.
In a flourish of irony and the spirit of bon vivant for which the new president is widely known, Kerry gave his acceptance speech from Windows on the World, the elegant restaurant atop the World Trade Center's Tower One.
©2004 Tribune Media Services
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/kathleenparker/kp20040410.shtml
In a parallel universe called 'what if.'
Kathleen Parker
April 10, 2004
NEW YORK - President-elect John F. Kerry's rise to the nation's highest office came as little surprise following almost four years of remonstrations against President George W. Bush for his bizarre attack on the defenseless people of Afghanistan.
Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, was the right man for a nation outraged by the Bush administration's pre-emptive war, which, it now seems clear, was based on highly speculative intelligence that Saudi Arabian-born terrorist Osama bin Laden was planning an attack on the United States.
Absent absolute proof of such an imminent attack, Bush's Sept. 10 bombing of Afghanistan earned him international condemnation and, in all likelihood, an indictment in coming weeks. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, appearing last night on "Larry King Live," said the United Nations' International Criminal Tribunal likely would bring charges of genocide against Bush.
Bush also faces federal charges at home for his baseless arrest of 19 foreign nationals, many of them native Saudis, whose "crime" was attending American flight schools. The Council on American-Islamic Relations has joined the American Civil Liberties Union in a joint suit against both Bush and former Attorney General John Ashcroft, charging racial profiling, unlawful arrest and illegal search and seizure.
Kerry's campaign mantra - "You go to war because you have to, not because you want to" - clearly resonated with Americans as they tried to make sense of Bush's Sept. 10 attack on Afghanistan. Neither the president, nor national security adviser Condoleezza Rice convincingly defended their actions during the recent "9-10 Commission" hearings, which Congress ordered in response to public outcry.
The commission's purpose was to try to determine what compelled the president to launch a war against Afghanistan. What kind of intelligence suggested that such an act was justified?
The main target of the attack was bin Laden, friend to Afghanistan's brutal Taliban regime, as well as al-Qaida training camps in that war-ravaged nation. Al-Qaida, an international terrorist network, has been blamed for numerous attacks on U.S. interests, including the USS Cole bombing, which killed 17 sailors.
Even though Bush's military campaign was successful in ending the oppressive Taliban regime, bin Laden apparently escaped and al-Qaida continues to flourish.
Some intelligence sources speculate that bin Laden's operatives may be trying to secure weapons of mass destruction from Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Even though Saddam continues to send money to the families of Palestinian terrorists and is believed to have programs for developing WMD, Kerry says he is committed to containing Saddam through continued sanctions and the U.N. oil-for-food program.
In any case, experts say that intelligence about Saddam's WMD program is just as speculative as was the intelligence that prompted Bush to attack Afghanistan. The man credited with sounding the alarm on bin Laden and al-Qaida was Richard Clarke, a counterterrorism expert who has served four presidents, including Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush and William Jefferson Clinton.
In a Jan. 25 memo to Rice, for instance, Clarke urged immediate attention to several items of national security interest: the Northern Alliance, covert aid, a significant new '02 budget authority to help fight al-Qaida and a response to the USS Cole.
At Rice's and Clarke's urging, Bush called a meeting of principals and, after "connecting the dots," decided to wage war against Afghanistan. What did the dots say? Not much, in retrospect. Apparently, the president decided to bomb a benign country on the basis of "chatter" that hinted at "something big."
With no other details on the "big," and weaving together random bits of information from a variety of questionable sources, Bush and company decided that 19 fundamentalist Muslim fanatics would fly airplanes into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon on 9-11.
Under questioning by the "9-10 Commission," Clarke denied that his memo was anything more than a historical overview with a "set of ideas and a paper, mostly." The bipartisan commission concluded, therefore, that Bush's "dot-connecting" had destroyed American credibility and subjected the United States to increasing hostility in the Arab-Muslim world.
Last week, Saddam Hussein and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat joined French and German leaders in condemning Bush and urging the American voters to cast their ballots for regime change in America. President Kerry was the clear response to that call.
In a flourish of irony and the spirit of bon vivant for which the new president is widely known, Kerry gave his acceptance speech from Windows on the World, the elegant restaurant atop the World Trade Center's Tower One.
©2004 Tribune Media Services
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/kathleenparker/kp20040410.shtml
Thanks for the invite Pre...
got company from North Carolina with us now.
Matey
Gotta keep reminding them Pre. They "forget"!
The Worst President?
Liberals claim President Bush shouldn't have started this war.
They complain about his prosecution of it. They point out that
Iraq didn't attack the U.S. and we shouldn't have went to war
with them.
One liberal recently claimed Bush was the worst president in
U.S. history.
Most of these claims come from liberals in the Democratic party.
Being an Independent I decided to take a look at history and see
if using that criteria who else could be called the "worst" president.
FDR ( a democrat) led us into World War II against Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Neither Germany or Italy ever attacked us: Japan did.
From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an average of 112,500 per year.
That's 1 Democratic President, 4 years and 450,000 American lives
Harry Truman (a democrat) finished that war and started one in Korea, North
Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average
of 18,333 per year.
That's 1 Democratic President, 3 years, and 55,000 American lives.
John F. Kennedy (a democrat) started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam
never attacked us.
Lyndon B. Johnson (a democrat) turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975,
58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year. Finally in the 1970's
Richard Nixon (a republican) pulled us out of Vietnam.
That's 2 Democratic Presidents, 1 Republican President, 13 years, and 58,000
American lives.
Bill Clinton went to war in Bosnia WITHOUT UN or French consent, Bosnia
never attacked us.
The Clinton administration was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter
three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple
occasions.
In the two years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated
two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors
in Lybia, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured Sadaam
Hussein, who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people.
We lost about 600 soldiers, an average of 200 a year. Bush did all this
abroad while not allowing another terrorist attack at home.
That's 1 Republican President, 2 1/2 years, and about 600 American lives.
Then the Democrats complained about how long the war on terror is taking,
but...
It took less time to take Iraq than it TOOK JANET RENO TO TAKE THE
BRANCH DAVIDIAN C0MPOUND! THAT WAS A 51 DAY OPERATION!
We've been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for LESS TIME THAN
IT TOOK HILLARY CLINTON TO LOCATE THE ROSE LAW FIRM RECORDS IN HER OWN OFFICE!
It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy
the Medina Republican Guard than it took TED KENNEDY TO CALL THE POLICE AND GIVE
HIMSELF UP AFTER HE HAD AN ACCIDENT WHILE DRUNK AND SANK HIS OLDSMOBILE IN
THE CHAPPAQUIDIK RIVER KILLING THE YOUNG LADY WHO WAS HIS PASSENGER!
And Finally...
IT TOOK LESS TIME FOR THE U.S. MILITARY TO TAKE IRAQ THAN IT DID TO COUNT THE
VOTES IN FLORIDA IN 2000!!!!
But for some reason the Democrats didn't complain about how long any of that took! Hmmm.....
Crime rate may fall, says sheriff
ROGERSVILLE--With the Missouri State Supreme Court upholding the conceal and carry law, local law enforcement personnel say the crime rate may drop as a result.
"In the 31 states that have conceal and carry laws, all the crime statistics I've seen would indicate that the crime rate has gone down as a result," said Webster County Sheriff Ron Worsham.
"I've always supported the law. I've covered too many homicides where I've had to dig up victims of a crime, especially young women. I firmly believe that if they had a way to defend themselves, many of them would be alive today. I've always encouraged my daughter to carry a loaded weapon in her car in plain sight," Worsham said.
With the law in effect, anyone over the age of 23 years old who has not been convicted of certain crimes, can carry a concealed weapon in their vehicle, Worsham said.
"Before it had to be in plain view. Now it can be concealed," Worsham said.
Worsham said that the new law has many restrictions for permit holders.
"I'm not sure there's a big advantage to having a permit. Once people find out the hassle there is to go through, it might be better to not have a permit. There are a large number of places where you cannot carry a concealed weapon - churches, bars, government buildings - people may find it simpler to put it in car and forget it," Worsham said.
With the law now in effect, Worsham said it would not change the way his department approaches drivers, who may now be carrying concealed weapons.
"The possibility of someone having a concealed weapon is part of the training everyone receives at the academy. (The deputies) are supposed to approach every vehicle as if the driver has a loaded weapon. It shouldn't change the way they approach (a pulled over vehicle)," Worsham said.
Worsham said that his department has received 14 applications since the Supreme Court upheld the law.
Court rules law Constitutional
The Missouri Supreme Court recently ruled that the state's new conceal-and-carry law is not unconstitutional. The law goes into effect Friday.
According to Webster County Sheriff Ron Worsham, the new law will allow most people 23 years old and older to carry a concealed weapon in their vehicle.
"They can't have a felony conviction or some misdemeanors which prohibit a person from carrying a concealed weapon for up to five years," Worsham said.
The sherrif's department has a list of locations giving classes necessary to obtain a permit. The county may hold them in the future, Worsham said.
"I have to talk with the county commissioners to see if our insurance can cover the courses," Worsham said.
If the county does hold the training courses, a tentative fee for the training will be approximately $88, which will include the cost of the required background check, Worsham said.
The law authorizes sheriffs to charge a non-refundable fee not to exceed $100 for permits. Renewal of the three-year permit may cost up to $50. The concealed-carry permit will be endorsed on a driver's license or state-identification card.
Those taking the course would be eligible to purchase the license for $50, Worsham said. Until the issue of insurance coverage is resolved, Worsham said his office can answer questions and take applications.
Under the new law, sheriffs are required to submit information to the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System.
Worsham said the permit can be suspended or revoked if the holder violates any of the requirements for qualification for concealed carry.
Any person issued a concealed-carry permit must notify the department of revenue and county sheriffs of both the old and new jurisdictions of residence within 30 days of moving. If a concealed-carry permit holder loses their driver's license they must notify the sheriff of the loss within seven days, according to Worsham.
Part of the application process associated with the new law requires sheriffs to conduct fingerprint and background checks on applicants, Worsham said. It was scheduled to take effect in October, but a St. Louis judge ruled that the proposed law violated the state's constitution.
The state Supreme Court overturned that ruling last week, but question regarding of whether or not the law violates the Hancock amendment are still unanswered, Worsham said.
The Hancock amendment prohibits the state from imposing an unfunded mandate. According to the amendment, the state cannot impose any new or expanded activities on counties or municipalities without providing state funds to pay for the new programs.
The concealed-carry law includes a fee of up to $100 for the permits, but it required the fees to be deposited in a fund that by law can only be used to pay for training and equipment, not personnel costs.
Jackson, Cape Girardeau, Greene and Camden Counties presented evidence before the court that processing the applications will cause substantial increased costs in those counties. The Supreme Court ruled that the law does violate the Hancock amendment in those counties. The court, however, refused to assume that other counties would incur extra costs as well.
Officials in Greene County could not be reached for comment.
For further information, contact the sheriff's office at 859-2247.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?%20BRD=1815&dept_id=59849&newsid=11090354&P
That's where me and the Missus got..
our AZ CCW training. Top notch school.
1bgg, right in the classroom, the Gunsite instructors..
show the proper way to clear a semi-auto, over and over again. They repeat the safety rules over and over again AND they are on your written test. Women who never held a gun before in their lives were competent and confident firearm owners at the end of the class. I don't know what these two could have been thinking.